Best Knives in the World - How to Pick Them?

Good quality knives are a worthwhile investment for any homeowner who values home-cooked food. Bad knives can tire you out and turn what was supposed to be a relaxing, fulfilling activity, into a tedious and hateful task. So how can you ensure you are picking the best knives in the world?

Picking a good knife out of the wide selection of knife brands in the market is no easy task. Here, we outline our pick of the best knives in the world to make your knife-shopping a bit easier.

The Main Players

Before looking for the best knives out there, however, it's important to note that there are basically two main categories of kitchen knives:

  1. German knives
  2. Japanese knives
  1. German Knives

German knives are generally thick and heavy, more- so at the bolster, which is the point at which the blade and the handle meet. They have thicker blades that are curved to enable rocking.

They also are made of softer steel, which means you have to keep sharpening them. They are versatile and can be used for anything- from cutting chicken bones to cutting delicate herbs.

  1. Japanese Knives

Unlike their German counterparts, Japanese knives are light in weight and razor-sharp, with relatively thinner blades. The edge of the blade is also straighter than that of the German blade.

This makes them more suited for precision tasks like thinly sliced tuna. They are made of harder steel, and do not require sharpening as often as German blades. They are however more likely to chip and crack.

Shun Classic 7-inch Santoku Knife

This classic Japanese-style steel blade is perfect for slicing through food, with the indentations in the blade reducing friction and preventing the food from sticking to the blade.

The knife holds its edge but is difficult to sharpen. Its comfortable pakkawood handle is easy to hold, water-resistant, and durable. 

Shun Kai Classic Santoku Knife 18cm

The Wusthof 8-Inch Chef's Knife

This is a versatile knife that is both super- sharp and durable. A German-style knife, it is heavier and larger, but it has a comfortable hold and is good for heavy-duty work. It can handle fine work, however, like creating cleanly-sliced tomatoes and thinly cut-up carrots.

While this knife is safe for dishwashing (a rare feat among cutlery products), hand-washing would be better to give the blade a longer life.

Wusthof Classic Knife

The Mac Professional Series 8-inch Chef's Knife-with Dimples

This is a slightly pricy Japanese- style knife that ranks high among professional circles. It has a thin and extremely sharp blade that simply cuts into a tomato without ripping it at all.

It has a well-wounded belly that makes rocking during mincing quite easy. Its well-balanced design gives the user perfect control of the blade. It actually blends Japanese- style steel with a Western blade

J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-inch Chef's Knife

This is another German-style blade. Although it's made of steel that is slightly softer than the typical Japanese blade, it is powerful, strong, and heavy as well.

It gives an 'I'm not sharp' impression because of this but don't let that fool you. It's great for cutting up chicken (including cutting through the breastbone), dicing onions, and generally cutting up big cuts of meat. It's a great workhorse of a knife, and you can demand almost anything of it.

The Tojiro DP Gyuto

This is a full-tang Japanese knife made of VG10 stainless steel. It has a thin blade, but, compared to other Japanese knives, this one is heavier. With this thin-but-slightly-heavy combination, this knife is good for beginners who would like to use a Japanese knife but still aren't used to the thin, light blade.

The knife is laminated at the core with soft steel which makes it easier to sharpen than most knives. You won't have to do this often, though, because the knife edge lasts for a long time.

Tojiro DP3 Series Chef Knife 21cm

The Global G-2 Classic 8-inch Chef's Knife

A Japanese blade with the typical thin and lightweight blade, this knife is nevertheless unique as it has both handle and blade being made of one piece of high-carbon steel.

This gives it a combination of great clean slicing abilities and a more durable blade. The handle is also filled with sand to give it more weight. A well-balanced knife altogether.

Zwilling's Gourmet 8-Inch Chef's Knife

Although this is a German-style knife, it isn't as heavy as the Wusthof. It is well- balanced, gives clean cuts on tomatoes and onions, and handles chicken with ease.

It has a stainless steel corrosion-resistant blade and doesn't chip or dull easily. However, because it is a stamped blade, it doesn't last as long as the forged ones.

Miyabi FCD5000 Knives

This is a razor-sharp knife with a hard blade that gives a good balance. It effortlessly slices its way through oranges, onions, and basil. It also has a beautiful handle.

Miyabi FCD5000 Knife Series

Furi

Furi knives were made to feel right in your hands. Made using high quality Japanese stainless steel, the blades are ground and polished to give a smooth surface.

The edge is sharpened and honed to give an unrivaled beveled edge that is ready to use upon purchase. The knife handle is wedge-shaped and perfectly weighted with a smooth finish.

Furi Knives

Red Spirit Knives by F. Dick

These are German-style knives with a touch of Eastern flavor. They are uncommonly sharp, with thin, highly polished blades.

The handle is sleek and oblong, with an easy grip. These knives are great performers and look great in your kitchen.

F. Dick Red Spirit Knives

Superior Series by F. Dick

These knives were made for the hardworking cook. They are light in weight and made using superior quality steel.

The blade is stamped rather than forged, which makes the knives more affordable than most knives.

The Bottom Line

Whether you want to do heavy-duty cutting or fine slicing, there is a knife out there for you.

For a pocket-friendly price, you can get a good selection of different knives for various tasks in the kitchen, and as your experience grows, so can your knife collection. Check out these Japanese and German-made high-quality knives and take your pick!

 

Explore More Products:   F Dick Superior Carving Knife 21cm | F Dick Superior Chef Knife 18cmF Dick Superior Chef Knife 16cm