A chef’s knife is a daily tool. The edge should still bite a tomato next week, and you should be willing to sharpen it when it does not.
We used eight-inch blades in ordinary prep, then touched them up on stones. Stainless stayed brighter and asked for less worry. High-carbon took a keener edge and asked you to dry it.
Edge and upkeep
Harder steel holds an edge and can micro-chip if you twist it in a bone or a board. Softer stainless dulls sooner and is simpler to bring back. The handle and the balance decide whether you enjoy the hour of chopping in between.
- An edge you can sharpen at home, not a proprietary bevel you are afraid of.
- Enough height in the blade for your knuckles.
- A handle that stays put when your hand is wet.
- The habit of drying a carbon blade before you turn around.
The keenest knife you will not maintain becomes a dull knife you resent.
At the board
A wooden or plastic board, a steel or a stone you actually own, and a wipe at the end. Dishwashers and glass boards are how good knives die. The steel type will not save you from either.
Choose the metal you will dry and sharpen. That is the whole argument.
