French knives have a straighter edge, which is better for cutting. In the past decade or so, Japanese-made knives have also become popular. Designed to prepare delicate foods such as fish and tender vegetables with an up and down motion, they are lighter and thinner and have less angled blades. Shun Cutlery is a chef's favorite knife.
In 2003, the Santoku Shun Classic Hollow-Ground won the Knife of the Year award at a Blade Show. The design is Japanese (the blade is very light and very thin) and anti-Japanese (its balance is not pushed towards the cutting end and everything is in one piece; most Japanese-style knives taper into a wooden handle). However, most testers preferred the Victorinox because of its maneuverability and comfortable feel, compared to the other inexpensive blades we tested. When buying chef knives, the two main types to choose from are German knives, which are heavy and thick, especially on the head (where the blade meets the handle) and Japanese knives that are light and sharp with thinner blades.
Henckels has been manufacturing knives in Germany for almost 300 years, and his design expertise is in full view with this knife. The blade shape of the MTH-80 reaches the perfect midpoint between German and Japanese chef's knives, curved enough to swing, but still straight enough to chop push-pull choppers. It is best described as a high-carbon stainless steel, which means it has some characteristics of stainless and carbon steel knives. In fact, consumer reports recognized Wüsthof's Classic and Grand Prix series knives as the best.
Without wooden handles or hammered Damascus steel, they are Japanese-made knives but with an untraditional Japanese look. For this piece, culinary specialist and food stylist Sarah Brekke and Test Kitchen brand manager Juli Hale tested 17 different chef's knives to find the best one. When I used the Wüsthof Classic, I was initially struck by its weight, even together with other more traditional European-style knives. I brought the eight knives to my kitchen and used them for everything from chopping herbs to boning chicken thighs.
Quality stamped knives and drop forged knives undergo a heat treatment process, which brings the steel to the desired hardness. Most of Zwilling's collections are forged knives and some are full tang, but this brand has no shortage of knife collections. The company has produced various cutlery over the years, such as folding knives, razors and assorted kitchen cutlery. European-style knives (which include German, French, and Western style) tend to be heavier with a thicker, curved blade, the shape of which helps swing back and forth with the tip down on the cutting board.
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