Top 5 chef knives available this year

Knives are integral to the kitchen experience, so choosing the right ones is imperative. Consumers are spoiled for choice, so much so that the sheer number of options can result in a tricky selection process. To provide clarity and ease to the purchasing process, we’ve highlighted our top five knife picks for chefs below.

If you like a knife, just click on a photo for more information or scroll down to the end.

Asuka 

A multifaceted wonder, the hand forged Asuka is made from high manganese clad steel, equipping it with an immensely sharp blade with considerable edge resistance. A sure conversation starter, its authentic, rustic finish is a product of how it was made, through ancient techniques adopted by the most experienced of blacksmiths. 

The Asuka is most effective when used to cut meat and vegetables, and its curved blade deems it a model candidate for the rock chop technique.

Well balanced and requiring very little strength when cutting, its full tang handle guarantees both stability and resilience. 

Tatara

One of our bestsellers amongst chefs, the Tatara is hand forged from high carbon steel. Not only does this ensure that it’s chip and wear resistant, but it has brilliant edge retention too. When the time to sharpen it finally arrives, regaining the sharp edge is an effortless process. 

From tough meats to the most sturdy of vegetables to herbs, the Tatara is inherently versatile, capable of taking on ingredients of every shape and size. Its weighty nature means that whatever the cut, it’s the knife rather than the chef that bears the brunt of the work. Featuring ebony wood and a full tang design, its handle is durable too. 

Moreover, resembling a mix between the Chinese cleaver and Nakiri, the Tatara boasts aesthetic desirability, which only improves as it ages and with its frequent use. Ultimately, its owner is left with a knife that is rife with character, with an appearance that truly depicts its history. 

Equipped with a sheath and small and easily portable sharpening stone, the Tatara is an ideal knife for both the kitchen and outdoors use. 

Tatara Evolution

Hand forged from 5Cr15MOV stainless steel, the Tatara Evolution is corrosion resistant and extremely easy to clean and maintain. The blade's edge is easy to sharpen and maintain an edge on, and in comparison to its predecessor, the original Tatara, the blade is much thinner, and thus, lighter. 

Fortunately, its lightness doesn’t negate its strength. The Tatara Evolution is a strong, large, and all-rounded knife that both allows for the smooth slicing of ingredients such as onions and meats, as well as effective cutting of tough vegetables. The fact that the first three quarters of the blade are ground to an especially thin standard ensures this. 

However, the much thicker remaining quarter of the blade serves a purpose too. Whilst it bears no impact on regular day to day cutting, it enables the knife to cut through notoriously tough ingredients without difficulty, such as carcasses and ducks. 

Finally, the Tatara Evolution is an exceptionally ergonomic with a radial curve blade design that is ideal for the pinch grip technique. Its ebony wood handle offers unparalleled comfort, and features a non-slip surface for utmost safety. 

Okinawa Signature Santoku

The Okinawa Signature Santoku is an agile high performance knife beyond compare. Composed of VG10 steel and 67 damascus layers, its stainless steel blade deems it an absolute breeze to maintain. 

Thoughtfully made, its blade is hand sharpened to ensure its utmost sharpness upon purchase. Its excellent edge retention means that even with frequent use, only occasional sharpening is required. 

The blade is so thinly forged that it glides deftly through all ingredients in a laser-like manner. Fortunately, it does so without risk to its quality. The skilled craftsmanship with which it's made means that you don’t have to worry about chipping. 

Whether performing a rock cut, push cut, or straight up and down cut, the Okinawa is capable of remarkable speed. No doubt, skilled chefs are in for a treat.

High performance aside, it looks great too. Its quintessential handle is shaped octagonally, and each handle is individually dyed to ensure that they each flaunt an inimitable unique colourway. The Okinawa Signature Santoku is unequivocally one of a kind, and an unsurprising bestseller.

Harumi

The Harumi knife is nothing short of a must have. Made of German tungen steel, it’s renowned for its robustness, durability, and sharpness. 

Rarely requiring resharpening, the unique shape of its blade is both perfect for making even and thin slices, as well for finely mincing herbs through use of the rock chop technique. 

Its full tang wooden handle provides comfort and reliability by way of its strength, whilst perfectly balancing the blade to ensure effortless and low pressure use of the knife.

Summary

Whilst the chosen knives each offer a unique aesthetic, differing levels of weight, and are made of different materials, they have impressive sharpness, edge-retention, and ergonomic comfort in common. Hence, their most fundamental commonality is the fact that they are all top contenders for any chef's repertoire.