Your perfect chefs knife (help me make one!)

[Sway]

Forged a bushcraft knife a couple of years ago, and loved every minute. Bumped into the Bladesmith last week, and now I'm about to make a chefs knife...

Have a fairly big lump of 80crv2 steel, it'll have mahogany handles with g10 liner - but I'm bouncing around a whole bunch of different designs, so thought I'd throw it out here.

So, what's your perfect large, do it all, chefs knife?

Capable of spatchcocking a chicken with ease, but great for prepping an entire meal.

Do you go deep bellied German like a Zwillings or Wusthof?

Shallow, straighter bladed French fancy (or one of those new fangled gyuto)?

Straight spine or drop point?

Current inspirations:

Deep bellied workhorse


Cool looking nakiri but curved edge to permit rocking.


Long, shallow but beefy with a killer point


Smooth, clean curves


Within reason, I'm not constrained by size. The lump of steel I've got will allow pretty much anything shy of a machete.

[21TonyK]

I favour a traditional European chefs knife around 20cm blade length, 40mm deep but slightly thinner than normal at maybe 2-2.5mm. Maximum weight 270g, ideally around 260g. Slightly dropped tip but evenly curved from tip to bolster for a smooth rocking action.

Hammered or scalloped blade and a Rockwell of 60+ so it can be ground at 10-12 degrees for 95%+ of its length then 20 at the bolster for bones and crap.

Make two and I'll buy the spare if you can meet that spec.

[M5-911]

This is what I have been using 80% of the time for the last 28years in kitchens/galleys:

https://www.arcos.com/en_OC/cuchillo-cocinero-lyon...

[Sway]

21TonyK said:

I favour a traditional European chefs knife around 20cm blade length, 40mm deep but slightly thinner than normal at maybe 2-2.5mm. Maximum weight 270g, ideally around 260g. Slightly dropped tip but evenly curved from tip to bolster for a smooth rocking action.

Hammered or scalloped blade and a Rockwell of 60+ so it can be ground at 10-12 degrees for 95%+ of its length then 20 at the bolster for bones and crap.

Make two and I'll buy the spare if you can meet that spec.

So similar to photo 3?

What's the preference for hammered/scalloped blade? Less retention? I'll have to chat with the smith, as whilst I'm entirely capable of making a very dimpled surface, I'm not sure about going about cleaning up the forge scale after quenching!

It'll be a bit lower in hardness than that - it's a low tech operation with no ability to cryo.

Whilst I'd absolutely love to make them to sell, I'm nowhere near good enough. Yet. That'll be a semi retirement project!

Do you find that that sort of spec is tough enough for spatchcock/bone separations as well as getting a fine dice?

[Sway]

M5-911 said:

This is what I have been using 80% of the time for the last 28years in kitchens/galleys:

https://www.arcos.com/en_OC/cuchillo-cocinero-lyon...

So another pro going for a shallower blade without the deep belly. Interesting!

Really shows how there's a big difference between the 'fashionable' designs, and what chefs actually use. Much more of the French style which I wasn't expecting.

Does the shallower blade require more practice/skill to use? I've 'ok' knife skills, slow but steady...

[21TonyK]

Sway said:

21TonyK said:

I favour a traditional European chefs knife around 20cm blade length, 40mm deep but slightly thinner than normal at maybe 2-2.5mm. Maximum weight 270g, ideally around 260g. Slightly dropped tip but evenly curved from tip to bolster for a smooth rocking action.

Hammered or scalloped blade and a Rockwell of 60+ so it can be ground at 10-12 degrees for 95%+ of its length then 20 at the bolster for bones and crap.

Make two and I'll buy the spare if you can meet that spec.

So similar to photo 3?

What's the preference for hammered/scalloped blade? Less retention? I'll have to chat with the smith, as whilst I'm entirely capable of making a very dimpled surface, I'm not sure about going about cleaning up the forge scale after quenching!

It'll be a bit lower in hardness than that - it's a low tech operation with no ability to cryo.

Whilst I'd absolutely love to make them to sell, I'm nowhere near good enough. Yet. That'll be a semi retirement project!

Do you find that that sort of spec is tough enough for spatchcock/bone separations as well as getting a fine dice?

Similar to 3 but not as deep proportionately. The scallop or hammered is to reduce food sticking and erring towards 2.5mm is fine for butchering poultry, the heel of the knife being for chopping bones. If you cant get the RW above say 56 then a less acute angle and potentially a slightly thicker blade but then it comes down to preference and to a degree how you use it.

[Sway]

Thanks. Should end up about 58HRC.

Will look into hammered finish, I do like the look too.

[Junglebert]

Gyoto is probably the oldest knife type you reference, and Savernake are ste, don’t them determine your outcome

[okgo]

I’ve got a set of these - not sure whether it’s possible with what you have but they are very cool, and get many comments too so obviously look visually appealing

https://blenheimforge.co.uk/product-category/stain...

[Sway]

Junglebert said:

Gyoto is probably the oldest knife type you reference, and Savernake are ste, don’t them determine your outcome

I thought Gyuto came about after the Japanese started being influenced by western cuisine?

[Sway]

okgo said:

I’ve got a set of these - not sure whether it’s possible with what you have but they are very cool, and get many comments too so obviously look visually appealing

https://blenheimforge.co.uk/product-category/stain...

Definitely can't do san mai! Maybe the next one...

But can achieve a similar look with oil bluing... Smith's own chef's knife has that finish and it looks great.

With the feedback from the pro chefs, I'm leaning much more towards the thinner, gyuto style blade but perhaps with a slight drop point and smoothly curved spine all the way along the length of blade and handle.

[M5-911]

Sway said:

So another pro going for a shallower blade without the deep belly. Interesting!

Really shows how there's a big difference between the 'fashionable' designs, and what chefs actually use. Much more of the French style which I wasn't expecting.

Does the shallower blade require more practice/skill to use? I've 'ok' knife skills, slow but steady...

I don't think it requires more skills, it is about feeling.. you get use to a style and that it. I like low maintenance knives.

[M11rph]

The dimples are meant to stop your sliced and diced items sticking to the blade. The commonly seen Granton style scallops do help, but king of the hill for effectiveness are the Glestain deep scallops.

If you want your knife to be used for cutting bone and fine work I think it inevitably becomes a compromise. The thinner japanese style blades will likely chip on bone, but are a delight to use for everything else. Increase blade thickness to make it robust enough for bone and it's not quite as nice to use for other duties. I'll use a thick "budget" Victorinox/Kuhn Rikon for demolition work and a nice thin japanese style for slice'n'dice.

Glestain Gyoto in 210mm format is close to perfect imo. There's enough blade depth to rest your guide knuckle against when chopping and enough of a belly to let you rock the blade too, and a little 5 inch MAC for slicing transparently thin stuff.


https://japanesechefsknife.com/products/glestain-g...

MAC call this a Paring knife, but at 5 inches and with that profile it's a scaled down Chef/Gyoto and is a treat to use.
https://www.kitchenknives.co.uk/mac-chef-series-pa...

[21TonyK]

Sway said:

Thanks. Should end up about 58HRC.

Will look into hammered finish, I do like the look too.

I'd probably go for a less acute angle then, maybe 15 degrees. Really depends on how much abuse you give it and how much effort you are prepared to pout into maintaining it.

Hammering has to be easier than scalloping I would have thought. I have one of these which is lovely but heavy and way too thick for slicing, good for hacking stuff though.

[Sway]

Hammering will definitely be easier than scalloping, much quicker too - the concern I have is how we go about cleaning the depths of the dimples from forge scale (I'll have a chat, I'm assuming a wire brush will do it). With an oil blued finish on the dimpled section, it'll look good too.

[21TonyK]

M11rph said:

MAC call this a Paring knife, but at 5 inches and with that profile it's a scaled down Chef/Gyoto and is a treat to use.

You're the first person I've seen mention MAC knives other than me when I've asked for comment on them.

You obviously have one and like it. Can you compare to other manufacturers? Everything seems to be US centric and even on Reddit knife groups MAC is often glossed over.

Been thinking about...

https://www.kitchenknives.co.uk/mac-f131-mac-cooks...

Just for a bit of variety really!

Edited by 21TonyK on Sunday 4th February 14:16

[Mobile Chicane]

Personally I would go for a kiritsuke for daily use, and have a hefty hacker as a back up for bones and the like.

[Mazinbrum]

I’ve been using a sharp bread knife for a long time for carving cooked meat, seems to stay sharp for ages too.

[M11rph]

21TonyK said:

You're the first person I've seen mention MAC knives other than me when I've asked for comment on them.

You obviously have one and like it. Can you compare to other manufacturers? Everything seems to be US centric and even on Reddit knife groups MAC is often glossed over.

Been thinking about...

https://www.kitchenknives.co.uk/mac-f131-mac-cooks...

Just for a bit of variety really!

I was put on to them by a chef I was talking to. Quality is excellent, plenty of chefs use them for work. Quite simple/utilitarian in design which I like and befits the Chef series. The Pro series add a metal bolster to the handle. Up there with the european manufacturers like Zwilling, Wustoff etc.

The choice for me comes down to blade shape and how you use your knife, which to link back to the OP is the choice I'd be looking at when making/choosing a knife.

The 5" Petty/Paring/Utility has just enough belly so you can use it in the traditional western style for chopping but retaining the thin form which makes them a pleasure to use, and I'd see that as the primary difference against the european manufacturers with their more robust chef's knives.

I'm sure someone who has no interest in kitchen knives could damage a MAC or other japanese style blade, but those aren't the people obsessing over these items?

[21TonyK]

Cheers, might pick one up to add to the collection.