The Joy of a Sharp Knife

I grew up in a house with no sharp knives. None.

Let me repeat that: no sharp knives.

I think this was my mother’s way of trying to protect her kids. She thought if the knives were dull, we wouldn’t cut ourselves on them. To my knowledge, she’s never had any of her knives sharpened, not ever. Her approach to parenting was to keep her children far from perceived danger.

The downside of this is that I eventually had to go out into the world of sharp knives and didn’t know how to handle them. While babysitting one evening, I sliced part of my finger off. I still have a small spot that is missing its fingerprint. It’s such a distinctive mark that it probably disqualifies me from a life of crime.

Knives can be an intimidating thing, even to those who spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It was years before I got any decent knives, and even longer before I got the hang of caring for them. There are different types—some quite expensive—and it’s hard to know which way to go. Should I buy heavy German knives (Wusthof, Henckels, and more), or go for the ultra light Japanese knives? (Global, Shun, etc). And what about ceramic knives, are they any good?

Knives seemed like wine—a place where the neophyte is never quite sure she’s doing the right thing.



And yet, once I took the plunge and upgraded, the entire kitchen experience became a joy. Slicing is easy, dicing a pleasure, tiresome bits of chopping are dispatched quickly and with much less effort. You barely even cry over onions! There is such joy to working with a sharp knife.

I mention this because Thanksgiving is coming up, and that’s my cue to sharpen my knives. If I’m going to be spending a full day in the kitchen, I want to have the tools to enjoy my time there. This week I’m dropping my knives off to be sharpened (I use Epicurean Edge in Kirkland, WA). If I might be so bold, I’d suggest you do so too—and don’t wait until next week. Things get backed up at the knife store once everyone starts pulling out their carving sets in anticipation of roast turkey. You want to beat the rush.

For those of you who have yet to experience the joy of a good sharp knife, here’s some advice I’ve learned. I was scared of buying knives for many years. I wish I had gotten over it sooner.

Go to a store where you can hold and feel the knives. It’s almost impossible to know what style of knife is going to appeal to you. I like the heavier German-style knives, and I prefer Wusthof to Henckels, but I didn’t know that until I held them. Likewise, the 8-inch chef’s knife is perfect for me, the 10-inch was too big. Finding the perfect knife is like dating, you have to give it a whirl to see if the relationship fits. The good news is that there is a large and reliable supply of knives—and generally a money-back guarantee.

About that tang... For years the recommendation was that people should buy knives with a "full-tang." That means the metal of the knife goes all the way through and doesn't stop at the handle (you can see the tang at the bottom of the Wusthof handle in the picture below). This, apparently, is no longer the gospel. As my friend Matthew Amster-Burton pointed out to me, there are good quality knives that are not full-tang—and some knives you cannot see the tang though the handle. This was also echoed by the guys at Epicurean Edge—you can see on their knife advice page (and for those interested, Matthew has a great article about learning to sharpen knives in the Seattle Times).




When it comes to ceramic knives, there are plenty of people who like them. These knives are light, rapier sharp, and (reportedly) don’t have to be sharpened. The drawback, from what I’ve heard, is that if dropped a certain way you can break them. You also need to be careful not to use the knife to pry, slicing only. I’ve loved the sharpness of the ceramic blades I’ve used—and I love my ceramic slicer—but I worry they need a bit more care than I’m likely to give them; I drop knives on a regular basis.

Once you’ve decided on the manufacturer you like, check the lines they offer. Wusthof, for example, has several. Their “Gourmet” series is cheaper than the “Classic” series, but it’s not as well made. Ask to hold and sample the different lines, you will probably feel the difference. Don’t be entirely swayed by the cheaper price. A good knife is something you’ll have forever and use almost daily. It’s worth it to go for the better quality.

My advice is to buy your knives one at a time and slowly, avoiding the big knife sets that come with their own knife block (unless you can find a set with knives you know for a fact you'll use). My brother bought a large set, but there’s only really one knife that he uses on a regular basis (you can tell, the handle is shiny). Start with the basics, and don’t buy more until you find that you need them.

As far as the basics go, I don’t think you can go wrong with a paring knife and a chef’s knife (or santoku, if you prefer). That’s mostly what I use. You can sometimes find these two knives sold together (Wusthof offers a packaged deal for $130). I eventually added a serrated knife for bread and tomatoes. These three knives will serve you really well. They may be all you need.



Once you invest in better knives, make sure to maintain them. I have my sharpened usually twice a year (I never got around to it last spring, busy with manuscript revisions, and they are really dull now). I’ve finally invested in a ceramic honing steel, which I use between visits to the knife shop. I’ve read that you should hone your knife between every use, but I don’t do that. At the knife store they told me that every third use was okay. I don’t always do that either.

That small, eraser-like thing you see is used to clean the honing steel, when too much residue builds up from the grey metal shavings.



Mostly I would say, don’t put your knives in the dishwasher, even though they say you can, and do be careful of the nice sharp blade. Working with a sharp knife that is well suited to your hand is a joy. If you’re anything like me, you’ll wonder why you didn’t get better knives years ago.

But seriously, folks: get your knives sharpened before all the big holiday cooking fest. It’s something I am thankful for, every year.

When I told a friend I was writing about knives, she had this to say. I think it’s a perfect close to the topic:

For people who are average cooks like me, with little to no chopping skills, having a sharp knife is like chocolate: delicious, smooth, pleasurable—and makes you feel good no matter how crappy is everything around!

I think she’s right. A sharp knife is sheer kitchen joy. And if, like me, you have a problem spending money on yourself—the holiday season is coming up. I asked for knives two years in a row as birthday/holiday presents, and I have my brother to thank for heeding the call. Of course, now that I know what a difference they make, I kick myself for not running out and getting them for myself years ago.



Note: I mention and feature Wusthof here, only because it’s what I use. I’m not endorsing it, because everyone has different knife style. My friends who use the lighter Asian knives tell me I need to evolve and I’ll never look back. Perhaps they are right. One maker I would suggest people take a look at is Mac. This is the knife I grew up with. It’s light, easy to handle (especially for smaller, female hands) and gets raves from chefs and homecooks alike. It doesn't get quite as much press as the other Asian knives, but it's a cult favorite.