# What Kinds Of Knives Do Chefs Use **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380 "2014-09-23T22:19:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380/21 "2014-09-24T15:46:02Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > The big difference is really the difference between high carbon steel and SS. There is no SS (ie high chromium steel) that can take as sharp an edge as a hardened carbon steel. These knives get to RC 64, which is seriously hard. That translates to literally razor sharpness. Ok… riddle me this, Batman- why are razor blades made of high carbon stainless then, if the point of a high carbon steel blade is to get to “literally razor sharpness”? I’m not a knife dork, but it does seem to me that metallurgy has probably advanced since the era when Julia Child would be lamenting the use of stainless knives. There’s a reason that the vast majority of kitchen knives are high-carbon stainless, and that’s because the corrosion resistance is really, really handy, and they can get just as sharp, and hold an edge reasonably well. Like others have said, the real reason for getting a Bob Kramer knife or any hand-made/boutique knife is vanity; a $200 Wusthof is going to be perfectly fine for ANY chef doing what chefs do with knives, like chopping onions or peppers. For that matter, a Mercer Genesis is for all intents and purposes the same thing, and is a lot cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380/22 "2014-09-24T15:54:40Z")
> [@Ornery\_Bob](#): > > A properly trained chef would never need a stainless steel knife because they clean and wipe dry their knives immediately after use, so they weren’t just lamenting stainless steel knives, but also the lack of training they represent. It’s worth noting that, according to modern food-handling regulations (at least here in Washington — I would imagine it’s similar in other states), you are _never_ supposed to wipe-dry your dishes and utensils. Everything is supposed to air-dry. Thus, if you were using high-carbon steel knives in a modern restaurant, you would be forced to choose between rusty knives or ignoring regulations. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380/23 "2014-09-24T16:07:22Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > The acid test is - can you get a knife that will let you make [this](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Fugu_sashimi.jpg)? For which you will usually need one of [these](http://www.amazon.de/Mizuno-Fuguhiki-Izumi-Masatada/dp/B007450UGI). Disagree with your premise. No _I_ couldn’t do that with any knife but I’m pretty sure the man that created that could also do it with an inexpensive knife. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380/24 "2014-09-24T16:41:38Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Ok… riddle me this, Batman- why are razor blades made of high carbon stainless then, if the point of a high carbon steel blade is to get to “literally razor sharpness”? The big issue is that there are an enormous number of stainless steels, with widely varying properties. Razor blades are not made of the same stainless steel as kitchen knives, and you could not make a satisfactory kitchen knife with the same materials and process as a razor blade. Razor blades are not all that corrosion resistant - the SS versions are better than the old carbon steel, but the amount of chromium in them must be limited. They have to be coated, and carefully wrapped, to avoid corrosion. In addition they usually have special coatings on the edge (eg pure chromium) that adds a hard edge - which is what is sharpened and does the cutting - not the SS metal. Once this wears off the blade is useless. Further, the blades are heat treated to an extent that makes them quite brittle - so much so that a kitchen knife would be useless. It would break in use too easily. In general this underlines the comparison - you can make a razor (even a straight edge razor) from some form of stainless steel - but it will only be useful as a razor. You could not adapt the same metallurgy to a kitchen knife. OTOH, as I have written above - more modern sintered powder tool steels have very good corrosion properties and superb edge properties. The old high carbon chrome moly vanadium SS knives are not comparable. > [@](#): > > Like others have said, the real reason for getting a Bob Kramer knife or any hand-made/boutique knife is vanity; Actually it was me. > [@](#): > > a $200 Wusthof is going to be perfectly fine for ANY chef doing what chefs do with knives, like chopping onions or peppers. I have a set of Wusthof knives, and they are not in the same class as a VG10 knife. And the VG10 knife was cheaper. Buying a Wusthof knife now is IMHO wasting money. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380/25 "2014-09-24T16:52:34Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Ok… riddle me this, Batman- why are razor blades made of high carbon stainless then, if the point of a high carbon steel blade is to get to “literally razor sharpness”? As they were introduced by King Gillette, disposable razor blades were carbon steel and so they remained for decades. Such blades lost their edges to corrosion if they weren’t carefully dried after each use. Stainless blades were introduced and sold as an improvement in that they had a longer useful life due to the edge not corroding away before shaving had blunted the edge. Carbon blades are still sold and shaving fetishists insist they are sharper, but I think the difference is imaginary. The blades, regardless of material, are mass produced to be disposable. They are not made by master razor blade smiths. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380/26 "2014-09-24T19:33:47Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > The acid test is - can you get a knife that will let you make [this](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Fugu_sashimi.jpg)? For which you will usually need one of [these](http://www.amazon.de/Mizuno-Fuguhiki-Izumi-Masatada/dp/B007450UGI). Geez, talk about poisoning the thread. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![HipGnosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/76d3ee/32.png) [@HipGnosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HipGnosis)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380/27 "2014-09-24T19:44:20Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > The claim was made that a very expensive sushi knife can do things that no other knife can do which is BS. There are any number of filet knives under $50 that can the job reasonable well. The steel might not be as good or hold an edge as long but they will do the same job. I sarcastically luv logic like this! The ‘job’ is to do detailed work at least X times without needing to be re-sharpened. The economy knife simply is NOT capable of that ‘job’. It’s like saying my Accord can do the job of a pickup if you just let me make multiple trips. “Reasonable” = excuse for failure. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380/28 "2014-09-24T20:13:41Z")
You’re giving an expanded definition of what constitutes the job, now. Initially, in this discussion, all that was specified was that the purpose-made sushi knife would slice raw flesh very thinly and with minimal tearing. A $50-ish filet knife will, for a fact, also do that. Which will do it longer between sharpenings is a different issue. The $ushi knife being better suited to slicing on a restaurant scale still doesn’t qualify as it doing something unique; only that it is better for a particular task. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380/29 "2014-09-25T11:10:59Z")
> [@HipGnosis](#): > > I sarcastically luv logic like this! > The ‘job’ is to do detailed work at least X times without needing to be re-sharpened. > The economy knife simply is NOT capable of that ‘job’. > It’s like saying my Accord can do the job of a pickup if you just let me make multiple trips. “Reasonable” = excuse for failure. Maybe you can use your Accord to help you move those goalposts while you’re at it. ---
**Author:** ![Redfishhunter930](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Redfishhunter930](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redfishhunter930)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380/30 "2014-09-25T13:53:28Z")
I went to my first culinary school in the eighties run by a German chef who insisted we learn to cut our vegetables with a knife that looked like this [https://www.google.ca/search?q=old+carbon+steel+knives&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=685&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=2RckVPrJH4SUyAS34YBA&ved=0CAYQ\_AUoAQ#facrc=\_&imgdii=\_&imgrc=DYWhHRdk5HtehM%253A%3BtSC2bG3joyjMhM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.knife-depot.com%252Fblog%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2011%252F02%252Fvintage-dexter-48912-12-carbon-steel-blade-chef-knife\_200568868712.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.knife-depot.com%252Fblog%252Fknowing-vulnerabilities-in-blade-material-key-to-maintenance%252F%3B400%3B300](https://www.google.ca/search?q=old+carbon+steel+knives&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=685&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=2RckVPrJH4SUyAS34YBA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=DYWhHRdk5HtehM%253A%3BtSC2bG3joyjMhM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.knife-depot.com%252Fblog%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2011%252F02%252Fvintage-dexter-48912-12-carbon-steel-blade-chef-knife_200568868712.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.knife-depot.com%252Fblog%252Fknowing-vulnerabilities-in-blade-material-key-to-maintenance%252F%3B400%3B300) I’m reasonably certain a knife much like this is what Julia learned to cut with. I’ve never been in or worked in a kitchen that had general all purpose knives that were worth more than twenty to fifty dollars (US) (inflation of course). I’m being generous. Anything above was and is, hyperbole. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380/31 "2014-09-25T15:01:11Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > I have a set of Wusthof knives, and they are not in the same class as a VG10 knife. And the VG10 knife was cheaper. Buying a Wusthof knife now is IMHO wasting money. No… I think you’re misunderstanding me. I was saying that for most chef tasks, a $200 Wusthof will be more than adequate, not that a $200 Wusthof is as good of a knife as the VG10. It’s kind of like saying that for most carpenters, a DeWalt cordless drill will work just fine. Yes, the Makita blue, Hilti and some of the Milwaukee lines are better, but they’re icing on the cake. In other words, there’s a certain level of performance that’s “good enough”, and then there’s better than that. The decent Wusthofs/Henckels/etc… are there, and there are lots of knives that go up from there, and there’s no reason for anyone to spend $1000 on a knife, when $200 (or less, for a VG10!) will do, unless they’re looking for something to show off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kinds-of-knives-do-chefs-use/699380.md?page=1)