Types of knives

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Now that you know that there is a lot of steel types for each knife, it is time to tell you about all the different types of knives and why we use them. Below you will see an overview of the knives that are available. Click on the name to get more information about the specific knife.

This page is being updated to include all knife videos to accommodate the knife types. Last update: April 17, 2020

Chef’s knife

When you are first starting with cooking then you are probably going to look for a chef’s knife. They are good for anything except for chopping through bones that are thicker than a chicken bone. You can use it for meat, vegetables, etc. You can chop, slice, rock chop, push cut, or use a tip slice technique. A chef’s knife is versatile and I recommend any cook to start with a chef’s knife before upgrading to a specialized knife. However, if you don’t like the rocking motion then a knife like the Gyuto, Santoku, Bunka, or the Chinese cleaver might be the better option for you.

With the many changes in cutlery, the traditional Chef’s knife is getting changed by more and more manufacturers. Therefore going through small bones like Chicken is not always possible. The weight, Rockwell, and the thickness of the knife play a considerable role in whether it can go through small bones or not. Currently, the Wusthof Classic, Wusthof Classic Ikon, and the Zwilling Pro Traditional are suitable for smaller bones.

My recommendation: TwosunTS999 12CN28N Steel
The previous Recommendation is the Xinzuo German Steel 1.4116 210mm

Gyuto knife

A Gyuto is a Japanese style chef’s knife, usually, the knife has a slightly straighter profile than a western chef’s knife. But many things are changing in the kitchen knife world and some manufacturers or blacksmiths will change the profile to accommodate the chef’s preferences for specific countries. The Gyuto is simply a fusion between a western chef’s knife with the culture of Japan. Traditional handles like the octagonal handles will be more catered to the Japanese cuisines while the Western handles with Japanese core material will cater more to accommodate the western market. The most important thing to know is that a Gyuto is slightly straighter than a western chef’s knife and also a lot thinner and sharpened at a lower angle. This means that the Gyuto is less suitable for heavy-duty work.

My Recommendation is the Xinzuo 440C Gyuto 210mm

Santoku Knife

The Santoku is related to the Chef’s knife and the Gyuto. The word Santoku means ”three virtues” which indicates that is can be used to cut meat, vegetables, or fish. The Japanese created the Santoku based on the western Chef’s knife, they changed the knife profile to be straighter to accommodate the Japanese cutting style of chopping rather than rocking, as you would with the curved edge of the Chef’s knife. In Japan, they are used in the home kitchen and rarely seen in the professional kitchen. In Japan, they call this the housewife’s knife. A santoku is usually around 7-inch (18cm) to 5-inch (13cm).

My Recommendation is the Kai Shun Santoku Classic

NA: Kai Shun Santoku Classic
EU: Kai Shun Santoku Classic

Nakiri knife

The Nakiri is a Japanese adaption of the Chinese Cleaver and is used to cut vegetables. While the Nakiri is seen as a vegetable knife you can also use it on fish and meat. The Nakiri is a double bevel knife with rounded squared edges, the thin blade and the straighter profile makes it ideal for specialized tasks such as making ribbons from daikon or cucumber. The blade is also less wide than the heavier Chinese cleaver. The Nakiri is great for the forward chopping motion.

Currently no recommendation since I’m still looking for one that suit my preferences

Chinese all-purpose cleaver (Dual Purpose)

The traditional Chinese cleaver, the cleaver that can do it all. Chop trough smaller bones like duck, chicken bones. Slice through veggies and fruit. The traditional Chinese cleaver is what most chefs use in China. Not only do they use these types in the professional kitchen they also are mandatory in Chinese cuisine since they go through smaller bones. Once you have mastered the Chinese cleaver you will be able to perform every task you can do with a western chef’s knife including food transferring because of a bigger surface. This traditional Chinese cleaver is built like a tank. The front is sharper so that you can be more precise and decorate your dishes with your knife skills. The heel is thicker for a more demanding task like chopping through ”small” bones. The back of the blade is used to tenderize meat. (Keep in mind that professional chef’s in China use all 3 cleaver types, Dual/All-purpose cleaver, Vegetable Cleaver, and the Bone Cleaver to go through bigger bones like spare ribs).

My Recommendation is the Shi Ba Zi P03 or P04*

(*Make sure you select the correct one since P01 and P02 is very heavy and big)

Chinese vegetable cleaver (Slicer)

The Chinese chef’s knife is big but you have to make sure what type you buy. In Asian cuisine, many traditional recipes require you to chop through bones and therefore you need an all-purpose or also known as Dual purpose Chinese cleaver. The Chinese vegetable and Chinese Bone cleaver is a different knife! They may look the same but they are not, bone cleavers are heavier and made of less hard material and used for bigger bones like spare ribs. The Chinese vegetable cleaver has a straight profile you can compare it with a Nakiri knife. Despite the name ”vegetable” they are suitable for boneless proteins too. The Chinese vegetable cleaver is also known as the Chinese slicer.

My Recommendation is the Shi Ba Zi F208-2*

NA: Shi Ba Zi Zuo F208-2
EU: Shi Ba Zi Zuo F208-2

Meat Slicer

A meat slicer is usually thin and long so that you can slice through the meat instead of sawing back and forth. Most restaurants use a meat slicer machine instead of a knife. Unless it is precooked meat and they need to slice the meat for the show, for the audience to enjoy before putting it on the plate. Then they will use the meat slicer knife.

Utility knife

This kind of knife is pretty much the same as a chef’s and usually, it has a straighter profile like the French chef’s knife. It is good for a smaller task. Just like the paring knife but then longer. Personally I prefer to use a paring knife for all tasks over a utility knife.

Paring knife

A paring knife is great for peeling and a smaller task like slicing through herbs. Personally, I like the cheaper version like the Victorinox paring knife over the Hammered Damascus more expensive paring knife. The blade of the Victorinox is thinner and therefore it is more suitable for the smaller task with a sharper edge. Since they are inexpensive you won’t cry while you lose them.

Boning knife

A boning knife is designed to debone different kinds of bones from chicken to beef or to carve a lamb rack so that the bones are more visible. Our butcher and even at the restaurant we use precut meat most of the time. This reduces our prep work tremendously to let the butcher/supplier do it for us. I personally don’t use a boning knife I prefer a chef’s knife or a Chinese cleaver to do the boning work. The reason is that I’m too lazy to grab a different knife for such a small task especially when I cook at home.

Honesuki

A Japanese version of the boning knife the shape is different and therefore the Honesuki is more suitable for poultry like chicken or going through the joints of the chicken.

Chinese bone cleaver

The Chinese bone cleaver is specially designed for butchers and restaurants that mainly sell duck, chicken, and spare ribs. Just like the Chinese vegetable cleaver, they share the same shape the only difference is the steel type which is softer so that it won’t chip. Therefore a Chinese bone cleaver is less sharp but it is definitely a lot heavier so that you can chop through bones easier. Many Asians buy a complete duck or chicken as take away. The chef directly butchers the cooked duck or chicken in front of your eyes within 20 seconds.

Deba knife

A Deba is a Japanese bone cleaver that is designed to go through fish bones rather than spare ribs.

Yanagiba knife

A Yanagiba is ideal for filleting a fish. Unlike the western filleting knife which is flexible. A Yanagiba is great for sashimi since it has a single-edged bevel.

Filleting knife

The western version of the Yanagiba which is flexible and is ideal for deskinning the fish or to remove the rib bones from a salmon.

Bread knife

You have different serrated bread knives which are ideal to cut through bread.

Should you use any of the mentioned knives?

As a home cook, you can add them to your collection but you will probably not use them since your chef’s knife is capable of replacing almost all the mentioned knives. Except for the paring, bread, and Chinese bone cleavers. However, as a professional cook, I do recommend some of the knives depending on the cuisine you are working for. When I was working in a Japanese kitchen I was in love with the quality that my Yanagiba produced. The nigiri and sashimi were sliced perfectly every single time. I was also 3 or 4 times faster with my task with a specialized knife. However, we are filleting like 6 to 12 salmon a day and therefore speed is important so that we maintain the freshness and can go on with other prep work before the rush hour.

▶ If you want to know what knife you should buy you can read 
the following article ''Choosing your knife''. 

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