Knives come in all shapes and sizes in the kitchen. A chef is only as good as his or her knife allows. One of the biggest issues a beginning chef may have is learning which knife is right for them to buy.
A great quality knife is going to be made well and are guaranteed to be sharp and hold and edge when buying them, but what else do you need to know when purchasing a good knife?
When it comes to knives , size plays a factor. A person with small hands probably doesn’t need to be using a 12 inch chef’s knife. It is all about control when using your knife in the kitchen. The tang is that piece of metal that goes from the blade to the back of the knife. The handle of the knife will usually cover it. Most all knives have a tang, but some do not. It is ideal to purchase a knife with a tang in order to guarantee durability from the handle to the blade and provides weight and balance. Another thing most all good knives have are bolsters. The bolster is the groove between the blade and the handle that helps protect your fingers from injuries. You also have the handle itself which should be made very durable for use. The handle can either be wooden, plastic, composite or stainless steel. Regardless of what type of handle you decide to use, the main objective is to make sure it feels comfortable to hold without any weight issues.
There are essentially three types of blades: blocked, forged or sintered.
Blocked knives, like the Dexter-Russell BS6-8 6 piece set, are cut from a single sheet of metal. The blades are ground to form the edge and the handles are added to the tang. These sometimes come without bolsters.
Sinter knives, like the Dexter-Russell DEXTS5198GE-PCP , Chinese chef’s knife are made with separate blades and fused to a separate tang. This knife is used mostly for Eastern style knives typically with rounded handles.
