How to Buy a Kitchen Knife

That’s not a knife,” goes the immortal Crocodile Dundee scene. You don’t have to be a New York mugger to have been on the receiving end of this pointed quote. As anyone who has ever struggled to slice an onion with a hopelessly blunt utensil knows, a bad knife is a cook’s nightmare. But what makes a good knife? Humans have pondered this question for centuries. Craftspeople from Germany to Japan have built upon generations of sword-making expertise, entire lives dedicated to ensuring their steel serves its user impeccably, whether on the battlefield, during hunting or, more likely today, in the kitchen.