09/12/2025
Over the course of 3 years making cooking videos on the internet and working in kitchens, Iāve been asked many times for knife recommendations. If you are new to the industry, here are a few tips, that may help point you in the right direction.
1ļøā£ DONT MAKE YOUR FIRST KNIFE AN EXPENSIVE ONE. How many times have you heard stories of people who got their beginners drivers licence, and wrecked a brand new car? Donāt be that person. Start off with a $20-$30 knife. If youāre going to spend more, donāt spend over $100.
2ļøā£ SHARPNESS MEANS NOTHING. Any advertisement that shows you how sharp a knife is, is nothing more than a gimmick. Any piece of metal can be sharpened. Whatās important, is edge retention. How long will it stay sharp? Cheaper steel, gets dull quicker. But when youāre starting out, a softer steel has benefits. It dulls quicker, therefore you get more practice sharpening on a proper whetstone. If you damage it, who cares! Itās $30.
3ļøā£ DONāT BUY A KNIFE BECAUSE IT LOOKS FANCY. If you search for chef knife on Amazon, you will find tons of fancy looking chef knives. Japanese imitation knives are one of the most common culprit of price gouging. These knives are bought wholesale from companies that stamp them in factories, and they put colorful handles on them and mark up the price 5 and 10 times what they cost. You can get high carbon stainless steel knives for $30. Donāt be tricked by ā7 layer Damascus steel, hand forged, etc.ā
4ļøā£ DONāT BUY KNIVES YOU CONSTANTLY SEE ADVERTISEMENTS FOR. Knives come from many countries but as an example, authentic Japanese knives made by blacksmiths from the region, arenāt buying Facebook ads. Their craftsmanship speaks for itself. Thatās why authentic retailers spend months or even years on wait lists to secure handcrafted knives. If you are constantly seeing influencers pushing you to buy a certain brand of knife, or are constantly seeing ads for them and HUGE sales, thatās an immediate red flag. Check what steel itās made of. If it doesnāt say, keep looking.
5ļøā£ LEARN AS YOU GO. As you buy and use more knives, you will learn what works best for you. Everyone has their own opinions on whatās best I mean just look at the comment section. No one can agree on a one size fits all solution. Thatās because there isnāt one. Work with the budget you have, check the quality of the materials, and learn as you go. Hopefully youāll work with someone whoās experienced and can point you in the right direction.
