Chef Knife Buying Guide

The Chef Shop Knife Guide

Find the Right Professional Kitchen Knife

Not sure where to start? Use our chef knife buying guide to understand the main knife styles, compare professional knife brands and find the right option for your kitchen.

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Quick Advice

One Knife Doesn't Do Everything The right choice depends on what you prepare, how you prefer to cut and whether you want an all-round knife or something for a more specific task.
Not sure where to start?
A chef's knife or Santoku is a good place to begin if you want a versatile everyday knife.
Everyday All-Rounder Start with a chef's knife or Santoku if you want one versatile knife for everyday preparation.
Precision & Smaller Jobs Utility and paring knives are useful for smaller ingredients and more detailed preparation.
Slicing & Portioning Longer slicing knives help with clean, controlled cuts through larger prepared foods.
Japanese Knives Explore Santoku, Nakiri and other Japanese-style knives from KAI and Shun.

Knife Types

Which Kitchen Knife Do You Need?

Different blade shapes are designed to make different preparation jobs easier. These are some of the most useful styles to know.
Chef's Knife A classic all-purpose kitchen knife suited to chopping, slicing and general everyday preparation.
Santoku A versatile Japanese-style option suited to slicing, chopping and preparing meat, fish and vegetables.
Utility Knife A useful middle-ground option for preparation jobs that feel too small for a chef's knife but too large for a paring knife.
Paring Knife Compact and easy to control for smaller ingredients, trimming and detailed preparation.
Slicing Knife A longer blade designed for controlled slicing and portioning where smooth, consistent cuts matter.
Nakiri A Japanese vegetable knife with a distinctive straight-edged profile suited to vegetable preparation.

Traditional All-Rounder

Chef's Knife

A chef's knife is a strong starting point for cooks who want one dependable knife for a broad mix of everyday kitchen preparation.

  • General chopping and slicing
  • Meat, vegetables and herbs
  • Familiar Western-style profile
  • A practical first professional knife

Japanese-Style Alternative

Santoku

A Santoku is another versatile option and is particularly popular with cooks who prefer a Japanese-style blade profile.

  • General slicing and chopping
  • Meat, fish and vegetables
  • Japanese-style design
  • Useful everyday kitchen knife

Professional Knife Brands

Shop by Knife Brand

The Chef Shop stocks professional kitchen knives from established European and Japanese knife brands.
Victorinox Professional kitchen knives and practical everyday options for chefs and catering environments. Shop Victorinox → WÜSTHOF German professional knives including the Classic and Classic Ikon collections. Shop WÜSTHOF → KAI Wasabi Japanese kitchen knives covering useful professional blade styles for everyday preparation. Shop KAI → Shun Japanese kitchen knives available across Shun Classic and Shun Premier collections. Shop Shun →

Japanese Kitchen Knives

Looking for a Japanese Knife?

Explore Japanese kitchen knives from KAI Wasabi, Shun Classic and Shun Premier, including chef's knives, Santoku, Nakiri, slicing, utility and paring styles. Explore Japanese Knives

Before You Buy

Four Things to Think About

The right knife for you is the one that suits the way you actually work in the kitchen.
1
What Do You Prepare? Think about whether you mostly prepare meat, fish, vegetables or a broad mix of ingredients.
2
All-Round or Specialist? Decide whether you want one versatile everyday knife or a blade for a more specific task.
3
Which Style Feels Right? Consider whether you prefer a traditional chef's knife or a Japanese-style option such as a Santoku.
4
Think Beyond the Knife Good storage and regular sharpening are important parts of keeping professional knives ready for use.

Building a Knife Kit

Prefer a Knife Set?

A knife set can be a practical way to build a core selection of professional knives together.

Victorinox Knife Sets

Browse professional Victorinox knife sets for chefs, students and commercial kitchen use.

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WÜSTHOF Knife Sets

Explore WÜSTHOF knife sets for cooks looking to build a coordinated professional knife collection.

Shop WÜSTHOF Sets

Look After Your Knives

Sharpening & Storage

Your knife is only part of the setup. Keep it stored safely and maintain the edge with suitable sharpening equipment.
Knife Sharpeners Browse sharpening equipment for maintaining professional kitchen knives.
Knife Storage Browse storage options to keep knives organised and protected between uses.
Still Not Sure Which Knife to Choose? Contact The Chef Shop and tell us what you prepare and what you're looking for. Our team can point you towards suitable options.
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