Because it had so many task-specific kitchen variants, the kitchen knife is one of the most unique cooking tools out there.

A professional chef may have an entire arsenal of knives to choose from. Some knives are designed for one task like a bread knife while others are designed for multiple purposes like the chefs knife.

A home cook usually has a limited amount of knives at their disposal making multipurpose knives essential in most home kitchens around the world. In this article we’ll dive deep into what a chefs knife is, how it works, whether it can be used for carving, when to use it, and how to maintain it.

What is a chef’s knife?

According to the History of the Chefs Knife the chef's knife can be traced back to 1731. These multi-purpose kitchen knives are typically around 8 inches long and are usually composed of stainless steel and/or carbon steel.

Key characteristics of a chef's knife include a razor sharp edge, a thick heel and a blade that curves upwards to a point. Chopping using the entire blade by rocking from the heel to tip allows a chef to achieve a very consistent dice or slice. This is typically a more beginner friendly style of cutting and is a lot more simple to master than say a straight up and down cutting style one might employ with a Santoku knife.

Make sure that the chef's knife you're interested in buying is full-tang and fully-forged. A fully-forged, full-tang chef's knife is made from a single piece of metal from the tip to the hilt, making it more durable and longer-lasting than other cheaper knives.

What is a chef's knife used for ?

If you're not sure which knife to use—the chef's knife is  probably up for the job!

A chef’s knife is used for a variety of tasks and is considered the “Jack of all knives”. They're excellent at smaller tasks like chopping herbs, julienning carrots, and mincing garlic, as well as larger jobs like dicing a large onion, spatchcocking a chicken, and slicing a ham.

In modern American home kitchens, a chef’s knife is a common choice, as most homes are only outfitted with just a few knives. Other common kitchen knives found in homes across the country include the paring knife and the utility knife, both of which are small but powerful knives, popular for a combination of slicing and peeling delicate items.

Is a chef's knife suitable for carving meat?

Yes! Chef’s knives are fantastic at carving a variety of meats as well as separating meat from bone. Kitchen gadgets like electric carvers aren’t necessary when you have a quality chef’s knife at your disposal. A carving knife is purposely designed for carving meats but is limited by its diversity of tasks. If you find yourself frequently carving larger pieces of meat, then it might be time to consider a carving knife.

Are chef’s knives for certain cutting tasks?

Chef's knives and utility knives are wonderful because they can be used for almost anything! If you're not sure which knife to use—the chef's knife is probably the right knife to use.

Bread, raw potatoes, and apples are all examples of foods that are difficult to slice because the surface is smooth and the blade of the chef's knife might slip off the surface. Cleaving bones is another situation where using a different knife might be preferable.

How should a chef’s knife be maintained?

A chef’s knife should constantly be sharpened. As we discussed in How to use a whetstone, sharper knives lead to fewer accidents in the kitchen and are essential to kitchen safety.

Chef’s knives can be honed with a honing rod and sharpened with a whetstone, or alternatively, an electric sharpener can be used. An electric sharpener may not give the same level of precision as the whetstone sharpening process.

There are professional sharpening services that are always a great choice if you can afford them. There may be a local sharpener near you that you haven't even heard of, so do some research if you’re interested.

Now that you’re familiar with chefs knives, how to use them, when to use them, whether they can be used for carving, and how to sharpen them, you’re well on your way to becoming a master in the kitchen. If you’re on the market for a new chefs knife or maybe even your first one, head through to the shop tab to take a look at our incredible range of full-tang blades. We also have a great selection of other articles in our owner’s guide that will help you learn everything you need to know about the fantastic world of chefs knives!

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