Viking Cheese Knife
$75
Somewhere between a utility knife and a cleaver, this
heavy-handled model is one hell of a little weapon.
I love the heft - it practically cuts an aged gouda
on its own. Although I wash mine by hand, it is dishwasher
safe and it looks so damn cool poised at the center
of my cheese board. shop.vikingrange.com
Viking Hollow Ground Chef's Knife $130
Hand-forged with dimples down the blade, this knife's
design is inspired by the Japanese Santoku. The tiny
indents create air pockets during slicing to help
reduce friction, softening the blow to delicate fish
and meats - a dream for slicing pheasant breast or
raw tuna, but it's shape still offers the full rocker
of a traditional, 8 chef's knife. shop.vikingrange.com
Wusthof Classic 8-Piece Santoku Block Set $300
Wusthof is one of my favorite knife companies because
they make knives light enough to be manipulated by
female hands. Their new block set brings together
all the usual suspects: paring knife, bread knife,
sharpening steel all made from single shafts of high-carbon
stainless for better balance. But this new kid brings
a twist to the typical block. In place of a chef's
knife, the big boy in this set is a 7-inch Japanese
knife, perfect for precision chopping veg or thinly
slicing fish. But if you miss the feel of a badass
chef's knife, the block comes with additional slots
so you can slide any of your favorite choppers next
to the original eight. www.wusthof.com
Oxo Lettuce Knife
$5.00
This goofy looking little knife's raison d'etre is
chopping lettuce. (The plastic blade is supposed to
prevent the bruising of the lettuce caused by metal
knives.) But what self-respecting cook regularly chops
instead of tears? At any rate, I've found a number
of uses for this colored plastic blade. It's clutz
(and child) proof (says the woman who once was rushed
to the ER in a potato-slicing massacre); and it doesn't
nick countertops. My favorite use is for chopping
herbs, as the plastic blade tends to cause less browning
than a traditional metal edge. www.oxo.com
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