A Knife Primer

A chef's knife can be very expensive. The more expensive knives are forged as opposed to stamped. A forged knife has a bolster, i.e. a shoulder between the blade and the handle. This bolster gives the knife weight and balance, and protects the hand from slipping from the handle to the blade. A forged knife will also have a more rigid blade, preventing sliding on the cutting board. You can find good quality stamped knives, but if money is a concern, I believe you should invest in a good quality chef's knife, and look for bargains in the other knives.

The other knives should also be tested at the store; however, here you are looking primarily for a comfortable feel, especially with the paring knife. Do feel the flexibility of the boning knife; it should bend well. A serrated knife with good weight will make carving through a hearty loaf of bread easier. Also, it is difficult to sharpen a serrated knife, so make sure the knife is sharp out of the box.

If you currently have knives you like, make sure they are really sharp. Not only do sharp knives make cooking easier, but they are safer than dull ones, which can slip off food. To tell if your knives are sharp, hold a piece of paper by the edge and attempt to slice through it. If the blade will not slice, you need to sharpen your knives. Cook's Illustrated had an excellent article on sharpening in their July and August 2001 issue; they also have articles on evaluating brand named knives, (some articles require a paid membership). A very good article on sharpening knives, which requires no payment, can be found at "http://www.ameritech.net/users/knives/kn...".

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