The full bolster on the Wüsthof Classic (bottom) runs from the handle to the heel of the blade, while the half bolster on the Mercer Culinary Genesis (top) only buttresses the blade where it meets the handle. I did this by running each knife through sheets of parchment paper from heel to tip, checking to make sure each could slice the paper without snagging and tearing it. Unlike most other Japanese knives, the Mac knives are supposed to have a symmetrical edge, meaning the knives should work equally well for right- and left-handed users, which can be a big plus in terms of sharpening ease for those who are less skilled at it. This is likely due to the G2 micro carbide powder steel blade that, according to the manufacturer, is honed to a " 9. However, I found it challenging to use a rocking motion while cutting vegetables, due to its relatively narrow edge.

Any knife that was prone to splitting carrots instead of slicing them, or otherwise had trouble with these basic cuts, didn't move on to the next round. Once again, it's something more personal than that—when you hold the knife, does the weight fall comfortably in your hand?For years I was in the hate group, but I've recently come around a bit on them, thanks to a Global utility knife I sometimes use at home. While certainly more expensive than others on our list, the Chef’s Knife from Miyabi is stunning and effective. We sliced, diced, julienned, peeled, and chiffonaded a pile of butternut squash, onions, carrots, apples, oranges, sweet potatoes, and fresh herbs to gauge the knives’ versatility with foods of varying textures. But Mac’s proprietary steel also isn’t as brittle as the super-hard Japanese steel that manufacturers use for most gyuto knives, so it’s less likely to chip (which the Tojiro F-808 did after we used it to cut hard butternut squash).

It features a high-carbon stainless steel blade that “rarely requires sharpening,” according to the brand.Even though the MTH-80 tends to be on the pricier end of the knives we tested, its combination of performance and superior build will give you many years of happy use—much more than a budget knife. Over the years, we’ve invited friends and colleagues of all culinary stripes to our test kitchen to participate in a chopping panel. We tested the knife on an assortment of ingredients, including onions, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, and it sliced all of them with ease. If I were to lodge one personal complaint about that bolster, it would be that it's designed with some sharp angles that, while attractive, sometimes press uncomfortably into my hand during use. This 8-inch chef's knife offers some heft but is still lightweight compared to the Western-style knives we tested.

But due to the sharp edges on the spine, which kept digging into our forefingers, we found it uncomfortable to use. Good edge retention relies on a combination of steel composition and hardness, blade thickness, and bevel angle. The knife edge stays sharper longer than traditional knives due to the Molybdenum Stainless Steel blade and the balance is made to feel comfortable and causes no fatigue or discomfort.The added dimples help the knife to glide through sticky foods such as potatoes, apples, and summer squash. The term Sabatier is derived from 2 cutlers who worked in Thiers at the beginning of the 19th century, Jean Sabatier of Le Moutier, and Philippe Sabatier of Bellevue; naturally they marked their ware quite with their own names. Some cooks might prefer a knife that feels heavier in the handle, some might want one that's slightly heavier in the blade, and others may want to get the sense that the knife floats naturally between the two. Daniel Gritzer is the senior culinary director of Serious Eats and has worked for the site since 2014.