USP
The veterans always debate the utilities of a traditional chef's knife (more versatile) versus that of a Japanese Santoku (shorter, more agile but less versatile). Zwilling's model manages both - between the chef's knife and the Santoku, allowing for both rocking and chopping cutting motions made easy for amateur cooks.
Price
£109 from Zwilling
Shun Premier six-inch Chef's Knife
Used by
James Sommerin (Chef-owner, Restaurant James Sommerin)
The lowdown
The Michelin-starred chef from says: "They stay very sharp and are light which is great when using them all day." Shun's six-inch model is nimble enough for most tasks and looks elegant, too. Like all models in their premier range, Shun knives take 100 handcrafted steps to complete, and their layered Damascus cladding provides additional stain resistance. But you'd expect that from a £140 knife.
USP
Shun sells blades for left-handers; just another reason why Sommerin is a devotee.
Price
£140, from Shun knives
Yaxell Super Gou 161 Chef's Knife
Used by
- Tom Kerridge (GQ Man of the Year 2014 and chef-owner, The Hand & Flowers)
The lowdown
Yes, Tom is Nick Beardshaw's boss. And yes, he is the proud owner of Yaxell's £300 range of knives. But the Super Gou line is significantly lighter than Zwilling's Pro-series knives and is therefore capable of delicate knife work - think brunoise and juliennes - despite its size and length. It's also intricately constructed with 161 layers of folded Damascus steel, so it's not only sharper than anything you've used, but is durable and striking. If you're a Michelin-starred chef and want another (Tom currently has two), you'll need the very best.
USP
Gou (translated from Japanese as 'the superb') knives are made by craftsmen from Seki, the same Japanese city where Samurai swords have been produced for over 700 years.
Price
£299, from steamer www.steamer.co.uk
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