Click here for Knife Skills Part I and Knife Skills Part II
At Toque Blanche, we carry the world’s most trusted brands in fine cutlery — and we want you to know why we choose to carry these specific brands, who these knives are intended for, and which tasks, styles, knife types, and construction features make these exceptional options.
Meet our Brands:
Wusthof: Renowned for their long-standing reputation of crafting the finest German knives forged from single pieces of high-carbon steel in Solingen, Germany for over 100 years. With an extensive product line and many options for blade type and size, as well as handle color and aesthetic style, Wusthof knives are known for their durability, precision, and balance. Featuring a 14-degree double-bevel edge, full tang construction, and durable handles, Wusthof is perfect for professionals and home chefs of all skill levels. Their product line has cost effective quality knives and also includes a variety of knife sharpening and maintenance tools, as well as knife storage options.
Messermeister: With a reputation for creative designs and being the only fully women-owned and operated knife company in the world, Messermeister handcrafts their designs in Solingen, Germany using a traditional hot-drop hammer forged construction that goes back generations. We love them for their beautiful organic wood handles and natural designs merged with durable steel and featuring a bolsterless heel so you can sharpen the entire blade from heel to tip. Practical and beautiful, Messermeister still makes knives in the traditional way, with excellent attention to detail that customers love. Perfect for all skill levels and essential tasks.
Shun Cutlery: Shun creates exceptionally sharp, lightweight, and precise Japanese kitchen knives, featuring their high-performance proprietary VG-MAX steel (60-61 Rockwell) and Damascus cladding. Handmade in Seki, Japan, these knives offer their user ergonomic PakkaWood handles, a balanced, thin blade with superior edge retention, effortlessness of movement, and a stunning aesthetic that chefs and home cooks prize. Shun offers traditional Japanese knives, including the Santoku, Nakiri, and Kiritsuke, as well as Western styles, including Chef knives, Bread knives, Boning knives, and Paring knives. They also offer a variety of knife sharpening tools and natural wood storage options. We love Shun for their extensive line of varied styles and aesthetics, including their Premier and Classic lines with Western styles and the newly released Shiranami line, pairing Damascus steel with ergonomic handles that provide a secure grip and confident control. Chefs of all skill levels will find Shun performs beyond expectation for essential tasks and specialty tasks in the kitchen, and is beautiful to display.
Kikuichi: Kikuichi has a history of bladesmithing dating back to the days of the samurai. Their masterful knives are renowned for over 750 years of craftsmanship, offering exceptional sharpness, lightweight design, and superior edge retention. They feature thin, hand-hammered (Tsuchime) blades, often in Damascus steel, that provide precise, effortless cutting and feature unique wavy patterns that come from layering and folding the steel when forged. They are hammered to achieve a strong yet thin blade, perfect for delicate cuts for fruits and vegetables, and powerful slicing and dicing for meat and poultry. Their handsome wood handles feel good in the hand, and when on display these knives are works of art.
Global: Global knives are modern designs crafted in traditional methods and are renowned for innovative features offering a sharper edge and superior balance. With a straight edge, these dramatically sharp knives stay sharp longer than other knives. Known for using high-quality CROMOVA 18 stainless steel construction, you can expect Global knives to offer a superior balance, lightweight design, and long-lasting, rust-resistant edge (56-58 HRC) that features their signature sharp 15-degree, convex-ground edge and seamless, sand-filled hollow handles, ensuring excellent, precise performance that chefs of all skill levels will find a breeze in the kitchen.
Helpful Terms:
The Rockwell Hardness Scale: This test determines the hardness of a metal by measuring the depth of an indentation made after a conical diamond impacts a piece of metal, and is a standard test for kitchen knives.
Full Tang or Partial Tang: Partial tang knives are made by welding separate blades and handles together, which can create a weak point at the center. Full tang knives are forged from a single piece of high-quality steel that creates a sturdy blade with better balance and stability.
Japanese vs German: Japanese blades differ from German blades due to their bevel, yet both styles are renowned for their superior strength and durability for professional chefs in the most fast-paced restaurants to home cooks and the essential tasks and meal prep in their family kitchen.
German knives are known for their durability, heavy weighted balance, and softer steel, which makes them ideal for tasks involving chopping through bone or making quick work of chicken, potatoes, and onions, whereas Japanese knives are recognized for their precision, lightweight design, and harder steel, which allows for a sharper edge that is better for delicate, precise, and thin slices of fish, vegetables, and fruit. Japanese blades are hammered to achieve thinness, making them ideal for sushi and sashimi.
The cutting technique of these knives also differs. Get the most out of your Japanese knives by using a draw-cutting motion and slicing the food toward you, whereas with Western knives you can use a more blunt downward motion.
Let’s get to the point:
When selecting a kitchen knife that works for your needs, focus on how it feels in your hand. It should be comfortable, balanced, and feel like an extension of you. Consider your intended use and most common cooking and prep tasks. Do you cook a lot of meat and fish? You may need a boning knife or cleaver. Are you making delicate cuts of fruits and veggies? Consider the “leaf cutter” Nakiri. Are you quartering chickens on a regular basis? You may want to invest in poultry shears. Or do you need an all-around workhorse that covers all the essential tasks? We love an 8” Chef’s knife.
Did you know?
At Toque Blanche, customers can try out kitchen knives before purchase with the help of a team member. Check out the above video for what we offer our local culinary community!
Care & Maintenance:
A chef’s most important tool is a sharp kitchen knife, so no matter what your final choice of brand is, plan ahead for the maintenance of your knives and purchase a knife sharpening system, storage or display system, or plan to bring your knives to Toque Blanche for routine sharpening.
We recommend wood or composite cutting boards for both safety (read our blog post about plastic cutting boards here) and the life span of your blade. We offer extensive options on cutting boards from reputable brands, as well as knife storage and display items, honing steels, and sharpening systems.
Cutting Boards:
Over time, plastic boards harbor bacteria, release microplastics, and wear down the edge of your blades which makes your knives dull faster. A sharp knife is safer and more effective in the kitchen, so we recommend wood or composite cutting boards which are gentler on your tools. With so many of our customers investing in high-quality cutlery, we think it best to pair these blades with materials that will do the least amount of damage to your knives over time.
Knife Sharpening & Storage Systems:
From electric knife sharpeners to whetstone systems and honing tools, you'll find everything you need at Toque Blanche. Explore our selection of knife sharpening tools here and check out knife blocks and knife storage products to ensure safe and secure storage in your home.
Do you have questions about the right knife for your needs? Reach out to our team and we'll be happy to assist you. Chat with us on our website, email info@mytoque.com, or give us a call at the shop.
