Best Chef Knives According to r/chefknives

"Buy some kiwi knives, very cheap. After using some kiwi knives I feel like your gf would get the appeal."

"My kiwi knife is impossible to restore to its initial sharpness in a pull-through sharpener after about a year of usage… that knife would need an electric grinder to become sharp again so it’s going in the trash. That being said, you can buy a new one every year for 50 years and it will still be cheaper that most Japanese knives."

"Kiwis are the bomb as well. 5 bucks, come razor sharp, easy to sharpen, soft enough steel that it doesn't take long, and holds an edge better on plastic cutting boards than a chippy damascus knife."

"I have the Mac MTH-80 and it’s an awesome knife. I think you can get one for $150 or so. Sharp as hell."

"Currently using a Mac 8" at work for high-volume veg prep (mostly). I have to hone it often and the blade feels a bit short. Looking for a harder Japanese 240mm knife under $400 CAD with better edge retention and low to mid maintenance, any suggestion for a Gyuto or Kiritsuke? Thanks"

"As someone who has a Mac 8" chef knife and a Mac 6.5" superior santoku.. absolutely redundant. My wife and I use the knives randomly. There's never been a situation where we felt one was better than the other at a task. My wife tends to reach for the Santoku bc she's more comfortable with the shape, but that's the extent of it. I'd get whichever blade both you and your wife will be okay with and then get that smaller prep knife. I think you're on the right track."

"For a meat cleaver specifically, the CCK [Kau Kong Chopper](https://knifewear.com/products/cck-cleaver-kau-kong-chopper-kf1411) has maximum cool factor, and is as nice a cleaver as you'll find without venturing into knives in which most of the cost is because of provenance or decorative finishing. It is carbon steel though, and thus can rust which makes it suboptimal for most fast-paced professional work where immediately cleaning tools isn't always possible. For a meat cleaver though, that's mostly gonna be used irregularly for specific tasks in prep before service where there is usually time to wipe it after use. It's great for home if he's doing any serious butchery there, and is a beautiful gift and showpiece. For a more versatile cleaver that can definitely do light meat work (chicken bones, small joints) but can also be used well for many finer tasks from thick veg like squash down to some detail work, the CCK [Civil and Military ](https://knifewear.com/products/cck-cleaver-no-3-civil-and-military-chopper-knife-215mm-kf1203?pr_prod_strat=e5_desc&pr_rec_id=1c333a8aa&pr_rec_pid=7574078128302&pr_ref_pid=7491586949294&pr_seq=uniform) is one of my favorite overall knives. Unless your husband is frequently taking down sides of beef and hogs, this would be my pick for a primarily home-based chopper. It can function pretty well as a primary chef's knife once you're used to it, but can handle chopping tasks too heavy for most chef's knives. Be warned, Chinese cleavers lighter/thinner than the Civil and Military one aren't really intended for big beast butchery despite their appearance, they're the Chinese equivalent of chef's knives and can replace them for those who prefer their feel, but they are too thin and fragile for hacking beef and pork bones without risking serious damage. Most professional chefs will save the really nice fancy knives for their chef's knife and maybe a couple niche detail tools like slicers or utility/petty/paring knives. For a plainly practical Western meat cleaver for professional use, a [Dexter Russell Traditional ](https://www.amazon.com/Dexter-Russell-stainless-steel-cleaver/dp/B001505OT6/ref=asc_df_B001505OT6?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80126962060131&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583726549641353&psc=1) as mentioned by another commenter is the way to go. Make sure to get the stainless steel version if you go this route; I'd get him something more special like the CCK if you wanted to get him a high carbon steel knife. A meat cleaver is a niche and often abused tool in a professional kitchen, so something he could beat up without much worry fits the bill best. The Dexter isn't really a unique or beautiful gift, but it is extremely practical and useful, and thoughtful. I would generally recommend Japanese knives as chef's knives, but would steer you towards Chinese or Western cleavers if the intended use is chopping big hunks of bone and connective tissue. Japanese-made cleavers in the Chinese style are usually made of harder, more brittle steel than Chinese or Western knives, and mostly have a very thin grind, which lets them keep an exceptional edge, but makes them more prone to damage from hard ingredients or hard use, which makes them suboptimal as meat cleavers."

"The special looks awesome but damn.... I checked their other knives... $139.00 that is overpriced badly... https://cutleryandmore.com/products/cck-cleaver-small-slicer-kf1303-41766# Cost 100$ here https://www.chefknivestogo.com/cckcleaver2.html With stacked coupons is 101$. Anyway I made new thread here https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/comments/1irzmx6/best_bang_for_buck_chinese_cleaver_2025_dexter/"

"I’m not a big Chinese cleaver person myself but one thing I know is that there is no reason to spend more than $130 on one as far as functionality— even if you want something beautiful and designer you can find a ton of options under $250. They just tend to be cheaper (not necessarily poorly made, just lower cost.) Just noting that so you don’t get hosed! As the cook in our house, if I got ~$130 CCK cleaver and one of those nice synthetic Asahi cutting boards I’d be thrilled!"

"It's garbage. Buy her a Tojiro santoku or gyuto and a paring knife and call it a day. Best bang for your buck and unless she's a knife snob she'll love them."

"I have a [Tojiro 170mm Santoku](https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tovghasa17.html) that I absolutely love. It’s made of VG10. I find it incredibly difficult to sharpen. Seems to take twice as many passes to develop a burr compared to my other knives. Wondering if anyone else has felt this?"

"A [tojiro santoku](https://amzn.to/3VVxC4L) fits the bill at that price. great value knife"

"I have 6 Takamura and Gesshin stainless 240 & 150. They are very different knives. Gesshin stainless is a softer, more forgiving knife while still being quite thin. Takamura is a true laser with a super thin grind and harder, chippier steel. Their VG10 is great. Don't listen to anyone who says it's a bad steel. I would take the Takamura over the Gesshin stainless except that 180mm is short for a daily driver. If you can find a 210mm that would be the buy."

"Budget? Stainless or carbon? Wa handle or Western handle? Japanese steel or Euro? Without knowing anything about you, here’s what I’d get, and it’s 20% off now https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/collections/gesshin-specials/products/gesshin-stainless-set-150mm-and-240mm"

"[https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/products/gesshin-stainless-210mm-wa-gyuto](https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/products/gesshin-stainless-210mm-wa-gyuto) here is a good quality, easy to care for knife. in budget. [https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/products/new-type-a-gesshin-uraku-240mm-stainless-wa-gyuto?\_pos=17&\_sid=8b94d3c0a&\_ss=r](https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/products/new-type-a-gesshin-uraku-240mm-stainless-wa-gyuto?_pos=17&_sid=8b94d3c0a&_ss=r) this one is the more fancy higher end finish version. takamura is also an option but more fragile while higher performance."

"I agree with the recommendation of a sujihiki or yanagi. Would prefer a yanagi if you have some experience with waterstone sharpening (learning to sharpen single beveled knives likes a yanagi takes some experience). Other "laser" styles j-knives would also work. I love my Suisin Inox Honyaki gyuto, and it is great at cuts like this -- but it's also thin enough that it's more difficult to sharpen than the average knife, the blade road is vanishingly thin."

"If you are willing to consider different metal, the Suisin Inox Honyaki Wa-Gyuto is ridiculously light for 210mm. My partner has severe arthritis and loves the knife."

"I have Yoshi and Suisin Inox honyaki . Both are beast. Yoshi hold edge slightly better. Dowside is takes little bit more time on stones to put edge back once let go dull. But if you strop between using edge last around 2-3 weeks befo"

"Did I get it right, you have both a Tojiro DP gyuto and a Tojiro shirogami gyuto too? You feel both are too thick to be pleasurable to use compared to this one?"