So Top Chef’s coming back tonight, and that means food drama, food crying and food cutting — with knives. We like knives, and we figure you’re probably not strongly anti-knife yourself. So here are some great knives that we’d like to slice stuff with.
Shun Classic: Chef’s Knife 6-inch
Your basic 6-inch chef’s knife, but with 33 layers of high-carbon “super steel”. It’s balanced, dishwasher-durable, and not so über-expensive to make it prohibitive. $US125. [Chef’s Arsenal][imgclear]
Maruyoshi Custom Damascus Santoku Knife
Yes, performance and durability are paramount in a knife, but you also want something beautiful. Bare minimalism is one way to go, but this ornate Damascus stainless steel knife is gorgeous enough to ditch the industrial streak. $US470. [Maruyoshi][imgclear]
Wüsthof Seven-Inch
This piece of high-carbon pretty is made by one of Germany’s oldest companies. It’s well balanced, and its blade is very thin, making it a good slicing knife. $US115. [Wüsthof][imgclear]
Herders Table Knife
OK, so this one isn’t based on anything but a love of goofy and non-sequitorial design, but this Herders table knife from the ’30s is so nonsensical and adorable that it’s absolutely worth the $US5 it’ll set you back. [World Knives][imgclear]
Stelton Pure Black Knives
These Batman ninja knives are made from a single piece of steel, and which makes them easy to clean, and the black coating provides a good grip, despite the not-so-ergonomic design. But mostly they’re just a damn pretty sight to keep in your kitchen. $US120. [Stelton][imgclear]
Image: Laralova/Shutterstock