I kid you not, I have accidentally sliced through my fingernails several times, and had no idea until I either started bleeding or saw I was missing a slice of nail!! It was so sharp at first I could literally cut through a fingernail and not feel it. Let that sink in for a minute... like i said, dangerously sharp when brand spanking new. I have had to learn to be less sloppy with the knife!!! Santoku knives are designed for precise chopping, slicing, and dicing. Unlike a chef’s knife, santoku knives are known for creating paper-thin cuts. This makes santoku blades ideal for mincing herbs, slicing seafood thinly, or dicing fruits and vegetables. It is an incredibly versatile knife. How do I sharpen a santoku knife? The type of metal your knife is made from can have major implications on blade sharpness and how easy it is to clean. The much-simplified big picture is that if you need an all-purpose 8-inch chef's knife—one that's in a reasonable price range and carried by most retailers—you have a choice between heavy-duty, German-style models that are usually made with slightly softer steel alloys (like high-carbon stainless steel), or lighter Japanese-style models, that are usually made with harder steel alloys (like Damascus steel). Neither is necessarily better than the other. They are just different, especially in terms of the way they feel and move in your hand. Imarku Chef Knife: We found this lightweight knife attractive and comfortable to hold. Though easily sliced through delicate foods, it struggled with heftier ingredients like butternut squash. It's an affordable option, but we'd recommend spending a little more for a higher-quality knife. A santoku knife is a Japanese-style knife that's becoming more popular in the United States, with many versions being made in America and abroad. Santoku translates as “three virtues” or “three uses” and refers to the three types of cuts the knife is made for: slicing, dicing, and mincing. The blade has a flat cutting edge, and the handle is in line with the top edge of the blade. The end of the blade has a rounded curve called a sheep’s foot, rather than the sharp point that’s more common with Western blades.

Though the knife doesn't come with a sheath, which we would have preferred, it was easy to hand wash with no remaining residue or streaks after cleaning. In terms of long-term performance, customers say that it holds its edge well (and recommend Mac Knife sharpeners for when you do need to resharpen the blade). This knife is not dishwasher-safe, but follow the care instructions carefully and it should last you years. While it may not be the cheapest, its versatility and durability make it worth the cost. In addition to the shape of the cutting edge, it's important to consider whether or not the blade has a bolster. Bolsters sit between the blade and the handle and act as a guard that protects your fingers from touching the sharp edge. They're common in German-style models and are particularly helpful for cooks who like to choke up on the knife handle. Though bolsters provide protection, they add weight and sometimes cause the knife to feel heavy or unbalanced. When using a carving knife, always allow the carving knife blade shape to work for you," says Matt Matsushima, Director of Operations at Shun Cutlery. "There is typically a slight recurve to the cutting edge, and this is to help carving on contoured surfaces, like a turkey breast, as well as around round joints and bones. The blade tip is also usually very upswept, which allows for detailed slicing in tight areas with the tip of the blade, without digging into the meat. The most important step in selecting any piece of cutlery is to make sure it feels right to you in your hand.”

Mercer Culinary Renaissance 8-Inch Forged Chef's Knife: This knife failed our first test. When attempting to test sharpness out of the box, it could not slice through paper and crumpled it. We had no trouble mincing garlic or cubing butternut squash but found it difficult to achieve uniform cuts in the tomato test but The term "carving" typically refers to breaking down the denser parts of the meat off the bone, while "slicing" refers to creating thinner, more uniform cuts of meat, but also fruits and vegetables. Carving knives and slicing knives both have long, thin, and narrow blades with straight edges. The most obvious difference between the two is in the knife's point; A carving knife tapers into a sharp tip that can be helpful for starting cuts, while a slicing knife usually has a rounded or blunted point, sometimes featuring a more flexible blade. Most of the time, however, carving knives and slicing knives are used interchangeably, so the difference is still up for debate. Another thing that helps with overall strength is a handle that is triple riveted, meaning the blade is fully attached. If you can find a full tang knife, even better. Full tang means that the metal of the blade extends fully through the handle, giving it a sturdy construction and preventing the blade from snapping off.

The knife was easy to maneuver to crush garlic cloves and then mince them. Cutting onions was smooth and easy, too. While cutting the butternut squash, we were able to make smooth cuts, though thought a slightly heavier knife would have required less effort. This knife cleaned easily with very few spots.If you want an option that will go easy on your wallet yet still get the job done, you really can’t beat the price for this Mercer Culinary knife. If you aren’t carving and slicing a ton of protein, there’s no need to shell out a ton of money for a decorative knife set that you will rarely use. The 11-inch, high-carbon steel blade boasts a Granton edge so that food will easily pull away from the blade as you’re slicing. We love how effortlessly this santoku knife cut through tomatoes and other veggies during testing. It could even be used to cut super thin slices of roast. And while most people will still choose to keep their serrated bread knives, we were also impressed by this santoku's ability to slice bread. We found this knife to be very good at most cutting tasks, leaving a pretty edge. However, the handle may be somewhat awkward to hold for those with smaller hands. It's a bit longer and straighter than similar knives, which had the end of the handle bumping into our forearm. The included 6-inch, two-pronged fork helps guide the carving knife away from your hands and efficiently slice large pieces of meat, and when serving, it's perfect for holding each piece in place. During testing, we noted that the fork tines were much shorter than others, but it wasn’t a detriment—they were plenty long enough to hold the meat securely. Overall, the knife and fork worked really well together and felt well-balanced.