When you're out shopping for kitchen knives, it can be hard to know what the different brands are. There's an overwhelming number of choices, and each one has its name for itself. But do all these names mean anything? Do they offer different benefits than other brands? It can be hard to tell without knowing more about them.
That's why we've put together this list of some common knife manufacturers and what they represent—a kitchen knife buying guide for cooking enthusiasts like you! Hopefully, by reading this post, you'll have a better idea of which brand might work best for your needs. Here are the 12 top knife brands to look for and buy from.
The story of Case Knives dates back to 1889 when the Case brothers William, Jean, John, and Andrew began creating knives they sold at the back of a wagon. Can you believe that from a small-time knife seller in New York, Case is now one of the best knife brands today? They produce all types of knives: fixed blade, folding knives, assisted-opening folding knives, locking folding knives, and culinary knives.
If you are particularly looking for kitchen knives, you'll find the following styles from Case:
The blades of Case knives are a combination of steel, brass, and nickel, and each knife bears the manufacturing date and logo. A famous trademark of Case Knives is the XX treatment they use before smoothening, polishing, and tumbling dry the knives. Choose from wood, synthetic, stones, and G10 for your knife handle.
Backed by 200 years of experience since its founding in 1821, Dexter stands out among other good knife brands because of its relentless desire to produce knives according to customers' demands. Check out how specific their knife types are compared to other popular knife brands:
If you are a kitchen knife collector, you may also want to check the different collections from this brand:
Most kitchen knife companies that have been present for a long time rarely produce the same knives they have made hundreds of years ago. But not this brand. Since 1948, Rada Cutlery has been producing six kinds of knives and a gift set. Until today these products are still available. These classics are sold together with other kitchen utensils, recipe books, and food mixes Rada Cutlery produces.
For kitchen knives, here are what you can get:
Here are some of the gift sets you'd want to receive for yourself or proudly give to someone on their birthday or for the holidays:
You know you have just the knives you need just by the sound of these sets.
The story of Warther cutlery began with Ernest Warther's innate interest in knives at the early age of five because of a pocket knife he owned. He learned to whittle wood and bone in his teenage years, which allowed him to have the skill needed in creating knife handles.
His disappointment with store-bought knives pushed him to learn and create his knife blades. In 1902, he created the first kitchen knife that he gave to his mother. He began making knives for his neighbors and officially ventured into the knifemaking business in 1923. Today, 3rd and 4th generations of Warthers are still producing the following kitchen knives:
Warther knives are produced using martensitic stainless steel and are polished by hand to have a convex grind. Layers of birch make up the ergonomic handles.
Although Old Hickory is a brand hailed by outdoorsmen because of its unparalleled hunting knives, it also produces tools useful in the kitchen. Meanwhile, campers and hunters rely on it for their game preparation in the wild. You can also depend on it to assist you in preparing different ingredients inside the kitchen because of these knives:
The kitchen knives bear the same strength and beauty as the hunting knives having high carbon stainless steel blades and wood handles. The final look of the knives is a perfect match to a country kitchen because of the rough finish of the blade and earthy handles. The blades feature different lengths excellent for the task they are meant to do.
Expensive knife brands are great to have because most of them are worth your money because of their beauty and performance. Nevertheless, if you are on the thrifty end and seek affordable knives, you'll find them in Core kitchen knives. You'll get the following budget-friendly blades from this brand:
The knives from Core are made of high carbon stainless steel with non-stick coating for easier slicing and cleaning. Each knife comes with separate sheaths for your safety. But the best part about these knives you'll genuinely love is their lovely rainbow colors.
Break the monotony of white, black, and gray hues inside your kitchen and light a corner with a Core knife set colored in green, red, yellow, and blue. You'll have a piece of a happy tool as you joyfully prepare meals.
File name: popular knife brands.jpg
Image alt: popular knife brands
From colorful knives, let's move to another brand that offers lovely colored blades while maintaining functionality—the Kershaw Knives. In 1974, its founder Pete Kershaw began creating knives for the outdoors because of his interest in hunting and fishing. But when Kershaw and Kai brands partnered, they made today's Kershaw modern knives. Through their state of the art technology, especially Kershaw's SpeedSafe, this brand name remained famous in the field of knife making.
In a set or separately, you'll find the shades of red, blue, orange, purple, yellow, and green knives delightful to use in the kitchen:
The knives of Kershaw use high carbon stainless steel blades and polypropylene handles. Both materials are easy to clean while the blade is corrosion-resistant, so food preparation is ensured sanitary.
Florentine Kitchen Knives is relatively new in the knifemaking industry as it was founded in 2012. Yet, the knives' quality and aesthetics are at par with brands manufacturing for hundreds of years. The quality of their knives can all be attributed to knife artisans who exert effort and time customizing and handcrafting each knife. You can customize any of these kitchen knives by visiting Florentine Kitchen Knives' website:
They also have off-the-shelf blades you can buy:
Get inspiration on how you want your knives to look by checking out their collection, which is supplied to five-star and Michelin star restaurants in different parts of the world. You can choose from the following blade materials:
For the handle, you can have your own choice of material and design. The usual knife handle choices are wood, micarta, metal, stag, stainless steel, aluminum, or carbon fiber.
Back in 1814, Johann Abraham Wüsthof worked hard to make scissors inside a humble cellar. His optimism allowed him to continue his small company and his craft, and later this hard work paid off—thanks to his two sons, Eduard and Robert, who were real visionaries. From scissors, Wusthof knives were born. Today, you can get all these kitchen knives from Wusthof:
The list of different types of knives from Wusthof goes on as they also manufacture knives for sausages, sandwiches, tomatoes, cheese, and steaks.
The quality of these knives can be derived from their origin, the city of blades—Solingen, Germany. Production of Wusthof knives varies from forging, laser-cutting, and pressing high-quality steel.
Solingen, Germany, is the hotpot of the knifemaking industry. One of the brands that root its origin in the City of Blades is the German kitchen knives, Henckels. Founded in 1731, from then until now, it is a go-to brand for kitchen knives. You'll find all sorts of knives, sets, cookware, flatware, and tools sold here. Get different knives you need from this wide array of collections:
Choose from classic to modern ones and knives with half and full bolsters. These knives are undeniably visually pleasing and strong because of the blade steel and handle compositing each knife in the collection.
Spyderco began in 1976 producing sharpeners—the Tri-Angle Sharpmaker, which is still sold today. It was only in 1981 that they first made their first folding knife. Today, you'll see a variety of knives from this brand that serves as kitchen tools and reflect culture.
Check out how Japanese knife making and Western-style meet through the design of the following knives:
If you are looking for classic knives, get these traditional kitchen blades:
You'll also find the most modern-looking knives from Spyderco in its Z-Cut knives collection: Z-Cut blunt tip and Z-Cut pointed tip. All these knives have reliable strength and durability because they are made from stainless steel. Handle materials include G10 and polypropylene plastic.
A hundred years of experience is what you'll get from Buck Knives' glorious kitchen tools. You can share its history of being founded by Hoyt Buck in 1902 and its knives used for World War II as you prepare ingredients. Despite the brand manufacturing hunting knives in their early years, they are now producing kitchen knives like these must-haves:
You can still see the trademark of having elk handles common in hunting knives in Buck kitchen knives. Nevertheless, there are also knives with classic black handles. Count on these kitchen knives to assist you for a long time because they are made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel. You'll get your money's worth whether you get a separate or knife set from Buck Knives.
With a bit of help from our kitchen knives guide, you should be well-equipped to find the perfect knife for your needs. In this article, we've discussed everything from the history of the brands, the kitchen knives they sell, and what makes their knives the best. When it comes down to the best brands out there, they are all excellent options for your home or professional kitchen.
However, remember that what's best for one person may not be suitable for another, so do research before making a purchase decision and remember to keep an open mind while shopping around!
We hope you enjoyed reading about these different types of blades and found some information to make shopping easier and cooking more enjoyable!
