Knives and Sharpening Steel

A knife should be as sharp as a razor or it mashes and bruises food rather than chopping or cutting it. It can be considered sharp if just the weight of it, drawn across a tomato, slits the skin. No knife will hold a razor-edge for long. The essential point is that it take an edge, and easily. If the steel is too hard, the knife is very difficult to sharpen, and for diis reason stainless steel knives are often unsatisfactory.

You will be far better off with plain, rustable, carbon steel knives that can be sharpened quickly on a butcher's steel. The French chef's knife is the most useful general-purpose shape, as it can be used equally well for chopping or paring. If you cannot find good knives, consult your butcher or a professionally trained chef.