FAQ

The questions we actually get, answered without hedging. If yours is not here, email us and we will add it.

Choosing

I am buying one knife. Which one?

The Chef 200. It is the knife that does the largest share of the work in most kitchens, and if it turns out to be more knife than your board can take, the Chef 165 is the same knife 35 mm shorter.

Chef 200 or Chef 165?

Measure your board. If it is under about 35 cm long, take the 165 — on a small board the extra length of the 200 has nowhere to go and you end up cutting with the middle of the blade. Larger board, or you regularly halve cabbages and squash, take the 200.

Is the set worth it?

Bought separately the four knives and the roll come to $315. The set is $279. If you want all four, yes. If you would only use three of them, buy the three — it costs us a sale and saves you a drawer.

Do I need the cleaver?

Probably not. It is a vegetable cleaver for dense things like squash and swede, and for scooping a chopped pile off the board on the flat. If you do not meet those jobs weekly, the Chef 200 covers you.

The knives

What steel is it?

X50CrMoV15 stainless, hardened to 56 HRC, ground to 15 degrees a side. Same steel, same hardness, same angle on all eight plain blades.

Why only 56 HRC? Harder is better, surely?

Harder holds an edge longer and is more brittle and much harder to sharpen at home. 56 is a deliberate middle: it takes a fine edge, it tolerates a knock on a bone without chipping, and a dull one comes back on a stone in about five minutes. If edge retention above everything is what you want, this is not the knife for you.

Will it rust?

Stainless resists rust. It is not rustproof. Leave it wet overnight, or wet with lemon juice or salt on it, and you will get spots. Dry it when you wash it and you will not.

Can I put it in the dishwasher?

No. None of them. The detergent dulls the edge and works on the micarta, and blades knock against the rack. This is the single most common way a good knife gets ruined.

What is micarta?

Cotton canvas layered with resin and pressed. It is stable in water, grips well wet, and the weave shows in the surface. It darkens with use over years, which is not a fault.

Are they full tang?

Yes, on all eight knives, and you can see it — the steel runs between the two scales and shows along the spine and the butt.

Sharpening

How often?

Hone weekly with the rod. Go to the stone when honing stops making a difference — for most home cooks that is a few times a year.

Can I sharpen the bread knife?

Not on a stone, and not with the rod. A serrated edge needs a tapered rod run through each scallop, which we do not sell. On home use it lasts years. When it goes, a specialist sharpener or a replacement.

Do I need both the stone and the rod?

They do different jobs. The rod straightens an edge that has rolled; the stone removes metal to make a new one. You can own only the stone and sharpen more often. You cannot own only the rod.

Ordering and delivery

Where do you ship?

Worldwide, from our United States fulfilment partner, except to destinations under sanctions or where our carriers do not go. If your country is not offered at checkout, that is why.

What does shipping cost?

• United States, standard: $9.95, 3–6 business days — free over $150
• United States, express: $29.95, 1–3 business days
• Rest of world, standard: $24.95, 8–14 business days
• Rest of world, express: $54.95, 4–7 business days

Delivery times are counted from dispatch and exclude time in customs. Full detail on the shipping policy.

Is there duty to pay?

Outside the United States, possibly. Prices here exclude import duty and local tax, which your own customs authority charges. We declare every parcel honestly at the price paid.

Can I return it?

Within 30 days, unused and in its packaging. A knife that has been cut with is not unused. Unbox it, look at it, hold it — then decide before it touches food. See the refund policy.

Are the knives shipped sharp?

Yes, and they are sheathed in the carton. Open it carefully, and keep the sheaths if you are going to store the knives loose in a drawer.