Made in Solingen Germany for over a century, all Messermeister knives are finely crafted tools.

The forged steel blade is crafted from a single piece of steel. It is not only durable but holds a fine edge.

Thanks to the bolsterless blade heel, it can be easily sharpened down the full length of the blade, preventing uneven wear.

Because these are professional grade knives, always use a fine cut steel when honing, never a regular or coarse one.

The smooth spine and professional camber provide excellent feel and balance, and hours of comfortable precision work in the kitchen.

If you need a great Chef's knife, you can't go wrong with this one.

More Info on this Messermeister Knife:

• Click here to find this Knife at Amazon.com

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Messermeister Meridian Elite 10 Kullenschliff Chefs US $139.95   Auction Ends: 20d 20h 42m Make it yours...

Messermeister Meridian Elite 8 Kullenschliff Chefs US $109.95   Auction Ends: 20d 20h 42m Make it yours...

Messermeister Meridian Elite 9 Kullenschliff Chefs US $129.95   Auction Ends: 20d 20h 42m Make it yours...

Stand back, zucchini, and prepare to meet your maker!

This is a 6.5 inch Japanese slicing blade is made by MAC. MAC is known for producing razor-sharp Japanese knives that are reasonably priced.

Despite the name, it can be used on meats quite effectively as well as vegetables, from slicing and dicing to julienne.

This knife features a lightweight and nicely balanced blade, which makes for a clean, easy cut due to a lack of resistance from the blade. The rectangular blade is similar to that of a cleaver. The metal is also stainless, making it washable in a mild soap and water solution.

Not only is this knife a MAC, which is the choice of many of the world's greatest chefs, but all of its great features combine to give you a great experience in a kitchen utensil.

More Info on this MAC Nakiri Vegetable Knife:

• Click here to find this knife on Amazon.com

Soft cheese... look out! Hard cheese, you're still safe for now.

This soft cheese knife by Wusthof combines special features for quickly and efficiently slicing cheese as well as ensuring comfort in the hand of the user.

The 5-inch blade is forged from the same piece of high-carbon steel as the tang and bolster, meaning that the blade won't wobble or become loose.

The blade also has specialty holes cut into it to keep cheese from sticking to it while cutting. The laser-tested edge is designed to stay sharp for a long time and slice cleanly through soft and sticky cheeses.

Stainless steel coating ensures that the knife will stay looking shiny and new. The seamless handle is ergonomically molded and slip-resistant. It is dishwasher-safe, but hand washing is recommended for this product. This German-made knife comes with a lifetime warranty.

It makes quick and easy work of slicing even the most difficult soft cheeses with a contemporary style and comfort.

More Info on this Wusthof Cheese Knife:

• Click here to find this Knife at Amazon.com

You may know that Shun and Kershaw brands are both owned by the same company. You may also know that Ken Onion is one of the most successful designer of Kershaw knives, winning numerous industry awards throughout his career.

So what happens when a premium kitchen knife maker asks a superstar designer to tackle the Chef's knife?

The Ken Onion Shun Chef's knife offer all of the high-end features you've come to expect from Shun, while improving on the ergonomics of typical Chef's knives.

The knife's handle is made of durable Pakkawood and is specially crafted to decrease damage sustained by moisture, as well as to provide easier handling for this culinary tool.

The blade is forged from Damascus-style VG-10 stainless steel, and resists rust or corrosion. It's got a Rockwell Hardness rating of 61, making it quite a sharp blade.

Some say the feel is not for them and it's not cheap, so you probably want to try it out before committing. But between the Shun name, the superior steel and Ken Onion's reputation, it's no doubt a great knife.

More Info on this Shun Chef's Knife:

• Click here to find this Knife at Amazon.com

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Shun Ken Onion 4in Chef s Knife NEW US $174.83   Auction Ends: 16d 4h 36m Make it yours...

Shun Ken Onion 10 in Chefs Knife DM0507 NEW US $199.95   Auction Ends: 20h 47m Make it yours...

Ken Onion 8 Chefs Knife by Kershaw Shun Brand New US $149.99   Auction Ends: 5d 13h 2m Make it yours...

Designed in Japan, this 7-inch knife from Global is optimized for slicing and chopping vegetables.

The blade is specifically balanced with a precise amount of sand in the handle to achieve the correct balance. It is lightweight with a blade constructed from molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel.

The blade is also face ground with a long taper instead of a short bevel, meaning that edges maintain their sharpness for longer periods of time than traditional European-style knives. The wide blade can also do double-duty as a spatula for scooping up chopped items.

The contemporary design gives the illusion of a blade that blends seamlessly into the stainless steel handle, which is dimpled for a slip-resistant grip. This vegetable knife is covered under a lifetime warranty.

The all-steel construction of this knife is both sanitary and contemporary, and an asset to any culinary artist's kitchen.

More Info on this Global Knife:

• Click here to find this Knife at Amazon.com

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GLOBAL KNIVES VEGETABLE KNIFE G 56 BRAND NEW IN BOX US $73.95   Auction Ends: 4d 17h 32m Make it yours...

Global Yoshikin 7 Vegetable Knife G 5 US $85.00   Auction Ends: 2d 19h 37m Make it yours...

NEW IN BOX ORIGINAL GLOBAL Deba VEGETABLE KNIFE G 5 7 US $64.95   Auction Ends: 21h 17m Make it yours...

This is the top of the line for Shun.

Their Shun Classic Knives are excellent, lower-priced knives.

What this knife has over the Classic knife is the steel. It's a powdered SG-2 steel, which is pretty much the highest-end steel you're going to find in a kitchen knife.

The Shun Elites are handcrafted in Japan. This 6.5" Santoku is designed to be an all-purpose kitchen implement for rocking, chopping, mincing, and slicing food.

It's a bit smaller than the Shun Chef's Knife we reviewed a while back. This also has the Santoku styling.

Its high density and unique 16-degree angle produces uniformly thin slices. Its SG-2 steel construction makes it both stronger and sharper than most competitors, and the black pakka wood handle features a subtle inlaid Asian design and traditional Japanese "hamon line" along the base.

The knife carries a lifetime warranty, but hand washing is recommended for optimal performance and appearance.

The price is high, no doubt, but Shun makes high-quality, high-end knives. You won't be disappointed. It looks great and feels great in your hand, as should a high-quality, hand-crafted knife from Shun.

More Info on this Shun Santoku Knife:

• Click here to find this Knife at Amazon.com

Find this knife on eBay:

Shun Elite Santoku Knife New With Box US $149.98   Auction Ends: 25d 16h 46m Make it yours...

The 8" Chef's knife is the de facto workhorse of the kitchen. Choose wisely on this one, since you'll be using it a lot.

Many people ask the question "Should I buy Wusthof or Henckels?" It's a fair question, but is about 15 years out-of-date. This knife, as well as the Henckel's Chef's Knife are examples of heavy, full-bolster German knives that have been popular for several decades.

If you like that kind of knife, this Wusthof is a great choice.

The blade, tang, and bolster on this knife are all constructed from a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel, meaning that the blade won't wobble or come loose. The grip is ergonomic and slip-resistant, plus the handle is sanitary because it is made of non-absorbent plastics.

It is covered under a lifetime warranty, but should be hand washed for optimum performance and appearance. It also features a wide blade that can do double-duty as a spatula in addition to a cutting implement.

But here at CooksDen, we tend to recommend knives that are a bit sharper and a bit lighter. And ones that do not have that clunky full bolster in the middle. That bolster can get in the way of resharpening, which is bad news.

For the same price, you might consider a Chef's knife from Shun. It's a different beast entirely, but may just open your eyes to the world of sharp, light Japanese Chef's knives. Want to know more about the difference between German and Japanese knives? Check out our History of Kitchen Knives.

Let us know which way you go!

More Info on this Wusthof Chef's Knife:

• Click here to find this Knife at Amazon.com

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NEW Wusthof Grand Prix 2 II 6 4585 16CM CHEF KNIFE US $49.99   Auction Ends: 10d 3h 24m Make it yours...

WUSTHOF GRAND PRIX II CHEFS SANDWICH CARVER KNIFE 6 US $.99   2 Bids Auction Ends: 4d 1h 10m Make it yours...

NEW WUSTHOF GRAND PRIX II CHEFS UTILITY KNIFE 45 US $8.03   2 Bids Auction Ends: 4d 1h 47m Make it yours...

Thou shalt not store kitchen knives in a drawer.

It might be the first rule of cutlery, but many people don't know it. Why shouldn't you store kitchen knives in a drawer? Since there's nothing to keep them in one place, and since they usually are thrown in with a bunch of other utensils, the blades get nicked and dulled.

So where should you store them? Well, you could choose a knife block. Those keep knives in a safe place and save space while at it. But the blade of the knife still touches the block, which can dull the blade over time.

The best option is a magnetic knife bar, like this one from MIU. It looks great, keeps your knives securely in place, and installs easily.

The magnets are quite powerful so you don't have to worry about your knives falling off. You won't quite have to wrestle with the strip to get your knives back, but it does grab on quite tightly.

It comes in a 20-inch model and a 15-inch model.

More Info on this Magnetic Knife Strip:

• Click here to find the 20" Knife Strip at Amazon.com
• Find the 15" Knife Strip at Amazon.com