Steak Knives

A good steak knife should glide through meat cleanly rather than saw at it, and there are two ways to get there. Most steak knives are serrated, using teeth to bite through meat with no sharpening ever required, an approach you will find on everything from budget sets to premium knives. The steak knives we stock take the other route: a keen, hard, straight-edged Japanese blade, sharp enough to slice through a steak in one clean pass and keep the texture of the meat and the look of the plate intact. They come from makers including MAC, Miyabi and KAI, available as individual knives and as sets, making them a natural choice for a special dinner or a considered gift.

What defines a good steak knife is the blade and the edge. A short, keen blade, typically around 7.5 to 12 cm, gives control at the table, while the hard Japanese steel holds an edge far longer than an ordinary steak knife. Many are made from the same premium steels as a good chef's knife, VG-10, Damascus and powder steels, so they are as sharp and as beautifully finished as a serious kitchen knife. That sharpness is the whole point: a truly sharp straight edge slices meat cleanly, where an aggressively serrated blade tends to tear at the fibres and lose juices. Presented in sets, often with matching forks, they also make an elegant gift.