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Why one knife isn't enough

A chef knife covers most of what you do at the counter, but not everything. For fish you need a thin blade that flexes and follows the bone. A chicken bone is for the cleaver, not for a 20 cm blade you want to keep using next week. Onions and cabbage go much faster under a santoku. And it's hard to peel a potato with a blade longer than the potato.

That's the difference compared with a single knife. A set puts them all within reach from day one, instead of collecting them one by one over a few years. The pieces share the same steel and the same handle design, sized to the blade, so you move from one to the next without relearning the grip. Some sets also come with a honing rod, so you have something to maintain the edge between sharpenings.

A single knife isn't a mistake. It's just that over time you end up buying the second and the third blade anyway, only then you pay for them one at a time.

Damascus, German or san mai steel?

Damascus holds its edge the longest, and the visible layers are a major reason people choose it. That's why most of our sets are Damascus. German steel is more forgiving: it sharpens easily and doesn't mind daily use without much care. In between sits san mai, with a hard core and softer outer layers, so the blade takes a knock without losing its edge.

A full set or separate knives?

A set costs less than the same knives bought one by one, and they all look the same: same handle, same steel. If you know exactly what you're missing, buy that piece from our professional knives. A set makes sense when you're starting from scratch or buying it as a gift. And if it's a gift, you can add engraving on the product page and turn it into a truly unique present. If you still can't decide, take the quiz, it takes a minute.