Hi I am Chef Frazell and just wanting to talk to you about chefs knives and the origin of the knife.

                                                                   THE HISTORY OF KNIVES!

Since Prehistoric times knives have been used as weapons,tools,and eating utensils,however it has only been since fairly recent times that knives have been designed for table usage. During the middle ages in Europe most people carried their own knives with them because hosts did not provide cutlery for their guests. The knives that they used were narrow and slender and the sharp pointed ends were used to spear the food and then raise it to their mouths.

Long after knives were adopted into society for table use they were still used as weapons thus the multipurpose dine and stab knife, the uncomfortable threat of danger at the dinner table. Furthermore once the fork "two tines" popularity became more widely accepted they were more efficient for spearing the food,which left no other reason for the pointed tip on the dinner knife.

In 1669 King Louis xiv of France declared that all pointed knives be it at the dinner table or on the street illegal,and had all knife points ground back to reduce the violence. The grinding down of all the knives points in Europe interestingly had a very long lasting effect on American Dining Etiquette.

Moving right along in the 18th century the Chefs knives were crafted in June 1731, a German cutler in the German city of Solingen Crafted and designed a registered trademark with the Cutlers Guild of Solingen. This pioneer cutler was "any guess" none other than Johann Peter Henckel. Well I hope that was fun and informative.

When choosing chefs knives one should look for a nice heft, it should have some weight to it with a comfortable handle and should have a curved blade so you can rock it back and forth as opposed to lifting it to mince or chop. It should have a high carbon steel blade so that it takes a fast long lasting edge and should be NSF certified. A lot of chefs and consumer choose a one piece forged blade for strength and balance.

Lets talk now about the different types of handles on the market. It really depends on you and the feel you have for it don't be afraid to ask to hold it and get a feel for it.

The polypropylene handle is great because it is slip resistant,nothing like having your knife slip out of your hand while trying to use it not good.

There is also the wood handles I prefer rosewood most are attached to the blade by brass rivets which gives a warmth to the durability and balance.

The ever popular black plastic handle that is contoured to your hand.

Dexter Russell has a soft to the touch but with the firmness you need plus an attractive look.

Another great one is soft Grip its soft rubber which has been known to reduce stress that may cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

And if your concerned about sanitation there's one with a polypropylene handle which can withstand very high and low temperatures. The impervious blade to handle seal provides the most in sanitary performance.

Now for the blade of your chefs knives they should be carbon steel which is easier to sharpen and holds an edge longer,some of them come with a stain resistant blades. There's a company called Chroma and they have a titanium blade that comes in gold or blue. Ceramic blade and handle,and stainless steel blades which does not hold an edge very well or for a long period of time but is less corrosive than carbon steel.

In closing always look for the craftsmanship and how well the knife was made look for positive and negative feed back and don't hesitate to check on a company's credibility with the BBB or the OBB.

The right chefs knife can make you feel so much more at ease and make your meals taste so much better because using a professional chefs knife which add your personal love and care,because you are a professional just like us in our industry.

I really hope that this article has been fun and knowledgeable for you and will help aid you in your decision in purchasing your next or first chefs knife.