break before it bends causing the edge to stay sharp for longer. In most cases someone who orders a knife made of a tough steel will love how sharp it is straight out of the box, but will notice how quickly it seems to lose it's efficiency. What has happened is that the edge has rolled over and dulled down. This can be fixed easily by honing and sharpening, which will have to be done quite often. These knives have the advantage of being a slight bit more durable in the dishwasher (if you must). Sharper chef knives, however, must be hand washed and dried. So if you want a knife you can throw around a little bit more go for a tougher steel, for super efficiency in the kitchen go for a sharper steel. How do you know which is which? As a rule of thumb, German knives tend to be tougher while Japanese knives tend to be sharper. If you want some conclusive evidence of steel quality and you have some time, do some research online for that brand of knife. See if the steel type is listed in any blog reviews or check your purchasing site for reviews that mention a lastingly sharp blade. 4.That being said, be wary of reviewers. Here's the deal with personal reviews - you don't know their knife experience, you don't know if they were properly maintaining the knife or if they were chopping on ceramic cutting boards. So just keep that in mind. For the best info, look for reviews that are made after several months or even years of owning the knife. Chances are that these reviewers will have a better idea of the overall knife quality. Here's a classic example - the Forschner Victorinox 8" chef knife. This knife is really a good knife, easily beating all others in its price category. Check the quickly made reviews and you'll hear only great things about it. Anyone who has put that knife through a lot of use, though, will be able to tell you that it doesn't hold an edge very well (because the price discount was made by using an inferior steel). So look for reviews that have time on their side. 5.Length. Well the simple answer is that the longer the knife the larger the things you'll be able to cut in one slice. Good chef knives will be balanced no matter the length, so in general longer knives are also heavier. Try to get one at least 5" long, though, or you'd have been better off buying a paring knife. If you're really unsure about which knife to purchase, either check the return policy of the store or just don't spend too much money. Consider a knife you buy online to be like a pair of shoes you buy online. When your shoes arrive you try them on. If you hate them, you send them back before you take them on a hike. Hold your knife in hand, maybe even slice a potato or two, but don't cook a Thanksgiving dinner with it before you send it back. No matter what, don't fret too much over it. Chances are that even if you tried it in store you wouldn't have it completely right the first time and you may want to purchase a new one in a few years anyway. So if you can't return it, just keep it around to use when your favorite knife is dirty, or send it to a professional sharpener to see if they can fix it up - a good sharpener can alter the edge geometry and even lighten the knife slightly, possibly making it the best knife you'll ever have!
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