August 2026 | Kitchen Essentials, Knives

The Last Kitchen Knife You'll Ever Need

Let me start with a story about what NOT to do with a knife. Because if you learn nothing else from this article, learn this: never use a knife to open a can.

The Stupidest Thing I Ever Did With a Knife

I was in the Navy, stationed on a ship in port in Cuba. I needed to open a large coffee can and couldn't find a can opener. So being young and dumb, I grabbed a butcher knife — a Dexter-Russell, the kind they give you in a galley — and took a swing at the lid.

The knife hit the side of the can, slid off, and went straight into my left hand. Hard. I watched my hand open up and spread apart. I saw a tendon — it looked like a little rubber band — wiggle and shoot back up inside my arm.

I slapped my right hand over the cut and said, "Wow, just like the movies."

Then I ran out to find the hospital corpsman on duty. He was not happy with me.

I ended up at the hospital in Cuba getting stitched up by a student who was still learning. That's a whole other story. But the point is: a knife is for cutting food. That's it. Use it for anything else, and you'll regret it.

50 Years of Knives: What I Actually Use

I'm not a knife collector. I'm not one of those guys who geeks out over blade geometry and Rockwell hardness. I've been cooking for 50 years — in Navy galleys feeding 1,000 people, at a pub doing 300 meals a day, and at home every night for my family. I just need a knife that works.

Here's what I use. Two knives, that's it:

• Mercer Culinary Millennia 10" Chef Knife — this is my go-to. If I could only grab one knife, this is the one. The extra two inches matter when you're doing a lot of cutting. High-carbon Japanese steel, ergonomic handle that doesn't slip when your hands are wet. It just works.
• Mercer Culinary Genesis 8" Forged Chef Knife — smaller, forged, full tang. Feels great in my hand. If I want something shorter for detail work, I grab this one.

That's it. Two knives. I don't need more and neither do you.

Why Mercer?

Mercer makes the kind of knives they give you in cooking schools and commercial kitchens. They're not fancy. They're not pretty. They're high-carbon stainless steel, they hold an edge, and they feel right in your hand.

The Genesis 8" is forged — meaning it's made from a single piece of steel, full tang, which means the blade goes all the way through the handle. It's balanced. It's solid. It costs less than what some people spend on a dinner out.

The Millennia 10" is my daily driver. I've had Mercers for years. I've never felt the need to switch.

What About the Navy Knives?

In the galley, we used Dexter-Russell knives. Slip-resistant handles, stain-free blades, commercial grade. They weren't fancy, but they did the job day in and day out for hundreds of sailors. The one that got me in Cuba was a Dexter-Russell butcher knife — and even after I did something incredibly stupid with it, the knife was fine. My hand wasn't, but the knife was.

Dexter-Russell has been making knives since 1818. They know what they're doing. If you want a no-nonsense commercial workhorse and don't care about pretty handles, they'll serve you fine. They're inexpensive and practically indestructible.

What About Expensive Japanese Knives?

I tried a Japanese knife once. It was really good. It was also so sharp it scared me.

I'm serious. The thing cut like nothing I'd ever used. But I was afraid I was going to lose a fingertip. Maybe that makes me sound like an old man. I don't care. When you've been cooking for 50 years, you know what works for YOU, and a super-sharp Japanese blade that costs $200 isn't it for me.

If you want one, go ahead. They're great knives. But you don't need one. A Mercer for a fraction of the price will do everything you need it to do.

Sharpening: Be Honest With Yourself

I sharpen my own knives. I've used honing rods, whetstones, pull-through sharpeners — all of it. And I'll be honest with you: people who sharpen knives all the time are better at it than I am.

That's not false modesty. It's just true. If you cook professionally, you sharpen every day and you get good at it. I cook at home now. I sharpen occasionally. My edges are fine, but they're not what a professional sharpener can do.

Here's my advice: get a honing rod and use it every time you cook. It doesn't sharpen — it straightens the edge. Your knife will feel sharper and cut better. When it's actually dull, use a whetstone or a pull-through sharpener. And if you really want it done right, find someone who does it for a living.

Don't overthink it. A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one — it slips instead of cutting. Keep your edge maintained however works for you.

What About Knife Sets?

Here's the truth: if I could've afforded more knives when I was cooking professionally, I would've bought them. Having different knives for different jobs actually matters. A bread knife, a paring knife, a boning knife — they all do something your chef's knife can't do as well.

The problem isn't knife sets. The problem is overpriced sets with 15 pieces when you'll use four. A small set from a good brand like Mercer — 3 to 6 knives, good steel, fair price — that's worth it. I just couldn't always afford it, so I made do with one or two. You do what you can with what you've got.

If you're starting out and can only get one knife, get a 10" chef's knife. But if you can swing a small set, get one. Different knives exist for a reason.

How to Not Ruin Your Knife

1. Don't put it in the dishwasher. Hand wash it. Takes five seconds.
2. Don't throw it in a drawer with other knives. The blades bang together and chip. Use a knife block, a magnetic strip, or a sheath.
3. Don't use it to open cans. I can't believe I have to say this, but I do, because I did it and ended up in a Cuban hospital.
4. Don't cut on glass, stone, or metal. Use a cutting board. Wood or plastic. (Get wood — I wrote a whole article about that.)
5. Hone it every time you use it. Five swipes on a honing rod. That's it.

The Bottom Line

I've been cooking for 50 years. I'm sick of it, honestly. But I still do it every night, and I need a knife that works without me thinking about it.

Get a Mercer. Get one 10" chef's knife. Keep it sharp. Don't do anything stupid with it. That's Cook's Reality.

More Knives Worth Looking At

If my picks aren't your style, here are some other options I'd consider:

— Michael G, Cook's Reality