Damascus Stainless Steel Chef's Knife — VG10 Core, Olive Wood Handle

What is a chef's knife for?

A chef's knife is the all-rounder of the kitchen: the one knife that handles most everyday prep. It dices onions, slices peppers and carrots, chops herbs, minces garlic and cuts meat and fish into portions. If a kitchen has only one knife, it is usually a chef's knife.

Two motions cover most of the work. In a rocking cut, the tip stays on the board while you lift and lower the heel of the blade — the motion for herbs and garlic. In a push cut, you drive the blade forward and down through the food in one smooth stroke — the motion for onions, carrots and peppers. In both, let the edge do the work rather than pressing hard.

A chef's knife is not a cleaver. Keep it away from bones, frozen food and anything you would have to twist the blade through: twisting puts sideways stress on a fine edge and can chip it.

• Onions, shallots and garlic — diced, sliced or minced
• Carrots, peppers and courgettes — rounds, batons and strips
• Fresh herbs — chopped fine with a rocking cut
• Meat and fish — steak, chicken and tuna sliced into portions

What does a VG10 core clad in Damascus stainless steel mean?

A clad blade is built in layers of steel. The core runs through the centre of the blade and is exposed along the cutting edge; the cladding covers the core on both faces. On this knife the core is VG10, a stainless steel grade used for kitchen knife blades, and the cladding is Damascus stainless steel — the source of the layered pattern you can see along the blade.

The handle is octagonal olive wood: eight flat faces rather than a round profile. The knife comes in a hinged gift box, and like every SEIDO Cookware product it carries a 5-Year Limited Warranty.

How do you hold a chef's knife?

The standard hold is the pinch grip. Pinch the blade just in front of the handle between your thumb and the side of your bent index finger, then wrap your other three fingers around the handle. Holding the blade as well as the handle gives you control over the edge and the tip.

Your other hand guides the food in a claw: fingertips tucked under, knuckles forward, so the flat of the blade can rest against your knuckles as you cut. Move the claw back a little after each slice, and keep your fingertips behind your knuckles throughout.

Why does a chef's knife need honing?

With use, the very fine edge of a knife bends slightly out of line — it rolls. The knife then feels dull even though the edge has not worn away. Honing pushes the edge back into line. Sharpening is a different job: it grinds away a little metal to form a new edge.

Hone this knife regularly: the insert that comes with it recommends every 2–3 uses. A few light strokes per side on a honing steel are enough — hold the steel upright with its tip on a board or a folded cloth, and draw the edge down the rod at roughly the angle of the edge itself, alternating sides. When honing no longer brings back a clean cut, the edge has worn and needs sharpening, on a whetstone or by a sharpening service.

The SEIDO Cookware 20 cm Honing Steel is sold separately and is the natural partner to this knife; its page walks through the technique step by step.

How do you look after the blade and the olive wood handle?

The chef's knife is hand wash only. Wash it in warm water with washing-up liquid, rinse it and dry it straight away with a towel. A dishwasher knocks the blade against other items, which can dull or chip the edge, and a long hot, wet cycle is hard on a wooden handle. Even stainless steel can spot if it is left wet.

Oil the olive wood handle now and then with a food-safe oil or wax, such as mineral oil or beeswax. Rub a little in with a soft cloth, leave it to soak in, then wipe off the excess; it keeps the wood from drying out.

• Hand wash only — warm water and washing-up liquid, then dry straight away
• Oil the handle now and then with a food-safe oil or wax
• Hone regularly — every 2–3 uses, as the insert recommends
• Cut on a wooden or plastic chopping board; glass, stone and ceramic surfaces dull an edge quickly
• Store it where the edge cannot knock against other tools — a knife block, a magnetic strip or a blade guard