Australian chefs have shared their deep connections with kitchen knives, describing them as tools of love and artistry. From hand-forged Damascus steel blades to cherished Japanese slicers, these culinary professionals reveal the stories behind their favourite knives.
One chef, who owns 30 to 40 knives, prizes a handmade Japanese yanagiba worth about $400. 'It's got a really good balance, it fits the way I move with the knife, fits my style of cooking,' he said, noting how it transforms cutting sashimi into a meditative experience.
Another chef treasures a knife forged by Tasmanian John Hounslow-Robinson from an old saw blade, with a deer antler handle and reclaimed Huon pine sheath. 'Holding it, you can feel the energy of the blacksmith's pounding of the steel,' he said, adding that it was a gift from his partner.
A third chef recalled waiting years for a Nenox S1 knife with a Chinese quince wood handle, engraved with his name. 'It is an exceptionally light and dexterous little knife,' he said, remembering his time working with Japanese chefs in Sydney.
For one chef, a humble boning knife is an everyday essential. 'It has a great shape and it is easy to keep sharp,' he said, using it to break down whole fish and birds. 'You need something that you feel is just like another part of your hand.'
Many chefs hold onto knives from their early careers as mementos. One keeps a boning knife from his apprenticeship, now sharpened to a toothpick-like thinness, as a reminder of his beginnings in the kitchen.
