Ever wonder what is the Sharpest Kitchen Knife? It can be surprising that it can be any knife. Its all a matter of how you sharpen your knife. The thinner the edge, the sharper it cut. The question is how well it holds on to the edge. Its this properties that makes some knives much more expensive than other. Things like how hard it is and the angle its sharpened at will have a big affect.

Sharpest Kitchen Knife Set

Below, you will find a list of some of the sharpest knife on the market. They all have slightly different configuration, what you choose should depend on your need.

Kramer Knife Block Set (Best Knife Overall)

Kramer is the only abs certified master bladesmith that specialized in kitchen knives. His knives have month long waiting list and can sell for thousands of dollar for a single knife. He paired up with Zwilling to make his knife for the masses. This set of knife is made of 52100 carbon steel so its easy to sharpen and holds an edge well. They have a hardness rating of 61 degree and uses a angle of 15 degree. You can be sure that you can shave your arm hair with this knife.

Miyabi Birchwood GS2 (Sharpest Kitchen Knife Overall)

Miyabi Birchwood is a Japanese made knife that is both beautiful and sharp. It has a very steep angle of 9 degree to 12.5 degree. The blade is thin so that it can glide through food as well. It even has a higher rockwell hardness than Kramer knife. However, the best thing about this knife is how beautiful it is. The while birchwood handle and the damascus steel is beautiful to look at.

Tojiro DP 8-piece Slim Knife Block Set (Best Buy)

While Kramer and Miyabi are great knives, the price scares off most people. Luckily, Tojiro make some high quality and sharp knife for your money. They have a rockwell hardness of 60 and a angle of 9-12.5 degree. This means that it can get razor sharpness and holds it well. This knife is sandwich between two stainless steel to make it rust resistant. This knife set should be able to let you do most home kitchen task.

Why is Knife Hardness Important

How hard a knife is called rockwell hardness. Most Japanese knife will have a rockwell hardness of 60 plus. Western knife will have a rockwell hardness of around 52. There are pros and cons to a hard and a soft knife. Hard knife can hold onto the edge better but they can chip easily. Soft knife will be more ductile but they will lose its edge quickly.

If all your looking for is a wicked sharp edge, then get a Japanese knife. Since most Japanese knives are hand forged, they maintain a good balance of sharpness and ductility. However, they are more suited for cutting soft food like fruits, vegetables and fish. Having a very sharp knife without any durability is a bit pointless.

Its very much like a obsidian edge, they can get micrometer sharp, but the slightest error is usage will cause it to shatter.

Are Soft Knife Better?

Western knives on the other hand are more suited for a more rounded kitchen knife. You can chop harder objects and softer object a like. A lot of butcher shops will use softer knife due to the nature of their work. Since they often hit bones, using a really hard knife is counter productive. One wrong move and their knife will chip. The downside is that they always have to realign the edge with a honing rod.

How Angles Affect the Knife

The harder the knife, the lower the angle can be. If you have a soft knife with a steep angle, the edge will roll over really quickly. Harder knife will hold together better. For that reason, you can find Japanese knives at degrees of 15 and below. You can often find western knives at 18 degree.

Knife Thickness

The thinner the knife is, the better it is. They glide through food with ease. The downside is that its a bit more fragile than thicker knife. Thicker knife will tend to wedge itself between food. They dont glide as well. But they are more robust for slicing thicker food like butternut squash.

Is Carbon Steel Knives Better?

A lot of manufacturer advertise that their knives are high in carbon. Some knives are just made with carbon steel. The reason why carbon steel knives are desirable is because they hold a edge well and its easy to sharpen. However, the downside is that carbon knives are prone to rust. Modern manufacturer will blend these carbon steel with stainless steel on the outside to get the best of both world. For the most part, these work really well. But knife collectors still prefer a full carbon steel knife.

Sharpest Kitchen Knife Thoughts

Any knife can be the sharpest kitchen knife. The trick is how well it holds the edge. Getting a delicate balance between durability and sharpness. Having a really hard knife that is sharp means that it can chip too easily. Getting a softer knife means that it loose its edge quickly but wont chip easily. Generally, soft knife are good for general kitchen task. Sharp knife is great for softer food like fruits and vegetables. Try to get a balance between these two points.

Want to know more about the Kramer knives? Check out our review on Kramer Chef Knife.