From raw steel to a custom blade—this is the story of my first handmade chef’s knife. Guided by a world-class bladesmith, I shaped, forged, and finished a knife that’s both functional and beautiful.

They're hand-forged from high-alloy steel that has rust ... We like that you get two sizes of chef's knife, as well as a separate serrated bread knife and straight carving knife.

Japanese knives get lots of buzz, but do they really deserve all the hype? Our expert weighs in on how Japanese craftsmanship ...

But in the end, he has a blade that stacks up against the other professional chef’s-quality ... there are Zanmai knives (“real workhorses,” says Garretson) and hand-forged Takeda knives ...

If you're cooking every day, you need a set of knives—knives that will make clean cuts, feel good in your hand, and stay sharp ... and a gyuto all forged in Seki, Japan, using Damascus steel.