Traditionally used to cut vegetables, the Nakiri has a straight blade that makes full contact with surfaces for smooth, fluid cutting motions. The knife's thin construction creates clean cuts and won't tear or damage delicate foods. We also love the authentic magnolia wood handles, made in the Japanese wa style with resin collars; the rounded handles come to a subtle point on their undersides, nestling in the hand for a more secure grip, even when the knife is wet.

Remarkably sharp and lightweight, the Shirogami Nakiri is made from a very pure, high-carbon steel renowned for its ability to take a fine razor edge and maintain its sharpness—Tojiro's knife is an amazing bargain for such a high-grade steel. Over time, the blade will also change color as it develops a patina, a protective layer against rust. It is reactive to moisture and acid, so we recommend cleaning immediately after use, especially when chopping foods like tomatoes or onions.

Traditionally used to cut vegetables, the Nakiri has a straight blade that makes full contact with surfaces for smooth, fluid cutting motions. The knife's thin construction creates clean cuts and won't tear or damage delicate foods. We also love the authentic magnolia wood handles, made in the Japanese wa style with resin collars; the rounded handles come to a subtle point on their undersides, nestling in the hand for a more secure grip, even when the knife is wet.

If you prefer a blade that requires a little less care, the VG-10 Nakiri is right for you: VG-10 is a popular kitchen knife steel with a high chromium content, so it holds an edge well, is easy to sharpen and requires little maintenance. The VG-10 Nakiri also has a gorgeous, labor-intensive tsuchime, or hammered, finish. The textured blade isn't just for aesthetics: The divots allow air to flow during use, so foods fall clean off the blade rather than sticking.

Our chef's knife blade is 7 inches, not 8. It weighs a bit over 6 ounces, not 10. It has a deeper blade, a huge advantage that makes it easier to rest the flat side of the blade against the knuckles while slicing, which substantially improves comfort and safety. The heel of the blade is scalloped, which means there is room to bring up your fingers for a good grip on the blade for close-up work. It also feels like a knife that you can handle, which won't get away from you like a 20-inch chainsaw or a 12-cylinder sports car. It has enough power to do the job, but it's not overwhelming. The knife also features comfortable, midsize polymer handles and tough high-carbon stainless steel that will hold an edge and resist rust. (To preserve the blade’s edge, we strongly recommend hand washing and drying.) It is constructed from German stainless steel with a forged one-piece design and triple-rivets in the handle. — Christopher Kimball

An American-made version of the classic Chinese-style cleaver, this knife can make quick work of everything from vegetables to fine herbs to a full chicken. The blade is handcrafted from high-carbon stainless steel, which is known for its strength and resistance to corrosion, and is ground with an 18- to 20-degree angle for more edge durability. Plus, the blade belly is gently curved unlike many other Chinese cleavers, so it’s ideal for rock chopping and mincing. The barrel handle carved from ultrahard walnut is comfortable and well-suited to any hand size, and it’s impermeable to water damage. The blade also features double-sided edging—so it works well for left and right hand users.

8 inch Chef Knife: Literally translated as “cow sword,” this 8-inch Japanese gyuto from Kikuichi is an analogue to the European chef’s knife and is designed for any and every kitchen task. Lighter, leaner and more nimble than Western-style knives, gyutos are as thin as possible—without sacrificing rigidity—and feature a more acute blade angle for cleaner, crisper slicing. These 8-inch knives are designed for any and every kitchen task. We love the gentle curve to the blade shape for mincing and the bolster-less design, which makes thorough sharpening easier and the overall weight of the knife lighter. 5 inch Petty Knife: If you’ve only ever used small, Western-style paring knives, Kikuichi’s 5-inch petty knife will feel revelatory. Japanese knives are lean, durable, and more precise than their Western counterparts. The extra length and taller blade on this knife makes it more adept than shorter knives for a broader range of tasks, yet it is still incredibly lightweight for better control. This is the ideal picnic or camping knife; it is also great for everything from dicing small vegetables to breaking down roasts for stew meat or making sandwiches for school lunches.

Literally translated as “cow sword,” this 8-inch Japanese gyuto from Kikuichi is an analogue to the European chef’s knife and is designed for any and every kitchen task. Lighter, leaner and more nimble than Western-style knives, gyutos are as thin as possible—without sacrificing rigidity—and feature a more acute blade angle for cleaner, crisper slicing. These 8-inch knives are designed for any and every kitchen task. We love the gentle curve to the blade shape for mincing and the bolster-less design, which makes thorough sharpening easier and the overall weight of the knife lighter.

If you’ve only ever used small, Western-style paring knives, Kikuichi’s 5-inch petty knife will feel revelatory. Japanese knives are lean, durable, and more precise than their Western counterparts. The extra length and taller blade on this knife makes it more adept than shorter knives for a broader range of tasks, yet it is still incredibly lightweight for better control. This is the ideal picnic or camping knife; it is also great for everything from dicing small vegetables to breaking down roasts for stew meat or making sandwiches for school lunches.

If you can only get your hands on one Japanese knife, this 6-inch petty knife—made by Japan's renowned Kokajikai knife guild—is a must-have, as it works double duty as both a paring knife and chef’s knife. Its gently curved bunka blade style makes the knife nimble and efficient, while the acute kiritsuke tip is especially fine and pointed. We found that the Kokaji petty was incredibly light and balanced in the hand, while its blade length and shape make it functional for close work, such as mincing shallots and garlic, as well as larger jobs like trimming roasts for stew meat or splitting chicken parts. And not only does it work great, the Kokaji petty is also visually stunning, featuring a minimalistic oval handle made from traditional magnolia wood and affixed seamlessly to the blade with a water buffalo horn ferrule. The knife comes sheathed in a saya, a carved wooden blade guard made of smooth balsam that was classically for ceremonial presentation but also helps protect the knife during travel and storage. A small wooden pin keeps the guard secure (and if the pin ever gets lost, just whittle the tip off a chopstick as a replacement).

Opinel's Brunch Knife might be the new favorite knife you never knew you needed: a breakfast knife that actually cuts. The blade is partially serrated to slice crusty toast and chewy sausages—it's not overly sharp, just keen enough to get the job done without a struggle. The 4.5-inch broad blade and rounded tip are very effective at scraping the bottom of jars and spreading butter and jam on toast. Choose between a natural beechwood or blood orange handle, both of which have sleek, classic designs that will match any table setting. To keep your knife in good condition, we recommend hand-washing and drying promptly.

Originally designed for filleting fish, this slender knife from French company Opinel makes quick work of any general task. The 10-centimeter blade—just shy of 4 inches—is large enough to cut loaves of bread, slice fruit and do anything else a picnic, beach trip or BBQ can throw at it. It’s as good for trimming twine or opening packages as it is as carving paper-thin slices of sausage or sawing through a tough baguette. We especially love Opinel's ingenious “virobloc” collar-style lock, which firmly holds the blade in place by twisting sideways—it's far easier to use than most any other locking-blade knife and basically removes any risk of the blade folding onto exposed fingers. The Swedish Sandvik steel used for the blade is durable, impervious to corrosion and holds an edge for eternity, while the ergonomic olive wood handle feels great in the hand and develops a beautiful patina over time.

Family-owned company Opinel in the French Alps is famous for its iconic folding knives, which are so popular that the producer released a set of dedicated kitchen knives—the Intempora line—based on its original designs. One of our favorites is the No. 216 Bread Knife. Its serrated 7.75-inch blade, made of the same Sandvik steel as Opinel's pocket knives, is deeply scalloped with a sweeping shape that is highly effective for slicing through the toughest loaves of bread, tomato skins or peppers, with little risk of banging your knuckles on the cutting board. The blade steel runs through to the end of the handle (known as full-tang construction), making the knife particularly sturdy—it won’t twist or turn during use. Our favorite part of the knife might be the robust polymer handle, which echoes the classic ergonomic shape of Opinel’s folders, designed to fit comfortably in most any hand. An effective bread knife is an essential tool in any kitchen, so you might as well have the best we’ve tried.

For the ultimate picnic-and-travel knife, French company Opinel offers its No. 10 folding knife with a built-in corkscrew, which conveniently folds flat into the handle for a compact package. The comfortably profiled handle is ideal as a corkscrew handle, leaving plenty of leverage to wiggle out the most stubborn cork. (Unlike other folding knives with built-in corkscrews, this is a real breeze.) Opinel uses high-grade Swedish Sandvik steel for the blade, which holds an edge well, tunes up easily on any sharpening device and is thin enough to slice beautifully through delicate foods. The knife's patented “virobloc” lock collar, made out of stainless steel, twists securely into place, preventing an open blade from closing and a closed blade from opening when you're using the corkscrew. This amazing do-it-all knife is the only one you'll ever need for traveling.

French company Opinel's flagship No. 8 size has been produced virtually unchanged since 1890. Its 3.25-inch blade is made of high-grade Swedish Sandvik stainless steel that is anticorrosive, holds an edge well and tunes up easily on any sharpening device, while the contoured handle nestles perfectly into the palm for firm control. We especially love the French company's ingenious “virobloc” collar-style lock, which firmly holds the blade in place by twisting sideways—it's far easier to use than most any other locking-blade knife and basically removes any risk of the blade folding onto exposed fingers.

The Kiritsuke is a style of gyuto, or Japanese chef’s knife, that has a long blade for slicing meat combined with a height that's perfect for cutting vegetables—overall, it's an all-purpose knife for virtually any kitchen task shy of mincing. The flat-bellied profile creates full board contact and clean slicing, while the namesake acute kiritsuke tip, traditionally reserved for head chefs, is specially designed for delicate detail work. Tojiro designed this kiritsuke with an ergonomic western-style handle that will feel familiar to American home cooks. The inner core of this Kiritsuke is VG-10, one of the most popular kitchen knife steels on the market. VG-10's high chromium content means the steel holds an edge well, is easy to sharpen and requires little maintenance.

Family-owned company Opinel in the French Alps is famous for its iconic folding knives, which are so popular that the producer released a set of dedicated kitchen knives—the Intempora line—based on its original designs. The Japanese santoku is analogous to the Western chef's knife, but with a thinner blade that allows for finer slicing. And a line of divots along the blade, called a granton edge, prevents food from sticking to the knife for smooth, swift chopping. Opinel uses high-grade Swedish Sandvik steel for the blade, which is anticorrosive, holds an edge well and tunes up easily on any sharpening device. With a thickness of 3 millimeters, the full-tang blade extends throughout the entire length of the handle, so the knife is robust and well balanced. The ergonomic handle has a triangular profile called a V-grip that helps you get a secure and comfortable grip.