When it comes to creating the perfect kitchen for your luxury home, the smaller details are just as important as the large ones – and while a beautiful and sophisticated aesthetic might provide that opulent feel you’ve been seeking, a kitchen is nothing without the right tools.
Whether you plan to use the space for entertaining at dinner parties or cooking up a storm for family each evening, quality appliances and utensils are essential. A kitchen that looks the part will only get you so far – and the entire experience should be considered when renovating, updating or refreshing.
One of the simplest yet most important additions to your kitchen utensil drawer, but also one that is often overlooked, is a set of custom kitchen knives. Seasoned chefs will know all too well that when it comes to knives, one size does not fit all, and from julienning your vegetables to slicing your steaks, there’s the perfect pick for every task.
Advancements in technology have helped shape the manufacturing industry into what it is today, making it easier than ever to obtain the items you need for your kitchen – but that doesn’t mean that the most accessible options are the best. Mass-produced products often leave something to be desired when it comes to quality, so it pays to invest in some custom-made pieces to uplevel your cooking skills to whole new heights.
Whether you’re a professional chef or simply adore the allure of the culinary arts, a custom, hand made knife is an investment you won’t regret.
Custom knives are built for strength
Japanese blades are an especially popular choice in the culinary world, as they offer unsurpassed quality and longevity not seen in their mass produced counterparts.
One of the greatest advantages of solid, hand-forged knives is their ability to remain strong and durable. Readily available knives are machine stamped into shape, whereas custom-made, hand-forged pieces are slowly hammered into the correct shape and position, with the blade properly conforming to the shape of the knife to ensure additional strength.
Custom, handmade knives are also more durable and offer greater core strength, thus making them easier to hold. And, as they’re forged from a single piece of steel, they feel more natural in your hand, and also offer better comfort when using.
Sharper edges on custom knives
Custom knives, especially of the Japanese variety, contain more carbon in their metal blades – something that allows the knives to stay sharper for much longer than their cheaper counterparts. Although mass-produced steel knives are flexible, they are also prone to blunting more quickly, whereas hand-forged knives are brittle yet able to retain their sharpness for much longer.
As an added bonus, hand-forged knives are easily sharpened when they do eventually require it, with their rigidity allowing them to be quickly restored to their former glory.
Hand-forged knives are artistic
It takes many years to master the art of forging knives, which is why many chefs and culinary enthusiasts appreciate their appearance and form. Hand-forged Japanese knives look unique even to an untrained eye, and the visual markers that are part of the forging process – such as ripples and grooves – give them artistic flair that others simply can’t match.
Not only do they look unique, but they also carry the mark of a true craftsman, and offer an added ‘wow’ factor that will likely win them pride of place on your kitchen countertop.
Mass-produced kitchen knives certainly serve their purpose when it comes to the day-to-day stuff, but when you’re planning on cooking a show-stopping dinner, or if you simply adore equipping your well-honed culinary skills with the tools they deserve to create perfection, then investing in a hand-forged, durable kitchen knife, forged by a master craftsman, is a decision you’ll be thanking yourself for for years to come.
