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Published 24/11/2025

Know your knives: The different types of kitchen knives, explained

Buying the best kitchen knives for your needs can help you slice, dice and chop ingredients with precision. Each knife type has a unique shape for their particular jobs, so understanding the different types of knives and how to use them is best.

A sharp, quality knife is a cook’s best friend, but finding the right knife set that feels good in your hand and withstands frequent use in the kitchen is ideal. Here at ProCook, we have a selection of knife ranges to choose from, including knives made from Damascus steel.

To buy knives online and in-store, we require you to verify your age with facial age estimation at checkout. More information can be found here.

Know your knife: The different types of knives

Each knife has its own purpose, and using the knife appropriately makes for cleaner cuts and safer meal prep. We’ve listed the different types of kitchen knife you'll find in most home kitchens.

Chef's knife: For general purpose

Considered the all-rounder, chefs' knives can be used to cut, slice, dice, mince and chop meats, vegetables, fruits, herbs and nuts. Most chef’s knives are around 15cm to 20cm (6” to 10”) in length and have a broader blade than a santoku knife. The blade is also slightly curved, promoting a “rocking” motion when you chop. The chef’s knife deserves to be in every kitchen.

Santoku knife: The three virtues

Originating from Japan, ‘santoku’ translates to ‘three virtues’ and refers to slicing, chopping and dicing. Much like the chef’s knife, a santoku knife is also a general purpose knife, however, there are a few key differences.

Santoku knives have a shorter, slimmer blade which promotes a straight up-and-down chopping motion unlike the “rocking” motion of a chef’s knife. Our santoku knives also feature a dimpled blade, specially designed to reduce friction so chopped ingredients fall from the knife. For a more in-depth look, read our guide on santoku knives and their uses.

Nakiri knife: Easy vegetable prep

Otherwise known as a Japanese vegetable knife, the nakiri knife has a broad, rectangular blade shape that’s perfect for slicing all vegetable type, especially those with tougher skins like pumpkin and butternut squash. The nakiri knife also has a wide, flat blade which is also great for crushing garlic cloves.

Paring knife: For those delicate tasks

A short, slim knife that has an incredibly pointed tip and is usually light to hold compared to other kitchen knives. Because of the paring knife’s lightness, it is incredibly easy to handle, making it perfect for peeling small fruits and vegetables – it's perfect for performing more intricate tasks.

Utility knife: The knife of all trades

Although smaller and thinner than a chef's knife, a utility knife is a multi-purpose knife that can complete a variety of everyday kitchen tasks like cutting and slicing vegetables, fruits, meats and sandwiches.

Carving knife: For uniform slices

As the name suggests, the carving knife is designed to carve cooked meats like beef, pork, lamb and poultry into thin, uniform slices, typically served with roast dinners. The thin, pointed blade is great for delicately cutting around joints, and if sharpened properly, will glide through the cooked meat without causing any damage or squeezing out juices.

If you’re unsure on how to carve certain joints of meat or poultry, be sure to check out our guides on how to carve a turkey and how to carve a roast chicken.

Bread knife: More than slicing bread

Known for its distinctive serrated edge, bread knives are used to cut softer foods like bread but can also be used to cut through pastries and soft fruits like tomatoes. The serrated edge keeps you from needing to apply too much pressure, stopping you from squishing and ruining the shapes of loaves and other ingredients.

Boning knife: A specialist knife

With its long, narrow and slightly flexible blade, boning knives are designed to remove bones from raw poultry more easily. You can also use a boning knife to trim fat.

Filleting knives: For easy cutting of meat and fish

Filleting knives are also designed with a thin, flexible blade that follows the curve of the flesh, so the meat can be removed easily and without much force. While a boning knife is used to remove the bones, a filleting knife is designed to effortlessly remove the meat from the bones and to thinly slice cooked or raw fish or meat.

Cleavers: For heavy-duty tasks

Also referred to as a butcher’s knife, cleavers are specially designed to for heavy-duty cutting tasks because of their large, flat blade. This blade type means you can chop through meat joints, cartilage and soft bones. You can also use a cleaver to cut up large chunks of meat into smaller pieces.

ProCook knives: Our core features

Crafted from premium steel

Our knives are either made from quality German stainless steel or renowned Damascus steel depending on the range you choose. Each knife contains a carbon percent for a superior cutting edge that lasts and is stain resistant, with our Damascus ranges featuring a striking and unique blade pattern due to their 66 layers of steel.

Long-lasting, comfortable handles

Each handle is carefully designed and crafted to ensure a comfortable grip so you can meal prep for long periods of time with ease. Choose from our variety of knife ranges, all featuring their own unique handle shape and made from durable materials. Our Professional Chef range features a classic French styling, whereas our Nihon collection has carbonised ash wood handles for a rustic, Japanese look and feel.

Superior craftsmanship

From designing and selecting the materials to production and stocking our shelves, our knives go through rigorous testing and quality control to ensure every knife we produce meets our high standards.

We have a vast selection of knife ranges, all of which have their own unique handles and blades. You can see our best selling knife sets to find the best range for your needs.

However, to protect the craftsmanship of our knives, proper care is required. Read our guides on how to care for your kitchen knives as well as our guide on how to sharpen kitchen knives, so you can enjoy effortless meal prep for many years to come.

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