Steak Knife

Steak knives are an exceptionally important piece of cutlery for any steak lover to have at their table. There’s nothing more frustrating than sitting down to enjoy a nice juicy steak and end up having to hack at it with a steak knife that just doesn’t get the job done. A knife that only tears the meat instead of slicing evenly through it. It’s one of our main pet peeves and the reason why we’ve decided to write a guide on buying the best steak knives. No one should have to deal with an inferior knife, so we decided to write this guide that will give all of our readers the information they need to buy a great knife for cutting through hot, juicy steaks.

List of the Best Steak Knives

Best Overall: Dalstrong Gladiator Series Straight-Edge Knives

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Sometimes we come across a knife that’s not only the best steak knife available but one that’s a work of art. That’s precisely what we thought when we found this beautiful knife from Dalstrong. It’s a knife that features a 5-inch blade that has a 56+ Rockwell hardness level and has a satin-smooth finish that’s simply remarkable.

Its blade is stain-resistant and has a very nice look to it. The blade has a smooth-edge that’s been hand sharpened from 14 to 16-degrees per side and features dimples on the side of the blade. These dimples not only give this knife’s blade a stunning visual appearance but also allows the meat to slide off of the blade as it cuts. The result is a perfectly sliced cut of meat.

The next thing that we’d like to discuss is the fact that this knife has a full tang. Its blade travels the entire length of the knife and is affixed to the handle using rivets. This prevents the problem of the blade snapping off of the handle, which is a common problem among cheap budget steak knives. Its handle is smooth, made out of Pakkawood, and is explicitly designed with the comfort level of the user in mind, which makes cutting a steak a breeze. These knives also come with sleeves to keep the blades in good condition, and there are four knives to every set. These are beautiful knives that will most certainly treat any steak they cut with the respect it deserves.

What we liked about it

• Features 5-inches of sharpened German steel.
• Knife has a full-tang through its handle.

Best Value: Sky Light Premium 4.5-Inch Straight-Edge Knives

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This non-serrated steak knife set is another set that has a visual appeal to it. The blades are made from surgical stainless steel and have a nice smooth texture to them that’s desirable. These blades are also extremely strong, so they’re resistant to corrosion and stains, so they stay looking nice throughout their entire lifespan.

Each of these blades has been sharpened with a 17-degree angle per side, which makes them extremely sharp right out of the package. Unfortunately, we did find that they didn’t retain this razor sharpness for a long time and that we had to frequently resharpen it to keep it in good condition. However, when it is sharpened, it works like a charm.

Another thing that we liked about these knives was that they had a full-tangle handle that was triple riveted to a food-grade ABS handle. This handle had the feel of wood and had an ergonomic hand that made cutting steaks easy and comfortable. We were also fond of how the knives were packaged, and we felt that these knives were not only great for a person to use in their home but were also great for giving away as gifts. We could easily see these knife sets being given away as home warming gifts, wedding gifts or even Christmas gifts. All things considered, we feel these are the best value steak knives currently available.

What we liked about it

• Knives are very easy to hold and cut with.
• Straight edge ensures a smooth cut.

Best Rounded Tip : Victorinox Swiss Classic Serrated Round-Tip Knives

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Most people are familiar with the company Victorinox from their quality line of Swiss Army knives but not everyone realizes that this company has been making steak knives since the 1880s. In our opinion, that makes them masters of the knife making business, and their attention to detail shows in this beautiful set of knives.

These 4.5-inch serrated steak knives have a rounded tip for safety and are made with hardened steel that’s designed to last households for a lifetime. Each set of these knives come with 6-knives, so there is plenty for the average-sized family to use. And because they’re made with such detail to quality, these knives are great to be given away as gifts as well.

One of the first things we’ve noticed about this knife when we first used them was their balance. These knives are precisely balanced, so cutting through steak is a lot easier to do than when using an unbalanced knife. Another thing we noticed was the blade’s handles. They weren’t exactly what we expected out of a quality knife set and they had a cheap plastic feel that we didn’t initially like but got used to after cutting a few steaks. Fortunately, that was the only disappointment we experienced with these steak knives. While we didn’t like the handles, we loved the sharp, flexible blades and felt they did a great job of cutting through steak without tearing it.

What we liked about it

• Has a thin, sharp serrated blade with a rounded tip.
• Blade made out of quality hardened steel.

Best Affordable: Nego 4-Piece Straight-Edge Steak Knife Set

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A question that we’re frequently tasked with answering is how a person can buy a great steak knife without spending $50+ on a set. We were intrigued by that question, so we decided to see if we could find a great budget steak set that cut through steak well without ripping it apart, had a stain-resistant blade, and that had the potential of lasting for quite a while.

And what we discovered was that it was indeed possible to find all of these characteristics in a cheaper knife set. A knife set that was not only under the $50 price range but was also under the $25 price range. This is the set that we found, and we feel that it’s one of the best budget steak knives available in this price range. Let’s take a closer look at it.

The first thing that we noticed about this steak knife set was that it had a blade that was made of 1.4115 German Stainless steel. This means that the blade had a high-level of hardness, was resistant to staining and was also resistant to rusting. We also found this blade to come out of the packaging with a very sharp edge, but as could be expected, this edge had to be repeatedly resharpened to keep it cutting well. Other features found on this budget knife set includes an ABS handle, a 17-degree knife-edge, and it has a classic look to it. All of this means that it’s not the best steak knife available, but it’s certainly an inexpensive one that will serve many consumers well.

What we liked about it

• Comes out of the packaging razor sharp.
• It’s a great budget knife set.

A Steak Lover’s Guide To Steak Knives

When we started searching for the best steak knives available, we knew that we not only wanted to not only find knives that can expertly cut through steaks but we also wanted to impart on our readers a little bit of knowledge. We wanted our readers to have the tools available to them to buy and maintain their steak knives, which is why we’ve decided that a guide on the subject might be helpful. So, let’s cut this introduction short and start with what the consumer should look for when buying a new set of steak knives. After we cover that subject, we’ll then move on to keeping those newly bought knives in good condition for as long as possible.

How To Buy The Best Steak Knives For Your Table

We would like to kick this guide off by talking about how the consumer can purchase a great set of steak knives for their home. Although we feel that many of our readers can simply choose one of the blades that we recommended up above and end up with a great steak knife, we wanted to give our other readers who desired more options the ability to choose one for themselves.

Step One: Consider The Metal

The first step to choosing a great steak knife is to consider the metal used for the blade. Although there are a variety of different types of steel used for steak knives, we feel that the consumer is better off choosing a knife made out of high-carbon German steel or 18/10 stainless steel, there are other options available to them. Whichever blade composition you choose, just be sure that the blade is made from stainless steel and not some other inferior type of metal.

Step Two: Choose An Edge

The next step to choosing a knife for cutting steak is to consider the knife’s edge. And consumers have three choices available to them to choose from. These choices include Serrated Edges, Straight Edges, and Hollow Edges. Let’s take a look at each of these three types of edges and see what purpose they serve and how they hold up to one another.

Serrated Edges

These edges are often seen in steak houses, even though we don’t feel that they’re the best choice for cutting steaks. These knife edges rip and tear more than they end up slicing, but it’s on such a small level that it’s not really noticeable. These blades are good for cutting meat on a bias for making fajitas or for slicing chicken for salads, but it’s not our first choice for steak knives. The benefit of these blades is that they don’t require frequent sharpening. Unfortunately, when they do need to be sharpened, it can be more difficult for the average person to sharpen them.

Straight-Edges

In our opinion, straight edges are one of the best choices for steak knives. These edges cut through steak and other types of meats with surgical precision, and there’s no ripping or tearing of the meat fibers. These blades do require more frequent sharpening than serrated edges, but they’re easy for consumers to sharpen in the home.

Hollow Edges

Another type of steak knife edge that we appreciate is the hollow edge. This is a straight-edge knife that has dimpling on the side of it. What purpose does the dimpling serve, you ask? Well, it serves to create a pocket between the blade and the meat. It’s this tiny pocket of air that prevents the meat slices from clinging to the blade and helps to keep the entire cut smooth. In our opinion, these are the best steak knife blades available. While they’re usually more expensive than other types of blades, they do an amazing job of cutting steak. Try it and you’ll see.

Step Three: Choose A Proper Handle

Although steak knife handles are often ignored, they are one of the most critical components of the knife that affects how the user handles the knife, and ultimately, how the knife cuts through the steak. When choosing a handle, choose one that’s ergonomically designed, and one that feels good in the hand. That will ensure that the knife is easy to use.

It’s also important to try to choose knives with a full-tang whenever possible. What “full-tang” means is that the knife blade extends from the tip through the handle and travels the entire length of the knife. The handle is then riveted to the blade itself. This creates a stronger knife and prevents the blade from breaking at the handle like so many cheap knives do. A person can usually tell if a steak knife has a full tang by checking to see if it is listed on its description or by looking for rivets on the handle. Full-tang knives will have rivets, while knives that aren’t full-tang will not.

Keeping Your Steak Knives In Good Condition

Before we allow this guide to come to its logical conclusion, we would like to take a few moments and talk about taking care of your steak knives once you get them home. A properly maintained steak knife will last for years, while ones just tossed into a drawer will not. Having said that, let’s take a few moments and go over some steak knife care tips.