15 Most Expensive Chef Knives: Invest In Quality With Our Guide
If you’re a professional chef or home cook who takes pride in your cooking skills, you know that having the right tools can make all the difference. And when it comes to knives, investing in quality can truly elevate your culinary experience.
While these knives may come with a hefty price tag, they’re also built to last, with many of them designed to be passed down from generation to generation.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at each of the 15 most expensive knives, examining their features, materials, and craftsmanship. This will help you make an informed decision about which one is right for you.
So sit back, relax, and let us guide you through the world of top-tier chef knives.
What Is A Chef Knife?
A chef knife, also known as a cook’s knife, is a versatile kitchen knife primarily used for chopping, slicing, and dicing various ingredients.
Generally, it has a long, broad blade and a sharp edge, typically between 6 and 12 inches in length.
The blade is usually made of high-quality steel, which allows it to maintain its sharpness and durability over time.
Chef knives come in various shapes and sizes, with different weights and blade styles optimized for different types of food preparation.
15 Most Expensive Chef Knives
Let’s dive into the 15 most expensive chef knives.
15. Victorinox Rosewood Handle Chef Knife
- Origin: Switzerland
- Price: $55
- Length: 10 inches
- Material: Rosewood handles and carbon stainless steel blade.
The least expensive one on the list is the Victorinox chef knife. It is a 10-inch long knife made from high-carbon stainless steel, ensuring a sharp and durable edge that can handle any task in the kitchen.
The handle is made from elegant rosewood, adding a touch of sophistication and warmth to your kitchen. This also adds to it’s expensiveness, because rosewoods are costly woods.
The ergonomic design provides a comfortable grip that minimizes fatigue during extended use. It is relatively pricey and sells for $55, but it offers great quality for the price.
14. Dalstrong Chef Knife
- Origin: Canada
- Price: $125
- Length: 8 inches
- Material: Stainless Steel blade and G-10 Garolite handle.
The Dalstrong chef knife is a super-quality classic kitchen knife. The knife is made from carbon stainless steel and has a G-10 Garolite-made handle. It measures 8 inches long.
Dalstrong believes it’s a distinct kitchen knife because of its sharp razor-like edges. It offers the best performance for slicing, dicing and chopping ingredients into tiny bits .
It’s quite pricey as a result of the carbon steel but absolutely perfect for the price. It costs about $125.
13. The MAC Professional Chef Knife
- Origin: Japan
- Price: $159.94
- Length: 8 inches
- Material: Pakkawood handles and alloy steel blade.
The MAC professional mighty chef knife features a blade made from high-quality molybdenum steel. This is a durable and rust-resistant material that is also easy to sharpen. Molybdenum steels are pricey too.
The blade is ground to a sharp edge creating a razor-sharp blade that is perfect for slicing, dicing, chopping, and carving meat.
The handle of the MAC professional mighty chef knife is made from a durable and lightweight Pakkawood. It is ergonomically designed for comfort and balance. It sells for 159.94 and scales 59 and 61 Rockwell hardness. The length is 8 inches.
12. Shun Premier Chef Knife
- Origin: Japan
- Price: $199
- Length: 8 inches
- Material: VG- Max steel blade and pakkawood handle.
The shun premier is a Japanese masterpiece weighing 7.5 oz and is lightweight in case of long use.
The blade is made with VG-Max steel and layered with 68 Damascus steel which made it pricey. The comfortable handle is made of walnut-colored pakkawood.
It may not be the sharpest among the Japanese knife collection, but it can cut through tough ingredients. You’d sure get real value for your money. It measures 8 inches and sells for $199.
11. Wüsthof Ikon Chef Knife
- Origin: Germany
- Price: $259
- Length: 8 inches
- Material: African Blackwood and steel handle and carbon stainless steel blade.
The Wüsthof knife is among the best collections of kitchen knives for chefs. You can never get wrong with this amazing piece fabricated in Solingen city of, Germany.
It is carefully forged with the best carbon stainless steel and a Grenadill (African blackwood) constructed handle. African blackwood and carbon steel are the expensive features of this knife and this made it stand out amongst others.
It is very durable and has an ergonomic grip handle. It is quite pricey but worth every penny spent. It measures 8 inches and is suitable for slicing every kind of kitchen ingredient.
10. Miyabi Birchwood Chef Knife
- Origin: Japan
- Price: $299
- Length: 8 inches
- Material: alloy steel blade and a stainless steel and birchwood handle.
This beautiful piece is a culinary work of art. The steel is made with SG2 micro-carbide steel and protected by hundred layers of alloyed steel, scaling up to 63 in the hardness scale.
It has a Damascus flowery pattern for durability. The handle is made from luxury birch wood material resulting in its high cost.
This beautiful knife is a great piece and a powerful tool for chefs of every level. It is extremely sharp and can be easily sharpened to your taste. The length is 8 inches, It is sold for $299 and offers unmatched value for the price.
9. The Shun Fuji Chef Knife
- Origin: Japan
- Price: $399.95
- Length: 8.5 inches
- Material: Stainless Steel blade and wood-made handle.
The Shun Fuji chef knife is part of the Fuji series, named after the highest mountain in Japan, and represents the pinnacle of Japanese knife-making.
The Shun Fuji chef knife blade is made from expensive and high-quality carbon stainless steel known for its durability and sharpness.
The blade is also coated with a stunning tsuchime finish, which creates a beautiful, rippled effect that is unique to each knife. The length of the Shun Fuji chef knife is around 8.5 inches, and it sells for $399.95
8. Takeshi Saji Japanese Chef Knife
- Origin: Japan
- Price: $800
- Length: 210mm
- Material: Red turquoise hand, Damascus steel, and a diamond finishing
Designed by Takeshi Saji, an exceptional Japanese knife maker. The blade is made with high-quality Damascus steel with a touch of diamond finish. Diamond-infused knives are not a walk in the park, they’re quite expensive.
The hard steel blade is rated among the top strong blades on the hardness scale. The handle is red and turquoise. It measures 210mm and sells for a whopping $800.
7. Sakimaru Takobiki With Corian Handle
- Origin: Japan
- Price: $1,088
- Length: 11.8 inches
- Material: Corian ebony handle VG-10 stainless steel.
Skilled Japanese blade makers make this piece of art. The blade is made with high-end VG-10 stainless steel, and the handle is made of Corian ebony. It has silver rings at the collar of the handle.
It’s a long thin knife with a length of 11.8 inches and is best for cutting sashimi. It gives uninterrupted clean slices for delicate ingredients.
For instance, it perfectly cuts out sushi rolls. It costs $1,088; that’s pricey, right? Of course, it is pricey because of its features and excellent performance.
6. Tsukasa Kurouchi Damascus Steel Knife
- Origin: Japan
- Price: $2,500
- Length: 10.5 inches
- Material: Pagoda wood handle and Damascus steel blade.
The Tsukasa Damascus Wa-Gyuto chef knife is a hand-forged masterpiece. It has a Pagoda wood-made handle, and the blade is made of Damascus carbon steel.
It comes in a well-packaged wooden sheath case to protect you from its razor-sharp blades.
Also, it is pricey but offers excellent services, which makes it every chef’s delight. It has an ergonomic handle for easy usage.
The length is 10.5 inches, and it sells at a whopping $2,500 because Pagoda wood and Damascus carbon steel aren’t cheap.
5. The Nenohi Honyaki Chef Knife
- Origin: Japan
- Price: $2,895
- Length: 388 mm
- Material: Ebony handle and stainless steel blade.
Unveiling the hand-forged shining Nenohi honyaki chef knife. One of the honyaki knife series. Beautifully designed with great precision, and the blade is made of stainless steel
The Nenohi Honyaki Chef Knife handle made from a durable and lightweight wood called Hinoki (ebony). It is known for its resistance to moisture and comfortable grip.
The handle is also reinforced with a metal collar which is designed with 3 silver rings. It’s a pricey chef knife sold for $2,895 and has an overall length of 388mm.
4. Yoshihiro Mizuyakin Mirror Finish Blade Knife
- Origin: Japan
- Price: $5,999
- Length: 13″
- Material: White steel blade and Rosewood handle
The Yoshihiro Mizuyaki Mirror Finish Blade Knife is a high-quality chef knife that is handcrafted in Japan by skilled artisans. The beautiful design on the blade represents Fuji Mountain and the full moon. What’s more? It’s truly forged with the best quality carbon steel.
The handle is constructed with high-quality rosewood and laced with 24-karat gold. It has an octagonal lightweight handle with an ergonomic grip. The wireless of the blade makes it great for chopping vegetables and slicing tough ingredients. It is priced at $5,999, that’s perfect for a 24k gold laced knife, and is 13″ long.
3. The Bob Kramer Custom Chef Knife
- Origin: USA
- Price: $22,950
- Length: 10″
- Material: Carbon steel blade and blackwood handle adorned with brass.
The Bob Kramer custom-made knife is an awesome piece of art. The blade is made from Damascus carbon steel. The handle is made of high-quality blackwood adorned with brass pins.
It measures 10″ long and is priced at a whopping $22,950. This custom knife is expensive but exceptional kitchen cutlery that every professional chef would love. It is crafted by Bob Kramer, a world-renowned bladesmith.
2. Nesmuk Diamond Knife
- Origin: Germany
- Price: $39,600
- Length: 9″
- Material: Carbon steel, sterling silver, and diamonds
The Nesmuk Diamond Chef Knife is a premium chef knife accompanied by a diamond-studded ring you can gift your wife.
The blade is crafted from a unique composite carbon steel material and a high-end silver-made handle infused with microscopic 8 diamonds.
This knife is extremely strong and sharp, making the Nesmuk Diamond adorned Knife one of the sharpest and most precise chef knives on the market.
It is priced at about $39,600 and beautifully packaged in a box. It measures about 8″ to 9″ long, designed by Quintin Nel and Hoffman Pieper.
1. Nesmuk Century Damascus Steel Knife
- Origin: Germany
- Price: $98,900
- Length: 13.2″
- Material: Damascus steel and Platinum diamond.
The Nesmuk Century knife, also called Nesmuk Jahrhundert Messer, is a high-end chef knife with a stunning blade handcrafted from 640 layers of Damascus steel. It is exceptionally durable and has a very sharp edge.
In addition to its beautiful blade, the Nesmuk Century knife also features an ergonomic handle made from high-quality, hand-polished bog oak of about 5,000 years. Also, it is adorned with platinum and 25 hand-picked diamonds.
This pricey chef knife is made with utmost precision to give you great value for your money. Its comfortable and secure grip makes it easy to use for extended periods.
As for its price, the Nesmuk Century Damascus steel knife is one of the most expensive chef knives on the market. It has a price tag of $98,900 . The length of the blade is 13.2″. Lars Scheidler manufactures the Nesmuk blade.
FAQs
Questions people also ask about expensive chef knives and answers to them.
Q. Who makes the best chef knives in the world?
Wüsthof Classic Ikon Santoku, Shun Classic chef knife, Nesmuk Jahrhundert Messer are some of the best chef knife makers on the market.
Q. What chef knife stays sharp the longest?
Knives made of carbon steel are known to stay sharp longer than others made of other types of material.
Conclusion
Investing in a high-quality chef knife is smart for any home cook or professional chef. The 15 most expensive chef knives on the market today offer unparalleled sharpness, durability, and balance, making them worth the investment for any professional chef.
Whether you prefer a Japanese handcrafted masterpiece or a German precision-engineered knife, there is a knife on this list that will meet your needs.
By choosing one of these knives, you can elevate your culinary skills. Remember, a good knife is an investment that will last for many years with proper care and maintenance.
