A short guide to buying a first good knife

You need one knife, not a block of eight. Here is how to pick it.

Length before everything

An eight-inch chef knife handles almost every domestic task. Shorter feels safer and is not.

Balance you can feel

Hold it at the bolster. It should sit level without you gripping. A blade-heavy knife tires your wrist.

Steel is a trade-off, not a ranking

Harder steel holds an edge longer and chips more easily. Softer steel dulls sooner and takes thirty seconds on a steel to come back.