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Knife Types

Knives comes in many shapes and sizes that are designed for specific tasks.

Selecting the knife you need depends on your culinary experience, the style of cooking you prefer and the amount of money you wish to spend.

The following list provides a brief description of the most common types of knives and the basic purpose behind their design.

Boning Knife
	4-5" blade. A flexible knife for separating meat from the bone. This knife is more efficient than using a rigid knife.
Bread Knife
	9" Blade. This sharp, scalloped blade bites the bread and avoids squashing the loaf.
Chef's Knife
	4-12" blade. This versatile knife has many skills but it is especially talented when it comes to chopping and dicing. Select a blade length that is comfortable for you. Use a longer knife for the bigger jobs.
Cleaver
	6" blade. Chops through bones and joints. You can even use the flat side to crush peppercorns and other spices.
Fish Filet
	7" blade. This thin, long blade has great flexibility for filleting fish. A superior tool.
Fork
	8". This a carving knife's assistant. It's used to hold meat in place while slicing. It also helps to transfer meat from pan to plate.
Ham Slicer
	10" blade. Designed specifically for slicing through the unique texture of a ham.
Oriental Cleaver
	7" blade. It's called a "cleaver" but it's really a fine chopper and dicer of vegetables, herbs, meats and fruits. It is not to be used to chop bones.
Paring Knife
	3½-4" blade. This is the most commonly used knife in the kitchen. Used primarily for hand-held tasks when control is essential. Variations include the Birds Beak this is designed for peeling small round fruits and vegetables.
Salmon Slicer
	12" blade. This long thin and exceptionally flexible blade is designed for slicing smoked salmon.
Sharpening Steel
	8-10" steel. A sharpening steel is intended to maintain the sharp edge of your knives. Try to use your steel on a regular basis.
Slicer/Carver
	8-10" blade. For carving paper-thin slices of meats, fruits and vegetables. The pointed tip cuts around bones or pieces of melon.
Steak Knife
	5" blade. This sharp blade cuts through thick steaks and chops. It is designed to be an integral part of any place setting.
Tomato/Bagel Knife
	5" blade. This serrated knife is great for cutting something that's soft on the inside and tough on the outside. Like a tomato or a bagel.
Utility Knife
	6" blade. A cross between a paring and chef's knife. This all-purpose knife is designed for a variety of everyday tasks.