Hand Forged Knife Sets

What is a good knife set?

One where every knife gets used. Plenty of block sets come with more slots than anyone fills, and most of those knives sit there looking busy for a decade. A good set is smaller, and each piece has a job. Look for a tang that runs the full length of the handle, a handle that is pinned rather than glued, and steel that will take a proper edge. After that, buy for the food you actually cook. Someone who mostly chops vegetables needs a different set from someone who buys half a hog every fall.

Which set fits the way you cook?

What goes in a professional chef knife set?

For serious home cooking, a chef knife for prep and at least one cleaver for bone. The Mastercraft goes further. Its 9" chef knife, 14" overall, is the longest blade in the set and does the slicing, dicing and mincing. The sheep foot cleaver takes heavy downward strikes through dense cuts and bone. The drop point cleaver has a curved belly that rocks through thick meat and heavy vegetables, and the fish and steak cutter has a hooked spine for scaling fish and slicing steaks. It is a big set of big knives, so clear some counter space first. If you only want the chef knife part of the story, see our hand forged chef knives and the Serbian chef knife guide.

What should a butcher knife set include?

Weight, mostly, and a mix of edge shapes. The Butcher's Trio carries three cleavers. The 7.5" classic butcher cleaver has a sweeping belly and forward weight, so it drops hard into a chop. The 8" drop point adds a usable tip for detail work. The 7" sheep foot has a broad straight edge for push cuts and mincing. The edges are built to stand up to bone and cartilage, though a saw is still the right tool for thick marrow bones. What the trio will not do well is thin, even slicing of a finished brisket. Still torn between cleavers and knives? Our meat cleaver vs butcher knife guide sorts that out.

Is a BBQ knife set worth it?

If you run a smoker most weekends, yes. The Meat Lover's Set covers meat from the first heavy cut on a raw pork shoulder to the last slice at the table. The raw forge scale on the flats is there for a reason: thick, wet cuts release from it instead of clinging to the steel. The Handcrafted 4 Piece Set is the broader choice when your weekend also involves a pile of onions and a butternut squash. For single BBQ blades, including a long brisket slicer, browse our hand forged BBQ knives.

How do you look after a hand forged knife set?

The same way you look after one knife, just a few more times. Hand wash each blade, dry it right away and wipe on a light coat of food safe oil before it goes back in the drawer. Keep the whole set out of the dishwasher and never leave it soaking. The steel darkens into a patina with use, which is normal for high carbon steel. Our knife care guide covers the rest. Every set carries a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and craftsmanship, and unused sets can be returned within 30 days.

Read before you buy

Our guide to the best chef knife sets puts all four sets side by side and covers building your own from single knives. If the chef knife is the piece you will use most, what a chef knife is for is worth reading first. Buying a set for someone else? The knife gift guide matches blades to the person, and our gift ideas for cooks include every set. If you would rather start with one blade, see our single meat cleavers.