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Best Damascus Chef Knives (Buying Guide)

Zelite Infinity 8” Chef's Knife

Kitchen Damascus Knife Set

Levinchy Damascus Chef's Knife

Author: Molly Weinfurter

Updated: October 11, 2021

Top Damascus Chef Knives

Knives are certainly one of the most important kitchen tools, and for someone passionate about cooking, not any knife will do. A knife that is sturdy, functional, and has a stylish appearance is a must. This is where Damascus Chef Knives can help.
They make some of the best knives out there. But, with so many options, which knives are best. We are going to help you with this by reviewing some of the best Damascus Chef Knives.

The Zelite Infinity 8" Chef Knife

This chef knife is the best all-around choice. It is a quality knife that will make dinner prep a breeze. Not only that, it has a great look.

In fact, it looks so good you’ll want to make sure you keep your eyes on your work, not the knife. The Zelite Infinity has a gorgeous Japanese tsunami design that will look great in any kitchen.

The Zelite Infinity has many other quality features, and we list some of these features below.

Key Features:

Blade: The Zelite Infinity has an 8" blade made of 67 layers Aus-10 stainless steel and a military-grade handle. This will hold up to anything you put it through.
Sharpening Angle: This knife has a 12-degree sharpening angle. It will arrive having been hand sharpened with an impressive edge. It will cut through almost anything with ease.

Handle Design: The handle is ergonomically designed to comfortably fit any size hand and minimize wrist tension. It is also well weighted to allow you to cut, chop, or slice with ease.

Specifications:

Nanfang Kitchen Damascus Knife Set

The Damascus knife set is our premium pick because you get a whole set of knives at a great price. This knife set includes 9 durable, beautifully carved knives.

These well-constructed knives are an excellent way to get quality Japanese knives at a reasonable price.

Here’s the deal. You get 6 knives with a 67 layer core made of Japanese VG10 steel along with these additional features.

Key Features:

The Set: The Damascus Knife Set comes with an 8" chef knife, an 8" slicing knife, an 8" bread knife, a 7" Santorum knife, a 5.5" utility knife, a 3.5" paring knife, kitchen shears, a knife sharpener, and a Beechwood Block.

Warranty: This set comes with a lifetime warranty that guarantees your satisfaction. You can return these knives and get a full refund if, for any reason, you are dissatisfied with them.
Durable: The blade and the shank are integrated into this knife, which helps make the knife sturdy and unlikely to break. The wooden block is also durable, being made of natural oak.
Easy to Clean and Store: The smooth design of this knife ensures it is easy to clean, and the hollow knife seat allows the knife to be easily inserted and removed from the storage block.

Specifications:

Levinchy Damascus Chef Knife

The Levinchy Damascus Chef knife is just about the most affordable option on this list. Unlike our Previous Chef knife, this includes one knife, but make no mistake, this knife can still do it all. Just like the Zelite Infinity, this knife is composed of 67 layers of steel finished using the Honbazuk method, so you know this blade is strong and sharp enough to handle any job your kitchen can throw at it. Here are some of the features that make this knife special.

Key Features:

Specifications:

Discover Other Bestselling Damascus Chef Knives

Yoshihiro VG10 Damascus Japanese Chefs Knife

This chef’s knife would make a fine addition to any kitchen. It has a beautiful design made from 16 layer steel that also helps keep food from sticking to the blade by eliminating friction. This hand forged knife makes cutting any food effortless.

Key Features:

Specifications:

Kyoku Daimyo Series

The Kyoku Daimyo Series Knife will leave you feeling like a samurai with how easily it slashes through anything you put in its path. This Damascus Chef knife is made from VG-10 steel wrapped between Damascus steel and folded an impressive 33 times! This knife will resist corrosion and hold its edge for a long time. So, let’s look at the fine details that make this knife special.

Key Features:

Liquid Nitrogen Treatment: The blade of the Kyoku Daimyo Series is cryogenically treated in a bath of liquid nitrogen, giving it a harder, more corrosion resistant edge. And unlike what you may expect from a bath that cold, it also gives it greater flexibility to prevent breaking.

G-10 Handle: The handle is crafted from G-10, a fiberglass epoxy laminate treated under intense heat and pressure for ultimate strength. Another great part of the handle is the ergonomic pinch-grip handle, which allows you to easily apply pressure on tough meats and other cooking challenges.

Specifications:

Kuma Damascus Chef Knife

The Kuma Damascus chef knife is designed in Denmark before the Damascus steel is made in Japan and transported to YangJiang, China, to be crafted by Kuma’s bladesmiths. That is a lot of international travel, so the only thing looking more distinguished than this knife is going to be you cutting with this beautiful Japanese layered Damascus chef knife. Now, let get down to the features this knife offers you.

Key Features:

Specifications:

Mikarto Gyuto Chef Knife

As one customer put it, the only problem with the knife is it looks so good in the box you don’t want to take it out. This knife looks good, but it also has a Rockwell rating of 62+, making it one of the hardest blades on this list. However, here are the other features this blade can offer you.

Key Features:

Specifications:

Fanteck Damascus Chef Knife

The Fanteck Chef knife claims to be made according to the same principles as samurai swords. Whether or not this helps it cut better, it certainly looks and feels cool! A lot of chefs consider Japanese knives to be works of art, and the rosewood style handle and mirror-like chromium Damascus steel finish will make you want to frame this one. So, beyond beauty, let’s talk about the other features.

Key Features:

Specifications:

Dnifo Pro Kitchen Chef Knife

The Dnifo Pro Kitchen Chef knife is as functional as it is attractive. This Damascus blade forges many layers of Damascus steel around a super strong high carbon steel core. This gives it the sharp blade and edge retention you need, and the hand-polished soft spine prevents discomfort whenever you need to apply extra pressure. But, this isn’t all this knife offers.

Key Features:

Specifications:

Yaiba Kiritsuke Chef Knife

When you see the Yaiba Kiritsuke Chef Knife, the first thing you are going to notice is its unique cleaver shape. This design makes it great for slicing and push cutting. And if you are looking to use this knife for carving, you’re in luck because this knife is also bigger than any other on this list. Finally, let’s get down to the features.

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Specifications:

Buying Guide & FAQ

What Is Damascus Steel?

The beginning of Damascus steel goes back to 300 B.C. when Arab cultures introduce Wootz Steel to a burgeoning weapons industry in Damascus, India. This steel created incredible steel weapons that seemed near unbreakable. Not only that, but they had a beautiful wavy pattern that made them distinctive and contributed to their popularity.

What really makes these knives different is the many types of intertwining steel that make them up. This is what gives it the waving pattern it’s associated with, as well as its strength. Unfortunately, the original recipe for Damascus steel was lost, but modern bladesmiths have made great strides in making excellent modern Damascus steel.

Modern Damascus Steel Explained

The original recipe for Damascus steel was lost, but modern variants have been made by many different Bladesmiths. However, these come down to two primary types of methods etching and layering

Etching: These are just regular layered or flattened steel knives, but their surface is etched with the wavy patterns associated with real Damascus steel.

Pattern Welded: Another method uses many layers of iron and steel of different qualities welded together similarly to the method used with true Damascus steel. By using a flux to seal joints between layers, stainless steel outer layer, and a rigid inner core, this knife can gain many advantages.

Why Is Damascus Steel So Strong?

Etched Damascus steel knives are no stronger than any other steel knives and often use cheaper steel than the best regular kitchen knives. Pattern welded Damascus steel knives are a different story. These typically use an inner core of rigid high carbon steel. This can be way strong and more rigid than a regular knife would be made from. This is because the flexible stainless steel outer layers protect it and allow it to give without breaking. Overall, this makes for a far stronger knife.

The Advantage of Damascus Steel for Kitchen Knives

The biggest benefit of using Damascus steel for kitchen knives is its beauty. If that is enough and you are looking to save some money, an affordable etched Damascus steel blade would be perfect.

However, if you are looking for a beautiful and high-quality knife, then a pattern welded Damascus steel knife is right for you. In kitchen knives, rust and staining is a concern, but the outer layers often use stainless steel compounds that protect the blade from staining and even chipping, which is another primary concern with regular knives in the kitchen.

Finally, the inner core extends down to form the blade, and the high carbon steel of the core is perfect for holding a strong edge. This means you will have to sharpen it far less regularly than an ordinary knife.