Knife: The Culture, Craft and Cult of the Cook's Knife

Earlier in the year myself and my partner had a trip to Japan. Whilst there we got a few Japanese cooking knives because..... well, that's what you do when you go to Japan. They've since been used every day in our kitchen and I mentioned I was thinking of getting a couple of different styles. As such my partner got me this book for Christmas.The style is very accessible. The first part of the book covers various elements of kitchen knife theory: types of steel, hand forging processes, cutting techniques, sharpening, etc. Each section is only a few pages long, so this is by no means a comprehensive study manual, but it gives an excellent overview of the history and practical info of knives.The rest of the book is a kind of pictorial reference guide to different styles of knife found throughout the world. The photography of these is wonderful, with full size images of the knife on one page together with its name and details on the page opposite. Once again, its a pleasure to simply browse through these and have a casual read, learning as you go. The book has also been an excellent resource for me to decide which knives I would like to add to my collection, and the jobs they do.I can't recommend this book enough. Almost every person who has come to our house and seen it on the table has ended up with it in their hands and flicking through. I even bought a copy for my Dad for Christmas.If you found this review useful please let me know.

Whilst not a knife geek per-se I do have an overdeveloped interest in my lunch generally, so I was intrigued to read about this book in various publications pre-purchase.I have to say it has not disappointed, it is a very well written and designed book that makes a subject that could easily descend, heaven forbid, into uber-geekery very accessible, treading a fine line between entertainment and education very well.Furthermore it will keep the food nerd in your life quiet for some time if you are looking for a gift.Though the current offer price is very attractive and a steal, it is likely to lead to further knife related purchases, as I am already finding out to my cost and I've only had it 2 days.

Tim Hayward is someone whose opinion I trust implicitly and after recently having my eyes opened to the world of the chef's knife, and wanting to bolster my knowledge as a result, it happened to coincide with the release of his new book, Knife. Although I'm not finished reading through, it acts as much as a point of reference as well as general background information on the history and art of the knife. Different categories of knife have pages dedicated to them (almost like a fact file - telling you for instance that a gyuto knife is an all-round chef's knife, but a nakiri is best for chopping vegetables etc). For someone like me who is an avid and competent cook, I clearly have no idea when it comes to the knife and it has given me a new respect and education into what to buy, what for, and most importantly how to look after them. Fantastic book!

This is a wonderful book and a must-buy for any chef whether aspiring or professional or even for any foodie. It's at a real bargain price now too. I followed the advice of an early reviewer and bought the hardback rather than the Kindle version. I'm so glad I did. It's a beautiful book with delightful photos and fascinating information.Also, like several other reviewers, I can see it costing me a small fortune as I enlarge my already extensive collection of knives.

The 'story' element of the content was unexpected and most enjoyable. I loved the factual content as it has broadened my knowledge. Lots of very interesting stuff to do with all things 'knife'.