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With so many different knives available, it can be difficult choosing the right blade shape for your culinary needs. So, whether you're starting your journey in catering, or wanting to kit out your kitchen with the best knives, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about blade shapes and what they are used for.

CHEF’S KNIFE

The all round knife for everyday use. Chef’s knives have a curve that continues to the tip. Originally for designed for slicing and disjointing large cuts of beef, chef’s knives have now developed into a multi-purpose knife for slicing, dicing and chopping almost every food type. Typical Blade Size: 6 – 14 inch

JAPANESE SANTOKU KNIFE

Santoku literally translated means 'three virtues'. This traditional Japanese shaped knife has a long, slightly tapered blade with a drop point to allow for more precise, intricate cutting work. The blade has hollows either side to prevent food from sticking to the metal. The Santoku is the equivalent to a Western chef’s knife. It’s name ‘three virtues’ is derived from its versatility for cutting fish, meat and vegetables. Typical Blade Size: 6 – 8 inch

PARING KNIFE

This short, slim bladed knife is ideal for smaller tasks that require control. These are typically used for peeling fruits and vegetables or other tasks in the hand. Despite their size, paring knives will make light work of harder foods such as potatoes, while still being manoeuvrable enough to carry out delicate knife work such as peeling, trimming, and removing seeds. Typical Blade Size: 2.5 – 4 inch

BONING KNIFE

A boning knife is popular for cutting meat from the bone. Blades can be flexible or stiff, with stiffer blades popularly used by chefs on thicker meats like beef and pork. More flexible blades are typically used for intricate tasks, such as small game and poultry. Both have a sharp point for piercing meat with ease. Typical Blade Size: 5 – 7 inch

CLEAVER

A large blade used for butchering or hacking through bone and hard foods. Cleavers have a large face useful for the transportation of foods and also in crushing foods such as garlic. Typical Blade Size: 6 – 8 inch

BREAD KNIFE

A serrated blade for cutting through thick crusts, the serrations help to cut the bread without tearing or flattening the bread. Bread knives can also be ideal for cutting thick-skinned vegetables and citrus fruits. Typical Blade Size: 9 – 12 inch

NAKIRI

Nakiri translates to vegetable cutter. The rectangular blade shape is traditional in Japanese for cutting vegetables. This should not be confused with a Western style cleaver which has a deeper blade. Typical Blade Size: 5.5in – 7in

FILLETING KNIFE

Filleting knives are typically used to fillet fish. The flexibility of the blade allows for the removal of bones. They have a unique shape and are typically long and thin with a sharp point for piercing skin. Typical Blade Size: 4 – 9 inch

UTILITY KNIFE

Known in the USA as a tomato knife or sandwich knife, the utility is a multi-purpose knife. These typically have a serrated edge for cutting through the skin of fruits and vegetables, but they are also available non-serrated. Typical Blade Size: 4 – 7 inch