I Tested 11 Carbon Steel Chef’s Knives—Almost All of Them Were Fantastic

Knife nerds love carbon steel knives. One such enthusiast, editorial director Daniel Gritzer, has extolled them as the go-to for “serious cooks,” and I fully agree. The appeal isn’t just about the look of the knives, which show their history via dark patterns of patina and stains across the blade (but, hey, that is pretty punk rock). Blades made with high-carbon steel are harder than typical stainless steel options, which makes them better at getting—and keeping—an extraordinarily keen edge when sharpened. 

However, many home cooks are intimidated by the idea of owning a carbon steel knife because traditional high-carbon blades require additional care and discipline to keep from rusting or chipping. In Daniel’s words, “It forces the cook to treat the blade with some real damn respect.” Here’s a little secret I’ll share with you, though: The extra maintenance isn’t all that extra, and it’s worth it. And, here’s an even bigger secret: High-carbon, low-maintenance (yes, even stainless) options exist—and they’re awesome.

To find the best carbon steel chef's knives, I tested 11 of them. They all had blades around eight inches long and ranged from $35 to $450. I chopped, minced, and sliced with each knife, then I ranked them based on their agility and sharpness, as well as how comfortable they were to use. Almost all the knives I tested exceeded my expectations, and I found four outstanding winners. Whether you’re looking for a conventional, respect-demanding carbon steel knife or a low-maintenance, high-carbon stainless blade, there’s an option for you.

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Carbon Steel Chef’s Knife

Zwilling Kanren 8-inch Chef's Knife

$180 at Williams-Sonoma

The Zwilling Kanren was a worthy companion in every test. Its high-carbon core was protected by layers of softer stainless steel, making it resilient and easy to care for. Not only did it cut smoothly, but it also felt comfortable and balanced.

The Best Traditional Carbon Steel Chef’s Knife

Misono Carbon Steel Gyuto Knife

$109 at Amazon View on Korin.com

This was one of the more traditional carbon steel knives I tested. Unlike the stainless options in the lineup, it acquired the telltale staining and patina associated with “true” carbon steel knives. Thanks to its comfortable grip and sharp asymmetric bevel, Misono is a favorite brand of several Serious Eats editors.

The Best Budget High-Carbon Stainless Steel Chef’s Knife

Hast Selection Series Japanese Carbon Steel 8-inch Chef Knife

View on Hast.co

The Hast Selection Chef Knife is an excellent option for someone who wants the supreme acuteness that carbon steel offers without worrying about extra maintenance. It was the sharpest model out of the box and never developed any staining or oxidation on the blade. It was also less than $100 at the time of testing, making it a great budget-friendly pick.

The Best Splurge-Worthy Carbon Steel Chef’s Knife

Shun Hikari 8-inch Chef's Knife

$230 at Williams-Sonoma

This knife’s unique Damascus patterning and handsome, blonde wood handle made it as delightful to look at as it was to cut with. Its broad blade provided good leverage for chopping, and it was easy to maintain since it was made of high-carbon stainless steel. 

The Tests

• Blade Sharpness Test: I used a professional blade edge tester to measure each knife's sharpness when it was new from the box. The tester works by measuring the force in grams necessary for the knife to sever a calibrated wire; the lower the score, the sharper the knife.
• Paper Test: I ran the edge of each knife down a piece of printer paper to see if it sliced cleanly through or hitched and tore. I repeated this test at the end to compare the knives’ pre-testing sharpness with their post-use performance.
• Tomato Test: I thinly sliced one tomato with each model and noted whether the edge slid against the rubbery skin or sliced cleanly through.
• Shallot Test: I minced one shallot with each knife to test its deftness. I also noted how well each knife could “rock chop” on its blade to achieve quick, precise cuts.
• Sweet Potato Test: I chopped one large sweet potato with each model to test the knife's performance against a hard, dense vegetable. I paid close attention to how much resistance I felt from the blade and whether the knife needed extra pressure to cut all the way through.
• Bell Pepper Test (Winners Only): I used the top-performing models to slice three bell peppers per knife. I noted how deft and controllable each knife felt and how fluidly it sliced through resilient pepper skin.
• Cleaning and Usability Tests: Throughout testing, I recorded how comfortable each model was to hold and cut with. I also followed the knives’ care instructions, hand washing and drying them immediately after each use.

What We Learned

What’s the Difference Between Carbon and Stainless Steel Knives? (Hint: It’s Complicated)

Unless you’re willing to take on metallurgy as a hobby, it can be challenging to discern the difference between the steels used by knife makers. Their designations rarely offer any clues to casual knife shoppers; plus, they’re often given alternative names depending on the manufacturer. What sets the 52100 carbon steel of the Zwilling Bob Kramer and STEELPORT chef’s knives apart from the Blue II carbon steel of the Shun Narukami? It comes down to their molecular makeup.

By definition, all steel has at least some carbon in it. The more carbon there is, generally, the harder the steel will be. Carbon steel blades are also well-known for having high wear resistance, which enables them to keep their edges sharp for longer than stainless. There is no “official” designation for how much carbon is required for a knife to be classified as high-carbon, but the label is generally applied to blades made with at least 0.6% carbon content by weight (up to 1.5% or so). Stainless steel, on the other hand, has at least 10.5% chromium added in, which gives it increased resistance to corrosion and discoloration but decreases potential hardness. 

Dr. Larrin Thomas, who has a PhD in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and is the author of Knife Engineering: Steel, Heat Treating, and Geometry, wrote on his website about the difference between carbon and stainless steel. As he explained, stainless steel knives faced a lot of suspicion when they were being newly produced in the early- to mid-1900s. Because stainless steel had been softer than carbon steel up to that point, stainless knives’ edges would roll and dull rapidly with use (giving them a less favorable reputation than carbon blades, an idea we still see today). 

But in the decades since, steel technology has improved to the point that the lines between stainless and carbon steel have blurred and the two are no longer mutually exclusive. All the different types of knife steels have varying levels of carbon, chromium, and other elements (like molybdenum, vanadium, and tungsten) that can enhance or offset steel’s attributes of hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, toughness, and more.

A modern steel alloy can have both a high carbon content and enough chromium (plus other additions) to be highly resistant to edge wear as well as rust and stains. Lots of other factors also play into a knife’s qualities, like how the blade is shaped and hardened, the volume and size of carbides (hard, brittle compounds formed between carbon and other elements) present in the metal, and to what angles the edges are sharpened. For that reason, it’s impossible to generalize based solely on stainless or high-carbon categorizations. Instead, high-carbon knives should be evaluated based on their specific makeup and even on an individual basis. Luckily, that’s exactly what we do here at Serious Eats.

Non-Stainless Carbon Steel Requires (a Little) More Care

About half of the knives I tested were non-stainless carbon steel, meaning they started picking up spots of stains when they were exposed to acidic tomatoes in the first cutting test. The MASAMOTO CT Series Japanese Gyuto and the Misono Swedish Carbon Steel Gyuto were particularly prone to discoloration, although the Zwilling Bob Kramer and Thiers-Issard Sabatier Four Star Elephant weren’t far behind. They also started to darken across the blade overall, getting a patina. Like rust, a patina is a type of oxidation on the metal, but it’s not destructive. A patina layer can actually help protect a non-stainless blade from rusting by preventing further corrosive oxidation. 

A patina won’t prevent corrosion entirely, though. To keep rust at bay, I made sure the blades were clean and dry whenever they were not in active use. I kept a lightly dampened cloth nearby to wipe the knives down if I had to step away from cutting for a moment and promptly washed them with warm, soapy water after each test. I also thoroughly dried them before storing them. I did this for all the knives I tested, even the high-carbon stainless models like the winning Hast Selection Series and Shun Hikari chef’s knives. They weren’t as vulnerable to rust and never showed signs of spotting, but the “rules” of maintenance required for non-stainless carbon steel are, frankly, good practices for any knife that you want to keep in top condition: not letting it sit with excess moisture, acid, or salt on the blade, not leaving it in the sink where it could get dinged by other dishes, and never, ever putting it in the dishwasher. The only truly “extra” step of caring for a non-stainless blade was to apply a thin coating of mineral oil before storing them (especially for periods longer than a couple of days) to give them a protective layer against oxygen and humidity in the air.

In addition to keeping them clean, high-carbon blades benefit from some caution during use. Since additional carbon makes steel more rigid, it also becomes more brittle and can chip and break easier. Carbon steel knives aren’t suitable for use against hard surfaces or ingredients like meat bones, fruit pits, or frozen foods, which are better saved for your “beater” knife (and, of course, we have an affordable recommendation for that in our more general chef’s knife review). A few of the knives I tested, like the Shun Narukami and my favorite Zwilling Kanren 8-inch Chef's Knife, had a harder high-carbon core but were clad with softer stainless steel in a Japanese technique of Damascus layering called san mai, which made them both more resilient and lower maintenance. 

A Broad, Rounded Blade Made Cutting Easier

Most of the knives I tested averaged below 200 on the edge tester during the sharpness test, meaning they were as sharp as or sharper than a utility razor blade. Since they almost all sliced smoothly, it made it easier for me to focus on how the shape of the blades could help (or hurt) the knife’s performance. I preferred knives that had taller blades because they provided better leverage, especially when pushing down on dense ingredients. Those with narrower lengths, like the Thiers-Issard Sabatier and Misono models, needed noticeably more force to push through in the sweet potato test. It was also nice when the knife's edge curved slightly upward toward the tip, a popular attribute in Western-style knives.

The Zwilling Kanren knife, for example, had a gently rounded belly that made it great for rock-chopping (where the edge of the knife moves fluidly back and forth in constant contact with the cutting board instead of being lifted after each slice). It made mincing shallots easy. Comparatively, the Messermeister Carbon Bunka Chef's Knife had a broad blade but a straighter, more Japanese-style edge along the bottom. Paired with its relatively thick spine, which was almost 2.5 millimeters wide and pushed the layers of the shallot apart when slicing through them, the knife felt much less agile and controlled overall.

The Knife’s Weight and Handle Shape Determined Comfort

Knives that weighed eight ounces or more—namely the Messermeister, Zwilling Bob Kramer, and STEELPORT models—tended to feel heavy and unwieldy in my hand. The Bob Kramer knife in particular was a commendable slicer, but it felt clumsy since its weight was combined with a thick, bulbous handle that didn’t feel secure. I docked points for the awkward grip. The Babish Chef Knife was also somewhat uncomfortable with its rounded, inverted triangle shape. I preferred lighter, more balanced knives like the Hast and MASAMOTO, both of which weighed around six-and-a-half ounces. They also had slimmer, more ergonomic handles that narrowed toward the bolster.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Carbon Steel Chef’s Knife

What kind of carbon steel knife you choose depends on your cooking style and the amount of maintenance you’re comfortable with performing. Non-stainless carbon steel knives require extra attention to keep them from rusting, while stainless-clad and high-carbon stainless steels are less likely to corrode if you slip up.

No matter its steel makeup, a great high-carbon chef’s knife should be sharp out of the box and have a rounded belly for easy chopping. During testing, I liked blades that were around two inches tall at the heel and had narrower spines (two millimeters or less). They felt lightweight and balanced while still providing good leverage on big cuts. Handle comfort is a personal choice, but I favored knives with gently curved grips that narrowed toward the bolster.

Our Favorite Carbon Steel Chef’s Knives

The Best Carbon Steel Chef’s Knife

Zwilling Kanren 8-inch Chef's Knife

$180 at Williams-Sonoma

What we liked: This knife blended some of the best aspects of German and Japanese styles into one superb knife. Its broad blade had a nice, rounded belly that allowed it to rock-chop like a champ, a classic feature of a Western chef’s knife. The handle was also full-tanged, which provided great balance and leverage, especially while chopping tough ingredients like sweet potatoes. Its high-carbon core (which formed its cutting edge) was protected by Japanese san mai-style Damascus layers of stainless steel on both sides, so it was easy to maintain and never showed signs of staining or rusting.

What we didn’t like: It was in the bottom half of the lineup in terms of its out-of-the-box sharpness average, but that spoke more to the overall quality of its competitors rather than as a complaint of this knife’s actual keenness or slicing capabilities (which were still impressive). It is also a bit pricey.

Key Specs

• Weight: 7.5 ounces
• Handle material: Black linen micarta
• Handle length: 5 inches
• Handle width: 0.8 inches
• Blade material: FC61 high-carbon stainless core surrounded by 48 layers of stainless Damascus cladding
• Blade length: 8 inches
• Blade thickness at base of spine: 1.7 millimeters
• Blade height at heel: 1.9 inch
• Bevel: Western-style 50/50 symmetrical double bevel
• Out-of-the-box sharpness average: 152 (utility razor blade sharp)
• Care instructions: Hand-wash only. Wash with a wet cloth and mild dishwashing soap and dry immediately after use. Hone with a sharpening steel in between uses to maintain the cutting edge. 

The Best Traditional Carbon Steel Chef’s Knife

Misono Carbon Steel Gyuto Knife

$109 at Amazon View on Korin.com

What we liked: Daniel Gritzer has talked about how much he loves his (similar) Misono knife, and I could certainly see why after testing this model. It’s a remarkable example of a more conventional, non-stainless option that develops a patina and has a nice, sharp edge. It requires a little more maintenance to ensure it doesn’t rust, but it’s well worth the extra care. As long as you’re willing to wash and dry it immediately after each use and avoid particularly acidic or salty ingredients (or at least wipe the blade often while handling those), you’ll be rewarded tenfold with a knife that can be finely sharpened and hold its edge for a long time. Its handle was quite narrow compared to the other knives I tested and may not suit people with larger hands, but it felt comfortable and secure to me. At just over $100 at the time of testing, it's an exceptionally high-quality knife that’s surprisingly affordable.

What we didn’t like: As mentioned, this knife is not stainless and requires discipline to keep it in good shape. It started discoloring and developing its patina almost immediately during the first slicing test. Since it has a 70/30 bevel, it may be harder to maintain its original edge through at-home sharpening, but a professional sharpener can help. An experienced sharpener could also convert the blade for a left-handed person if needed, since its asymmetry favored right-handed users. The Misono’s blade was sturdy, but it was longer and had a shorter heel than most others in the lineup. This meant it wasn’t ideal for rock-style chopping (it’s more of a push-cut-style knife), and it needed a little extra oomph to get through the thickest parts of the sweet potato.

Key Specs

• Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Handle material: Composite wood
• Handle length: 4.5 inches
• Handle width: 0.6 inches
• Blade material: Swedish carbon steel
• Blade length: 8.5 inches
• Blade thickness at base of spine: 2 millimeters
• Blade height at heel: 1.7 inches
• Bevel: Western-style Japanese 70/30 asymmetrical double bevel
• Out-of-the-box sharpness average: 137 (utility razor blade sharp)
• Care instructions: Hand wash only with mild soap and dry immediately after every use. Do not use the blade to strike or crush hard objects; it may cause chipping and breaking. The knife can rust or stain if left wet or dirty. Use a whetstone to sharpen when needed. Coat with a thin layer of mineral oil before storing for long periods.

The Best Budget High-Carbon Stainless Steel Chef’s Knife

Hast Selection Series Japanese Carbon Steel 8-inch Chef Knife

View on Hast.co

What we liked: The Hast chef’s knife was a gorgeous slicer with the sharpest edge of the bunch. It made buttery smooth cuts during the tomato test and provided great control while mincing shallots. It easily handled raw sweet potatoes and never hitched against tough veggie skins. Since it was made from high-carbon stainless steel, it didn’t get stained or become discolored. At $80 at the time of testing, it’s also pretty affordable.

What we didn’t like: The stainless steel handle was comfortable to hold but wasn’t as grippy as a wood or plastic handle, especially if my hand got wet. In general, I didn’t find its streamlined, all-metal aesthetic quite as striking as the other knives in the lineup (but that was a very minor complaint, indeed).

Key Specs

• Weight: 6.5 ounces
• Handle material: 430 stainless steel
• Handle length: 5.5 inches
• Handle width: 0.9 inches
• Blade material: Japanese high-carbon stainless steel
• Blade length: 8 inches
• Blade thickness at base of spine: 2 millimeters
• Blade height at heel: 1.85 inches
• Bevel: Western-style 50/50 symmetrical double bevel
• Out-of-the-box sharpness average: 85 (utility razor blade sharp)
• Care instructions: Hand-wash the knife with a soft cloth or sponge and mild detergent and dry it immediately after using. Avoid using the blade against hard surfaces or frozen foods. Maintain the knife's edge using a ceramic honing rod or a whetstone at a 13 to 16-degree angle.

The Best Splurge-Worthy Carbon Steel Chef’s Knife

Shun Hikari 8-inch Chef's Knife

$230 at Williams-Sonoma

What we liked: Shun has a reputation for creating beautiful and capable knives, so it was no surprise that this model rated highly in every test. In fact, we also liked the six-inch utility knife from the same line when we tested it in our petty knife lineup. Its pretty, light birch wood handle made it stand out, while the chef’s knife’s blade was broad and rounded for plenty of chopping power. It was made with two high-quality, high-carbon stainless steels (layered together in an attractive “hornet’s nest” Damascus pattern), so it was easy to clean and didn’t show signs of staining. It had stunningly smooth cuts, especially while dicing shallots, and I noted during testing that it was a “joy to use.”

What we didn’t like: Its handle was on the wide side, which may make it feel bulky in smaller hands. It’s also pretty costly but would make a great statement piece for any knife collection, hence the “splurge-worthy” designation.

Key Specs

• Weight: 7.3 ounces
• Handle material: Birch pakkawood
• Handle length: 5.25 inches
• Handle width: 0.8 inches
• Blade material: Dual-core of VG10 and VG2 high-carbon stainless steel, layered to create a “hornet’s nest” Damascus pattern
• Blade length: 8.25 inches
• Blade thickness at base of spine: 1.8 millimeters
• Blade height at heel: 2 inches
• Bevel: Western-style 50/50 symmetrical double bevel
• Out-of-the-box sharpness average: 158 (utility razor blade sharp)
• Care instructions: Hand-wash only with gentle dish soap and dry immediately after every use. Do not use the blade against hard surfaces like bones, thick-skinned vegetables, ceramic, glass, or acrylic. Store the knife in a block, case, or sheath to protect it when not in use. The wood handle may need occasional oiling with mineral oil to maintain its color and texture over time.

The Competition

Also Recommended

• MASAMOTO CT Series Japanese Gyuto Chef's Knife: This knife’s asymmetrical edge was beyond razor-sharp and practically glided through sweet potatoes and rubbery pepper skins. Its narrow handle also felt secure in my hand. The MASAMOTO was neck-and-neck with the Misono for performance, but it went out of stock before publication. A similar model is still available from the Masamoto HC series (which is made with slightly harder carbon steel), but we haven’t tested it.
• STEELPORT 8" Chef Knife: With its striking size and handsome, dark steel, this was a formidable-looking knife. It had a comfortably curved handle and a tall, sturdy blade that cut smoothly. It could feel awkward because of its weightiness at times, though. It was also around $450 at the time of testing, which felt too pricey compared to other models of similar quality.
• Shun Narukami 8" Chef’s Knife: I loved the san mai detailing on this knife, where the carbon steel core was exposed in a wavy pattern at the cutting edge. As the knife developed a patina along the bottom (the rest of the knife was stainless), the cladding became more contrasted and gave it an impressive look. It performed pretty similarly to the other Shun knife except in the sweet potato test, where it needed noticeably more force to chop all the way through.
• Zwilling Bob Kramer Carbon 2.0 8-inch Chef's Knife: Although Bob Kramer is a legendary American knife maker, this design fell just short of my high expectations. Its blade was keen, but with a spine that was almost four millimeters thick and a 10-ounce weight, it felt bulky and unwieldy for daily tasks. My biggest quibble was its bulb-shaped handle, which was hard for me to grip securely. It’s still a high-quality knife, though, for someone who has large hands and wants a super sturdy blade.

Not Recommended

• Babish High-Carbon German Stainless Steel 8" Chef Knife: At $35 at the time of testing, this was a supremely affordable knife and had a surprisingly good sharpness average (112, which was the third best of the bunch and sharper than a utility razor blade). Unfortunately, it showed more resistance in all of the cutting tests, and the handle felt uncomfortable in my grasp. While it’s labeled as a high-carbon knife, the type of steel it is made from (1.4116 German stainless steel) only has about 0.5% carbon, the bottom threshold for what many knife enthusiasts would classify as a high-carbon blade.
• Thiers-Issard Sabatier Four Star Elephant 8 in Carbon Steel Chef Knife: This knife's narrow blade made it hard to get leverage at times, and it was near the bottom of the bunch for sharpness. During the sweet potato test, I noted that it “felt like trying to cut a sweet potato with a dulled carving knife” rather than a chef’s knife. It also slid and mashed against the skin during the tomato test.
• Messermeister Carbon 8-Inch Bunka Chef's Knife: This was the least sharp knife in the lineup, and it showed during testing. It slid against tomato skin instead of cutting through and slipped off the top of shallots. Because its blade was thick and heavy, it felt unwieldy and lacked the control of more agile models.

FAQs

What is high-carbon steel? Is it good for knives?

Steel is generally considered high-carbon if it contains at least 0.5% or 0.6% carbon (up to about 1.5%). The higher the carbon content, the harder the steel. Blades made from carbon steel can often be sharpened to a finer edge than comparatively soft low-carbon stainless steel knives and will retain their edges for much longer. They do require more care and maintenance, though, to prevent the knife from rusting.

What are the main disadvantages of a carbon steel knife?

Carbon steel is harder than most stainless steel, which allows carbon knives to get—and stay—super sharp. That hardness means carbon blades are also more brittle, though. They are prone to chipping (or straight-up snapping) if dropped, used against hard items (like bones, olive pits, or frozen foods), or twisted against a cutting board. Non-stainless carbon steel knives will naturally acquire stains on their blades and require a disciplined care routine to prevent rust, including washing and drying them immediately after each use and coating them lightly with mineral oil before storing.

How fast do carbon steel knives rust?

Rust can start to develop on a non-stainless carbon steel knife exposed to corrosive conditions in less than an hour, especially when the blade is new. Moisture, acidic ingredients, and salt can hasten corrosion, so it’s a good practice to wipe the blade off frequently during use and to wash and dry it immediately after you’re done with it. Even with the correct care, a non-stainless carbon blade will develop darkening along its length; this is good! The development of this patina will actually help protect the blade from rust. In general, rust will be reddish brown, flake off when scratched, and spread if left untreated. Conversely, a patina won’t come off with normal scrubbing and can appear in hues of blue, purple, golden, or gray that darken over time.

How do you remove rust from a carbon steel knife?

If your knife has orange-red spots of rust on it, the most important thing to do is to treat it quickly. Rust can spread and pit a knife’s blade within a few days or even hours and corrode its structural integrity. You can use a rust eraser or a rough sponge and a cleanser like Bar Keeper’s Friend or Flitz Metal Polish to remove the rust; just keep in mind that abrasive materials and cleansers can also create scratches and remove any good patina that has built up. To avoid rust from happening in the first place, wash and dry your knife immediately after every use and rub it with a light coating of food-grade mineral oil before storing it.

How do you sharpen carbon steel knives?

Carbon steel knives have a reputation of being easier to sharpen than stainless steel blades, plus they stay keen for longer. When you start to notice more cutting resistance as the knife dulls over time, a whetstone is the ideal choice to get it razor-sharp again. Additionally, a ceramic honing rod or leather strop can be handy tools to refresh the blade between full sharpening sessions. Both sharpening and honing should be done carefully, as high-carbon steel can be more brittle than stainless and may chip with rough treatment.

Why We’re the Experts

• Ashlee Redger is a freelance food writer who has been reviewing equipment for Serious Eats since 2022. She has interned at America’s Test Kitchen, created consumer products and restaurant menus for national brands, and developed hundreds of recipes for home cooks.
• Ashlee has written many reviews for Serious Eats, including nakiri knives and portable induction cooktops.
• To find the best carbon steel chef’s knives, she tested 11 models. She graded them based on their maneuverability, sharpness, comfort, durability, and more. Her top picks include traditional carbon steel, low-maintenance, budget-friendly, and splurge-worthy options.