How to Pick a Carving Knife [2023] – Buying Guide

From gratitude dinner to becoming a part of delicious roast for a family meal, a well-crafted carving can greatly improve your kitchen skills. A high quality carving knife is the best option for separating the bacon wrapped or savoury pan seared steaks on social media. Due to that reason we decide to provide you with a buying guide of carving knives. You will be welcome to see our best carving knives which we think are good and help you to make a decision for selecting the knife for yourself.

How to Choose a Carving Knife

Everyone has a different nature and comes with various preferences which play a vital role in what type of carving knife the user wants to buy. In this article, our main goal is to help you with the evaluating buying guide decision factor that will lift up your ability to choose a carving knife for your home. Keep in mind the type of food you enjoy cooking and your kitchen lifestyle as you learn more about carving knives with our buying guide.

What is a Carving Knife?

Carving is famous for making a complex slicing of dense meat. You can easily make constant slices of different types of meat with a carving knife. When you think of a carving knife, there should be thought of carving a turkey around thanksgiving or slicing a sunday roast, as we mentioned earlier.

What is a Carving Knife Used For?

The main reason to get a carving knife is to get delicious cuts from a newly cooked piece of meat. But remember, it’s not a slicing knife, although it has similarity to slicing knives. The slicing knife has a different shape with rounded tips and is not good enough for working with large meats. You can also learn more about the differences from our other articles slicing knife vs. carving knife. The major use of a carving knife is to cut the large pieces of meat in collaboration, having a long two-pointed fork for holding the meat in place. These knives are not designed for typically use of fruits and vegetables.

Suitable For:

• Large steak
• Hams
• Roast
• Poultry like duck, hen and pheasant

Not Good For:

• Smaller fruit and vegetables
• Detailed work

Your selection comes down to what makes you feel most comfortable. Here are some things to keep in mind when you go to buy your next carving knife.

How Much Does a Carving Knife Cost – Price

The carving knife is a good option for many households for celebrating a big holiday and other weekend vacations as it has a more precise blade than other knives used in houses. That’s why it is slightly expensive in the price range as compared to others, such as 20 dollars to 400 dollars for a high quality set. However, price does not always determine quality. It depends on how often you use the blade and what size meat you are cutting.

Are Carving Knives Worth It?

If you have a big family and need to prepare a large dinner or lunch where cutting of large pieces of meat are necessary then a carving knife is very important for you. It makes the process of breaking down turkey, loins, roast and turkey more easier and enables you to improve your meal presentation to get appreciation from your family and guests.

The Length & Weight of a Carving Knife – Dimensions

The carving knife has two main dimensions to consider while buying it, the complete length and weight. These things matter a lot because you need to work with large pieces of meat and a little more leverage is needed to get an even set of pieces. If your knife has a small and lightweight blade then you will not be able to work with meals as you are serving.

The Length of a Carving Knife

Majority of the carving knives have come, having 8 to 14 inches of length. The aim is to get a knife that is larger than the object which we are planning to cut. I.e. you can’t use a short blade for Thanksgiving purposes. You should also not use a knife that makes you uncomfortable while using it because of their large size.

What is the Best Length of a Carving Knife

Initially we always recommend buyers to go with a 10-inch blade. It is the most adaptable and can handle small to medium sized patridges. It may seem strange to keep using Thanksgiving recommendations in the carving buying guide, but this representation really helps congeal the idea of what a carving knife is used for and how long it should be.

The Weight of Carving Knife

The weight of a carving knife measured in grams and ounce depends upon the store and online site from where you are shopping. You should buy a carving knife whose blade is 6 to 10 ounces. In carving knives, weight matters a lot because you require a blade that should be heavy sufficient to make a slicing of heavy items. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck looking at your meat resulting in burnt edges and an unpleasant presentation.

What is an Ideal Weight for a Carving Knife? 

Our recommendation regarding the good weight of a carving knife is 8.2 to 9.1 ounces. 

This is adequately heavy to manage from small to large size things without feeling that you are lifting a dullard while slicing.

The Carving Knife’s Blade

The blade of a carving knife is climacteric as you need edges for slicing large pieces of meat. It requires proper sharpness and durability so you don’t resharpen it after every use. A carving knife has a long, thin blade so there is less resistance to slicing. In some cases the tip may be pointed but is commonly rounded. The body of the knife often includes hollows, sometimes called trench, that also reduce resistance when cutting meat so it doesn’t rub against the blade.

What is the Difference Between Forged and Stamped Blade for a Carving Knife

Almost all knives will have a classification on the profile indicating whether they are forged or stamped. A forged blade is made up of a single piece of steel or other material in a more precise process. While the stamped blade is made up of sheet of steel using a machine. Both have their advantages, but a forged blade is usually of higher quality than a stamped blade.

What Material Should the Carving Knife Blade Be Made Of – Blade Material

There are different blades available in the market that are made from different types of material. But the manufacturers of carving knives are trying their best to find out the perfect balance of durability and sharpness that’s why testing and research come into play when you’re looking for what to make a carving knife out of. Following section contain some common materials:

Carbon knife made with blended carbon and iron made consider a highly strong blade which stays sharp for a long time. The only disadvantage, it can get rust if it is left in water for a long duration.

Stainless Steel the stainless steel material protects the blade from rust and other contaminants but it does not keep sharp as carbon does.

Laminated or Damascus Steel One of the most premium materials on the list as it is finished with those wonderful wavy lines on the body of the blade. It is harder than other materials because it binds composite compounds.

Ceramic another high quality material that gives a sharp and light blade is zirconium oxide. But this is not best for carving knives because you need a weighty blade.

Titanium It is a demanded material for chefs and cooks working with seafood because it holds up well in salt water. Again, not the best knife for carving unless you have a good weight.

Should Carving Knife has a Flexible Blade – Blade Flexibility

There are two answers to this question: yes and no. There is a need for slightly flexibility for working with poultry because this often involves getting through complex bone structures, a tougher blade is preferred for hot, grilled meats. It’s best to stick to medium flexibility, instead you’re purchasing a set of carving knives for a restaurant.

How Thick Should a Carving Knife Blade Be? – Blade Width

Majority of the blade sizes measured in mm and inches inclined towards the thin side. If you need a delicious and contant slice then you require a precise blade width instead of thicker. Our recommendation is a blade having thickness of 0.35 to 0.45 will be best.

Tang

Tang refers to the metal of the blade extending into the hilt/handle construction or not. The larger the tang the more durable the blade Because you don’t have that separation point where you put pressure and the end of the blade. We also suggest a full or at least a partial tang for a carving knife.

HRC

The HRC score refers to the overall hardness of blade material. You require a gratifying spot where the blade is hard enough to hold its edge for a long time, but not so hard that it breaks under circling temperatures or conditions. There should be 55 to 58 HRC score of carving knife but beside this we also see some blade having HRC of 62 that is treated motionlessness.

What Edge Should a Carving Knife Have ? – Edge Profile

The edge of a carving knife could be dictated by how well you actually sliced the various meat. The sharper the edges, less work you need to do and more precise slices of meat will be produced. There are three types of edges:

Convex Bevel A little bit circumnavigate edge that narrow to a fine point.

Single Bevel one side of edge is an angle that creates a chisel like which you see in sushi restaurants for making perfect slicing with fillet knives.

Double Bevel is the best option for carving knives as it has v shape having two angles on each side of blade.

The Carving Knife’s Handle

The size and comfort of the carving knife handle is important to the user because you don’t want the blade to slip. While the edge may not be sharp as other kitchen knives and its length also cause severe damage. Always try to use a comfortable blade handle which fits in your hand and you can easily grip it while working. Metal and alloy’s handle are easily maintained, that’s why we always suggest using it. While using a carving knife you need to work with different pieces of meat and you don’t want any residue left after use that can lead to bacterial growth.

Balance

A carving knife requires to be balanced regarding the fortify immediately after the blade meets the blade. It tells if the knife is made nicely and great enough to give you a great edge. If the weight is highly isolated on the handle, you’ll have to work forcefully to get the cut you need.

How to Maintain a Carving Knife? – Maintenance and Care

Again the other most important factor of carving a knife is its maintenance. You should keep the blade and its edges and also avoid any rust that can damage the entire knife. All it takes are simple steps that will ensure your blade will be around to enjoy for years to come.

Learn also how to remove rust from knife blade and how to protect your kitchen knife from rusting.

How to Clean a Carving Knife?

The best carving knives are pretty easy to clean, you can wash it by using a little bit of soap and hot water and then completely dry it before putting it safely. You need to take more care to make sure they are entirely dry, as water is the biggest hazard to most blade materials.

Are Carving Knives Dishwashers Safe?

No, the supreme heat can warp the blade, and many homeowners leave their dishwashers to air dry, which means the blade is exposed to water for long periods of time. This can cause rust.

How to Keep Your Carving Knife Sharp – Honing and Sharpening Your Carving Knife

The difference between sharpening vs honing your carving knife is that sharpening removes some metals to build new edges while honing and refining the existing metal. We highly appreciate you buying sharpening steel which you can use in a vertical position for betterment of your carving knife. Alot of blade’s set available in the market that you can purchase including honing steel.

How to Store a Carving Knife?

Because carving knives are mostly used for special events, holidays or large family dinners, they come in recyclable cases for storage. If you don’t have this choice, make sure the wood block or sheath is large enough to prevent little hands from the blade. While it may not be as sharp as a fillet knife, it can cut through fingers.