Knives are really something the chef needs to pick out because each one has a different feel. My knives are Wusthof and are made in Germany:


http://www.wusthof.com/

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"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

I have several knives that are "nice", $100 - $300 range. They are were all bought based on quality, and how they felt in my hand. some knives I really just didnt like they way they felt. It really comes down to the bolster and handle shape and size for me. So I am going to punt on making an actual knife reco and just say I wouldnt go smaller than 8" for an everyday go-to chefs knife. Make sure she has a good cutting board though, I like the composite boards, dishwasher safe, easy on your knives, and fast to cut on. A person should have at least 2 of biggest size that will fit in your dishwasher.

I worked with Sabatier and global and zwilling knives

I'd recommend zwilling 5 star by far... German quality and modern design ... ergonomic rubber grips are so nice to work with, balanced not chunky or too light blades, rock solid construction... Reasonable enough to get a nice pairing knife or magnetic wall rack to go with it or big kitchen block or big pepper mill

Japanese artisinal knives became trendy since the hipsters came along wanting wooden handles and leather pouches with everything but lots are overpriced

As long as she can go back to test which arc feel she likes and swap if needed.

Longer isn't always better for chopping if the curve doesn't suit. As long as the knife has a flat spot near the handle to make chopping easier and high enough blade to scoop up a big handful of things with your hand after chopping them, then it'll be fast

I have Shun Classic knives and they're great. That said, it depends on a lot of factors. What knives does she already own? Are you looking to replace something she has, or add to a collection? Does she like to cook certain types of food? Does she prefer a certain style of knife?

If she has no basic preference, then a chef's knife is probably the most useful knife to start with (a Gyuto would fit the bill). If you Google "best chef's knives for people with small hands" you'll get some recommendations. Otherwise, I'd just find a chef's knife from a reputable manufacturer that comes in a smaller size.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

I recommend taking your wife to a store to try out knives in person. All of the knives mentioned already are good so it comes down to feel & balance when using them. My mom is small in stature and prefers the Global knife while I prefer the Shun classic. Another item to consider is stainless steel vs carbon from a maintenance standpoint.

Lots and lots to choose from. Be careful or you may get hooked on buying or sliced by working with sharp knives. I do not let my wife wash our knives as she tends to get cut. Not intended to be sexist but the truth at my house. Men friends have gotten cut too, good knives are sharp sharp.

echefknive.com has a rather detailed explanations on steel, shape and function.

The Japanese usually had a single bevel taper to their blades for centuries, but have changed in the last 50 years and have adopted the European style shapes and blade design. I still like the single bevel for some kinds of cutting best. I like about a 6-8 inch blade where my wife likes a 6 inch "chef knife" shape. She uses the smaller 4 inch blades way more than I do and hates my single bevel knife. The only time I go to the 10 inch long slim blade is for cutting ham or roast. Beautiful knifes the long ones are, but I am sort of afraid of them.

When we lived in Hawaii it was amazing to see a very small Japanese chef handle a big sashimi knife on fish. I also got to treat a few fish cutters in the ER with huge slices in hands and fingers. Those knives can be very sharp. You can spend a lot on a way cool knife, but you also need to consider a cutting board, sharpening accessory and storage to keep the blade edge fresh too. Others mentioned that point.

Williams- Sonoma and other speciality kitchen shops often have pretty good sales on knives a couple times a year. Good time to pick up a second or third knife. As others mentioned you may want to take a trip to a kitchen store and have her take a few knives out for a spin to see what she prefers in shape and size of the blade/handle. I know I would much rather have one good knife than a set of cheaper ones. Without offending the real knife people, I think for an average person most any of the German or Japanese knives in the $50 -200 range is more knife than most anyone needs. Keeping the thing sharp is way more important than its country of origin. Ceramics are making a big inroad in the knife business lately. You may want to check them out as well

https://www.mensjournal.com/gear/best-chefs-knives-according-10-best-chefs-america/


and also, maybe more importantly...this guy may not be anything more than an amateur, but he puts a great deal of effort into reviewing and detail...


https://kitchenknifeguru.com/sharpeners/reviews-of-professional-knife-sharpening-services/

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Gnothi Seauton.

Anthony Bourdain says (said) "no" to most of this nonsense. Recommended Global. Cheaper than Wusthof - which isn't all that expensive either - and used by most professionals who cook for a living.

And he ended up dead! I don't know if I'm willing to take that chance.

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

We'll all get there in due time...

Not I. To date all empirical evidence suggests I'm immortal. Haven't died once.

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

First, I don't know that I'd take any professional food service person's recommendation based on what they use in a commercial kitchen. They beat and use the shit out of their stuff, because they're cooking in much higher volume than home cooks. They don't cook the way a home cook does, and typically have different training. They're also a lot more likely than most home cooks to sharpen and hone their knives regularly. Like triathlon, what a pro needs, an amateur doesn't necessarily need, as much as we might want it.

Second, what Bourdain said about the Global is “As a starter chef knife, The Global is pretty good for a first timer.” Not exactly saying it's the best knife out there, but home cooks probably don't need the Rolls Royce of chef's knives.

Lastly, I don't get the adoration for Bourdain. Lots of smoking, drinking, drugs, and suicide. I don't really get the posts on social media where people hold him up as some sort of demigod of philosophical wisdom.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)