K Sabatier Reviews and Independent Articles
The following are reviews we ran across when we were determining what brand of knives to offer our customers. The following reviews, coupled with the articles helped us to move forward with K Sabatier Knives. (TC)
K-Sabatier Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Cadillac of knives
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2018
Style: 4-Inch ParingVerified Purchase
K-Sabatiers are the best knives I have ever used. My family consists of great chefs and K- Sabatiers perform perfectly. The cost does not matter when you are getting a superior product that will perform for you year after year. The handle is comfortable. Just what I needed.
5.0 out of 5 stars Paring knife
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2020
Style: 4-Inch ParingVerified Purchase
A great addition to my 70s vintage Sabatier collection.
5.0 out of 5 stars I love Sabatier knives and this one is a perfect paring ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2018
Style: 4-Inch ParingVerified Purchase
I love Sabatier knives and this one is a perfect paring knife. Sharp and beautiful. I love the olive wood handle.
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2019
Style: SantokuVerified Purchase
Never owned a blade manufactured in France, I do now. Sharp out of the box, handle a bit small for my hand size but still a good knife.
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2018
Love Sabatier knives and this knife is wonderful. It is already a favorite.
5.0 out of 5 stars That's not a knife; this is a knife.
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2017
I plan to give these out to my kitchen crew for Christmas.
5.0 out of 5 stars Professionel knife
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2021
A knife, how you expect to be......
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2019
works great, looks great
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2017
I love this knife as much as I love my old standards, all K Sabatier. What a quality tool.
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2018
Love Sabatier and the Olivewood is comfortable and stylish. I needed new knives and these are wonderful.
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2017
Love this Sabatier, I cook a lot and needed something light yet effective/sharp. This is a great knife.
5.0 out of 5 stars Piece of art!
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2017
Beautifully crafted knife! Very pleasing to the hand. Excellent choice! An absolute steal for the price! Would like to acquire a complete set for work.
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2017
A simply beautiful knife it's a well balanced and sharp little monster. Definitely a steal at this price
5.0 out of 5 stars Great quality knife
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2019
Expensive but love this knife!
4.0 out of 5 stars Costs too much
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2018
Nice knife. Great for tomatoes.
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2018
an excellent carbon blade knife with great balance. Great for kitchen work
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2014
Great knife!!!
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2019
Really like the handles, which give weight balance to the blade. We had steaks at New Year and wow, these knives cut through the meat so easily! They do not have serrated edges so we weren't sure how good they'd be but after that night, no more concerns. Recommend.
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2018
Style: Steak Knife SetVerified Purchase
These knives are amazing! They cut steak like cutting through butter. Very happy with them. These are the best knives I've ever used.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very sharp, high quality knife.
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2020
Sharp as razor! Works great on chicken fish, beef and holds an edge. Very little maintenance to keep it sharp.
5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp as a tack...or knife.
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2019
Bought for a chef friend and he approves.
5.0 out of 5 stars Good purchase
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2019
Cuts things like butter. Very sharp and a beautiful knife.
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful blade
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2019
Comfortable to handle, keeps a good edge.
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2014
K-Sabatier delivers their expected excellence in the perfect marriage of form and function. Highly recommended for any serious home chef or lover of fine, functional cutlery.
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful knife!
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2014
The handle is a beautiful color. The knife is sleek and cuts well. This is a versatile knife that any cook would be proud to have.
5.0 out of 5 stars Light, effective
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2017
This is a wonderful knife. I work pantry at a restaurant and I use this knife daily along with a 10 inch German steel. This is a great counterpart to a larger and heavier knife. It feels like an extension of my hand- handle is comfortable and knife is easy to sharpen on a stone. Good general use 8 inch chefs knife. Would be great for home use as well.
5.0 out of 5 stars A special knife
Reviewed in Canada on November 13, 2019
Solid and fine blade(extremely sharp and easy to keep it so, wonderful balance, and the olive wood handle adds romance to this piece of art, since I’m from the Mediterranean area. Perfection
5.0 out of 5 stars Great knife, very happy
Reviewed in Australia on February 18, 2021
Really loving this knife. I needed a solid all-rounder and this has delivered. Nice handle & good weight.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Sabatier
Reviewed in Canada on October 19, 2020
Reviewed in Australia on July 3, 2020
Just a high quality blade.
Pierre
5.0 out of 5 stars Straight Paring Knife 4 inch - Great Looking - Goes through Food like Butter
Reviewed in Canada on November 8, 2017
I received it today and have to agree with other commenters here, it is a very good looking knife indeed. The olive wood used for the handle is nicely complimenting a great blade, which is cutting through food like it was warm butter. I did the typical cutting test on a ripe tomato right after pulling the knife off its packaging and was not disappointed. The wife approves of this purchase after seeing it and although I find it a bit pricey, it's nothing compared with the shun/miyabi knives of this world. Now I just hope it will last for a long, long time because it is very nice and I am actually thinking about complementing with the 8 in chef. I've been using a 7'' Santoku for the last few years and think it maybe time to come back to the other side of the force.
Written by Bobby Flay: 6 inch Inch K-Sabatier
…..Despite these features, it’s the balance and “feel” of this knife that you’ll really notice. I mentioned earlier that French knives feel especially nimble in your hand, and this knife is a perfect example of that. It’s one of the most comfortable feeling knives ever, hands down.
These features aren’t free. Luckily, they don’t cost a lot, either. While this 6″ knife is on the shorter end, it’s also on the cheaper end. In fact, it’s one of the cheapest high-end chef’s knives you can find. This means it gets my resounding endorsement.
It's been almost 6 months now and these are, hands down, the best knives I have ever used.
Carbon steel, wooden handles.
Priced well below a "good" knife, purchased on this side of the pond, for three times the tool.
I have avoided any "dulling" of my blades through corrosion by simply using a rouge-laden leather strop before every use.
End of shift, rinse, wipe dry, put away.
A quick steeling before the first use of the day and I'm good to go.
I cannot say enough good things about these knives. They are comfortable, light, and for me... perfect.
Old school, French steel. It makes me happy.
Dealing with the company was a joy, excellent communication. Shipping was quick and product was well packaged. I had to wait for my knives to be made and I still received them in just over a week.
Bobby Flay
Things to consider before buying a knife:
There are several factors of a knife when it comes to expensive knives that need to be considered before making a purchase. Here are some of the biggest factors that can either make or break a knife for many and that need to be considered by you:
- Full-tang Design: A full-tang design is implemented within knives of higher quality that is an indicator that your knife will last you many years to come. Full-tang means that the blade of the knife extends all the way from the tip to the butt end of the handle. This is done so the knife is made more durable and strong in general. This is usually a pretty good sign when it comes to knives. Look for one if you are going to be buying a knife.
- Stability: The stability of a knife is also extremely important. If the knife you buy is not stable, it is pretty likely going to fall apart and not last very long. Now a good way to check out the stability of the knife is to check if the knife has a full-tang design. The full-tang makes it so the knife is extremely stable and does not fall apart after months of use.
- Price: Before buying a knife, it is important that you check out the price. Most people go for the cheapest option when it comes to knives, but this is not the wisest decision. The knife is the most important tool in your kitchen and will be used by you for the years to come. So it is best to buy a knife that will last you for many years to come. This will be a one-time investment that will pay off over the years.
- Sabatier Knives Review 2021
Officially founded in France at the beginning of the 19th century, Sabatier has taken a vow to provide the best knives in the market. As one of the leaders in the cutlery business, Sabatier has succeeded in its goal to provide the most trustworthy and sharp knives that money can buy. These knives are affordable for the general public and feature razor-sharp blade edges for maximum sharpness and edge retention.
The earliest known family image is the son of Philippe Sabatier, Bonnet Sabatier who helped build the brand across Europe, England, North America, and the Middle East.
Never in the course of human history has a family’s name and original design of a knife been linked to the execution of a nation’s cuisine. Philippe Sabatier’s versatile knife design enjoys such a relationship with French cuisine and has done so since the beginning of the 19th century.
The forces at play in France at that time created this opportunity for Philippe Sabatier to found a company. France was in a state of great social innovation and a maturing of “the market principle” (Steven L. Kaplan) which demanded unfettered freedom of action for commerce. Finally, ability, skill and the intelligence of the individual could challenge the traditional systems. It is for this reason that we know Philippe Sabatier founded his company when he purchased a registered brand in June of 1810.
A highly trained scissor maker Philippe Sabatier based his business in Thiers, France (the knife making capital of France.) His experience and understanding of metallurgy and tempering, allowed him to create very precise cutting machines giving him a unique approach to single blade shaping and crafting. He began first to make knives for the butchery trade but he soon developed designs for the every day use and it is these designs which have had such an important influence in the culinary arts for the past 200 years.
Philippe Sabatier purchased the brand identification K (K the least used letter in the French language.) He did not choose an elaborate or fancy brand it was an old brand, pre-revolution straight forward and to the point. He treated it with pride and proudly placed it before his family’s name linking forever the letter K and his family name with his culinary knife designs. This act defined forever a vernacular, which is followed to this day by all who suggest some kind of connection to his family by using his family name and putting a word or symbol in front of it to make their business name.
For 200 years Philippe Sabatier’s designs have inspired culinary interpreters from many nations, most recently Japan whose makers chose his blade shape as template for the Gyuto and Petty range of culinary knives. Philippe Sabatier’s descendants (still live in the house he built in 1842) and take very seriously their responsibility to protect the tradition he created. For over 200 years Philippe Sabatier’s family have defined what it means to be one of the giants of culinary knife history while continuing to innovate and to challenge.
K Sabatier Knife Review:
We really like this 10-inch traditional sabatier chef’s knife from the brand K Sabatier. It has a great weight and heft to it and the full bolster give great balance in your hand. The blade is made out of a high-quality, high-carbon stainless steel so it should last a lifetime. It does have a K sabatier logo on the blade (important to some).
They claim this is an “authentic” sabatier knife. It’s typical for knife enthusiasts to call knives made in Thiers, France, like this one, either genuine or authentic. That’s just because this is where the originals were made. This one is special however. It’s actually made in one of the original sabatier factories, and has been for roughly 150 years! The company claims to also be run by descendants of Philippe Sabatier himself.
A knife like this brings back a lot of nostalgia for many of us that saw them in our parents or grandparent’s kitchens when we were young. Although this is not a cheap knife, it’s relatively inexpensive when compared to other brand-name, 10-inch western chef’s knives. If you’ve been wanting sabatier chef’s knife for your kitchen, this should be the first one consider for purchase. To be frank, in our opinion, it’s the best sabatier knife currently available.
Why are Sabatier knives so good?
They have operated for over 200 years and have sold under the brand name Sabatier-k since 1834. Sabatier knives are well-balanced, extremely durable, elegantly designed, and are built to last a lifetime. They offer a variety of knives, all made with different materials in different styles. May 5, 2021
………..agree; K Sabs are usually sent to me with an edge that needs my attention right away. Seriously, once you set a decent edge on them, they are easy to maintain, and are my preferred style. Yes, I think they need work as soon as they arrive. However, they are the best knives a chef can have. Buy a bunch of expensive Japanese knives if you love what you read. Or pay double for a clunky German knife. K Sabatier carbon knives are the easiest knife to sharpen to light-saber sharpness. The stainless steel "high carbon" K Sabs are still better than any German knife I own, and are half the price. However, like I said, buy the Carbon Authentique knives. You will see that they all come with the brass rivets, and sharpen easier and become sharper than any knife you own.
For everyone who wants the chef’s knife with a promising brand name, the K Sabatier knife should be your go-to choice. On the contrary, it’s essential to note down that these knives can be expensive but it has zero compromises on quality, so it will be a fitting bill for the worth. In addition, there are eight-inches variants available, along with the four-inches paring knife. However, all of these knives are constructed with carbon steel because it’s durable, along with better cutting and sharpening performance.
BEST CHEF KNIFE: AMERICA VERSUS FRANCE
In Chef Knife by Scott P.
America and France are two very different countries. They have very different histories and stories to tell. However, I won’t be bothering you with the stories of each country. Well, maybe a little bit. We will have to see if their stories are relevant a little bit later on. Instead, I want to talk about the knives that each of these countries make. One of them has a long history of making high-quality knives; the other has a far shorter history of making high-quality knives. But which country makes the best chef knife? Well, that is what this article is all about.
I am going to look at some examples of the knives made in each country and examine what is different about them. We’ll look at the steel, the sharpness, handling and more. All of this looking at stuff will end with an opinion because the internet loves an opinion. The conclusion will be which country’s knives I prefer. Or in actual fact, which chef knife from which company from the which country I prefer. When I put it like that, it’s easy to understand, right?
Of course, this is only a personal thing. Don’t take it too seriously. But hopefully, the facts and details below can help you make up your mind as to which chef knife you prefer as well.
Below is a comparison of two chef knives from two companies. One of the companies is based in France, and we should expect, everything about their knives is French. The other is an American company using German steel to create American-made blades. Each company makes exceptional knives, but which one is better I hear you cry? Well, read on dear reader, read on!
A WORD ON OPINIONS
Before we get to any of the opinion-based stuff, let’s first look at the history of knife making in each country. I’m sure you already know this about me if you’ve read my other articles, but I love the history! Looking back at these legendary knife-making countries and why they became so iconic is a great way to understand the legacy that you may currently be holding. For me, it is truly the most exciting part of writing these articles. Anyway, enough about me, let’s find out about the history of knife making in America and France.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF KNIFE MAKING IN AMERICA
Disappointingly, there really isn’t a lot of information about knife making in American. Which I guess is a good thing as this is meant to a brief look at the history of it all.
From what I can work out, knife making on a production level began in the Hudson Valley in New York state, at some point in the 18th century. It began when European artisans settled in the area, bringing with them the knife making skills already cemented in European countries like France, German and Italy. There is now a knife making museum in the Hudson Valley that celebrates these first knife makers and holds the largest collections of knives in America.
The style of knife that artisans enjoyed making most in this area appears to be the pocket knife. This is no real surprise because it was trendy in Europe at the time. They came to America just as this style of knife was at its peak and created more ways of opening it than anyone thought possible at the time. The actual reason for so many of these knives opening automatically was so that ladies could open them without breaking their fingernails. A far cry from the coolness that these sort of pocket knives provoke nowadays!
NATIVE AMERICAN KNIFE-MAKING?
NATIVE AMERICAN KNIFE WITH JAWBONE HANDLE
I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I didn’t mention here that I could find no information about the history of Native American knives. Being English, I don’t know much about Native Americans, but I do assume they would have knives, and I would imagine they were very good. To live off the land for thousands of years, as these wonderful people did, a knife would be essential to their existence. However, that could just be a Westerner’s point of view.
Alas, the history of American knife making only goes back to the first European settlements, and there isn’t a great deal of information about those folks either. There has to be some information somewhere about the butcher’s knives the first settlers carried, a hugely important tool at the time. But I cannot find anything at all about them.
EARLY SETTLERS
However, I do know that these first settlers brought with them a host of knives. From pocket knives for cooking to butcher knives for, well, butchering stuff. So, it seems logical to assume that when they set up shop somewhere in the American wilderness, they would have forged their own replacements if they were lost. I guess there was a lot of other historical stuff going on at the time that was deemed more important to document than forging a knife in a campfire!
It is also safe to assume that America got a huge jump start when it came to their knife making industry. With settlers coming from all over Europe who already had a lot of knowledge of the knife making industries in their countries. These artisans could set up shop and get to work forging some quality knives for a host of different applications. At the time when these settlers went to America, kitchen knives were already being made in Europe. The fact that we know the woodsman had butcher’s knives tells us this. So, the creation of kitchen knives in America probably began right away, or at least as soon as the settlers really settled and had kitchens that warranted them having kitchen knives.
Alas, all I can do in this brief history of American knife making is assume and think logically. If anyone out there has any more information about the early days of knife making in America, I would love to hear about it all.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF KNIFE MAKING IN FRANCE
Thankfully there is a little bit more information about knife making in France. Our story begins in a small city in the Auvergne region called Theirs. Theirs and the 13,000 people that live there have been enjoying the spoils of knife making for about six centuries. This little city has been intertwined with French knife making for as long as Google can remember. The street and shop names all call back to this history, and there are plenty of other nods to the past dotted around the picturesque valley. The first industrial forges used to manufacture knives on a big scale are still present. As is the watermill on the Durolle river. Theirs is so proud of their knife making past that there is also a museum that retraces the evolution of knife making in the valley in which the city lies.
Nearly everything in Theirs tells visitors about their cutlery producing past, including their symbol, which is, of course, a knife. Currently, 70-80% of knives made in France are made in the region, if not in Theirs itself. However, the percentage of knives being made in Theirs increases, even more, when we start to look at its history.
THE GLORIOUS DAYS OF THE SUN KING
A FRENCH TABLE KNIFE (FROM THE ARTICLE “DINING WITH THE SUN KING”)
Even though knife making has been present in Theirs and the rest of France for hundreds of years, everything really kicked off in the 17th century. When Louis XIV was in power, there was an invention that boosted the sales of knives almost overnight. This invention is something that we take for granted nowadays, but it paved the way for knife making as we know it today. I am, of course, talking about the pocket. Now, pockets did exist before this, so I shouldn’t really use the term “invention” but rather incorporation. You see, tailors at the time decided to incorporate pockets into men’s suits. Combine this new style of suit with table manners (a rarity at the time), and you get a nation that needs a new form of knife. A nation crying out for the pocket knife.
Men could now carry a knife with them and enjoy a meal without using their hands. Theirs took this and ran with it, and by the 19th century, it was home to a huge knife making industry. Theirs now had a massive amount of forges pumping out amazing knives for the whole country and beyond. This first phase of industrialisation grew further still as the reputation and diversity of knives coming out of Theirs grew. The knife making in Theirs grew massively, and so did the town.
Now, Theirs knife makers are still creating exceptional knives including the chef knife which is why I am telling you about the lovely little city of Theirs right now. One of the companies below is actually still based in Theirs and has been for hundreds of years. I bet you can’t work out if it’s the French or American one!
COMPARING AMERICAN AND FRENCH KNIVES
This comparison of French and American knives is going to focus on one type of knife. The knife in question is a general-purpose chef knife. I’m going to explore the similarities and differences of the 8-inch version of the chef knife. As I’m sure you know, there are other lengths of this knife available. But since this is the most popular length, this is one we shall focus on.
To truly uncover the differences of knife styles from America and France, I am going to use a chef knife from two well-established companies from the countries in question. The companies are Lamson from the US and K Sabatier from France. Both companies produce highly regarded examples of the chef knife. And the examples of the knives are similarly priced. Hopefully, this will allow for a fair comparison of the knives from both countries.
Of course, comparing one knife from two companies isn’t going to give us a view of an entire country’s knife making industry. However, it will provide us with a look at the steel, handling, weight and balance that is common with this style of knife in each country.
THE COMPANIES
Before we begin the comparison of the knives, let’s look at the companies. Let’s find out a little more about the history of each company and compare their paths to becoming some of the best knife makers in their countries.
K SABATIER
Sabatier has been forging knives in Theirs for the past 200 years. The company began when two knife making families from the area forged a bond and began building the reputation of the company. Now only one family remains, the Bellevue family. Eight generations of this family have worked at the same address in Theirs to build one of the best kitchen knife factories in the region. The very fact that this is the best knife making region in France, should tell you just how incredible this feat is.
The “K” of K Sabatier was added in 1834 after the two families went their separate ways. This “K” is an ancient mark from Theirs. The mark was a sign of high-quality manufacturing from the area, and K Sabatier has continued this tradition and made sure that the mark still means that same thing today.
Every single kitchen knife that K Sabatier produces today is forged from a single piece of steel in the traditional techniques of the region. This way of working hammers the history of Theirs into each blade and allows them to be the highest quality possible.
If you’re looking for the best-made knives in France, you really don’t have to look much further than K Sabatier. However, how well will they fare against their American competition? Well, let’s find out about their competition and then find out, shall we?
LAMSON
Lamson is a Massachusetts born and bred company. It began in 1837 and was known as Lamson & Goodnow until 2015. Perhaps the biggest claim to fame experienced by the company came in 1869 when they gave a rather important gift to a very important person: the newly elected president, Ulysses S. Grant. He received a lavishly decorated 62-piece dinner set. Half the handcrafted set had ivory handles. The others boasted handles made of pure mother-of-pearl.
Lamson, even now, aren’t sure what this gift was used for. They don’t know if the president ate with them or simply showed them off to friends and visitors. However, some of the collection still survives and is now on display at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
Lamson is the oldest cutlery maker in the USA, and with White House worthy dining ware, it is certainly one of the best. Their story is very similar to K Sabatier above, and if it wasn’t for a flood in 2011, they also would still be in their birthplace. After the flood that devasted Vermont and neighbouring Massachusetts, they moved for the first time in 178 years. However, it was only a few towns away, and nothing has changed. Lamson’s craftsmen still produce some of the highest quality kitchen knives in the USA.
LAMSON TODAY
They now use traditional techniques with modern precision machinery to create their blades. This gives them a repeatable process to produce their quality knives, although the final fixing and sharpening is still done by hand. The modern machines allow for a higher level of production of extremely high-quality items. While the hand sharpening gives each knife the personal touch that is so important in the knife world.
Lamson still continues to innovate and create today with new ventures into other areas of the kitchen and beyond. But they stay true to their roots and still produce some of the most beautiful cutlery and kitchenware in the US, including their chef knife.
So, now we have looked at the companies in questions, it is time to look at their knives. As I said, the knives are similar in design and price, but which one will shape up to be the best? Well, I have no idea, so let’s compare them and find out.
COMPARING AMERICAN AND FRENCH MADE CHEF KNIVES
BLADE LENGTH
While we are comparing the 8-inch chef knives from both of these companies, they both also make other sizes of this knife. While most chefs and cooks typically prefer the 8-inch chef knife, some do like a longer or shorter knife. If you are one these people, you can find longer and shorter examples of chef knives from both countries.
We don’t need much comparing here, so I might as well explain why people prefer this blade length. An 8-inch blade offers the user control and stability while also providing a little bit of flexibility. The flexibility is from the length directly, the control and stability are from the weight and size. All of these features, if you can call them that, mean that this length of chef knife allows for faster, safer chopping. The length also means that they are a slightly more general-purpose knife than smaller ones. You can easily use an 8-inch chef knife for chopping, slicing and dicing vegetables, fruit and meat.
So, now you know why the 8-inch chef knife is such a popular knife. Hopefully, you’ll also know that this part of the comparison is slightly pointless. As I am comparing two quality knives from excellent companies, if they say they are 8-inches, then they are. So, let’s look at the steel to see if we can find any differences there.
STEEL
The American example of this knife is made with high-carbon stainless steel from the German town of Solingen. It is a grade 4116 steel that is tempered to a hardness of 58 on the Rockwell scale. The French example of this knife is made from a single piece of French stainless steel that is tempered to a hardness of 54-56 on the Rockwell scale. Both examples are then ground and polished to produce a high-quality finish and seriously sharp edge.
Although the French version of this knife is slightly softer after hardening, there really isn’t much in it. I doubt even the most experienced check knife-wielder would notice much difference in the cutting from these two examples. Perhaps the French-made knife would dull slightly quicker than the American-made version, but this would need to be measured in a laboratory setting, not the kitchen.
The only true difference I can make out is that the steel in the American one comes from Germany, rather than America. However, seeing as the area of Germany in which they are getting the steel is an area that has been known for its steel since the Vikings, I think this is acceptable. However, if you want a knife that is totally made in one country, the French chef knife is certainly the one to choose out of these options.
SHARPENING
Although I said that you may not notice a difference between the hardness of these blades, that isn’t necessarily true. You may notice a difference when it comes to sharpening the blade. The softer metal might be quicker to sharpen but quicker to dull. The harder blade might take a little longer to sharpen but may hold an edge for longer.
However, if we take the hardness of Japanese blades into consideration, these Western blades are very comparable. Japanese blades are typically far harder than Western blades. This means they can hold a sharper edge for longer. You may have to use a steel or strop each time you use a Western knife to keep the sharp edge that you have worked so hard for. If you don’t, you’ll be pulling out your sharpening stones a lot. Typically you do not have to strop or steel Japanese knives, regularly but may require longer on the sharpening stones when you need to bring them back to life.
The reason I am bringing Japanese knives into this comparison is that the American and French knives are so similar. Some of the pros out there may notice a difference when it comes to sharpening, but us amateurs probably won’t.
So, to recap, The French-made blade with a hardness of 54-56 Rockwell, might lose its edge quicker, but be easier to sharpen back to this edge. The American-made blade with a hardness of 58 Rockwell, might hold the edge a little longer but take a little bit more time to sharpen back to it. However, unless you buy both and use them in the exact same manner, this would be very hard to compare.
WEIGHT AND BALANCE
Once again, the weight of these knives is very similar indeed. Holding each in the hand, you cannot really make out any difference at all. So, while I’m sure the weight is vital to some people, I really doubt many of us would notice if someone switched the knives in our hands.
However, there is a slight difference in the balance. Of course, this can depend on how you hold the knife, but for most us, the difference is there. The French made knife has a smaller bolster than the American knife. This may sound trivial, and it probably is, but it does affect the balance. It will also affect how you handle the knife, which is what we are going to discuss next.
HANDLE
See, I told you! Handling both of these knives is very nice. You can tell straight away that they are made with quality materials, and there is a precision to both that makes them feel great. The Lamson’s handle is made from a resin-infused piece of ebony secured in place with, what I believe to be, aluminium rivets. However, I couldn’t find much information about the rivets online, so don’t quote me on that. The handle of the Sabatier is made from POM (polyoxymethylene) and is, once again, riveted in place with aluminum rivets, I believe.
While the ebony is a little nicer than the POM, the looks are surprisingly similar. The handles are around the same length and the same size too. They are also both full tang. The only real difference in the handles is that the American knife has a slightly squarer handle profile, while the French one has a more circular profile. Both knives felt great in my hand although I preferred the handle of the Sabatier. I don’t know why this is, I just did.
HANDLING
The handling of both these knives is quite comparable too. As the weight is similar, they feel very close to the same knife. Once again, I enjoyed the handling of the French chef knife more than the American knife. I think the reason for this was because the smaller bolster and circular profile allowed me to choke up to the blade more which suited my way of holding the knife. Of course, if you prefer your hand to be further away from the blade, the American knife may feel better for you.
All in all, I found them both to be extremely good knives and very fun to use. However, now comes the time for me to make a decision. Before I get off of the fence I have been sitting on for most of this article, I would like to say a few words. Before you take my opinion below as fact, please remember it is only an opinion. While I can say which knife I like the most and the reason why, you may still prefer the other one. This depends on how you use your knives and what you use them for.
THE BEST CHEF KNIFE: MY OPINION, FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH
As I’m sure most of you have guessed by now, I’m going to choose the French-made Sabatier knife. I can genuinely say, I have no idea why, but it just feels right. As the feeling of the knife is really all I have to go on when it comes to these exceptionally well-made knives, I focused my decision solely on that.
I love the American chef knife, it looks great, feels great, holds an edge nicely, but it doesn’t have that wow feeling. This is always the hardest part of these articles to write as I truly don’t know why I prefer one to the other. I mean no disrespect to Lamson because they make amazing knives. It is just, in this case, their chef knife didn’t give me that feeling of wonderment.
The Sabatier, on the other hand, did give me that feeling. When I held it, it just felt right. It does everything you want a general-purpose kitchen to do and does it very well. It chops, dices and slices meat, herbs, veg and fruit easily. And really doesn’t fall down due to the softness of the blade. I may not be a professional, but I didn’t notice the blade dulling over the few weeks I used it for this article. In fact, neither of them did, they both performed their roles perfectly.
AND WE’RE DONE!
So, there you have it. I think that must be one of the most on the fence decisions ever made. However, please understand, although I prefer the French made blade, there is nothing wrong with the American blade at all. It would be an outstanding bit of kit to add to your kitchen.
I hope this article has given you a little insight into American and French knife making. I hope you have found it interesting and have created your own opinion about which chef knife is best. If you have then my work here is done. If you think that neither of the countries can offer you the chef knife you seek, then take a look at the article I did about Japanese and German knives. There are also other articles on here about other knife making countries, but don’t read them, just read mine. Mine are loads better! Sorry Dan, but the truth hurts sometimes!
