F. Dick 1778 9.4-inch Chef’s Knife

F. Dick’s 1778 series is the company’s tribute to its founding year, and this 9.4-inch chef’s knife is its centerpiece. Its shape and profile put it close to a Japanese gyuto, with a flatter edge and a pointed tip suited to push cuts and long slicing strokes.

The blade is built in the Japanese kasumi style, with a very hard cutting core clad in softer, stain-resistant layers. That construction allows a thin, keen edge that lasts a long time between sharpenings, and it takes a fine polish on high-grit stones. It is a knife for a cook who sharpens by hand and wants a Japanese-style edge from a European maker.

The 1778 santoku offers the same steel in a shorter, taller blade for vegetables, and the 1778 4.7-inch paring knife covers small work. For a tougher, softer edge that tolerates a honing steel and heavy use, look at the Premier Plus 9-inch chef’s knife. Our guide to kitchen knife shapes compares chef’s knives and gyuto.