Suncraft Senzo Professional 8.3-inch (210mm) Chef's Knife

Suncraft says of its Senzo Professional line that a pro chef loves its performance, and the 8.3-inch chef’s knife is the series’ all-purpose blade. Its core is SG2, a powdered stainless steel that Suncraft says holds a fine edge, so the knife keeps slicing tomatoes and fish skin cleanly through long prep sessions.

This is the kind of knife around which a set is built, a workhorse well suited to heavy use in the finest kitchens. Its classic French profile places the tip at the midline of the blade, so it handles Western rocking cuts as well as Eastern push and draw cuts. The hard, tough SG2 steel takes a highly refined edge and holds it for a very long time; it needs no honing and only infrequent sharpening, which makes the knife an exceptional value.

The 210mm length is the standard size for a Japanese chef’s knife, long enough to rock through herbs and short enough to control on a home board. The blade is narrow enough to feel nimble without giving up knuckle clearance. A welded stainless bolster joins the blade to a black pakkawood handle with three rivets and a mosaic pin, and Suncraft notes that the smooth joint keeps water out of the handle. That construction suits a professional kitchen where knives are washed constantly. Home cooks moving up from a German knife will notice how much thinner the edge feels in the first onion.

Senzo Professional Options

For a flatter profile, see the 6.5-inch Santoku. The Paring Knife completes a two-knife kit.