Rada Cutlery French Chefs Knife, Made in USA

I am a culinary arts professional who works at not one, but two restaurants. The first one being a spiffy fine-dining establishment and the other is a popular corporate chain. I use this knife at BOTH locations because it's unique properties allow me to make cuts I wouldn't ordinarily be able to make with industry standard or boutique knife blades. This knife has a thin blade and is very light. It is also made of very hard steel. Ordinary chef knives that are rented from sharpening houses that are actually similar in cost to this knife while heavier and made of thicker steel will dull in a matter of days. I can use one of these Rada knives for a few weeks(under HEAVY professional use) before I have to send it out to be sharpened. I really enjoy using it for jobs that don't require a heavy knife in which precision and speed matter most.

At the fine dining restaurant, these are the favored knives of choice for almost everything. We have no rental knives and essentially a collection of each other's knife kits there and this knife is reached for way more than anything else we use. At the corporate restaurant, we are supposed to be using only the standard-issue knives that everybody else in the company is using. It is against rules and procedures to use other knives, however; time and time again management has made an exception for us to use these knives because they simply allow our crews to have a leg up and get certain long prep jobs done faster, easier and with much better results than if we had used the company equipment.

So basically this knife is a superb addition to any kitchen. I keep one at home and at the homes of other people if I think I might cook at their house someday. I need something that is not obnoxiously large that can handle any household cutting task and do a fantastic job. Heavier knives have their purpose, but this thin blade really is a winner for doing many, many things. It is rather laughable that people pay $$$ for chef knives for any reason. I'll tell you that most working chefs use cheap rented Chinese knives and those fancy German ones they get when they graduate from chef school just collect in a drawer somewhere never to be used. It's a still a good idea to buy quality if you can. This is a quality tool, but surprisingly affordable.

I will note that the handle allows for a firm grasp. This likely attributes to some of it's precision because it feels like an extension of your hand. It's not a regular rounded handle that most people are used to though. This doesn't require a new learning curve. It's just different. And in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing with this bad boy, it is quite the extraordinary tool. In the hands of a novice, it might just be the best knife you have. Best of all, if using this knife at home and taking care of it properly(honing it, not washing it in the dishwasher, only cutting food), you may never need to have it sharpened more than every few years if that.

I've had this knife through two full summers of use at a professional kitchen job. It is very easy to sharpen/hone with a decent steel. Cuts on most vegetables are very easy. Meats and larger vegetables/starches require some effort. The knife is very light and does not have the heft necessary to go through very dense food quickly. It still gets the job done, but I wish it had some more weight at the heel and thickness in the spine. Chiffonade and julienne are effortless with proper technique. Overall it is very balanced if you use a pinch grip, I have had no strain issues with the knife unless I am pushing myself to go extremely fast. A minor setback is that when chopping with a rocking motion the front of the knife tends to cut into the cutting board, sometimes making for inefficient cuts.

For the price, you can't beat it.

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So I read the reviews, everyone seemed to really love this knife. I loved that it was "made in the usa", it was affordable and had great reviews. When the knife arrived, I was totally disappointed, it didn't appear very well made (the reason I only gave it 4 stars), it just didn't look finished. The handle had a few sharp spots, it was extremely lightweight, needless to say, I was concerned. We have had the knife a few months now, it has become the favorite in the drawer and is fought over at the prep of nearly every dinner. The sharp edges have worn down, the blade holds a sharp edge and we have all become accustomed to the weight, which is surprisingly well balanced. I am very pleased with it today and have just ordered a couple more pieces to add to my collection.

My only recommendation to you, be sure to get the rada sharpener to go with it, it makes sharpening this knife simple.

Read Best Reviews of Rada Cutlery French Chefs Knife, Made in USA Here

Great knife, works great! Plus no rust when put through the dish washer! I have a whole set of Rada Knives plus steak knives & I am very happy with them all.

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For the price, it is a decent knife. However, I am a woman with small hands (size 7 gloves) and therefore, small fingers. When using the "pinch" grip, this knife gives me a blister on my index finger and is very uncomfortable to use. Also, it's definately not the sharpest knife straight out of the package and feels un-balanced to me, due to the large bolster.

If you have large hands and are just beginning to learn how to use a "chef's knife" and are intimidated by extremely sharp knives, this may be for you. I have other Rada brand knives (paring knife and tomato knife) that I really enjoy and they are good quality. Also, if you are someone who avoids products made in different countries (ie: China)all Rada brand knives are made in the U.S.A.

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