From slicing large loaves of bread to delicate cuts of fish, there's an appropriate tool in this set. There are hundreds of different knives on the market, each with their own culinary task. Some more specialist options include parmesan knives, oyster knives and salmon knives, so it's easy to get overwhelmed. But here are the main knives to consider:

Rat tail tang: The blade narrows as it goes through the handle and is commonly welded at its base. Knives with a rat tail tang can come loose over time, making the handle wobbly. Finally, any serrated knives were used to slice beef tomatoes, cube aubergines and cut lemons into wedges.Starting with the coarsest stone, draw the knife blade across the full length of the stone, from heel to tip. Knives are commonly made from the following four materials: stainless steel, carbon steel, Damascus steel or ceramic. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ There’s a lot to think about when investing in a knife set, but comfort is key; every knife should act and feel like an extension to the user's hand. To sharpen knives with whetstones, you need to soak the stones first and keep them wet as you sharpen.

The tang refers to the unsharpened, unexposed part of the blade that extends down the handle. There are three main tang types:Although we appreciated that this set comes with kitchen shears (which are always handy to have in a kitchen setting), we were disappointed by their function. In the lab, our experts put the main knives in each set to work on an array of ingredients, using a variety of chopping skills. To test chef’s knives, they diced onions, sliced cabbages and cut steaks, while they used utility knives to chop mushrooms, shred lettuce and julienne peppers. Carbon steel: The traditional material used for making knives, carbon steel stays sharp for a long time. However, it's prone to rust (seasoning it with mineral oil will help prevent this) and requires more care and maintenance than its stainless steel counterpart. But if you're serious about cooking and not working within a budget, carbon steel is the way to go. Plastic: Plastic handles tend to be smooth and free from grooves that can trap dirt. Some plastic knives are also slightly textured to offer a more secure grip. Keep them well away from heat sources when cooking to avoid melting the handle. The Santoku knife originated in Japan and is a general purpose knife. It has a thinner blade than a chef’s knife and is most effective when dicing, chopping and mincing.

Gently pull your knife through the two rotating V-shaped circular steels, and repeat around five times. It's compact, easy to store and often the cheapest sharpening option, but it won't sharpen as finely as other methods.Some knives have rubberised handles for extra grip, others are moulded to fit the contours of the hand, and some designs combine the two. A sharp knife is a safe knife. Those that are blunt or unsharpened require more force to cut, which increases the likelihood of slipping and causing injury. This knife set is comprehensive and versatile, with a blade to match virtually any slicing and dicing task you may encounter in the kitchen.

Wooden handle: Some pure wood handles will need oiling with a dedicated knife handle oil. Most modern wooden-handled knives have a light clear plastic coating to protect them. When washing, avoid prolonged soaking. Or, hold the handle out of the water and wash immediately.They are small rectangular stones, around 20cm by 8cm, with different levels of coarseness. This can range from 0 to 220 (extra coarse) to 5000+ (ultra fine). For most people, one stone with a grain of 1000 and another of 3000 will suffice. We conducted standard knife set testing when evaluating the Cangshan Oliv set, including common (and often challenging) kitchen tasks suited to each individual knife.