Berkel Classic Line Knives: Which Do You Need?

Berkel's Classic Line covers six knives, but very few kitchens need all six. Most cooking comes down to two or three blades used well, and the rest are specialists you buy when a specific job calls for them. This guide runs through what each knife is for and who actually needs it, so you can buy the right ones rather than the whole set.

What the Classic Line Knives Share

Before the differences, the things every Classic Line knife has in common. Each is built around a single-piece polished welded construction, which removes the joint between blade and handle where bacteria collect and weakness develops. The blades are X50 CrMoV15, a high-carbon stainless steel used widely in professional kitchens for its balance of edge retention and corrosion resistance, and one that resharpens easily at home. The handles are glossy red ABS with a three-rivet fixing, and each knife arrives in an FSC-certified gift box. So whichever you choose, the build is the same. The decision comes down to blade shape and what you cook.

The Chef's Knife: Start Here

If you own one knife, make it the chef's knife. The 20cm curved blade handles the large majority of kitchen tasks, from chopping onions and herbs to slicing meat and breaking down vegetables, and the curve lets you rock through the board in long, smooth strokes rather than sawing. At 215g it is balanced for sustained prep without becoming tiring. Almost everything in a recipe starts here, which is why it is the first knife to buy and the one you will reach for most.

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The Paring Knife: The Natural Second

Where the chef's knife is built for the board, the paring knife is built for the hand. The 7.5cm blade is small and nimble, made for close work a large knife cannot do neatly: peeling, trimming, hulling strawberries, segmenting citrus, any job where you want the blade near your fingers for control. At 75g it is light enough to use all day. It is the knife most people buy second, and the two together cover the vast majority of home cooking.

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The Santoku: A Lighter All-Rounder

The santoku is the Japanese take on the chef's knife, suited to cooks who prefer to push straight down through the board rather than rock. The 18cm blade is flatter, with a sheepsfoot tip and a tall, wide heel for knuckle clearance, and the hollow-ground dimples along the face reduce drag so thin slices of fish, meat or vegetables release cleanly instead of sticking. Choose it instead of a chef's knife if you prefer that cutting style or want a slightly shorter blade, or alongside one as a dedicated knife for clean, thin slicing.

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The Bread Knife: More Than Bread

A serrated edge does what a straight one cannot: it saws through a hard crust without crushing the soft interior. The 20cm blade handles a standard loaf in three or four strokes, and the same serrations slice cleanly through tomatoes, citrus, and soft cakes that a straight blade would tear. It is the lightest knife in the range at 200g, and because the serrations do the work, it rarely needs sharpening. If you bake or buy bread regularly, it is not really optional.

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The Cleaver: For Heavier Prep

The cleaver is the specialist of the set, and it is worth being clear about what it is: a vegetable cleaver in the Chinese style, not a meat-and-bone tool. At 17.5cm and 235g, the broad, flat blade has the weight to power through large or dense vegetables and boneless cuts, while the flat side crushes garlic and ginger and scoops prepped ingredients off the board in one pass. It is built for precision with produce rather than splitting bone, so buy it if you do a lot of batch prep with firm vegetables, and skip it if your cooking is mostly everyday tasks the chef's knife already covers.

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The Steak Knives: For the Table

These sit apart from the rest, because they are not prep knives. The set of two has short 11cm serrated blades that cut cleanly through cooked meat without tearing or needing force, with the control a short blade gives at the table. Buy them for serving rather than the board, and add a second set if you regularly seat four.

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Which Should You Buy?

If you are starting from nothing, buy the chef's knife. It handles more than any other single blade. Add the paring knife next, and between them you can prep almost any meal. From there it depends on how you cook. If you bake or buy bread, the bread knife is the natural third. If you prefer pushing straight down to rocking, the santoku can stand in for the chef's knife or sit beside it for thin slicing. The cleaver and the steak knives answer specific needs: heavier vegetable prep in one case, the table in the other.

Whichever you choose, a knife is only as good as its edge. The X50 CrMoV15 steel resharpens easily at home, so it is worth keeping a manual sharpener within reach, and cutting on a forgiving surface like a wooden board rather than glass or stone, which blunt an edge quickly.

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Common Questions

Which kitchen knife should I buy first?

The chef's knife. A 20cm blade handles the large majority of prep tasks, from chopping vegetables to slicing meat, which is why it is the first knife most cooks should own.

Do I need both a santoku and a chef's knife?

Not necessarily. They do similar jobs, so most people choose one based on cutting style: a curved chef's knife for rocking, or a flatter santoku for pushing straight down. Own both only if you want a dedicated blade for clean, thin slicing.

Is the cleaver suitable for cutting through bone?

No. It is a vegetable cleaver in the Chinese style, thinner and lighter than a butcher's cleaver. It is designed for produce and boneless cuts, not for splitting bone.

How do I keep the knives sharp?

The X50 CrMoV15 steel resharpens easily at home with a manual sharpener or whetstone. Cut on wood rather than glass, stone or ceramic, which dull an edge quickly, and a sharp knife is also safer, as it needs less force and is less likely to slip.

Do I need to verify my age to buy a knife?

Yes. Under UK law, knives are age-restricted, so you confirm you are 18 or over at checkout, and delivery is handled through age-verified services. You can read the detail on our age verification and bladed items policy.