Would You Buy a $400 Chef's Knife?
Buying an expensive knife won't turn you into an excellent cook anymore than going to the Container Store will make you an organized person. But well-crafted custom knives are things of physical beauty, and they can have a kind of talismanic power. Super-luxury chef's knives start at about $400, and go up from there. Famously, some custom knives, like those from legendary knife maker Bob Kramer, sell for upwards of $500 an inch. At auction, Kramer's knives often fetch prices in the low-to-mid five figures.
A very fancy chef's knife is also a kind of paradox. A chef's knife, the 8- to 10-inch blade used for everything from breaking down chickens to dicing vegetables, is a tool that gets used frequently. As such, it's often subject to wear and tear, dings and scratches. It's a Ferrari that needs to be used like a Jeep. Plus, plenty of excellent professional chefs use knives that are in the $20 to $50 range to make incredible food.
So why buy a $400 knife? What are you getting from spending that much?
