High-Carbon 1.4116 German Steel Cutlery, 7.5" Clef (Cleaver + Chef) Kitchen Knife, Good Housekeeping Standout Knife of 2022

Really sharp and durable!

Its not hard to see why this humble little Babish knife rates a 4.7 here and has won awards for their design and functionality, especially at a $30 price point. With decent quality stainless steel (forged, not stamped) and thoughtful design, $30 bucks is hardly a risk, and a damn good one! The design is Japanese but with some traditional features too such as the type of steel and handle. Its a nice fusion, especially if you want to explore the world of non-western design. I am definitely biased toward the traditional designs of Wusthof and Zwilling, and own a few of them but figured this inexpensive bunka knife was worth a shot. Still getting used to it, but am impressed with the initial sharpness, the steel quality, and the more traditional handle, as I am no fan of Japanese round or octagonal handles. The grip is comfortable enough for casual use and more, and the knife feels relatively light in the hand. The knife is a YouTube branded knife, but unlike some YT merch, it punches well above its price point. Even comes in a fitted foam box nice for gifting, and has the brand is modestly etched into the knife, and the bolster at the back has an etched image of the designer. Where some might suggest that is tacky, its actually smart marketing, as is the thoughtful packaging, as most sub-$50 knives just get that hard plastic packaging that often is so frustrating to cut away to open the package. While some seem upset there is no sheath with it, think price: this is a a basic knife, albeit a good one. Why have to up the price by 5-10 bucks for a sheath, when most do or will have a block, a rack, etc. If you really need a sheath, just shell out extra for one. You'll still be way ahead. Nice job, Babish, in providing a decent kitchen tool at a price that won't require selling your soul. Is it a premium Wusthof? Does it have to be at $30? And how *much* better IS the WUSTHOF that costs over $200? I am more than happy to have it sharing the same space on my rack as my Wusthof. So, I think a fully justified 5 stars is fair, given the price to quality comparison. Hard to beat it. WIN.

Muy buen filo y se siente de calidad

This has easily become my go-to knife in the kitchen, and I cannot recommend it highly enough! First off, let me tell you about the build quality. The high-carbon German steel is incredibly durable, yet flexible enough for precise cuts. I've used it to slice through the toughest of ingredients, and the blade has remained sharp and efficient. The weight is perfectly balanced, giving me confidence and control during my culinary adventures. The genius of the Clef design is that it combines the best features of a cleaver and a chef's knife. The wide blade is ideal for crushing garlic or transferring chopped ingredients, while the precision of the chef's knife allows for intricate cuts and dicing. This knife is incredibly versatile, making it perfect for everyday cooking. Another thing I love about this knife is its comfortable grip. The ergonomically designed handle fits perfectly in my hand (as a left-hander the struggle is real), preventing fatigue even during long sessions of meal prep. It truly is a joy to use! In conclusion, the Babish Clef Knife has completely transformed my cooking experience. Its versatility, durability, and comfort make it an essential tool in my kitchen. I can't imagine going back to using any other knife (for its purpose, of course)!

A good a around knife, it has now become my go to knife for everything.

This knife (I'm specifically keeping the full size western style one in mind for this review) knows exactly what its purpose is and extremely impressive for the price. This is an affordable knife set whose n. 1 purpose is to get garbage cheaply mass-produced knives out of peoples hands and give them a real chefs tool. The knives are weighty, well balanced, *confidence inducing,* and will probably only rust if you have no idea how to care for steel, and a word on the steel.. 1.4116 or whatever its called should by all means be a low tier steel, that's at least the impression you get as a knife nerd who genuinely watches Larrin Thomas videos for entertainment by looking at graphs of hardness vs edge retention, and I was disappointed by how bad it looked, but keep in mind that n.1 purpose, to be a bridge between dumpster tier knives and deliver a *real knife* to as many people as possible without getting pricey enough to get diminishing returns for that n.1 goal. Something about the way they handle this steel, the 1.4116 is just a treat to work with. It takes a keen edge incredibly well, and while knife sharpening is never easy per se, this is the least intimidating knife I have ever sharpened. Our household has 3 proper cooked meals every week and has had that consistently for years, and with that it can still take about a month on the low end for a knife sharpening to be required, and keep in mind the wetting of the whetstone takes longer than actually sharpening the blade, its that stupidly effortless for someone who's sharpened before (our whetstone is 1000/6000 grit, about 60$). The geometry of the knife is also phenomenal, very thin and slicey, I actually think a recent Outdoors55 video confirmed a lot of my biases on this knife and was pleased with how he ranked it too. This knife excels in every way and I am not kidding, the way it was optimized really does make this punch so much higher than its price range, low tier steel? Its a kitchen knife buddy, it needs to be rust resistant and take a good edge. Soft steel? Yeah, our knifes have bent tips, good thing its a KITCHEN KNIFE, not a bushcraft knife, know what your priorities are. The designers of this knife really knew exactly W.T.F they were doing. P.S. I had to get stitches from the paring knife! Healed up beautifully, goes to show how well these take an edge and how complacent I got only ever using dull knives, use your knives smartly!