Chef's Knife
Maybe the first product from H&B that I didn't feel was way overpriced… Maybe?
Super easy to clean, sharpen, and maintain.
Some nice aesthetic touches, but essentially your typical Eastern-style knife.
Not really this knife's strong point — it's just not a standout. Pretty nice though, so I gave it a little bump from dead center.
Love AUS-10 steel for the compromises it makes. It's a low-cost steel that is quite a bit harder than most other steels at its price point which means it holds its edge a bit longer between sharpening.
Because this is so close in form and material to the Misen chef's knife which is $35 cheaper, it does feel a bit overpriced at $115. But, on the other hand, the Misen actually feels underpriced.
This is a little bit nicer to work with too, so I think the perfect price point for this knife would be right around $100 even.
Full disclosure: I think Hedley & Bennett overcharges for everything they make. A super basic apron made of super generic materials shouldn't cost $80-100.
When they introduced a chef's knife, however, I was intrigued. It's got a sleek, but classic design and better yet — it pairs it with my favorite low-cost steel: AUS-10.
So, I ordered one. And... it's pretty good. Nothing mind-blowing, but it's kinda like a lighter-weight version of the Misen chef's knife with a little nicer aesthetics.
I still think Misen is my top pick for a budget knife because it's hard to recommend spending 30% more on a knife that's essentially the same in all the ways that actually matter.
- Smash
- Great steel choice for a budget knife
- Comfy, lightweight package
- Nice, understated aesthetic
- Pass
- Slightly overpriced, imo