Slicing and Carving Knives

Carving knives tend to see the amount least use compared to their sharp relatives, but are undoubtedly the stars of the show at any holiday celebration. Ranging from 8 to 15 inches long, with smooth, non-serrated, semi-flexible blades, they are similar in appearance to chef’s knives, but much thinner, making them ideal to cut precise slices of meat, including turkey, chicken, roasts. A carving knife will often have a slight upward curve in the blade, perfect for smooth sawing motions and ensuring the sharp tip doesn’t get jammed.

Ever so slightly different is the slicing knife, with a longer, more narrow blade and a typically rounded, blunt tip to aid in separation of the meat (especially ham). With round or pointed tips to choose from, decide which design will be most helpful according to your cooking habits. Either way, a proper slicing or carving knife needs to be sharp and long enough to cut the full width of a ham or turkey, but not too long and thin that it can’t be controlled. Also consider investing in a carving set, which includes a carving fork that’s designed hold the meat in place while slicing. If power tools are more your style, you can always try an electric carving knife, and save your muscle strength for serving dessert.