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An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro
 
 
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An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro (Hardcover)

~ Chad Ward (Author)
Key Phrases: ceramic honing rod, steel your knife, stamped knives, Essential Knife Skills, Chef's Choice, The Other Half of the Equation (more...)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
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Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Mastering Knife Skills: The Essential Guide to the Most Important Tools in Your Kitchen (with DVD) by Norman Weinstein

An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro + Mastering Knife Skills: The Essential Guide to the Most Important Tools in Your Kitchen (with DVD)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A definitive guide for buying knives....[An Edge in the Kitchen] covers everything you need to know and more." -- Lynne Rossetto Kasper, cookbook author and host of The Splendid Table

"Chad Ward...has written a handsome volume on knives and everything you might want to know about them, and about using them....It’s not only filled with good info put together with a good design, the writing is lively as well." -- Michael Ruhlman, author of The Making of a Chef, The Soul of a Chef, and The Elements of Cooking

"This year has already seen the publishing of several good knife books. Add [An Edge in the Kitchen] to the list....Ward...has crafted a book that is instructional and deep...as well as highly readable." -- Tampa Tribune

"You’ll be hard pressed to find as succinct and complete a collection of wisdom on the topic as this masterful volume from cook and writer Ward. He covers nearly everything...giving cooks all the information they need....This book [is] as indispensable as the tools themselves." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Chad Ward offers all you need to know....A lot of knife wisdom served with a splash of wit and a sprinkle of trivia make this a book you’ll want to read from cover to cover as well as to prop up by your knife block. -- Sara Moulton, host of Sara's Secrets

Chad Ward offers all you need to know....A lot of knife wisdom served with a splash of wit and a sprinkle of trivia make this a book you’ll want to read from cover to cover as well as to prop up by your knife block. (Sara Moulton, host of Sara's Secrets )

“A definitive guide for buying knives....[An Edge in the Kitchen] covers everything you need to know and more.” (Lynne Rossetto Kasper, cookbook author and host of The Splendid Table )

“Chad Ward...has written a handsome volume on knives and everything you might want to know about them, and about using them....It’s not only filled with good info put together with a good design, the writing is lively as well.” (Michael Ruhlman, author of The Making of a Chef, The Soul of a Chef, and The Elements of Cooking )

“This year has already seen the publishing of several good knife books. Add [An Edge in the Kitchen] to the list....Ward...has crafted a book that is instructional and deep...as well as highly readable.” (Tampa Tribune )

“You’ll be hard pressed to find as succinct and complete a collection of wisdom on the topic as this masterful volume from cook and writer Ward. He covers nearly everything...giving cooks all the information they need....This book [is] as indispensable as the tools themselves.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

Product Description

Why are most of us so woefully uninformed about our kitchen knives? We are intimidated by our knives when they are sharp, annoyed by them when they are dull, and quietly ashamed that we don't know how to use them with any competence. For a species that has been using knives for nearly as long as we have been walking upright, that's a serious problem. An Edge in the Kitchen is the solution, an intelligent and delightful debunking of the mysteries of kitchen knives once and for all. If you can stack blocks, you can cut restaurant-quality diced vegetables. If you can fold a paper airplane, you can sharpen your knives better than many professionals.

Veteran cook Chad Ward provides an in-depth guide to the most important tool in the kitchen, including how to choose the best kitchen knives in your price range, practical tutorials on knife skills, a step-by-step section on sharpening, and more——all illustrated with beautiful photographs throughout. Along the way you will discover what a cow sword is, and why you might want one; why chefs are abandoning their heavy knives in droves; and why the Pinch and the Claw, strange as they may sound, are in fact the best way to make precision vegetable cuts with speed and style.

An Edge in the Kitchen is the one and only guide to the most important tool in the kitchen.

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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 240 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks (June 10, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061188484
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061188480
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,591 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

Chad Ward
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ceramic honing rod, steel your knife, stamped knives, marker trick, most kitchen knives, grit waterstone, forged knives, compound bevel, sharpening system, forged knife, back bevel, front bevel, sharpening angle, grooved steel, stainless knives, fillet knives, cutlery store, full tang, knife skills, scratch pattern, softer steel, wood cutting boards, quality knife, medium stone, serrated knives
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Essential Knife Skills, Chef's Choice, The Other Half of the Equation, Big Three, Edge Pro, Magic Marker Trick, The Claw, Japanese-made Western-style, The Pinch, High-Octane Edges, United States, Sharpening Fundamentals, The Sharpmaker, Spyderco Sharpmaker, Overview of Sharpening Systems, Advanced Sharpening Techniques, The Model, Mouse Pad Trick, Cordon Bleu, Polished Edge
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro
74% buy the item featured on this page:
An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro 4.7 out of 5 stars (21)
$25.16
Mastering Knife Skills: The Essential Guide to the Most Important Tools in Your Kitchen (with DVD)
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Mastering Knife Skills: The Essential Guide to the Most Important Tools in Your Kitchen (with DVD) 4.3 out of 5 stars (14)
$23.10
Japanese Kitchen Knives: Essential Techniques and Recipes
6% buy
Japanese Kitchen Knives: Essential Techniques and Recipes 4.4 out of 5 stars (16)
$19.77
Complete Guide to Sharpening
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Complete Guide to Sharpening 4.7 out of 5 stars (45)
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Customer Reviews

21 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Most complete & best value book on the subject, August 26, 2008
By Joss Delage (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Chad Ward - An Edge in the Kitchen

I own two books on kitchen knives and knife skills, this one and Weinstein's Mastering Knife Skills. Chad Ward's book is the best of the two by its breadth and wealth of information and is objectively a very good book.

Physically, the book is a medium sized hard cover, well edited. There is a number of good B&W pictures through the book to illustrate specific points, and there's a central section of 48 pages of glossy color pictures depicting specific knife techniques (battonets vs. julienne, onion, tomatoes, cutting a chicken, butterflying a piece of meat, skinning salmon, carving a turkey, steeling a knife, several sharpening methods, etc).

The book is organized as follows:
1 - Choosing the right kitchen knife:
This section is about 90 pages, so it's a sizeable part of the book. The author goes through the various knife types, costs, etc. Generally, Chad advocates staying away from knife block & sets, and explains that a home cook can do most everything with 3 knives: 8" to 10" chef, paring, and a serrated (or scalloped) bread knife. So his recommendation is to get the best of those. What is really helpful is that the author gives specific recommendations for all budgets - below $100, $200, or "the sky's the limit". Too many books just say "get what feels best". Chad goes beyond this to give a range of specific endorsements. This part also includes 10+ pages on cutting boards and how to take care of them.

2 - Kitchen knife skills:
This section is about 30 pages but also has most of the color pictures in the center section. This is where the key knife skill concepts are explained, how to hold the blade and the item to be cut, etc. This is similar to other knife skill books, but with one major improvements which is a few recipes to practice the skills. Those recipes are really welcome, and because they are basic recipes that can be used as base for a number of varied dishes, they are great recipes to include in this book.

3 - Knife sharpening:
This section is about 70 pages and covers the theory & science of knife sharpening as well as specific reviews and advices for several methods. Chad reviews the sharpening of Western as well as Japanese style knives, and several sharpeing systems (e.g., Spyderco, EdgePro, etc).

At the end of the book are several pages of resources to buy knives, boards, sharpeners, etc.

In short, I think this is a complete book that covers the key concepts of knife skills, but also addresses knife selection and care. If you buy only one kitchen knives & skill book, I would recommend it.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must For Your Kitchen Library, June 18, 2008
By Michael Miles (Houston, Texas, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
With a measured dose of wry humor and thoughtful commentary, Chad Ward debunks the myths and dispels the mysteries of the most essential, yet misunderstood, and under appreciated tool in the kitchen, the humble cook's knife. Whether you're a seasoned home cook, a confused beginner, or a professional cook, you'll undoubtedly benefit from Mr. Ward's comprehensive knowledge which he freely shares in an unintimidating, easily understood style. Bridging the chasm between professional culinary texts and the limited information available to the home cook in various cookbooks, he covers all the critical subjects associated with choosing, using, maintaining, sharpening, and even cleaning up after using a good knife. This book will make a fine, if not essential addition to the reference library of your favorite cook, knife enthusiast, or anyone who simply wants to know more about how to use and maintain the knives in his or her kitchen.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars READ THIS ONE BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR NEXT KITCHEN KNIFE...As a matter of fact, read it before you buy your next cook book!, July 1, 2009
You sort of feel almost embarrassed to call a book about kitchen knives a "page turner," but for me that is exactly what this one is. Not only is this work quite informative, but on a certain level, it is also quite entertaining. The author seems to have a writing skill in that causes the reader to get in the "I can't wait to see what is next" mode. What a delightful and informative read this book is!

Having received my first knife at the age of five, an old single blade Barlow (and immediately cutting my finger with it), I became a life long enthusiast as to knives. I have collected, bought, traded and used them for over sixty years now. I also cook. Not as well as my wife by any means, but I am no stranger to the kitchen. For some reason though, I was never really focused on knives of the, and those used in the kitchen until recently when we decided to purchase new ones. I suppose I just have taken them for granted for many years. I suddenly found there was much I did not know. Hey, we are talking a significant financial outlay here and I do not want to make a costly error!

I began doing some research. Enter this wonderful book.

Chad Ward has done a magnificent job of simplifying a rather complicated and mystifying area of knowledge. Make no mistake, choosing the proper cutlery for kitchen use is not a matter of common sense that the ill-informed might think. No, no, no! There is a myriad of questions that need to be answered and a very deep knowledge in several areas is necessary to make the correct choice. This work goes a long way into helping not only the neophyte cook, but also the more advanced. Again, I certainly do not consider my self anywhere near a Master Chief, but on the other hand I did not just fall off the back of a turnip wagon either.

This book begins with a section on selecting the correct knife for the right job and some of the many considerations needed in making that choice. Who will be using the knife and for what! What are the physical properties of a knife and which ones are desirable and which ones should you avoid? There are certain myths concerning knives and what are they? Are knife sets good or should you purchase a mixed set or should you even own or need a set? What do you look for in a good knife? What are good knives made of and how are they made and why are they made like they are? These and many, many other questions are answered before the author addresses cutting boards, quite an important subject, by the way.

The next portion of the work concerns the proper use of the knife and cutting techniques for both meat and vegetables. Having had some small bit and modest bit of training in this area, it was probably of least interest to me but I read it anyway and can attest to the fact that the author gives very sound advice, especially for the beginner. This section was quite well illustrated and overall is a good building block for further learning. You have to learn to walk before you run you know, and the author brings us up to a nice fast jog, at the very least.

Now the last section of the book, and one of the most important for many reasons, deals with keeping your knife sharp...simply that. This may not sound like much, but there are probably more dull knives in drawers in this country than there are dishonest politicians, which make that a whole lot of dull knives! This must have been a rather difficult section for the author to tackle as I am sure he was aware of the controversy surrounding this ancient art...i.e. sharpening a knife. If you take 25 old men, knife men, and put them into a room together and ask them to tell the best way to sharpen a knife, you will get 25 different answers. You could say the same if you put 50 in the room.

I meet periodically, with a group of men (and women) who collect knives and deal with knives on a daily bases. These are passionate hobbyists and professional dealers (in their own way) and they know their business. Hours upon hours have been spent with these people discussing sharpening techniques and I have yet to find one meeting where there was any agreement what-so-ever on the subject. When it comes to the area of sharpening knives, everyone, and I mean everyone, is an absolute expert! Hey, I have been known to pontificate on the subject myself from time to time, and I promise you that I do have strong opinions in this area and have old, mystic family secrets of sharpening that I will take to the grave. Now all of that being said let me assure you that Chad Ward has not given one bit of advice here that is bad. In fact, his dissertation on the subject of sharpening knives is one of the better ones I have had the pleasure of reading. The illustrations are great and he has again explained a very complicated procedure in words that most will be able to easily understand. He has discussed the various methods and has even addressed several of the sharpening systems on the market today. Again, I have first hand experience with many of these very systems and again, the author is spot on as to his commentary, observations and recommendations. I learned much here, which was a nice thing as it pretty well put to bed the old myth that you cannot teach old dogs new tricks. It certainly taught me a few.

As a side bar, I must say I admire the author's bravery in putting in book form for all to read the subject matter discussed here. This is the type of book that will run the drug store cowboys out from behind their tables...you know the kind, they are in ever three booth café in America; the "I done been there and I done did that and this here author don't know enough to...." Well, you know the type. My, this author is daring...I admire that.

Anyway, for the dollar, I do not feel you will be able to find a better book on the subject of kitchen knives anywhere. Goodness knows I have read enough of them recently and this one is absolutely the pick of the litter. Before purchasing your next kitchen knife, or for that matter, your next cook book, give this work a read. I doubt you will be sorry.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential if you own good knives
This is a great book and I am reading it for a second time, despite the protests from my wife that I have become obsessed. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Ian Dempster

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Notch Kitchen Cutlery Guide
Everyone that is interested in great kitchen cutlery at a reasonable price should read Chad Ward's "An Edge in the Kitchen. Read more
Published 6 months ago by G. Andrew Dill

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp Book
Excellent book, made especially useful because it names names. The only quibble I have, and it's not the author's fault, is that because of his rating Messermeister knives so... Read more
Published 8 months ago by John Powell

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've seen.
Yep, there are no shortcuts. Well, there actually are some that work quite well. kearned plenty and am very happy to have this book around.
Published 8 months ago by T. Ervin

3.0 out of 5 stars Common sense info at best, but the author needs more training
The knife information Chad Ward provides here is fine, but if you already know even a modest amount about knives and handling, you won't learn anything new here. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Zaine Ridling

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Purchased this book based upon reviews read. Found it to be informational and educational. The author has a good way to teach about the different kinds of knives without talking... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Y. Armstrong

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough coverage of the subject and entertaining too
By now I've just about purchased every book and video I could find on knives and knife sharpening. This is an easy to read and easy to understand book on the topic. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Francois

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is true to it's title, it is the ULTIMATE!
This is the definitive guide for buying and honing a knife. I personally found the criticism of several reviewer without merit. Read more
Published 13 months ago by J. L. Aswell

3.0 out of 5 stars Ok book
This book is okay. I guess I expected more visuals on knife skills. There's only a small section in the middle of the book with pictures on how to use a knife for specific cuts... Read more
Published 14 months ago by V. Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars Knives
This is an excellent book for anyone who enjoys cooking and works with nice sets of knives in the kitchen.
It is a must have book for chefs and cooking aficionados.
Published 15 months ago by Fariborz D. Rouchi

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