You can never have too many knives, especially if you are someone who likes to have the right tool for the job – you wouldn’t want to serve steak without steak knives nor would you wish to cut a tomato with anything but a tomato knife. That’s why you need to have boning and filet knives, bread knives and more – it’s all about having the right equipment for the task at hand.
While shopping for knives it’s important to begin with the basics – most cooks prefer to have two or more paring knives so they can handle everything from onions and garlic to lemons and limes along with potatoes, carrots and other vegetables. A serrated edge bread knife is another basic piece of kitchen cutlery that you will use time and again.

When selecting any kind of cutlery it’s important to look for well crafted pieces with no irregularities or rough spots which might trap germs or harbor bacteria. If a knife is constructed with the bladed sandwiched in a two part handle make sure the rivets are flush with the handle or they will become pockets which collect grime. Keeping knives sanitary is important and a smooth and well made knife helps to ensure proper hygiene.
The next basic knife you will need is a santoku style knife which is designed to make slicing, dicing and mincing effortless; the santoku's blade and handle are designed to work in harmony by matching the blade's width/weight to the weight of blade tang and handle. You may also wish to have one or two ceramic knives as they hold an edge up to ten times longer than a knife with a forged metal blade.