About the Author

A warm welcome to all readers of this site

My name is Andrey Kozlovsky, and I go by the nick Teke at a number of knife-related boards.

This site is dedicated to kitchen knives (and more). The primary motivation has been personal enjoyment and curiosity.

I do not consider myself a professional, so clearly the texts may contain inaccuracies. Occasionally, the discussion is tinted by a personal bias, which can be regarded as a good thing, but also as a bad thing. The prices noted in the texts are mainly there for item comparison, although they come from genuine sources.

I’d like to point out that when choosing a kitchen knife, you should realize why your current ones don’t suit you, and respect your tools. Many people say they have in their kitchen a single knife that they are totally happy with, and debating over German and Japanese knives, let alone comparing them, is a pointless pastime. That’s an understandable opinion. Still, I would note that to get from one place to another, you can use a Lada, a Toyota or a Mercedes; the outcome of the journey is the same, but the accompanying sensations are vastly different, and there is a lot to be said about that.

To sum it up, this site might well be titled «A power user’s notes on kitchen knives».

A quick word about knife recommendations that you can find on Internet message boards and in other sources. Mind that the person giving the recommendation does it sincerely, but when I read something along the lines of «I have Fiskars or Tramontinas or something Japanese, and those are the best knives you can get», I can’t help but wonder what other knives that person has used. I was once shocked by a famous radio journalist, whom I have great respect for, telling the story of how he had never been able to buy good knives until he chanced upon a serrated Tramontina in a department store, found himself in a total bliss over it, and is now confident that those are the best knives around.

If you evaluate a knife on all points, as a cooking tool, then I believe its value is determined by three things that are about equal in importance:

  • The master (the idea, development, geometry and thermomechanical treatment)
  • The steel (brand)
  • The user

I actually think that the master is more important: even cheap carbon steel can be made into a piece of awesome, and conversely, pricey super steel can yield a knife that won’t cut.

«The user» in this context means the knowledge of how to handle the knife. It should be used for its intended purpose, washed and wiped after work, honed and sharpened properly and stored correctly. Cutting boards also matter a lot.

A knife deserves a respectful attitude, and it will reward you with long service and enjoyable cooking experiences. On the contrary, if you treat it indifferently, even the most amazing knife won’t last long. You wouldn’t go hunting in a low-clearance Mercedes, would you? That’s a job for a jeep, even an UAZ will do. However, on a highway, a Mercedes would shine.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank everyone who helped me create this site:

  • Master Gennady Prokopenkov
  • Master Mikhail Artemyev
  • Veronika Zaytseva — research associate with the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg
  • Master Murray Carter
  • Master Siniche Watanabe
  • Mark Richmond — owner of the Chefknivestogo knife shop
  • MasaruNakamura (DR.Naka) — owner of Hide’sExport
  • RalphGervasio (Ralph1396) — owner of an antique knives shop
  • CRAFT-prodes advertising agency and in particular, art director Kristina Korpyleva

All members of knife forums:

  • Kitchen Knife Forums
  • Foodie Forums
  • In the Kitchen (Knife forums)
  • Kitchen knives at Guns.ru
  • Russian knife forum
  • Forum of the St. Petersburg Knife Club