Best Carving Knife 2023: 5+ Detailed Reviews

Top 5 Best Carving Knives 2023:

1. Kessaku Carving Slicing Knife
2. DALSTRONG Gladiator Series 14″ Slicing and Carving Knife
3. Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Carving Knife
4. Cutluxe Carving Knife
5. Zelite Infinity Comfort-Pro Series Carving Knife

You may have the process of making a mouthwatering brisket or roast all figured out, but when it comes to carving them, do you have the proper equipment? More specifically, do you own a carving knife?

If the answer is no, what are you waiting for? And if the answer is yes, then you know how useful and functional carving knives are. Whether it’s your first time buying a carving knife, or you’re just looking for an upgrade, stay with us until the end as we tell you how to choose the best one!

In this article, we’ll take a look at the top carving knives on the market and what makes them the best. If you’re curious to find out what is the best carving knife, keep on reading!

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5 Best Carving Knives In 2023: Detailed Reviews

1. Kessaku Carving Slicing Knife – Best Choice

Kessaku is a Japanese word for “masterpiece”, and that’s exactly what you get with this carving knife from the brand’s Dynasty Series. It is one of their best-selling products, and for good reasons. This hand-crafted knife will be a great addition to your kitchen or your knife collection!

Kessaku carving knife has a sturdy construction and a beautiful design. The blade is made of specially formulated German stainless steel that’s highly durable and resistant to corrosion and rust. The 12” blade was forged with extreme precision and hand sharpened at 16 degrees per side. It reaches a 58 on the Rockwell hardness scale so you know it’s ultra-strong and durable!

The seamless, elegant handle is handcrafted from G10 fiber-resin. This material is resistant to heat, cold, moisture, and impact, and it enhances the durability of the knife. It has a full-tang, triple-riveted design and it’s ergonomically shaped to reduce aches and fatigue in your hand. With a comfortable grip and ample knuckle clearance, the handle provides superior control and agility, so it’s very easy and convenient to use the knife.

When you purchase the Kessaku carving knife, you also get a polishing cloth, a care instructions booklet, and the beautiful box the knife comes in. The box makes it an incredible gift for someone who likes knives or cooking! The manufacturer offers a lifetime warranty, but we seriously doubt you’ll want to return it!

2. DALSTRONG Gladiator Series 14″ Slicing and Carving Knife – Premium Pick

The 14” carving knife by Dalstrong is one of the longest high-end carving knives out there. It is a part of their Gladiator Series that consists of high-quality, high-performance knives! This knife is definitely the best choice if you don’t mind spending a few extra bucks and you need a long carving knife!

All of the knives in the Gladiator series are precision-forged from a single piece of high carbon German steel, a premium material that’s very durable as well as resistant to rust and stains. The incredible razor-sharp blade is hand polished at 14-16 degrees at each side, ideal for this type of knife. All this makes it perfect for carving and slicing roasts, barbeque, shawarma, salmon, and so on!

Not only is the blade ultra-sharp, but it’s also very strong as it reaches 56 on the Rockwell hardness scale. The blade is also polished to a satin finish that gives the entire knife a nice, elegant look. The appearance is further enhanced with the beautiful, luxurious, Pakkawood handle that’s triple-riveted to ensure a firm grip, comfort, and maneuverability. The handle is ergonomically shaped to be ambidextrous and to prevent any hand fatigue. 

When you purchase the Dalstrong carving knife, you also get a protective sheath included which is a great safety feature considering how sharp the blade is!

3. Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Carving Knife – Budget-Friendly Choice

If you’re iffy about spending a lot of money on a carving knife, we have a solution for you! An amazing budget-friendly carving knife is this one by Mercer Culinary. It’s one of their best sellers for many reasons, including the simple and elegant design, and the high performance!

The blade is 10” long and it’s made of high carbon German steel that’s resistant to rust, corrosion, and discoloration. It has a precision-forged construction that makes it stronger and more durable. The taper-ground edge provides easy honing, stability, long-lasting sharpness, and efficiency!

The full tang handle is made of Santoprene, a high-performance rubber-like material that’s quite durable and has a non-slip feature that adds to safety. The Santoprene handle is also resistant to heat, cold, moisture, oils, and all other harsh environments! The handle and the blade are bolstered for perfect balance, so using this knife feels comfortable and easy. The shape of the handle is designed to sit comfortably in your hand and give you a firm grip and full control. 

The surprisingly affordable Mercer Culinary Genesis carving knife is NSF certified. This guarantees it’s a safe, strong, and durable tool! When it comes to cleaning, you have to wash it by hand because the rubber-like handle is not dishwasher safe. Also, make sure not to soak it in water, and to dry it immediately after washing it!

4. Cutluxe Carving Knife – Not To Be Missed

Another great choice when it comes to high-quality but quite affordable knives is the Cutluxe carving knife. 

This is a 12” carving knife made of premium materials. The blade is precision-forged with a single piece of imported high-carbon German steel. It’s a strong and hard material that reaches 56 on the Rockwell scale. Not only is it strong, but it’s also razor-sharp. It’s hand-sharpened at 14-16 degrees per side, and it’s triple-riveted with engraved Cutluxe rivet. 

The Cutluxe carving knife has a sturdy, full-tang construction for maximum robustness. With the ultra-hard, razor-sharp blade and incredibly strong construction, this knife is built to last a lifetime! The tapered bolster provides a perfect balance, finger protection, and a firm grip. Because the knife is so well-balanced and lightweight, it’s ideal for carving and slicing a brisket, turkey, roast, and all other meats!

The laminated Pakkawood handle adds to the elegant look of the knife. It’s triple-riveted and ergonomically shaped so that both left-handed and right-handed people can maneuver the knife easily. The length of the handle is in an ideal ratio to the length of the blade so that it feels very comfortable in your hand. 

When it comes to cleaning, the Cutluxe carving knife is dishwasher safe. However, the manufacturer still recommends washing it by hand to extend its lifetime and keep the knife in top condition!

5. Zelite Infinity Comfort-Pro Series Carving Knife – Extreme Quality and Comfort

So far, we’ve seen most of the good carving knives on the more affordable side. One of the more high-end, pricey carving knives that perform outstandingly is this one by Zelite Infinity! This 12” carving knife is a part of their Comfort-Pro Series, an extremely high-quality collection of knives!

When you first look at the knife, you’ll notice the shiny blade and the elegant handle. The design of the knife is quite nice, but it’s certainly not the only great thing about it. Not only does the Zelite Infinity carving knife look incredible, but it also performs amazingly well! This is mostly thanks to the ThyssenKrupp high carbon German steel, a very hard and strong material resistant to all kinds of harmful environments.

The hand-polished satin blade is ultra-sharp for effortless cutting and the whole knife has a sturdy, full-tang construction for enhanced strength and durability. It also has a rare tapered bolster for additional comfort and perfect balance, and it features engraved rivets along the edge that improve the overall performance of the knife!

The ergonomic, forged, black ABS handle gives a touch of elegance to the knife. The rounded shape is very unique and not something you see very often on a carving knife. Nevertheless, it feels natural in your hand and it’s very convenient and easy to use. It’s designed so that it doesn’t cause hand fatigue even after heavy use. 

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Things To Consider Before You Buy A Carving Knife

Before you decide which carving knife to buy, you have to think about some important features, because they can be a bit pricey. Let’s take a look at things to consider before you spend money on a carving knife!

1. Blade Construction: Forged Or Stamped?

When you look into different options of carving knives, you may come across different blade constructions. More specifically, you’ll find forged knives and stamped knives. A few decades ago, stamped knives were known as low-quality knives compared to forged ones. 

Nowadays, thanks to the advanced technology that goes into knife manufacturing, stamped knives come really close to the quality of forged. They may be lighter and more flexible than forged, but there’s a certain lack of other features, like sharpness and strength.

Forged knives are a bit better than stamped in terms of strength and durability. This is because the heat of forging rearranges the molecules of the steel to enhance strength, durability, and sharpness. 

All things considered, we would recommend you to go with a forged carving knife simply because they are more likely to last and retain sharp edges longer, but if you don’t need a carving knife for heavy use, a stamped one should be enough!

2. Blade length

The next thing you have to consider is the blade length. Typically, carving knives have blades between 8 inches and 14 inches long. The most common lengths are 10” and 12” because they are ideal for easy carving and slicing. 

If a knife has a short blade, it won’t be able to handle large pieces of meat, so carving knives have to have long blades. Choose the length that best suits your needs, just make sure it’s at least 8 or 10 inches. 

3. Edge Design

Edges of carving knives have to be ultra-sharp. You want a knife that’s easy to use and allows you to cut with a single motion effortlessly. Always check to what degree the edge is sharpened, so you know it’s as sharp as they claim it is. Anywhere between 14-16 degrees per side is ideal for carving knives. 

One thing you’ve probably noticed is that some carving knives have engraved rivets. The rivets create hollows or air pockets, that help release food and reduce friction, and this makes cutting even easier and more efficient. The engraved rivets are a good feature, but knives that don’t have them can perform just as well.

4. Handles

Last, but not least, you have to consider the handle! The handle is an important part of the knife because it determines the balance and ease of use. It has to be ergonomically shaped to feel comfortable and to provide a firm grip and maneuverability. 

You should also take into account the material of the handle. Different materials have different benefits and give different looks. For example, a Pakkawood handle is more elegant as it resembles wood, but it’s more durable than wood. Santoprene handles have a non-slip feature that increases safety.

All in all, choose the handle according to your taste and preferences, just make sure that it feels comfortable and safe to use!

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Final Thoughts And Recommendations

As you’ve seen by now, carving knives are not only eye-catching and elegant, but they’re also very useful! A good carving knife can be a life-saver sometimes, and you definitely won’t regret buying one. 

Now that we’ve listed our top five, time to choose the best of the best! Let’s take a look at our top recommendations.

Best Overall: Kessaku Carving Slicing Knife

• Kessaku carving knife definitely deserves the number one place on this list. Kessaku means “masterpiece” in Japanese, and that’s what you get from this incredible knife. The premium materials, elegant appearance, and overall performance of the Kessaku carving knife won’t disappoint you!

Premium Pick: DALSTRONG Gladiator Series 14″ Slicing and Carving Knife

• Dalstrong is one of those brands that deliver every single time with every product they make, and this extra-long, 14” carving knife is a part of that tradition. The luxurious look mixed with the premium materials and high level of performance will leave you speechless!

Best Budget-Friendly Option: Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Carving Knife

• A very simple yet highly functional carving knife is this Mercer Culinary Genesis knife. The high-carbon steel blade, the rubber-like non-slip handle, and the really affordable price are just some of the benefits you get with this amazing knife!