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Global kitchen knives—types, how to choose, sharpening, FAQs
In this guide, we:
- look at the different types of Global kitchen knives available
- tell you how to choose the right one for your purposes
- answer some common questions about Global knives
Quick links:
- What types of kitchen knives does Global make?
- Which Global knife should I buy?
- How should I sharpen my Global knife?
- FAQs
What types of kitchen knives does Global make?
Global makes kitchen knives for the chef’s every need, whether it’s general-purpose cutting, carving meat, or peeling fruit or vegetables, for example. Its range includes the following:
- Steak knives
- Butcher’s knives (can be used to cut steak and other meat)
- Chef’s/cook’s knives
- Knife sets
Global steak knives
Global butcher’s knives
Global GF27 Butcher’s Drop Forge Knife 16cm
Price: £108.29 (+ VAT)
Global chef’s knives/cook’s knives
Global G-2 Cook’s Knife 20cm
Also available:
Price: £99.96 (+ VAT)
Global NI Series GN-009 Oriental Cook’s Knife 20cm
Also available:
Global NI Series GN-010 Oriental Cook's Knife 26cm
Price: £116.63 (+ VAT)
Global GF-33 Drop Forged Chef’s Knife Blade 21cm
Price: £158.29 (+ VAT)
Global knife sets
Global 3 Piece Knife Set With Canvas Roll Case Limited Edition M.R.
Set includes:
- G-58 Global Cook’s Knife 16cm
- GS-3 Global Cook’s Knife 13cm
- GSF-46 Global Paring Knife 8cm
- Global canvas roll case—fits up to 9 knives
Price: £165.00 (+ VAT)
Global 7 Piece Knife Set Limited Edition M.R.
Set includes:
- GS-5 Global Vegetable Knife 14cm
- GS-38 Global Paring Knife 9cm
- GS-20 Global Fishbone Tweezers
- G-73 Global Carving/Slicing Knife 22cm Fluted
- G-55 Global Cook’s Knife 18cm
- Global Ceramic Sharpening Steel 22cm
- G607/9AC Global knife case—fits up to 9 knives
- FREE Global Tasting Spoon
Price: £270.00 (+ VAT)
Global 9 Piece Knife Set Limited Edition M. R.
Set includes:
- G-2 Global Cook’s Knife 20cm
- G-20 Global Filleting Knife 21cm
- G-65 Global Ham/Salmon Slicer Fluted 27cm
- G-74 Global Ceramic Steel 22cm
- GS-3 Global Cook’s Knife 13cm
- GS-5 Global Vegetable Chopper 14cm
- GS-21/8 Global Palette Knife/Spatula 20cm
- GS-29 Global Fishbone Tweezers
- GS-38 Global Paring Knife 9cm
- G607/9AC Global knife case—fits up to 9 knives
- FREE Global Tasting Spoon
Price: £350.00 (+ VAT)
Which Global knife should I buy?
Deciding which knife to buy means considering what you’ll be using it for. Different knives serve different purposes, and using a knife for a purpose it’s not suited to can be inefficient, not to mention dangerous.
The table below explains what each kind of Global knife is best used for.
| Type of knife | Purpose |
|---|---|
|
Boning knife |
Removing bones from cuts of meat |
|
Bread knife |
Slicing bread and some hard-rind fruit |
|
Butcher’s knife |
Cutting, sectioning, and trimming large pieces of meat |
|
Carving knife |
Slicing lean cuts of meat |
|
Cheese knife |
Cutting cheese |
|
Chef’s/cook’s knife |
All-purpose knife for preparing food (although the blade is broad enough to serve as a cleaver) |
|
Filleting knife |
Filleting and preparing fish |
|
Palette knife |
Spreading one ingredient onto another (e.g. frosting on a cake, or butter onto sandwiches) |
|
Paring knife |
Peeling and chopping fruits and vegetables, removing corn from the cob, breaking up heads of lettuce, garnishing |
|
Peeling knife |
Peeling and slicing vegetables and fruit |
|
Santoku knife |
All-purpose knife for slicing, dicing, and mincing |
|
Slicing knife |
Cutting smaller, thinner slices of meat, sushi etc. |
|
Tomato knife |
Cutting and slicing tomatoes |
|
Utility knife |
Slicing softer fruits and vegetables |
|
Vegetable knife |
Chopping or shredding harder vegetables, garnishing |
How should I sharpen my Global knife?
The best way to sharpen a Global knife is with a whetstone. You lubricate the whetstone with either water or oil (the instructions will tell you which one to use) then repeatedly run the knife over it to sharpen the blade.
Read how to sharpen knives with a whetstone here.
However, any of the standard ways of sharpening a knife will work, including the following:
- Steel—most steels are designed simply to hone the knife blade (realign the microscopic shards of metal on the edge of the blade, rather than remove material to create a newer, sharper edge)
Read how to sharpen knives with a steel here - Tabletop sharpener—these are simple to use and require no previous knowledge or skill
Read how to sharpen knives with a tabletop sharpener here
- Professional sharpening (grinding wheel)—many chefs send their knives to professional sharpeners, who sharpen the blades using a special grinding machine
In this YouTube video made by Global, a professional chef demonstrates how to sharpen Global knives using a whetstone, steel and sharpener.
Frequently asked questions
How should I clean my Global knives?
Wash your knives immediately after using them with slightly warm water and a mild liquid soap. Don’t leave them out to dry—dry them by hand and put them away. This will stop the blades getting damaged or blunted by other kitchen equipment.
Don’t put the knives in a dishwasher!
Are Global knives dishwasher-safe?
No. All Global knives are made from Cromova 18 stainless steel. When exposed to the heat and detergent inside a dishwasher, these blades can lose their sharpness or suffer damage by coming into contact with the other items in the dishwasher trays.
Are Global knives any good?
Global knives are famous for being among some of the finest kitchen knives in the world. Made in Japan, their blades are precisely sharpened on both sides, allowing for an extremely clean cutting technique. They are also equipped with very finely balanced, perfectly weighted handles.
Chefs value Global knives because they are:
- extremely strong
- well-balanced and comfortable to grip
- razor-sharp
- very resistant to wear
- stylish
How are Global knives made?
Global makes all its knives at the Yoshikin factory in Niigata, Japan. The manufacturing process is as follows:
- The stainless-steel blank is stamped into the shape of the blade.
- The metal is heat-treated at about 1,000°C, and then cooled rapidly to -80°C. As well as increasing the blade’s hardness, it gives it a more uniform structure, which makes it sharper.
- The knife is tempered by going through a second heat treatment, which takes around four hours. This gives the knife even more strength.
Do Global knives rust?
Global’s own brand of stainless steel—Cromova 18—is made from a high-carbon alloy, which helps keep the knives free from rust. However, this doesn’t mean your Global knife will never rust—all steel, including stainless steel, can rust in certain circumstances.
You can protect your Global knives from rust and rust stains by:
- washing, drying and storing them away immediately after using them
- using a washing-up liquid or liquid soap that doesn’t contain any acids or abrasive substances
- avoiding soaking them in water
How can I remove rust from my Global knife?
If your Global knife is stained with rust, it’s OK. You can clean these stains using a plastic scourer (don’t use a metal one) and a paste made with baking soda.
Are my Global knives fake?
Make sure you buy your Global knives from an authorised distributor/seller. Not only can be sure the knives are genuine, but you’re also protected by Global’s official guarantee. You can find your nearest authorised seller here.
If you buy a knife from a third‑party website, you risk receiving a fake product which has no guarantee.
Are Global knives single-bevel or double-bevel?
Most Global knives are double-bevel, which means they are sharpened on both sides of the blade.
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