Why You Might Not Need a Carving Knife (and What to Use Instead)

If you’ve been shopping around for knives, you’ve probably noticed that there are tons of options available to you. Between boning knives, filet knives, bread knives and the like, it can start to feel like each ingredient needs its own special blade. Recently, I was wondering if a carving knife would be worth adding to my toolkit, so I got one to test out. It was sharp, light, and pretty to look at, but it turns out I didn’t need a carving knife at all. 

I have been working with a lot of chicken lately—spatchcocked birds, butterflied chicken breasts, and deboned chicken thighs—and when you’re slicing a lot of meat you begin to wonder if there’s a “perfect” knife to do the job. I was carving meat, so a carving knife is what I needed. Right?

What is a carving knife?

The goal of a carving knife is to take care of long cuts or single-stroke cuts. The fewer times you have to lift the knife and continue the same cut, the better. It also might be your intention to use a carving knife to divide a roast into parts, like a chicken into drumsticks, wings, and breast slices. It can help you there too.

Carving knives vary slightly depending on the knife-maker or brand, but overall, you’ll see more similarities among them: The length (sometimes up to 12 inches) and a slightly curved and pointed blade. The sharp and thin blade ensures that the meat doesn’t tear, and the length makes it easier to slice large roasts.

A chef’s knife can do the trick

After trying out my carving knife for a few months, I was happy with its performance, but I wasn’t in love. I wanted to go back to using my chef’s knife for carving. It was just as sharp, I preferred the balance of its weight more, and the length wasn’t all that different, so I could still get through large roasts. What’s more, I really didn’t use the carving knife for anything else, so it was taking up valuable space on my magnet strip.

Sure, if you’re always smoking brisket or whole roasts are frequently a part of your family meal rotation, it might make sense for you to invest in a carving knife. If you do, I suggest one with a hollow edge like this one from Messermeister. The little divots in the sides provide a small air pocket between the metal and the meat to prevent suction. 

For me and others who are only slicing big roasts a few times a season or once a year, a carving knife may not be a necessary expense if you have a chef’s knife you already like. I’ve had a Wüsthof chef’s knife for ages and it’s often the only knife I need to prepare a meal.

A good chef’s knife can do the chopping, scoring, and carving as long as you keep it sharp. If you’re not sure how to do that, do not fear: Here’s a helpful guide on taking care of your knives.