Manual kitchen knife sharpening requires a high level of skill, but the resulting edge is unmatched ... they usually have a texture machined into the rod. Belts are, as you’ve probably guessed, ...

It has a great texture that I found easy to grip ... To determine the edge retention for each blade, we subjected the knives to some extra abuse beyond their normal uses. Most notably, we used ...

Tête de Moine, a semi-hard Swiss cheese that often finds its way onto charcuterie boards and salads, not only brings a rich, ...

Tomatoes, too, reveal their stubborn side. Their deceptively thin skin resists blunt blades, but a serrated edge glides through, yielding paper-thin slices perfect for salads or sandwiches.

Rosettes made by scraping Tête de Moine, or “monk’s head,” cheese result from variations in the friction between the blade and the cheese.

However, its only slightly roughened texture isn ... an impressive edge to boot. On the downside, the Dexter-Russell is short in length and short on agility: Its 7-inch blade can be tough to ...