Buying a good chef’s knives can be quite a pricey undertaking. Typically, a top quality chef’s knife will cost anywhere between $120 – $180.
But there are other options. Many brands, who don’t have the same history or recognition as the ‘big knife brands’ are still making top quality products for half the price.
This article will highlight some of the best options, and list my opinion on the best chef’s knives you can get for under $75.
The best chef’s knife I would recommend at under $75 is the Dalstrong Gladiator Series 8-Inch Chef’s Knife. What you get is a well-built knife using materials usually found in knives double the price.
View My Top Recommendation
You can take a look at the Dalstrong Gladiator Series 8-Inch Chef’s Knife on Amazon here. (opens new tab)
There are plenty of other options too which I’ll list below. You might prefer a chef’s knife of a slightly different shape or size to the Dalstrong so it’s worth having a browse through them.
The best chef’s knives under $50
You can get some great chef’s knives from some of the best brands for under $50, here’s my list of recommendations.
Scroll down for a further review of each knife.
| Name | Price | Check current price |
| Mercer Renaissance 8 Inch Chef’s Knife | $50 – $70 | Link to Amazon |
| Dalstrong Gladiator Series 8-Inch Chef’s Knife (my top pick) | $50 | Link to Amazon |
| Mercer Culinary Genesis Chef’s Knife | $40 – $50 | Link to Amazon |
| Victorinox Rosewood Chef’s Knife (most stylish) | $40 – $50 | Link to Amazon |
You may also want to invest in some maintenance tools for your knife to keep it well-honed and sharp, so if you’re interested in that then scroll to the bottom of the article.
Mercer Renaissance 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
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Mercer Renaissance 8-Inch Chef’s Knife Review Table
| Country of manufacture | Taiwan |
| Steel type | X50CrMoV15 (German steel that’s ideal for durability) |
| Rockwell hardness | HRC 56-58 |
| Factory edge | 15 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | POM (thermoplastic) |
| Pros | Durable and low price |
As a brand, Mercer has lots of similarities with Dalstrong.
They aren’t a company steeped in history, but the benefit they do have is they produce their knives at a low cost in Taiwan using good quality materials, mixed with good design, to create knives that are up to half the cost of knives using the same materials but produced in Europe.
I’m a fan of Mercer knives and I’ve seen them become slowly more popular because people are genuinely surprised by the quality they offer at such a low price.
The blade used forged X50CrMoV15 steel with a half bolster, going full tang into the triple riveted handle. It’s a material and design more commonly seen in knife two to three times the price.
The handle is POM, a trusty thermoplastic often used for kitchen knife handles because it’s extremely durable and resistant to most temperature and moisture fluctuations.
It’s a super knife and the fact that it’s the lowest priced item on this list certainly doesn’t make it any less worthy.
Mercer use great materials and classic design for their Renaissance range and I don’t think you could be disappointed with this knife.
Dalstrong Gladiator Series 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
My Top Pick
View on Amazon (opens new tab)
Dalstrong Gladiator Series 8-Inch Chef’s Knife Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | X50CrMoV15 (German steel that’s ideal for durability) |
| Rockwell hardness | HRC 56-58 |
| Factory edge | 15 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | G10 (fiberglass laminate) |
| Pros | Durable and low price |
Dalstrong are quite new to the knife scene. They use quality materials, but because they are a Chinese company the manufacturing costs are kept low these savings are passed onto the customer.
What results is a brilliant range of both German and Japanese influenced knives, using genuine German and Japanese materials, but for a very low price.
For their Western-style Gladiator range, Dalstrong use to same X50CrMoV15 steel as many of the high-quality western-style knife producers, known for its durability you can easily pay more than $150 for a forged steel knife using X50CrMoV15 from one of the larger German brands.
It has a full bolster and is full tang into the triple riveted handle. The handle is made from G10, a fiberglass laminate.
It has the perfect combination of being extremely lightweight and very tough. It will be able to withstand any of the standard pressure of a kitchen.
If you’re ever looking for a really good value knife, Dalstrong is a great brand to look at.
They’re not the genuine article in regard to having truly German or Japanese heritage within the company, but the materials they use are just as good as those most historical brands, and their knives are often around half the cost.
Mercer Culinary Genesis Chef’s Knife
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Mercer Culinary Genesis Chef’s Knife Review Table
| Country of manufacture | Taiwan |
| Steel type | X50CrMoV15 (German steel that’s ideal for durability) |
| Rockwell hardness | HRC 56-58 |
| Factory edge | 15 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | Santoprene (thermoplastic) |
| Pros | Durable and low price |
This is the second Mercer product on my list and it comes at an even lower price than my previous entry, but still with the high-quality design and use of materials that you would expect from a Mercer knife.
The steel for this 8-inch knife is made using a German high carbon steel called x50CrMoV15. It’s a steel commonly used to make quality german knives and known for its durability and resistance to rust. This is thanks to its high Chromium content of 15%, which is the element used to qualify steel as stainless steel due to the rust resistance Chromium adds to iron, the element in steel knives which rusts when in contact with water and oxygen.
The blade of the knife is well curved so rock chopping with this knife is easy. Like the previous Mercer knife in this list, the cutting edge has a 15-degree angle which is extremely sharp for a western-style chef’s knife.
The knife has a full tang that runs into the handle, also encompassing a half bolster. The handle is very simple in design and made using a thermoplastic material with elastic properties. This makes it ultra-durable but also increases the grip of the handles making it particularly comfortable to hold and reducing the risk of slippages.
There is a well-sized heel to give plenty of room for your knuckles and the knife blade is wide, allowing for you to easily choke the blade using your index finger and thumb.
Overall this is another great knife that hits all the right sports for what we want to see in good chef’s knife design. It’s available for a great price and is one of the lowest-priced knives on this list whilst still having all of the key features you need.
Victorinox Rosewood Chef’s Knife
Most Stylish
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Victorinox Rosewood Chef’s Knife Review Table
| Country of manufacture | Switzerland |
| Steel type | X50CrMoV15 (German steel that’s ideal for durability) |
| Rockwell hardness | HRC 56 |
| Factory edge | 15 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | Rosewood |
| Pros | Durable and attractive |
I thought it was about time to bring something a bit different to this list, something a bit stylish!
Victorinox is a knife manufacturer from Switzerland, in fact, they manufacture a whole host of things from travel gear to fragrances but they started way back in 1884 making Swiss army knives so they have a pretty good pedigree in knife making.
They make some very attractive knives too. They actually make a very good chef’s knife from their Fibrox range which is cheaper than this one but I don’t think it looks anywhere near as good and this rosewood model is still under $50. But if you don’t care about the aesthetic then I’d recommend taking a look at it on Amazon here, both have the same cutting edge.
The 8-inch blade is made from stainless steel and has been shaped perfectly for a chef’s knife. The curve of the cutting edge is ideal for rock chopping herbs and vegetables.
The blade is made from stamped steel so it doesn’t have a bolster. Stamped steel is more lightweight than forged steel but it is not as hard, so there’s a bit of a trade-off there. As stamped steel blades go, Victorinox is a top manufacturer so their stamped blade is very good and for under $50 I still think it’s good value for money.
The main benefit of this knife is the beautiful rosewood handle, made in a classic style it really lifts this knife out of the ordinary and into a bit of a showpiece, which is pretty hard to attain for a knife under $50.
The handle is triple-riveted for extra strength and gives off an extra look of reliability. There is a good-sized heel and the width of the blade is perfect for choosing the blade with your index finger and thumb to give more control when rock chopping.
Overall this is a beautifully designed blade, the proportions are ideal and the handle is stunning. The only drawback is the stamped steel blade as forged steel is generally considered better, but for such an attractive knife, from a reputable manufacturer which does tick most of the boxes you want from a chef’s knife, I think it’s a great choice for under $50.
Parts of a chef’s knife
Bolster
The thick piece of metal connecting the blade and handle
Heel
The length between the handle and blade edge
Length
Knives are measured by the length of the blade only. An 8-inch knife has an 8-inch blade.
Tip
The sharp end of the blade
Edge
The cutting edge of the blade
Spine
The back of the blade. Sometimes this is slightly sharpened to use for descaling fish.
Caring for your chef’s knife on a budget
It doesn’t matter whether you buy a $25 knife or a $250 knife, you do need to make sure that you care for your knife properly if you really want to get your full use out of it.
The knives I’ve listed above could easily last for decades and have a razor-sharp edge if you make sure to maintain them well.
I know it seems counterintuitive to get extra sharpening equipment for a relatively inexpensive knife but it will make them last 10x longer, and I’m going to purposefully list a couple of really budget-friendly maintenance tools that will do the job.
One thing to mention before we look at the tools, there is a distinct difference between honing a sharpening. I go into detail in this article but as a quick summary.
- Honing – Reallingins a blade. Needs to be done often with a material of equal strength to the blade i.e. use a steel honing rod for a steel knife.
- Sharpening – Removes material from the blade to unveil a fresh layer. Needs to be done infrequently with a material stronger than the blade i.e. use ceramic or diamond sharpeners for steel knives.
Honing steel under $10
The Zulay Knife Honing Steel is 12 inches and will do a fine job of keeping your knife well-honed. I recommend you hone your knife at least every three uses if you want to keep it in top shape.
The Zulay is really inexpensive and you can take a look at it on Amazon here.
Sharpening rod under $25
I would recommend you use a ceramic sharpening rod to sharpen steel knives. You can get diamond-encrusted ones but I think they can be too abrasive and if you don’t start at the correct angle you can end up damaging your knife, ceramic rods are much more gentle.
This 12-inch ceramic rod by Shenzhen will do a good job of keeping your knife sharp. As a word of warning, ceramic is very hard but it’s also brittle, some take care of this tool and store it somewhere it won’t be bashed around and don’t drop it!
You can take a look at it on Amazon here.
A final note about maintenance
If you make sure to take proper care of your knife then it will last a very long time and you will be able to keep a razor-sharp edge. You should hone your knife after at least every three uses. If you keep to that schedule you should only need to sharpen it every 6 – 12 months in order to keep that razor-sharp finish.
All the knives I’ve mentioned are great knives for their price. Which one is right for you is really up to your own personal preference, that’s why I tried to show a range of knives with slightly different designs and shapes whilst keeping in mind what is truly important about a good chef’s knife.
I hope you find this guide useful and it helps you find the right knife for you, which you can treasure for years to come!
