Steak, pork chops, ham and more need a little more “oomph” in cutting than our table knives give us.
I remember having steak to celebrate the first night out on our first charter – we were SO excited – and discovering there were no steak knives on the boat. We had exactly one serrated knife in the galley and passed it around the four of us!
Such things make for funny memories, but I didn’t want to live that way on my own boat. We took steak knives from the house to our first boat but they were sold with the boat . . . and frankly, they weren’t well suited to boat life, having picked up quite a bit of rust and losing their sharpness.
Moving onto Barefoot Gal, I wanted to make a better choice. After a year and a half with these, I’m ready to recommend them.
About the blades:
- They’re stainless and have not rusted at all in 18 months of being exposed to salt air (they don’t say what grade stainless they are).
- Sharp micro-serrations that haven’t shown any signs of dulling (see picture below of the blade; it comes from the company as my camera wouldn’t focus that closely).
- The tang goes the full length of the handle for strength.
They’re not some super-special knives. Just good, affordable steak knives that are suited to boat life. I’m sure that there are other brands that are also good but I found these on Amazon and have been really happy with them.
P.S. We’ve also discovered that they cut reinforced water hose much more easily than any other knife we have on board. And it didn’t seem to hurt the knife. I’m not saying you should use them for that, but when need arises . .
Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
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Debra Turner says
I have Henckels at home and yes they are great! On S/V Inca Rose I picked up a set of Sharper Image steak knives 2 years ago. I think they are titanium and also not a speck of rust!
Mark & Cindy - s/v Cream Puff says
We can ditto the recommendation regarding these knives. We have had some on Cream Puff for a couple of years and they have not rusted and are still sharp.
Mark and Cindy
s/v Cream Puff
http://www.creampuff.us
Joysealife.com says
I use the steak knives to cut kelp off the anchor. Whatever works.
The Boat Galley says
Absolutely. I’ve had my salad bowl turn into the oil drain pan, my turkey baster get co-opted for engine fluids and more. When you need something, you grab what there is!
Cherie Burch says
We have had the same set of this brand of knives on our boats for 28 years and they are still great! They have been through Lake Michigan and the Gulf of Mexico! Cannot recommend them more strongly!
Bill Higgs says
I have recently switched to this brand but with one difference. I choose the steak knife with a rounded tip instead of the more common pointed tip. this way I have been able to eliminate ( take off the boat) the typical dinner knife altogether as these rounded tip knives can be used to scoop and spread peanut butter as well as cut steak. this has freed up a bunch of room in the utensil drawer!
Marc Kornutik says
Nice ! Like that idea even better but didn’t know they still made that style. When I was a kid my parents had a pointed set at home, but also just few rounded ones. (don’t know why)
I remember going back to the drawer to get a rounded one even when the table had been set with the “matching” ones. I had to be unique even then.
Wayne says
My wife always cooks steaks you can cut with a butter knife. I don’t see the point in a steak knife.
Bill Higgs says
Holy smokes Wayne, instead of all of us getting steak knives maybe we should be looking for a girl like yours!!!
alas, until that day I think Ill stick with steak knives…. the rounded tip ones were harder to find but I bought them through a large restaurant supply place called Russel foods. They have a great website if you google them.
take care everyone
Alex Tarlecky says
By far the best cheap tool I have found to cut vinyl reinforced hose is a common $10 plastic sharkbite cutter like the one below. Sure, the blade is not replaceable but it works so well that you can cut a hard to reach hose with one hand and it cuts perfectly cleanly.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-1-2-in-1-in-Pipe-Cutter-23369A/205449919
J Christo says
Carolyn, got any advice on a ‘shopping cart’ we can use for provisioning and/or boat parts shore to boat?/Its often a good hike to get things and bags just don’t do it. A case of beer or wine needs to come home once in a while too! Foldable, bus ride friendly, rust resistant… Usual requirements for boating.
Carolyn Shearlock says
I am seeing more and more cruisers use a fold-up wagon with “all-terrain” wheels instead of the dock cart type things we used to see. They do a LOT better for long distances. Take a look at these that get good reviews and friends have recommended (if you get somethign else, read reviews carefully to make sure the front wheels turn!). None are made of stainless, so spray the metal parts with Boeshield to help prevent rust in salt air. They fold down to a reasonable size for taking on a bus, although obviously not a small as a day pack.
http://amzn.to/1XQ47ut
http://amzn.to/22I5Wgm
https://amzn.to/2N2KNLS (has a canopy to keep things cooler plus an extra place to put fragile things such as eggs)
Hazel Peterson says
We use our regular cutlery for all our meals. Don’t even own special knives for steak – never needed them.
The Jedi Fisherman says
Thanks so much for that
Chris Link says
We used leftover Sunbrella to make a roll up case for them,like you make for children’s crayons.They stayed protected and took up minimal space.
The Jedi Fisherman says
loving the page
Rock Spencer says
I have pretty much only ceramic blades on my boat to resist the salty environment.
Susanna Sharp says
If you come in second in the Race to Alaska, the prize is a set of steak knives. Just sayin’!
The Boat Galley says
Hmmm . . .
Anonymous says
This is the knife we use for everything on the boat. They never rust, are extremely sharp and the blade folds into the handle, a great safety feature.
Anonymous says
If it originates in the galley… It’s not a tool. Special permission is required from the Admiral.
Laguiole, 10 years old, 6 on the boat. No rust.
The Boat Galley says
I think the rule on our boat is “if it’s on the boat and needed for a repair, it’s fair game.” 😎 Although I have sometimes suggested an alternative under the guise of “this may work better.”