For some, it’s high-end only: I was in a restaurant kitchen recently and heard one chef rave for minutes about a knife tailored to his hand’s dimensions by a bladesmith he knew. For others, it’s restaurant supply all the way: You might attempt to borrow a line cook’s Dexter-Russell Sani-Safe, but be prepared for a struggle. People are passionate about Zwilling, Shun, Global, Kramer, Misono, Mac, Miyabi—or, on the less-expensive side, Chicago Cutlery, Cutco, and l’Econome. Knives and knife brands are a shorthand for self-identification, code for an expert, an epicure or someone who values efficiency over expense.

All of which makes me a little embarrassed to admit that I don’t know who made my favorite knife, or where it came