Since Portland Knife House opened on SE Belmont Street this spring, owner Eytan Zias has outfitted some of the hottest chefs in town with Japanese imports and locally forged steel. Five of the shop’s biggest fans tell us about their blades of choice. portlandknifehouse.com

Naomi Pomeroy - Beast

Sakai Takayuki INOX Utility Knife, 7 inches, $98

“Knife nerds have a knife for everything, but I pretty much exclusively use a chef’s or a paring knife. This is right in the middle of those two—small enough to butcher and big enough for vegetable work.” 

Doug Adams - Imperial

Carter Cutlery Muteki Chef’s Knife, 11 inches, $400

“I’m a small guy with small hands. This Carter is a bigger knife, but the handle fits perfectly.”

Earl Ninsom - Langbaan

Masamoto KS Utility Knife, 6 inches, $197

“We have a tight space to work with, so the smaller the better. It’s also holds its edge really well—normally when I take a blade to lemongrass, I need to sharpen it every time.”

Han Hwang - Kim Jong Grillin’

Tojiro DP Chef’s Knife, 9.5 inches, $99

“I got robbed at my food truck a few months ago, so I needed a new blade. It’s my go-to for slicing and all matters of prep.”

Scott Snyder - Levant

Masahiro VC Vegetable Cleaver, 6.5 inches, $99

“I use cleavers for general prep and meat-slicing. It’s super versatile—I use it like a utility knife.”