Home » The 8 Best Carving Knives – Guide

The 8 Best Carving Knives – Guide

Carving knives are versatile and available in various designs. You can find out which knife is best suited to your field of activity and what else you need to consider in our checklist. Below you will also find product recommendations that will make your purchase decision easier.

Checklist For Carving Knives

The Condition Of The Carving Knives
  • First and foremost, the handle is used for safe handling of the blade, consequently it should be stable in the hand. For aesthetic reasons, wooden handles (cherry, ash, birch, or plum) are often used. For a better grip with sweaty hands, you should refrain from using lacquered carving knives and instead go for oiled handles.
  • When it comes to blades, make sure the carving knife is made of steel with high carbon content. It is often referred to as carbon steel and is specified in the size unit HRC. Approximately 56-58 HRC is considered a guideline, which gives the material a suitable balance between hardness and grinds ability and is forgiving of minor handling errors.
  • In conventional knives, the connection plays a major role. Is the blade tucked into the handle, riveted to the handle, or through and screwed at the end? Since the carving knife is hardly subjected to tensile loads (unlike a bread knife), this fineness plays a minor role.
What Carving Knives Are Available?
  • The basic equipment: each set should include at least four carving knives. The flat iron has a flat, straight edge, but is used mainly to carve curves tangentially. The flat iron usually has a slight hollow and is also intended for carving large areas. If you want to drive depressions and cavities into the wood, you need the curved hollow iron and the drill is the U-shaped carving knife. With it, you can model both holes, strong depressions, and rough outlines.
  • For more specialized work, you can resort to various special shapes, for example, the V-shaped goad can be used to carve corners, edges, and hair. Similarly, tapered flower irons, channel irons, Schaller irons, Backeroni irons, or Macaroni irons have become established in the traditional craft.
  • Carving knives for children: despite all the enthusiasm for art, carving knives are not toys. Children’s carving knives are characterized by a rounded tip to minimize the risk of injury. In addition, troughs are often incorporated into the child’s hand-sized handle to ensure a better grip.

We have compiled the best and most interesting carving knives. You can find the list with our product recommendations here.

Tip: You can find good hunting knives in our guide to hunting knives.

The Best Sellers Of Carving Knives

In a list of bestsellers we have compiled the most popular carving knives for you.

# Preview Product
1 Cutluxe Slicing Carving Knife – 12' Brisket Knife, Meat Cutting and BBQ Knife – Razor Sharp German Steel – Full Tang & Ergonomic Handle Design – Artisan Series Cutluxe Slicing Carving Knife – 12" Brisket Knife, Meat Cutting and BBQ Knife – Razor Sharp...
2 MAIRICO Ultra Sharp Premium 11-inch Stainless Steel Carving Knife - Ergonomic Design - Best for Slicing Roasts, Meats, Fruits and Vegetables MAIRICO Ultra Sharp Premium 11-inch Stainless Steel Carving Knife - Ergonomic Design - Best for...
3 SpitJack Brisket Knife for Meat Carving and Slicing - Stainless Steel, Granton Edge, 11 Inch Blade, BBQ Competition-Chef Series SpitJack Brisket Knife for Meat Carving and Slicing - Stainless Steel, Granton Edge, 11 Inch Blade,...
4 BOLEXINO 12 Inch Carving Slicing Knife, Ultra Sharp Premium Ham Slicer knife, Great for Slicing Roasts, Meats, Fruits and Vegetables (12' carving knife) BOLEXINO 12 Inch Carving Slicing Knife, Ultra Sharp Premium Ham Slicer knife, Great for Slicing...
5 12 Inch Carving Knife Ultra Sharp Slicing Knife,Hand Forged Brisket Knife High Carbon Steel Meat Slicer, Long Kitchen Knives,Best for Slicing Roasts, Meats, Fruits and Vegetables with Gift Box 12 Inch Carving Knife Ultra Sharp Slicing Knife,Hand Forged Brisket Knife High Carbon Steel Meat...
6 Victorinox 12 Inch Fibrox Pro Slicing Knife with Granton Blade Victorinox 12 Inch Fibrox Pro Slicing Knife with Granton Blade
7 Mercer Culinary M23011 Millennia Black Handle, 11-Inch, Slicer Mercer Culinary M23011 Millennia Black Handle, 11-Inch, Slicer
8 ODERFUN Carving Knife, Classic 4-Piece Carving Set, 8 Inch German Stainless Steel Carving Knife Fork Chef Knife meat tenderizer with Ergonomic & Full Tang Handle, Kitchen Knives for Turkey ODERFUN Carving Knife, Classic 4-Piece Carving Set, 8 Inch German Stainless Steel Carving Knife Fork...
9 FOXEL Best Meat Carving Knife for Slicing or Cutting Turkey, Brisket, or BBQ - Razor Sharp VG10 Japanese Steel Long Large 10 inch Blade - Highly Rust Resistant and Durable FOXEL Best Meat Carving Knife for Slicing or Cutting Turkey, Brisket, or BBQ - Razor Sharp VG10...
10 HENCKELS Classic Razor-Sharp 8-inch Carving Knife, German Engineered Informed by 100+ Years of Mastery HENCKELS Classic Razor-Sharp 8-inch Carving Knife, German Engineered Informed by 100+ Years of...
11 Mercer Culinary M20410 Genesis 10-Inch Carving Knife,Black Mercer Culinary M20410 Genesis 10-Inch Carving Knife,Black
12 HUMBEE Chef Carving Knife With Granton Edge For Home Kitchens Carving Knife 12 Inch Black HUMBEE Chef Carving Knife With Granton Edge For Home Kitchens Carving Knife 12 Inch Black
13 BeaverCraft Deluxe Wood Carving Kit S18X - Wood Carving Knife Set - Spoon Carving Tools Set - Whittling Knives Kit - Woodworking Kit Wood Carving Tools Kit Large Whittling Kit S18X BeaverCraft Deluxe Wood Carving Kit S18X - Wood Carving Knife Set - Spoon Carving Tools Set -...
14 Henckels Forged Accent 9-pc Barbecue Carving Tool Set Henckels Forged Accent 9-pc Barbecue Carving Tool Set
15 Hamilton Beach Electric Knife for Carving Meats, Poultry, Bread, Crafting Foam & More, with Reciprocating Serrated Stainless Steel Blades, Ergonomic Design, Storage Case + Fork Included, White Hamilton Beach Electric Knife for Carving Meats, Poultry, Bread, Crafting Foam & More, with...
16 PAUDIN Carving Knife Set 8' - German High Carbon Stainless Steel Turkey Carving Knife and Fork Set, BBQ Knife Set With Ergonomic Handle, Full Tang Professional Carving Knife For Meat, Turkey, Brisket PAUDIN Carving Knife Set 8" - German High Carbon Stainless Steel Turkey Carving Knife and Fork Set,...
17 VG10 Slicing Knife, 12 inch Japanese Carving Knife Ultra Sharp Forged High Carbon Stainless Steel Long Brisket Knife For Meat Cutting BBQ Full Tang Kitchen Knives Ergonomic Handle Gift Box VG10 Slicing Knife, 12 inch Japanese Carving Knife Ultra Sharp Forged High Carbon Stainless Steel...
18 HTIAM 4 Pieces Kitchen Vegetable DIY Carving Knives Professional Chef Knife Sharp Well Food Fruit Paring Knife HTIAM 4 Pieces Kitchen Vegetable DIY Carving Knives Professional Chef Knife Sharp Well Food Fruit...
19 Meat Carving Knife - Razor Sharp 12 in Large Slicer Carving Knife for Meat, Slicing Knife for Meat Cutting, Meat Slicing Knife for Brisket, Beef, BBQ, Ham etc. The Best Brisket Knife Meat Carving Knife - Razor Sharp 12 in Large Slicer Carving Knife for Meat, Slicing Knife for Meat...
20 Mueller Ultra-Carver Electric Knife for Carving Meats, Poultry, Bread, Crafting Foam. Stainless Steel Blades, Powerful Motor, Ergonomic Handle, One-Touch On/Off Button, Serving Fork Included, White Mueller Ultra-Carver Electric Knife for Carving Meats, Poultry, Bread, Crafting Foam. Stainless...

Tip: Pants with cut protection can be found in our guide to cut protection pants.

Current Offers On Carving Knives

You can find the best current offers on carving knives in this list.

SaleBestseller Nr. 4
HENCKELS Classic Razor-Sharp 8-inch Carving Knife, German Engineered Informed by 100+ Years of Mastery
HENCKELS Classic Razor-Sharp 8-inch Carving Knife, German Engineered Informed by 100+ Years of Mastery
Made in Spain; Fabricated from high-quality German stainless steel; Fully forged construction offers durability and a seamless transition from blade to handle
$84.00 −42%
SaleBestseller Nr. 5
Henckels Forged Accent 9-pc Barbecue Carving Tool Set
Henckels Forged Accent 9-pc Barbecue Carving Tool Set
Knives made from durable German stainless steel; Finely honed satin-finished blade for precision cutting and long-lasting sharpness
$149.99 −33%

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Which carving knife for beginners?

For starters, the carving knife should be very sharp and of very good quality, so that it is easier to carve. Many manufacturers offer special sets for beginners. You can’t go wrong in hardware stores.

Carving knife from when?

First and foremost, you should assess your child’s abilities as to when they are ready for a carving knife. Some models are available for children as young as 3 years old. At this age, however, your child should definitely be supervised. We also recommend collapsible carving knives for children.

Which carving knives?

Carving knives are usually available in sets, so there is something for every type of carving. These include, for example, ball irons, flat irons, hollow irons and drills. See the checklist above for a more detailed explanation.

Charlotte is passionate about writing for the Elternkompass. In her free time, her son Emil likes to keep her on her toes and together they spend a lot of time outdoors, walking around their home city of Leipzig. In her product recommendations, Charlotte shares her experiences with you.