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France is renowned for its wine and cuisine and the latter reputation is distinguished by two great marques, Le Creuset cast iron cookware and Sabatier knives.
Sabatier might well find their products being produced in China but if you buy Sabatier products from a reputable cook shop packaged in Sabatier packaging then I doubt you're going to find that you've bought a cheap fake.

If you are in any doubt then look at the hilt of the knife the point where the blade meets the handle. True Sabatier knives are made from just one piece of steel so if the blade is steel but the metal that goes between the black handle inserts and the blade is aluminium then it's a fake.

Just because an unscrupulous manufacturer is riding on the back of an established name does not always mean the product is of any less quality. As much as it ghouls me to admit it, the fake Sabatier I unwittingly bought nearly twenty years ago is still giving me daily service. If the manufacturer had the guts to sell it under their own name the might well be as much a name to be reckoned with.

Do Sabatier knives live up to their reputation and is that reputation deserved? If you are serious about preparing and cooking good food then there can be few more divisive choices to make than selecting a good set of knives to work with.

The steel Sabatier use is good quality but there is better on the market, assuming you are willing to pay for it. Not that I am saying Sabatier steel isn't \ny good, quite the opposite in fact. All the Sabatier knives I have used cut well and are have all kept a sharp edge and when they need sharpening it is not difficult to get a good edge on any Sabatier.

Other than the steel the blade is made from the most important factor about a knife must be comfort. Any knife must sit comfortably in the hand that is going to use it. If it doesn't then you run the risk of cutting yourself; and no one wants to do that.

Before I go on any further I ought to point out that I have large male hands so a larger, more substantial handle is more preferable for me.

I have four knives that I use regularly. A four inch Sabatier paring knife, a six inch Sabatier cook's knife, a six inch Sanelli cook's knife and an eight inch Kitchen Devil cook's knife. My favourite has to be the paring knife. The handle is perfectly shaped for holding between thumb and fingertips, which is how you normally use a paring knife for small work, well I do.

Of the two six inch cooks knives I do have a preference for the Sanelli as the handle is more substantial and I feel more in control as I can grip the handle more securely. It was for this reason that I decided to buy the eight inch Kitchen Devil as the grip on the eight inch Sabatier did not make me feel at all confident.

The issues I have with the Sabatier handles are that they are very smooth and they are have squared off edges. The smooth surface means that when it is wet, the handle is prone to rotating. Again if the handle was more round then it would be easier to grip when wet.

Overall I like Sabatier knives, their reputation is well deserved and their price is not that bad considering the name you are buying, but those of us with larger hands would prefer larger handles.

Learn more about this author, Ian Pauley.
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