Whetstone
£33
Season S4 Knives
The one you buy once.
Our finest knives, and nothing in them is a compromise: best Damascus steel, full tang, triple-riveted rosewood handle, taken to 61 on the Rockwell scale. Go harder and the steel chips and fights the stone, so these aren't just the best we make, they're as good as a knife gets.
If you're buying one knife, start with the chef's knife - the sections below take you the rest of the way.
See every S4 knife in one of our four London shops, with staff who use them every day. Bought once, kept sharp for life.
Everyday knives
The knives you reach for without thinking. Start here if you're buying one good knife, or the two or three that cover most of what you do.
Specialist knives
For the jobs a chef's knife shouldn't do - slicing bread, carving a joint, working around bone. Not everyone needs these. When you do, nothing else comes close.
Sets
The same knives, bought together - a starting kit, a gift, or the full set in a block. If you're setting up a kitchen or buying for someone who cooks, this is the shortcut.
Blocks
An empty block, for the knives you already own or the ones you'll add over time. Build your own set rather than buy one whole.
S4 Knife Block - £38
Keep them sharp
A whetstone and a few minutes.
Damascus holds an edge, but every knife dulls with use. A whetstone and a few minutes now and then is the difference between a knife that lasts a year and one that lasts a life.
Sharpening guide
Sets the angle for you