I Own a Lot of Steak Knives, But These Steak Knives Rule Them All

Elyse Inamine
·2 min read

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My husband has a steak-knife problem. He can’t stop buying them—chunky wood ones; a delicate, bone-china-hued Laguiole set, who knows what’s next. (One coworker asked if he was a serial killer, given his affinity. For the record, he’s not!)

I didn’t understand his obsession until I stumbled upon these stunning steak knives at Cheval d’Or in Paris via Instagram (I know, I know, but whatever!). They looked playful and modern, as if designed in collaboration by my dream aesthetic duo: Dr. Seuss and Christian Louboutin. I suddenly understood the urge to buy pretty cutlery, so I got the set to marvel, I mean use, in real life.

Each Nontron knife is made by hand by 20 or so craftsmen in Nontron, France, a charming town in the southwestern part of the country, and each is meticulously labored over. Only one person will see the knife from start to finish—no Ford assembly line here, vive la France!—from sanding the handles, which are made from wood dried out for four years so it doesn’t warp, to the rest of the 39 steps (polishing, centering, and tightening the stainless steel blade for example). The result is a knife that’s not only beautiful to look out (just wait til your next dinner party!) but functional, with a blade sharper than Trevor Noah.

But even better: It’s put an end to my husband’s steak-knife shopping spree once and for all.

Buy it: Nontron multi-colored knife set, $265 for six at Nontron Knive

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Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit