Top 10 Best Bob Kramer Knives 2024

Original Bob Kramer Knives are legendary works of art that are often priced in the $1,000’s for being unique, hand-made works of beauty and function. Even at those prices, they’re not able to be directly ordered without time on a waiting list. Most recently, to acquire these handmade originals, it seems you can only buy Bob Kramer knives at auctions! Luckily, there are more options readily available from other sources and at more reasonable prices, as you’ll discover below.

Every knife features:

• Full tang tapered to Bob Kramer’s precise specifications
• Triple-riveted for strength and control
• Traditional 3-step hand finishing on each edge
• 15° angle on each side for super sharpness
• Ergonomic design for hours of comfortable use

The signature decorative center pin on each knife is still handcrafted by Bob Kramer himself. Skilled Japanese knife-makers hand finishes each knife using a traditional honbazuke honing technique. The blades are sharpened twice on whetstones with custom grits, followed by mirror polishing on a leather wheel.

The 10 Best Bob Kramer Knives

Bob Kramer 10″ Stainless Damascus Chef’s Knife

This is one of the most appealing and finest kitchenware tools I had ever in my hands. Its performance is outstanding.
Bob’s design has an extremely wide blade to maximize knuckle clearance for larger hands. This comes in handy as well when you are cutting through large produce and piles of food.

This Bob Kramer stainless steel knife features extreme sharpness and long-lasting durability. Made from Sg2 (Mc63) micro-carbide powder steel and ice-hardened to 63 Rockwell. This steel treatment technique is performed only on superior quality knives. The SG2 super steel core is protected by an exceptionally beautiful 100-layer Chevron Damascus pattern. The triple-riveted handle provides an ergonomic design for phenomenal control and balance.
IF you are serious about your Chef Knife – this is one you might consider!

Bob Kramer by Zwilling Stainless Damascus 7-Piece Block Set

If you can’t decide which of these incredible knives you love the most, this 7-piece Bob Kramer knife set includes 5 of the most popular Bob Kramer Knives of all time. Each knife is hand-made in Seki City, Japan, and includes a lifetime warranty.

Included in this set:

• 3½-inch Paring Knife
• 5-inch Utility Knife
• 8-inch Chef’s Knife
• 10-inch Bread Knife
• 9-inch Slicer
• Kramer’s double-cut Sharpening Steel
• Dark-Walnut Knife Block.

Easily, the best “single” choice on this list!

Bob Kramer Meiji 9-inch Slicer by Zwilling J.A. Henckels

The Ice-hardened FRIODURx2 blade of this Bob Kramer Meiji 9-inch Slicer offers exceptional durability, cutting edge retention, and corrosion resistance. The core of the blade is made of FC61 fine carbide stainless steel. It is protected by 100 layers of nickel and stainless steel. Bob Kramer’s distinctive etched ladder Damascus pattern provides added durability.

Bob Kramer Carbon Collection 6 Inch Chef Knife

The Bob Kramer Carbon 6-Inch Chef Knife by Zwilling J.A. Henckels is made with 52100 carbon steel. It will discolor over time and develop a patina. If you do not like this – you must get another knife! But if you like this, you will love this knife. It is a small chef knife, so it is light, and you can work longer with it. You can get this knife with an 8-inch and 10-inch blade as well. Whether it is for professional or amateur use, this cutting tool can upgrade your culinary experience to the next level.

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Bob Kramer 7″ Stainless Damascus Santoku Knife by Zwilling J.A. Henckels

The appealing and fine design of this Bob Kramer Santoku Knife by Zwilling J.A. Henckels is striking. Similar to the 10-inch Chef knife, the Santoku design has an extremely wide blade to maximize knuckle clearance for larger hands. The Chef knife and the Santoku knife are general-purpose knives used for a variety of cutting tasks such as chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing.

The word “Santoku” translates to the ‘three virtues’ or ‘three uses’ of chopping, dicing, and mincing. It handles all of these jobs perfectly. But you should avoid chopping large meat bones, slicing bread, and precision tasks (such as peeling). Santoku knives are particularly good at creating very thin slices of food. This also improves the overall aesthetics of the completed dishes.
This knife feels like an extension of your arm.

Bob Kramer 7-inch Carbon Steel Santoku by Zwilling J. A. Henckels

The santoku knife is often claimed to be a fusion between a chef’s knife and a vegetable cleaver or Nakiri, giving you the benefits of both.
Straight carbon steel requires knowledge and care to maintain. In return, owners will be rewarded with a sharp edge that only straight carbon can deliver. This Santoku knife has a typical Bob Kramer wide blade, so you have ample knuckle clearance.
It will discolor over time and develop a patina. This is completely normal.

Bob Kramer Essential Collection 8-inch Chef Knife

The knives in the essential collection are influenced by traditional European designs. Each knife in the Essential Collection has been optimized for kitchen use. The Bob Kramer Essential Collection 8-inch Chef Knive has a wide blade for increased knuckle clearance and a rounded spine for comfort while using a pinch grip. The knife features an ergonomic triple-riveted handle for secure, easy cutting. The brushed polymer handles together with the polished bolster and full-tang construction result in a perfectly balanced knife. It is a joy to use. The edge angle is 9-12 degrees on each side.
But be careful – this is the gateway drug to Bob Kramer knives. You might want more after you get this one.

Bob Kramer 10-inch Stainless Damascus Bread Knife

It’s a bit of an overkill, but it is a really good bread knife. If you can afford it you will not regret it! It cuts to every kind of brad as a warm butter knife cuts through butter. The Stainless Damascus Bread Knife is made with the same love for detail and high-quality materials as all the other Bob Kramer knives from the Damascus collection.

Bob Kramer Essential 4-inch Paring Knife by Zwilling J.A. Henckels

Like the other knives in the Essential line, the Bob Kramer Essential 4-Inch Paring Knife is made in the knife-making capital of Seki, Japan. The knives undergo a 100-step, 42-day manufacturing process, during which they pass through the hands of 45 expert artisans. Perform all of your small cutting tasks with ease and a smile on your face!

Carbon 7-Piece Block Set by Zwilling J.A. Henckels

We do like this set and the nice magnetic block it comes with. You can enjoy your knives even when you do not use them. And when you work with them, you always have the right knife since there is no guesswork involved anymore when you can see the knife before you take it out of the knife block.
The blades will develop a blue-gray patina which I, many knife lovers and professional chefs really like. These quality knives are easy to care for. Just keep them clean and dry for a lifetime of unparalleled performance.

Included in this Set:

• 3.5-inch Paring Knife
• 5-inch Utility Knife
• 8-inch Chef Knife
• 10-inch Bread Knife
• 9-inch Slicer
• 12-inch Steel
• Upright Magnetic Block

Never put these knives in a dishwasher! Always wash by hand and dry immediately.

About the Bladesmith:
Bob Kramer worked in professional kitchens for over 10 years, including Seattle’s Four Seasons Olympic Hotel, while studying at the University of Washington. He realized during that time that many chefs in the industry were encountering the same issue with dull knives that he was experiencing. He became obsessed with solving the problem of keeping knives sharp, which lead him to attend a two-week course at the American Bladesmith Society’s school to become an apprentice knife maker in 1992. He received the Master Bladesmith recognition in 1997. His first knife shop in Seattle, Bladesmiths, opened in 1993.