The Best Carving Knife

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Carving is the one knife job most people only do a few times a year, usually in front of the whole family. That’s exactly when a dull or wrong-sized knife shreds the turkey breast and turns the prime rib into ragged slabs. A good carving knife makes it look easy.

I picked these four from maker specs and from what home cooks and BBQ sites report about long-term use. I make knife handles in my workshop, so I paid attention to grip too, because carving means a lot of slicing with greasy hands.

The four picks

Carving knife vs. slicing knife

They look similar, but they’re shaped for different roasts.

Carving knives have a pointed tip that works around bones and into joints, like cutting a turkey thigh away from the body or carving around a ham bone.

Slicing knives have a long blade that slices a wide roast in one pull, which keeps slices clean. Smoked BBQ Source describes slicers as thinner, more flexible and rounded at the tip, and carving knives as thicker, stiffer and pointed.

If you cook both kinds of roasts, an 8-inch carving knife and a 12-inch slicer cover everything.

1. Wüsthof Classic 8-inch hollow edge carving knife: best carving knife

The Wüsthof Classic carving knife is a forged, full-tang knife with a pointed tip and a hollow edge (oval dimples along the blade). Wüsthof lists it at 58 HRC, with its standard 14-degree edge, and says to wash it by hand and towel-dry it right away, per Wüsthof’s product page.

Why it’s the pick:

• The pointed tip gets into turkey joints and around ham bones.
• The hollow edge reduces sticking on moist meat.
• Forged construction gives a solid, balanced feel.
• It matches a Wüsthof Classic set if you already own one.

What to watch: it’s expensive for a knife you use a few times a year, and at 8 inches it’s too short for one-stroke slices of a wide brisket or prime rib.

2. Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch carving knife: best budget carving knife

Victorinox’s Fibrox carving knife has a 7.9-inch straight-edge blade, weighs 4.6 oz and has the familiar non-slip Fibrox handle, according to Victorinox. Victorinox lists it as dishwasher safe.

Why it’s a good choice:

• Light and easy to control.
• The grippy handle stays secure with greasy hands.
• Costs much less than forged carving knives.
• Soft steel is easy to sharpen before each holiday.

What to watch: it looks plain on the holiday table, and the softer steel needs a quick honing before each carve.

3. Victorinox Fibrox Pro 12-inch granton slicer: best for boneless roasts

This is the slicer BBQ sites and forums recommend most for brisket, and it’s just as good on prime rib, roast beef, pork loin and holiday ham off the bone. The 12-inch blade with a granton edge and rounded tip slices wide roasts in one long stroke.

My brisket knife guide covers it in detail.

What to watch: it doesn’t fit most knife blocks, and it’s the wrong shape for working around bones.

4. Mercer Millennia 11-inch granton slicer: budget slicer

Mercer’s 11-inch granton slicer is a cheaper alternative. Mercer lists it at 53 to 54 HRC with a 15-degree edge and a textured handle with a finger guard. AmazingRibs reviewed it and says the 11-inch blade lets you slice a brisket or roast in one motion.

What to watch: softer steel needs honing more often, and Mercer says not to put it in the dishwasher.

What to look for in a carving knife

Length. 8 to 10 inches for carving bone-in birds and hams; 11 to 12 inches (or 14 for very large roasts) for slicing boneless meat. The blade should be longer than the slice is wide.

Tip shape. Pointed for working around bones; rounded for straight slicing.

Granton or hollow edge. The dimples reduce suction so slices fall away from the blade. Helpful on moist, fatty meat.

Flexibility. A little flex helps follow the curve of a roast; too much makes slices uneven.

Handle grip. Carving means greasy hands. Textured handles grip better than polished ones.

Steel. Most carving knives use fairly soft stainless steel, which is fine: they’re easy to hone right before you carve.

Do you need a carving fork?

A carving fork holds the roast steady while you slice. It’s useful for big birds and hams. Smoked BBQ Source warns that carving sets sold with a fork tend to be cheap and dull quickly, so buy a good knife on its own and add a fork separately if you want one. Tongs or a clean kitchen towel also hold a roast well.

How to carve a turkey

1. Rest the bird for 20 to 30 minutes after roasting.
2. Remove the legs. Cut through the skin between leg and body, pull the leg outward, and cut through the hip joint with the knife’s tip.
3. Separate drumstick and thigh at the joint.
4. Slice the thigh meat off the bone.
5. Remove each breast in one piece by cutting along the breastbone and down along the rib cage.
6. Slice the breast across the grain into even slices on the board.
7. Remove the wings at the shoulder joint.

Carving the breast off the bone first, then slicing it on the board, gives neater slices than carving thin slices off the bird.

How to carve a ham

1. Set the ham on its flat side, or cut a thin slice off one side to make it stable.
2. Slice down to the bone in even slices.
3. Cut horizontally along the bone to release the slices.
4. Turn and repeat on the other side.

How to slice prime rib or roast beef

1. Rest the roast before slicing.
2. If bone-in, cut the bones away in one piece with the carving knife, following the curve of the bones.
3. Switch to a slicer for the boneless roast.
4. Slice across the grain in long single strokes, as thick as you like.

How to carve a whole chicken

A roast chicken is the carving job most people do most often, and it’s a smaller version of the turkey method.

1. Rest the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Cut through the skin between leg and body and pull the leg outward until the hip joint pops.
3. Cut through the joint with the tip of the knife.
4. Separate drumstick and thigh at the joint.
5. Cut along one side of the breastbone and follow the rib cage down to remove the breast in one piece.
6. Remove the wing at the shoulder joint.
7. Slice the breast across the grain.
8. Repeat on the other side.

An 8-inch carving knife or even a chef’s knife handles a chicken well.

How to carve a leg of lamb

1. Rest the roast.
2. Hold the shank end with a towel or carving fork.
3. Slice down toward the bone in thin slices, parallel to each other.
4. Cut along the bone to release the slices.
5. Turn the leg and repeat on the other side.

A pointed carving knife follows the curved bone more easily than a slicer.

Which knife for which roast

Common carving mistakes

Carving straight out of the oven. Juices run out. Rest the meat first.

Using a dull knife. It tears. Hone right before you carve.

Sawing. Use long, smooth strokes with the full blade.

Carving against the bone with the edge. Work along bones with the tip, not into them, or you’ll chip the edge.

Slicing with the grain. Slices come out stringy. Turn the meat so you cut across the muscle fibers.

Carving on a small board. A big board with a juice groove keeps the counter clean and gives you room to work.

How to keep a carving knife sharp

Carving knives sit in the drawer most of the year, so they often come out dull at the worst moment.

• Hone before each use. A few light strokes per side on a ceramic or steel rod.
• Sharpen a week before big holidays. That gives you time to fix a bad edge.
• Store it protected, with a blade guard or on a strip, so it doesn’t get banged around.
• Hand wash and dry, even if it’s listed as dishwasher safe.

My sharpener guide covers the options.

Board and setup for carving

A good carving setup makes as much difference as the knife:

• A large board with a juice groove, so juices don’t run onto the counter.
• A damp towel under the board to stop it sliding.
• A clean towel or carving fork to hold the roast.
• A warm platter ready for slices.
• Good light. It’s easier to see joints and grain.
• Room to work. Carve on the counter, not on a crowded table.

Electric carving knives

Electric knives are fast and handy for a big holiday crowd. They’re loud, less precise and need storage. A sharp manual carving knife does a cleaner job for most home roasts, and it doubles as an everyday slicer.

My pick

If you carve turkey and ham every year and want a knife that lasts a lifetime, the Wüsthof Classic hollow edge carving knife is the classic choice. To spend less, the Victorinox Fibrox carving knife does the job well. Add a 12-inch slicer like the Victorinox granton if you also cook prime rib, brisket or big boneless roasts.