Review: Edge of Belgravia Black Diamond Knife Block and Precision Chef Knife Series

Being offered great knives is one of the many lovely things about writing a blog that also has so much food on it.  The new Black Diamond shaped knife block I received, was created by London designer, Christian Bird.  It’s a very modern and swish addition to any kitchen, and it just happens to be black, which is colour of my lovely worktop.

The Black Diamond Knife Block is pretty futuristic and quite quirky.  I think I love it just for that alone.

It’s designed to be easy to use, and the slots are big enough to take almost any set of knives that I own.  As long as knives are up to 4mm thick, they will fit.

I can see me putting this to good use as a hold all, since it holds up to 11 knives, and my current one only holds 5.  Knives are easy to pull out and glide into their slots.

I was also lucky enough to receive the Precision Chef Knife Series, which consists of:

• Bread Knife 6″
• Deba 5″, inspired by traditional Japanese “Deba”.  Perfect for salmon, tuna, sushi and even fruit and veg.
• Chef’s 6″, my favourite.  A knife for all reasons is what I’d call it.  Very very sharp, and cuts incredibly cleanly.
• Paring 4″, perfect precision cutting as my new paring knife.  I love it.

I have to say, that when I first saw the size of the paring knife, I felt a pang of disappointment, but it soon changed when I actually began to use it.

My own paring knife is years old and has seen better days.  It’s also a much much smaller blade, and I now know, that my old one is completely blunt in comparison to the sheer sharp edges of these knives.  Made of stainless steel, they have a non-stick coating, which is a revelation for me.  I’ve never actually had knives like these before.

The design of the knives is also unusual, and is bold, with easy grip and large enough handles for me to feel comfortable that they won’t slip.    The handle design even won a piece of the D&AD product design award, in competition with the Apple iPad2.

Knife Safety

Always be aware that with knives, we all have a duty of care, especially towards our children in busy kitchens.  These are excellent knives, but keep them well away from inquisitive fingers.   Other warnings are:

• Keep them away from heat.
• Use only for preparing food.  (not for opening parcels)

Care of These Knives

• Always wash and dry after use.
• Sharpen knives regularly to retain the crisp and clean sharp blade slicing.

Thanks to Edge of Belgravia for sending the knife block and knife set to review.