I need Japanese steel

"Why do you need Japanese steel?"

"I have vermin to kill food to chop."

"You must have big rats hot girl you need Hattori Hanzo steel."

And while I'm not going to go on a Quentin Tarentino-fueled escapade, having one really awesome chef's knife makes everything that much better.

"I can tell you with no ego, this is my finest sword. If on your journey, you should encounter God, God will be cut." - Hattori Hanzo

(rewind 3 years)

Fighting the blistering cold of the imminent Swedish winter, I found myself wandering around the streets of downtown Stockholm.  As I continued to dodge the tourists, mothers with baby strollers, and rebellious youth, I fought my way into a large department store with hopes of reviving my body's warmth. Being me, I eventually landed in the kitchen department; however, unlike The Bride in Kill Bill, I wasn't searching for a knife that could cut God.  But that 8" Global Chef knife embedded behind the glass display case, framed in Swedish pine was still pretty damn impressive.

100s of Kroner and an awkward, broken-Swenglish conversation later, that sucker was mine...

Now, I'm not recommending going out to buy a Global-specific chef's knife¹ (even though Giadi de Laurentis uses them).  But to rather skip out on the two rounds of Patron shots for one night and buy a really, really nice chef's knife.  Believe me, it will be worth it.  It will cut everything.  You'll enjoy cutting everything.  And even though there's two day's of plate buildup in the sink, that knife will always be meticulously washed and dried before anything else is done.  It will never be dishwasher'ed but taken care of like a Fantasy Football team in the playoffs.

Now you don't have to go saturate your knife collection and buy the whole $1,000 set².  One (and maybe the pairing knife as a gift later) is all you really need.  The chef's knife makes it easy to cut, chop, dice, trim, and clean dishes (kidding, but maybe she'll clean up since she was that impressed by your cooking skills and Japanese steel).  Just remember Tip #4 and don't rush things with a really sharp knife, the hospital is never a good second date.

¹ I like the weight of the Global knives, the single, forged steel blade and handle, the easy rocking motion and the good balance from the knife.

² I recently bought a couple the 8" Global Chef Knife as a wedding gift.  A knife is kind of an intense gift so I wasn't quite sure how'd they take it.  However, I just recently heard stories that there are "special rules" for that knife.  It's always washed and dried immediately.  It's never thrown in the dishwasher.  It's used daily, highly coveted, and potentially a source of contention in years to come.  Just yesterday, to the chagrin of the spouse, the whole Global knife set and block now sits proudly on the brand new kitchen counter top.

I'd like to see a set of gift registry towels achieve so much....