A great knife makes you want to cook. But finding “the one” is notoriously difficult – and if you want to get a handle on your home cooking, it’s worth the search.

It’s a personal process: one cook’s precision tool is another’s clunky cleaver. Kazuki “Kaz” Hanzawa, who offers a curated range of Japanese blades at his two Melbourne stores, has compared finding the right knife to Harry Potter finding his wand.

To help you find your perfect match, we asked some of the country’s best chefs to share their daily drivers. These blades are a cut above the rest, spanning various shapes and materials – from sturdy stainless steel numbers to blue steel beauties (not the Zoolander kind). They share humble workhorses on sale for under $100 and handmade heirlooms with years-long waitlists.

The experts agree on one thing: if you invest well and maintain the knife’s edge, it will last a lifetime. “Although it can be an investment, a great knife is definitely worth it,” says pastry chef, chocolatier and cookbook author Kirsten Tibballs. (The non-stainless ones are more susceptible to rust, so steel yourself for a little extra upkeep.)

Holly Bodeker-Smith