A chef’s knife is their number one tool in the kitchen. A good knife must be sharp, well balanced, and crafted with care if it’s going to last in any kitchen, whether it be a busy restaurant or a home. Without a proper knife, cooking is nearly impossible.
There are hundreds of knives out there, but one company has been getting some traction on social media lately for the beautiful, hand-forged knives. This company, The Cooking Guild, has a wide variety of knives in different shapes and sizes, but what exactly makes them so special? Where are The Cooking Guild knives made?
The Cooking Guild appears to be based out of Moreno, California, so we can assume that is where their knives are made as well. Information on the production of the knives is scarce, though, so production of the knives themselves may come from another location.
It can be frustrating when a product’s origins are vague, but do The Cooking Guilds products live up to the hype, even if we don’t know a concrete location on where the knives are made? Read on to find out what we know about The Cooking Guild and their products!
Where Are The Cooking Guild Knives Made?
The company The Cooking Guild is based out of Merano, California in the United States. Since this is the only company headquarters listed on their website, we can only assume that this is also where their knives are made.
That being said, it isn’t uncommon for companies to have their products built elsewhere and shipped to them before being sold. The Cooking Guild knives are all hand-forged, which is a delicate and time-consuming process, so it’s doubtful the knives are factory-made.
Their website also states that the knives are shipped from a fulfillment center in California and that they ship worldwide.
The only other clue to where their knives are made is that their website mentions that their blacksmiths learned their craft in the middle east. Still, there are no addresses listed beside the one in Merano, California.
Who Are The Cooking Guild?
The Cooking Guild is a knife sales company that specializes in hand-forged knives of all kinds, like cleavers and santoku knives.
The CEO of The Cooking Guild, Curtis Wright, began the company in 2019 and it has since taken off on social media as one of the go-to companies for high-quality knives.
The types of knives The Cooking Guild carries includes, but aren’t limited to:
- Cleaver
- Santoku
- Chef’s Knife
- Petty Knife
- Filet Knife
The Cooking Guild also produces knives made from three different types of steel: High carbon steel, stainless steel, and Damascus steel.
High Carbon Steel
High carbon steel is steel that has a carbon content of 0.55 or higher. High carbon steel is some of the hardest steel around, but its high carbon content means it’s also more brittle than other steels, making it more vulnerable to fracturing.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is steel that is composed of at least 10% but not more than 30% chromium. Stainless steel never rusts and is very strong. Unfortunately, these benefits make stainless steel a little more pricey than other types of steel.
Damascus Steel
Made through a technique called billet welding, or pattern welding, modern Damascus steel uses multiple pieces of different steel forged together to create an interesting and beautiful pattern. The toughness and durability of the steel will depend on what type of steel went into Damascus.
How Are The Cooking Guild Knives Made?
Another notable thing about The Cooking Guild is that every single one of their knives is hand-forged. There are two ways to make modern knives, forging and stamping.
Stamping is the process of stamping out the shape of a knife from a sheet of steel, and heating it for strength and durability.
The most important part of the knife creation, whether it be stamped or hand-forged, is the heat. Even, proper heating will make all the difference.
The Cooking Guild knives are made using the more labor-intensive, difficult method of hand forging that requires a piece of steel to be heated and hammered out by hand. While this takes a bit longer, it guarantees that your knife will be unique to you, and will have been crafted by a blacksmith that knows their craft well.
Hand-forged knives will be more costly since so much labor goes into creating them. Stamped knives can be excellent knives, too, but because of the stamping process, they will need to be sharpened more often than hard-forged blades.
Where Is The Cooking Guild Based?
Per their website, the cooking guild is located in Merano, California, in the United States.
The cooking guild also lists on their website that all of their products ship from a fulfillment center in California.
Related Questions
Are the Cooking Guild knives good?
The Cooking Guild knives are quality knives. They are all hand-forged and made with either high carbon steel, stainless steel, or Damascus steel.
What is the best Cooking Guild knife?
The Cooking Guild is famous for their Serbian Cleaver, which you can get either by itself or in one of the many bundles The Cooking Guild offers.
Can the Cooking Guild knives be sharpened?
Yes, The Cooking Guild Knives can be sharpened, but make sure to use good quality sharpening tools to keep your knives in the best shape possible.
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