Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the Virginia Boys Kitchens 8 Inch Chef’s Knife.  Okay a 500 dollar MT Custom Knife this is not, but it is amazing for the price.  The Virginia Boys Kitchens 8 Inch Chef’s Knife sells for only 59.97 with free shipping on Amazon.  In some ways this knife makes me think of the Mora #2.  Of course the knives themselves are nothing alike, but the similarity is the value.

I look at the little Mora #2 for under 17 bucks and think, how can they make and sell that knife at that price.  If I had to buy the materials alone I would be close to it, then I would have to make it.  When I look at the Virginia Boys Kitchens Chef’s Knife I feel much the same way.  The steel is 420 stainless, while this is not a steel I would want in a bush crafting knife, it is perfect for an every day kitchen knife.  420 is somewhat soft (for steel mind you) and so it allows you to easily maintain an edge with a quality sharpening steel.  I have kitchen knives made with this steel that have gone literally years without being stone or belt sharpened, simply by tuning them up with a steel each time they are used.  These knives will still shave hair.

Now don’t get me wrong, if you don’t keep the edge keen with a steel 420 will dull rather quickly, but the good news it is also easy to sharpen.  Like I said, a great kitchen knife steel, but not a great steel for an EDC or bush craft knife.  This knife is though of course for slicing meat and tomatoes, not batoning kindling.  You have heard of the right tool for the right job, well this is an example of the right material for the right tool.

Next up I really won’t even look at a kitchen knife unless it is full tang, this one is and the fit and finish is very well done.  It isn’t perfect, but it is damn solid.  The full tang is covered in walnut scales that are very nice for the price point, honestly better than some at a much higher price point.  The handle is affixed to the tang with brass rivets that give a great finished yet unpretentious look.

When I look at this knife I tend to think, if a modern chef’s knife and a classic Old Hickory Knife had a baby this might be the result.  And I am not talking the new Old Hickory kitchen knives, I am talking the 50 year old ones you are lucky to come by at a swap meet or flea market once every so often.  The simple walnut and brass handle makes the knife look classic, like something your grand father would have owned.  But the well crafted, finished and shaped blade says hey I am a 21st century knife.

Finally it just looks damn good and if you are looking for a Christmas gift this time of year for anyone who loves spending time in the kitchen they are just going to love this.  It is simply one of those items I recommend due to it being such a solid cost to value ratio.  Let me put it this way, if a member of this audience was making these knives and sent me one and asked my my opinion of how to price it, I would say 90-120 dollars.  I would push them to the 120 range so they had room for sales and wholesale deals as well.  To see this knife priced at about 60 bucks just blows me away.

So are there any negatives?  I can only come up with one and it is really nit picking.  That one issue is the dimensions of the handle.  Frankly I think many people will love it but for me it is a bit narrow in dimension.  Again this is a nit pick honestly and those with smaller hands will likely approve of the handle to a high degree.

Other than that this is what you are getting a quality chef’s knife that looks amazing and preforms very well in the kitchen.  And a knife made right here in America, not stamped out in some chop shop in China.  For 60 bucks it is hard to beat, in fact I have not found anything at the price point that beats it.  And while you can always return items you buy on Amazon, the manufacture stands behind this product with a 100% money back guarantee.  Again it makes a great Christmas gift for the foodie in your life, but once you get your hands on it be warned you are going to want one for yourself as well.  So check out the Virginia Boys Kitchens 8 Inch Chef’s Knife today and give your kitchen an upgrade.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

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P.S. – The main things I see with most people’s kitchen knives that makes them unhappy is they end up dull and dinged.  Here are my suggestions for any kitchen knife to avoid these problems…

1.  As I said, get a quality steel and learn to use it.  If you use it right knives like this seldom need much more.  Learn to get the right angle and use very little pressure, let the steel do the work and understand a steel is for keeping a knife sharp, not sharpening a dull knife.
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2. Never, ever, never, ever, ever, ever, put a quality kitchen knife in the dishwasher.  Never, ever, ever.  Got it?  I trust government more then I trust my knife in the dishwasher.
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3. Clean your kitchen knife and tune it up with your steel as soon as you are done with it.  NEVER EVER throw it in the sink to soak, etc..
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4. Store your knife in a sheath, on a magnetic knife strip or in a knife block.  NEVER EVER put your knife in a drawer with other knifes unless it is in a sheath of some sort.  My preferred method of storage is a magnetic knife holder on my wall.  It keeps it where I can always get it and above the reach of small hands by grand kids not yet ready to master knife skills.
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5. This is a delicate one but certain people should not be allowed to touch your “good knives”.  They break the above rules and do things with knives that they are not meant to do.  For instance they cut stuff on glass or ceramic surfaces.  They push chopped vegetables off a cutting board with the edge vs. the back of the knife etc.  You either get these folks to follow the rules or get them their own lower quality knives. Once they prove they can take care of 5-15 dollar cheapos from the grocery store gadgets isle you let them work with your good knives.

Follow those rules and you will be happy with most knifes in your kitchen.  I can’t stress the steel enough though.  Again I have knives that have not seen a stone or a belt in years that still shave hair, just keep them sharp and they will serve you well.