Your friend will most likely have a good idea of the kind of knife she likes. So I'd suggest giving her a gift certificate to a kitchen supply store or on line vendor. Or you could tell her you want a knife for yourself and see what she recommends/likes/wants.
The problem with knife buying for others is that if it doesn't feel right to the person using it, then the knife is useless. So buying a knife inescapably means handling it before buying.
There are plenty of threads on this forum that explain in great detail all about the various knives, the steel they are made from, sharpening, etc. so you can read those if you care to spend the time.
As a very brief overview, I'll say that there are German style, French style and Japanese style knives,
They are made out of carbon or stainless steel or combinations of the two. They come in six, eight or ten inch lengths. They can be hand forged or stamped. None of these types, styles or methods of production necessarily infer quality or price. So it gets messy and complicated very quickly which is why a gift certificate is a good choice.
Anyway, she will be able to get a very nice knife for 200-300 dollars. That's a very nice gift.
The problem with knife buying for others is that if it doesn't feel right to the person using it, then the knife is useless. So buying a knife inescapably means handling it before buying.
There are plenty of threads on this forum that explain in great detail all about the various knives, the steel they are made from, sharpening, etc. so you can read those if you care to spend the time.
As a very brief overview, I'll say that there are German style, French style and Japanese style knives,
They are made out of carbon or stainless steel or combinations of the two. They come in six, eight or ten inch lengths. They can be hand forged or stamped. None of these types, styles or methods of production necessarily infer quality or price. So it gets messy and complicated very quickly which is why a gift certificate is a good choice.
Anyway, she will be able to get a very nice knife for 200-300 dollars. That's a very nice gift.
