Best Steak Knives: These Are A Cut Above The Rest

Buyer's Guides

Best Steak Knives: These Are A Cut Above The Rest

Pat Covert

September 30, 2024

Best Steak Knives: These Are A Cut Above The Rest — The test steak knives, from top: Emerson Folding Steak Knife, Sharps Bros. Meanstreak Grill & Steak and Bradford USA Orwell.

Don’t trust your prime cut to anything less!

Cooking a great filet mignon, ribeye or any good cut of meat is an art, so shouldn’t eating it be the same? Most of you have had a good cut of meat fall victim to a dull knife, sliding around on the plate like an ice skater on a rink, scattering peas and mashed potatoes to the wind. As blade-loving folk you know the benefits of a good cutter, so in BLADE®’s special kitchen knife issue let’s consider some of the more refined offerings in steak knives.

Best Steak Knives Specs Comparison

Knife	Blade Length (inches)	Blade Steel	Blade Pattern	Handle Material	Weight (ounces)	Overall Length	Carry	Country Of Origin	MSRP
Bradford Orwell Steak Knife	4.2	AEB-L Stainless	Clip Point	Tan Micarta®	3	8.5	Kydex Sleeve	USA	$128 ($168 with sheath)
Emerson Folding Steak Knife	3.9	154CM Stainless	Clip point	Tan/black layered Richlite	4.56	5	Blade-tip-up pocket clip	USA	$335
Sharps Bros. Meanstreak Grill & Steak Knife	5	S35VN Stainless	Clip point	Titanium	6	9.25	Black thermoplastic blade cover	USA	$110

Bradford USA Orwell Steak Knife

Bradford USA Orwell cutting steak — The author stated the Bradford USA Orwell handles and cuts like a steak knife should, adding “The level of construction and finish is very high throughout, and the Uddeholm AEB-L stainless steel blade is many cuts above that of the average steak knife.” Note the Micarta® handle with a nice palm swell for an enhanced grip and handling.

The Orwell Steak Knife from Bradford USA may look like a Webster Dictionary depiction of what a carnivore cutter should be, but there’s more than meets the eye in this upscale slicer.

The Orwell is a spinoff of the company’s Gatsby design with more handle options geared toward the tactical user and outdoorsman. The full, flat-ground, gently clipped blade has a stonewashed finish (a high polish is also optional). Handle scales on the test sample are tan Micarta®—black, camo and OD green are also available. The test Orwell was delivered with an optional black Kydex sheath.

Of the three review knives, the Orwell more closely resembles what most consider the norm among steak knives in size and configuration. Where it differs from the norm is in sheer quality of both materials and fit and finish.

For your inspection: an inexpensive, run-of-the-mill steak knife and the Bradford. Note the pleasing line and flow of the Bradford compared to lack of same in the other knife. If you’re going to spend good money on an expensive cut of meat, why not spend money on a knife you’ll enjoy eating it with?

I cooked up a black Angus ribeye steak for the occasion and took the Orwell to task. The AEB-L stainless steel blade glided through the steak effortlessly, you might say, “Like an Uddeholm steel should.” This was also aided by the fact that Orwell was the thinnest test blade.

Bradford did a superb job on the handle scales with just the right amount of palm swell for gripping, along with a high degree of finishing for overall comfort. I really had no “druthers” with the Orwell at all, and the Kydex sheath is worth the price of admission both as a protective cover in the drawer or for field use.

Orwell Steak Knife Specs
Blade length: 4.2”
Blade steel: AEB-L stainless
Blade pattern: Clip point
Handle material: Tan Micarta®
Weight: 3 ozs.
Overall length: 8.5”
Carry: Kydex sleeve, easily converted to belt
Country of origin: USA
MSRP: $128 ($168 w/sheath)

Orwell Deals

Ernest Emerson Folding Steak Knife

Emerson Knives Folding Steak Knife cutting steak — The author used the Emerson Knives Folding Steak Knife to cut strips of steak for fajitas. The knife is not as svelte as its two test counterparts but if you eat out frequently the portability is well worth the price of admission.

Leave it to Ernest Emerson to produce a steak knife folder. That’s his job, that’s what he does!

The blade of the Emerson Folding Steak Knife boasts an almost imperceptible clip point with a flat grind and rolls out via an ambidextrous thumb disc. The blade secures via a linerlock inside the open titanium frame. The brown layered handle slabs give the knife a rustic look, though you can go with black G-10 if you’ve got a tactical slant. An ample 2.3-inch pocket clip occupies the frame’s back side.

I devoted a portion of the ribeye to taking off approximately 1/8-inch slices for steak fajitas with the Emerson. The 154CM stainless steel blade did an admirable job of slicing, though it is slightly clumsier due to the bulk of the handle compared to, well, a fixed-blade steak knife. That’s the price you pay for portability.

Emerson steak knife closed with carrying case — If you eat out a lot and are out and about doing so, the Emerson may just be your best friend. You’ll never have to experience Sliding Steak Syndrome at a restaurant again!

Despite its size, the handle is comfortable and the Richlite scales are attractive. When you’re finished dining simply wipe the knife down with your cotton restaurant napkin, park the folder in your pocket, and go your merry way.

Folding Steak Knife Specs
Blade length: 3.9”
Blade steel: 154CM stainless
Blade pattern: Clip point
Handle material: Tan/black layered Richlite
Carry: Blade-tip-up pocket clip
Weight: 4.56 ozs.
Closed length: 5”
Country of origin: USA
MSRP: $334.82

Folding Steak Knife Deals

Sharps Bros. Meanstreak Grill & Steak Knife

The Sharps Bros. Meanstreak Grill & Steak knife is futuristic in style and loaded with upscale features. For starters, the full-tang steak knife boasts a clip-point blade of CPM S35VN stainless steel with a long, angled, flat grind that looks ready to launch.

With its longer blade the Meanstreak is meant not just for cutting meat but handling other chores such as flipping steak. I tested the blade on a hefty pound-and-a-half, 5-inch-across chunk of ham and it whipped through it like it was an afterthought—and the ribeye experienced the same results.

Blade thickness varies on the review group, from thickest on the larger Sharps Bros. (middle) to the thinnest on the Bradford (right). After testing all three steak knives, the author opined that the blade thickness was not much of a factor since all three knives had much better than average blade steel, properly heat treated and professionally edged.

The longest of the blades reviewed, the Meanstreak proved the superior cutter of the pack. Realistically, the extra half inch of blade length isn’t necessary, and some may think it’s too much knife, so it’s a trade-off.

Personally, I didn’t find it burdensome.

The titanium handle is not as comfortable as Micarta grips and the Meanstreak is twice the weight of the Bradford, but it’s easier to clean. These are all preferences you need to weigh when choosing your ideal steak knife.

Meanstreak Grill & Steak Knife Specs
Blade length: 5”
Blade steel: S35VN stainless
Blade pattern: Clip point
Handle material: Titanium
Weight: 6 ozs.
Overall length: 9.25”
Carry: Black thermoplastic blade cover
Country of origin: USA
MSRP: $109.95

Meanstreak Grill & Steak Knife

Final Cut

Handles of the three steak knives. — Sharps Bros. opts for an angular titanium handle that matches its futuristic styling. The Emerson is the rare folding steaker replete with linerlock and pocket clip for easy toting. Bradford carries on a more traditional approach with all the traits of a refined custom.

If you’ve been using standard house fare, the three test steak knives should be a vast improvement. All three blade steels are heat-treated and honed to a high degree by professionals who know their steels and how to get the most from them. The biggest difference between the three knives is how you plan to use them.

The Bradford excels where run-of-the-mill steak knives fail. Bradford USA has used Uddeholm AEB-L stainless steel with success for over 10 years, and like every Bradford knife I’ve tested, the fit and finish is superb. This steak knife will spoil you.

The Emerson offers you the portability a fixed blade doesn’t, and that’s important to those who eat out a lot, both at restaurants or in the wild. The company also offers a fixed-blade version of the same knife.

All three test knives go with variations on the flat grind. Emerson uses a “V” flat grind halfway up the blade with a stonewashed flat area. Sharps Bros cements the futuristic styling with a flat grind that takes off like a rocket from choil to tip, and Bradford returns to earth with a full flat grind from spine to edge.

With its longer blade, the Sharp Bros. expands its usefulness beyond the dinner table in areas like meal prep and grilling. The Crucible blade steel is the most advanced blade option I tested, not to mention the titanium scales. If you prefer a knife that goes beyond the dinner plate, the Meanstreak will go there.

Three very different knives, three very different options—choose your slice!

More Culinary Knives:

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Arizona Custom Knives	$95
Bradford USA	$129

Emerson Knives	$335
BladeHQ	$325