Three essential knives get your cutlery collection off to a solid start. Look to the 8-inch chef's knife to tackle a wide range of kitchen tasks from slicing onions to chopping herbs. Small, light and versatile, the 4-inch paring knife has a slim blade and center tip to peel and cut. Choose the 5-inch serrated utility knife for foods with soft interiors and hard exteriors, such as tomatoes or French bread. Forged from a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel, each blade is ice-hardened with a laser-controlled edge and is sharpened and polished by hand.