Where and when did your career in cutlery begin?

After leaving the restaurant world, getting an MBA and working as a stockbroker, I began working for Share our Strength, a non-for-profit, and developed relationships that brought me to Zwilling JA Henckels. In 2008 we purchased Demeyere and Staub. I have been involved with Zwilling for the last two years.

What types of products do you represent?

Every tool that you can find in a kitchen that is non-electric. Zwilling JA Henckels was founded in 1731. The trademark was registered that same year, under the zodiac sign of Gemini. Zwilling means twin in German. We have been making knives for 278 years. At Demeyere we specialize in stainless steel cookware. And, at Staub we carry cast iron and enameled cookware.


Demeyere is new to me. Where are you located?

Demeyere is a Belgium company founded in 1908. Our manufacture facilities are in Herentals, near Brussels. We are based in Hawthorne, New York about 30 minutes north of Manhattan here in the United States.

Explain a liitle bit about the products at Demeyere?

Demeyere has been the European gold standard of stainless steel cookware for a century. Always on the forefront of innovation, each piece from Demeyere is specifically engineered to ensure utmost performance of a given cooking task with utter efficiency.

Demeyere features InductoSeal®; in its liquid cooking pieces. Our InductoSeal®; base contains seven layers of different materials to insure even heat distribution in our pots. We use layers of copper, silver, aluminum, silver, stainless steel as well as special steel alloys. This technology yields a heat conduction base 33-percent larger than standard cookware, which results in faster heating times and supreme heat transfer and retention. Saute uses and frying pans feature 7-PlyMaterial.

Back to knives, where are your knives made?

In both Germany and Japan. Our German knives are made of special formulated steel, from Germany, which is then treated, and heated to specific temperatures -- beginning the forging process. Zwilling patented ice hardening a method that cools down the metal rather quickly, producing a hardened, durable product as an end result. Materials like micro-carbon steel and methods such as powder steel forging allow even beading throughout and enable our knives to hold their edge longer.

In Japan our Miyabi knives are hand finished by a master in the honbazuke style and made in Seki, which has been the center of the samurai sword and knife making since the 14th Century. Materials like micro-carbon steel and methods such as powder steel forging allow even beading throughout and enable our knives to hold their edge longer, and reach a higher level on the Rockwell Scale.


You mentioned that JA Henckels uses extremely hard Steel. How is it measured?

Some of our hardest knives, made in Japan, register at 66 or 67 on the Rockwell Scale (a hardness scale). To give you a sense of the hardness: steel girders in buildings register around 20, which enable them to sway with the wind and the shifting of the tectonic plates. Traditional German Steel measures around 57 on the Rockwell Scale. One of the newer steels we are using in Germany for a line called Twin 1731 is called Cronidur 30, it was developed for ball bearings for the space shuttle, and is extremely resistant to heat and wear, enabling it to hold its edge for a very long time

What is your best tip for maintaining one's knives?

Keep them sharp, clean, and keep them dry. Use stones for sharpening. Stones range from a 250 grit (coarse) to 8000 grit (fine). The 250 grit should be used only when a knife becomes dull, but with daily maintenance through the use of a finer stone or by honing on a steel, knives should keep their edge. Knives contain small teeth called burrs, and the act of honing is actually straightening those burrs.

What are the differences in the edges between German and Japanese knives?

Japanese knives have a more delicate edge. The angle of the edge ranges between 15 and 20 degrees, which is great for a fine cut. Sometimes the edge is only on one side of the blade. For example, yanagiba knives are capable of producing a precise cut through raw fish causing very little loss of texture to the fish. German knives have an angle range of 20-30 degrees, and, can be used for other uses, like cutting bone.

What countries are the world leaders in cutlery?

Germany and Japan. They have been doing it longer than anyone else. Their process is essentially perfected. German ingenuity and engineering expertise place them at the top. Both have a longetivity in the field.

How does one choose which knife is best for them?

The most important thing is that it feels good in your hand. Our German Twin knives have eight different handles, with differing weight, balance and feel, to try to appeal to everyone. Before purchasing a knife test it out, hold it in your hand.

There are different uses for different knives, but in choosing a chef's knife it all comes down to comfort. The larger the knife the more you can do with it, but I wouldn't recommend a 10" blade for everyone.

What piece of cutlery should every cook have in the kitchen?

Chefs knife (8'-10"), pairing knife (preferably 4"), a serrated knife for items that have a harder outside then inside, like crusty breads and a flexible boning of filet knife.

Where can we find your knives?

There are numerous outlets on-line, including Amazon, and Cutlery And More. JB Prince in Manhattan, Sur La Table, Bloomingdale's and Macy's.


Are professional knife sharpeners good or bad?

They are good if you use the same person every time. Knives need to be sharpened at the same angle every time, and switching personnel could shift that angle. Remember sharpening is repair and honing is maintenance. Proper maintenance through the use of a honing steel decreases the frequency a knife needs to be sharpened, and prolongs the life of your knife. With proper care your knives should last a lifetime

What are your best tips, tricks and techniques about cutlery?

Keep them sharp. Hone them before every use. Never put them in a dishwasher. Have the wood grains on a cutting board facing upwards instead of long ways in order to grip the knife or burrs well; do not cut on glass, marble, or porcelain. When cutting herbs (a chiffonade, for example) stack the leaves with the tops down. The tops have a waxier surface, while the bottoms will grip the knife better, causing less bruising and creating a finer cut. Use the lightest part or tip of the knife, for fine work, to avoid bruising herbs or vegetables.

What are some recent trends you are noticing in the restaurant industry?

The turn away from fine dining. The rise of the burger and/or comfort food. Smaller restaurants, the demise of the big box restaurants. The migration of chefs away from the culinary capitals of New York, San Francisco and Chicago toward smaller cities like Portland, Minneapolis, Charleston or Madison, where real estate is more affordable. And, the rise of culinary scenes such as Brooklyn where chefs can open restaurants with less of an investment and can afford to be more experimental and local.

What is next for you?

I am currently writing a comprehensive reference book covering everything you need to know about knives, from history to skills. . It will be published in the fall of 2010, by Robert Rose Publishing and is tentatively titled The Zwilling JA Henckels Knife Skills Book.