There are many types of knives around. Here you will find the most popular and the most useful.

Boning knives as it names implies is used for removing the bones from joints of meat. The typical blade on a boning knife is approximately 15 cm in length the blade. The blade tends to be narrow and quite rigid.

Butter knives are quite small and have a blunt edge as they do not need to be sharp. The blade also tends to be quite flat. These are used for spreading butter, jam and marmalade.

Cheese knives are used for cutting hard and soft cheese. The blade is usually quite narrow and flat with a curve at the end which has a forked tip.

Chefs knives are the most common knife in the kitchen and if you own no other knives this is the one you should have. Its main use is chopping, slicing and dicing. They come in various sizes the smallest being 15cm ranging up to 30cm for the more experienced cook.

A cleaver is a very broad knife with a blade of about 15cm in length. It is generally used for cutting meat, it also ideal for pounding due to its broad edge.

Filet knives have a thin flexible blade, which is about 30cm in length. This type of knife is ideal for filleting fish and removing its skin.

Mincing knives can be either single or double bladed. They are specifically designed for chopping food into very small pieces. They are a curved blade with a straight handle attaching to both ends of the blade.

Paring knives are also an essential knife to own after the chefs knife. Paring knives are quite small with a thin narrow blade, which tapers to a point. It is very versatile and can be used for peeling, chopping and coring. This is the best knife for use with small foods such as herbs.

Sandwich knives as the name implies are specially designed for cutting through bread because of their serrated blade. Not just for slicing through sandwiches, these knives can also be used for cutting pies and soft fruits.

Slicing or carving knives can vary enormously in shape and size but the most common being a rigid blade about 20m in length. The blade has a pointed tip and is specially designed for carving meat away from the bone. Often carving knives come with carving forks which are made to compliment the knife.

Electric knives can be useful too for the less experienced knife user. These work on the principle of two blades moving back and forth independently of each other. They cut through a multitude of foods from fruit, bread and meat.

Utility knives are similar to a paring knife only with a longer blade. It is used for items which are too large for a paring knife and too small for a chef's knife.