A cook’s knife is the all-purpose kitchen knife, the workhorse of professional and domestic cooking. Typically 20 to 25 centimetres long with a broad blade curving to a point, it handles chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing with a rocking motion. Its versatility makes it the first knife any cook learns and the one reached for most. A good cook’s knife is balanced, comfortable, and kept razor-sharp: sharpness makes it safer as well as more effective. It should be hand-washed, honed regularly, and stored safely. Mastery of this single tool underpins most knife skills.