Sabatier knives

Since the foundation of the brand in 1812, Sabatier occupies a special place in the world of cutlery thanks to the high quality of its kitchen knives. Recognized undoubtedly as one of the brands of kitchen knives with more tradition and history in the industry, Sabatier has witnessed five different generations of manufactures of knives. The original Sabatier knives are manufactured by the factory Rousselon-Sabatier which divides its production in two parts: the Sabatier products (also known as Lion Sabatier), which are the knives made in Thiers, France, and the Sabatier International products, which are more affordable.

Sabatier offers a great variety of kitchen knives that cover the different needs of its extensive clientele regardless of whether they are professional chefs or home cooks. The great quality of Sabatier knives can be explained by the way in which they are manufactured combining the traditional French know-how in the field of cutlery with the modern technology available in the industry nowadays. This has led Sabatier to gain an impeccable reputation in the culinary world with the high respect of cooks from all around the planet.

The anatomy of a Sabatier knife

Creating a kitchen knife of superior quality requires long expertise and sophisticated manufacturing processes. Luckily, Sabatier has both, and that is why Sabatier knives always excel when they are used in professional and domestic kitchens. Each single part of a Sabatier knife is worthy of admiration, and here at MyChefKnives we describe you each one of them:

- The bolster :

The bolster of a kitchen knife (or any type of knife for that matter) is the part where the blade meets the handle. Depending on the Sabatier knife of your preference, there are two types of bolster: massive and hollowed. 

Massive bolster: this type of bolster can be forged, moulded, or welded. As it name suggests, this type of bolster is heavier, and its weight plays an important role in providing the perfect balance between the blade and the handle.

Hollowed bolster: it is formed with two hollowed parts (thus is less heavy than the massive bolster) that can be welded or fixed together with a rivet. However, the mounting of this type of bolster is usually difficult to spot because of the polishing used on the surface.

- The ferrule :

This is the part of the knife between the blade and the handle, but do not get confused, we know that this description sounds very similar to the one of a bolster, but bolster is internal while the ferrule is external. In general terms, this part's main function is to contribute to the aesthetics of the knife. 

- The tang :

This is the part of the blade that is extended and hidden in the handle. In fact, this extension of the blade serves as the "backbone" when the handle is being assembled. There are different types of tangs depending on their length and shape. These are the most common ones:

Non visible tang : this type of tang consists of a simple steel stem without any holes, thus the handle cannot be assembled with rivets.

Half-tang : it is extended only through halfway of the handle, but it has two holes where rivets can be assembled.

3/4 tang : this type of tang is similar to the half-tang, witht the only major difference of having 3 holes instead of 2.

Full tang : it goes all the way until the end of the handle. In fact, the full tang is even visible at the top of the handle where the line of steel goes in between both sides of the handle. Knives with full tang are more solid and robust.

- The handle :

The handle of a kitchen knife serves for much more than just holding the knife. The handle also plays an important role in providing the knife the optimal balance and equilibrium. In addition, we cannot ignore the aesthetic factor : great part of the beauty of a knife depends on the design and look of its handle.

Whether it is made of wood, ABS, polypropylene, or any other material, there are several different ways in which the handles of Sabatier knives are assembled :

Assembling by insertion : probably the simplest of all assembling techniques, this type of assembling consists of simply heating the tang of the knife and fitting it inside the handle.

Traditional assembling with wooden or plastic part : in this assembling method, the two parts of the handle are placed one on each side of the tang and are then fixed with 3 crossing rivets.

Assembling with rivets : this type of assembling is very similar to the one mentioned just above in the fact that both are fixed with 3 crossing rivets. However, in this method the blade is inserted in a previously moulded synthetic handle.

Assembling by moulding : in this method of assembling, the blade is directly inserted into a mould with the shape of the handle where the plastic material will be injected. This way, the handle gets moulded with the blade already attached to it. 

- The blade :

You thought we forgot about it? Impossible! When talking about the anatomy of a knife, the blade is certainly its most important part, especially when talking about Sabatier knives, which are known for having blades of truly exceptional quality. However, even if all Sabatier knives have great cutting performance, it is undeniable that some are stronger and more solid than others, and that is explained by the construction of the blade. Indeed, the blade of a knife can be formed in the following ways (have in mind that the construction of the blades has big influence on the price of a knife) :

Fully forged : undoubtedly the most solid type of blade that you can have. A 100% knife is more durable and robust than the rest of kitchen knives. The process of creating a fully forged blade consists in heating and compressing a round steel bar until a bubble is created. Next, the entire blade is stamped from the bubble created in the previous step. Finally, the full tang blade is cut out. This whole forging process is quite costly, and that is why fully forged kitchen knives are more expensive. 

Cut out blade : it all starts with a flat piece of steel from which the shape of the blade is cut out. After this, the only step left is the piercing of the tang in order to welcome the rivets used when assembling the handle.

Cut out blade and tang assembled by welding : similar to the process mentioned above, the blade is cut out from a flat piece of steel. However, in this process the differene is that the blade and the tang are cut out separately, and they are later assembled by welding the 2 parts together.

Sabatier knife ranges for every taste and preference

Now that you know the anatomy of a Sabatier knife, you can have a better judgment when it comes to choosing the adequate knife range for you. Indeed, Sabatier offers a great variety of knife ranges that adapt to the different budgets, needs, and preferences of its extensive clientele. These are Sabatier knife ranges that you can find on our website:

- Edonist series : This is one of the newest knie ranges from Sabatier. If you like kitchen knives of great quality and elegant design, then the Sabatier Edonist knives are perfect for you! All knives from the Edonist series are manufactured in Thiers, France and have a lifetime warranty. They are all 100% forged and are easily recognized by their elegant, black handles made of ABS. 

- Provençao series : as its name suggests, this knife range honors the Frence region of Provence. In fact, the handles of all Sabatier Provençao knives are made of wood from olive trees, which are very popular in Provence. The knives of the Provençao series are also 100% forged, which is why they are so solid and durable. In addition to being tools of high cutting performance, these knives are also known for their rustic and authentic look. 

Among all the Sabatier knife ranges available here at MyChefKnives, you can find all the types of kitchen knives that you can need in your kitchen regardless of whether you are professional or not. A bread knife or a chef knife, a knife block or a knife set, whichever is your need, Sabatier is always a great option to equip your kitchen with the best quality!