Why do chefs bring their own knives to work?

Like professional musicians who play their own instruments or jockeys who ride racehorses with their own saddles, knives are the highly personal professional tools of a chef's trade and a point of pride. read more

When a chef leaves employment, they pack their knives and go. Like professional musicians who play their own instruments or jockeys who ride racehorses with their own saddles, knives are the highly personal professional tools of a chef’s trade and a point of pride. read more

Generally, being able to leave them at work is preferrable. A knife roll full of decent quality knives is quite cumbersome and heavy to lug around, if nothing else. Waking up just in time to shower, dress and head to work and forgetting to bring them is also definitely the stuff of (pretty mild) nightmares. read more

Chefs commonly own and use their own knives, and NEVER leave them or allow anyone else to touch them. Those are almost always extremely expensive knives especially chosen by and paid for by the chef, and are personal tools. Other knives, which are left in the kitchen and owned by the business, are called "kitchen knives" and are used by everybody. read more