Mundial's grip was designed for safety as well as control. The comfortable handle won't slip even when wet. The shaped bolster and dropped knife heel keep your hand securely in place when working the blade through difficult cuts. Permanently molded over the knife's full tang of high carbon stainless steel, the NSF-approved grip incorporates sanitizing compounds which prevent the growth of fungi, bacteria, and yeast. That eliminates organisms which contribute to odors and the cross-contamination of food. These permanently sanitized knives even last longer than unprotected polypropylene styles. Although the knives in the Mundial 5600 series were produced to meet the needs of restaurant and food service professionals, these economical blades are also finding a spot in many home kitchens. Many home chefs will find the larger grips easier to use than other styles built as much for presentation as for work.

The boning knife's high carbon stainless steel blade has been tempered for toughness and a long-lasting edge. Running the edge over bone may blunt the knife, but it's easily reset with a honing steel. Maintenance is simple -- the Mundial 5600 series was built for automated washing, but any stainless steel does better with a hand wash immediately after use.

For an economical boning knife with a classic look, see the Wusthof Gourmet Boning Knife with 6-inch blade.

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MUNDIAL NSF CARBON 3 1 2 PARING BONING OYSTER KNIFE US $6.99   Auction Ends: 28d 17h 28m

Mundial forged no stain boning utility knife 5111 6 US $54.00   Auction Ends: 24d 13h 13m

Wusthof uses one blank of high carbon stainless steel to forge a strong one-piece full tang knife with all the features essential to the boning task. The blade is narrow but well tempered, stiffer than a filet knife and strong enough to withstand twisting and turning as it cuts through tough connective tissue. Edge-hardened to 58 on the Rockwell scale, the cutting edge slices through small bones without chipping and still sharpens easily with an ordinary honing steel.

The grip is especially important for this type of knife, because hands will often be slick with fats and other juices while doing this tricky chore. The forged bolster comes in handy not just as a reinforcement for the blade but as a physical barrier between fingers and cutting edge. The polymer handle slabs -- riveted to the stainless steel tang -- fit most hands comfortably and offer enough good grip for strong leverage. The dropped heel of the handle keeps fingers from slipping back when pulling the knife.

Made from stain-free Solingen steel, the Classic Boning Knife should be cleaned by hand. Mild detergents and prompt cleanup protect the finish best, and hand washing prevents accidental blunting of the knife's edge.

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Wusthof Classic Ikon 5 inch Boning Knife NEW US $99.95   Auction Ends: 25d 21h 14m

NEW WUSTHOF GOURMET 6 BONING KNIFE 4606 14CM US $34.99   0 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 2h 33m

Of course, you'll get efficient action from a Victorinox stamped steel boning knife as well as this traditionally-styled forged boning blade -- this one just feels a little more right, as though it's capable of more than you actually need to do. Boning knives are special purpose blades, and many home chefs don't use them. If you're interested in the craft of cooking and want to try some of the trickier things like cunningly prepared boneless roasts, you'll need a slender knife with a razor-sharp and strong blade. The 5-inch forged boning knife meets that need with a slim handle profile that won't interfere with the work and a narrow forged bolster that puts extra strength where it's most needed -- at the base of the blade.

Victorinox forged knives like this small, full tang boning knife with POM riveted handle are actually forged in Solingen, Germany and made from a single bar of high carbon stainless steel. After the forging and rough shaping, the knives ship to Victorinox in Switzerland for final finishing, sharpening, and quality control testing. The resulting knife features the ice-hardened rugged steel of famous German cutlery, tempered for a tough long-lasting but easily sharpened cutting edge and built to the specific standards of Victorinox.

Victorinox backs up this fine boning knife with a lifetime warranty against defects in workmanship. Ordinary care includes hand washing and drying after use. Dishwashing machines won't ruin the knife, but polish and edge will suffer.

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VICTORINOX Knives Premium Forge Boning Knife 6 Carbon Blade Black POM 7730315 US $77.42   Auction Ends: 29d 17h 44m

VICTORINOX Knives German Forged Boning Knife 6 Flexible Blade Black POM 41512 US $58.42   Auction Ends: 22d 11h 40m

I've enjoyed some salt-cured hams that this knife would have found a bit stiff, but for meat you don't need to soak in water for twelve hours before cooking, the Wusthof Gourmet Boning Knife ought to work well. The full tang blade is laser cut from a solid blank of high carbon Solingen stainless steel and compound beveled for uniform flexibility along the entire length of the cutting edge. Instead of a forged bolster, a practical substitute is formed from the front portion of the double-slab handle. The grip of durable dark polymer, bonded securely to the tang with stainless steel rivets, weathers heat and humidity without warping and offers a comfortable hold even when wet and slippery. It's a little more than a fillet knife and able to make some slicing cuts without the wandering problems of a more narrow blade.

Sharpening is simple since the edge is tempered for resetting with an ordinary kitchen steel. This edge is tough, built for working around bone, and you won't need to be concerned with edge chipping if you run into something hard. Though the boning knife is built solidly, it's still not the blade to choose if you're levering apart large joints of meat. The boning knife shears meat from the bone and makes delicate cuts that heavier butcher knives can't handle.

With the same build as a stamped steel knife, the Wusthof boning knife actually results from an improved process. Cut from a steel blank with a laser beam, the Wusthof method avoids the distortions and stresses that weaken ordinary stamped steel.

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New Wusthof Gourmet 5 Inch Boning Knife New US $54.95   Auction Ends: 25d 13h 42m

Wusthof Gourmet 6 inch Flexible Boning Knife NEW US $49.95   Auction Ends: 10d 17h 21m

The dark molded synthetic handle serves as grip, bolster, and fingerguard, seamlessly formed around a concealed rat tail tang that's secured by one stout rivet near the base of the grip. Everything about it is simple and functional.

Wusthof's manufacturing process eliminates many of the problems associated with stamped steel blades. Laser-cutting the knife blanks from sheets of stainless steel gives the knife its basic shape without any of the distortions and internal stresses of stamped blades. Computer controlled grinding refines and bevels the blade. Lasers measure the resulting edge and detect any microscopic deviations. The finished blades are consistent in temper and uniform in quality.

This process seems very well suited to the making of a good filet knife, where the ability to fit the shape of the bone structure yields the best fillets with the least waste. Forging a filet knife is much more complicated and expensive than the simplified process Wusthof developed, which puts a knife of better quality in your hands at a lower cost.

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New WUSTHOF Classic 7 Thin Blade Fillet Knife with Leather Sheath model 4622WS US $89.00   Auction Ends: 3d 4h 9m

Wusthof culinar fillet knife set PE tec 4629 18cm 7 brand new in box US $99.99   Auction Ends: 21m

The unique feature of the Elite boning knife is the reduced and tapered bolster, still enough to strengthen the critical juncture between blade and handle but toned down enough to slide through a joint of meat or a poultry carcass without stopping short. Honing steels access the full length of the cutting edge instead of everything but the last quarter inch. The Elite boning knife also works on fish as a filet knife because of its thin and flexible high carbon stainless steel blade.

Cleanup is always important, but even more so when cutting meat. The triple stainless steel rivets bond the dark polymer handles solidly to the steel tang. Handle slabs fit tight against the bolster, giving fats, juices and germs no place to hide. The handle shape resists slipping either forward or backward even when the knife gets slick. Though the knife blade is small, the handle provides enough width for a firm and comfortable grip. There's enough handle here to provide the leverage you need to guide the blade.

As with most of today's fine cutlery steel, the Meridian Elite is dishwasher safe but survives much better with a hand wash and dry in mild detergent. Sharpen with a honing steel before use.

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Messermeister Meridian Elite 6 Stiff Boning Knife US $79.95   Auction Ends: 21h 34m

Messermeister Meridian Elite 5 Stiff Boning Knife US $69.95   Auction Ends: 21h 34m

Global knives were the first mass-marketed Japanese kitchen knives aimed at the Western market. They won fans in restaurant kitchens everywhere with their mix of lighter weight, thinner blades, high performance molybdenum/vanadium steel which takes and holds a very fine edge, and the attractive high tech appearance.

This boning knife will outperform any comparable boning knife from the usual German makers, plus the one-piece construction offers significant advantage where sanitation is concerned since there are no seams where handle meets blade. The lack of seams eliminates the possibility of particles of meat or juices becoming trapped in the handle where bacteria could flourish.

Unfortunately, the Global isn't the least expensive option out there, but the price is comparable to knives from Wusthof and Henckels.

Not every cook needs a specialized boning knife, but if you do, this one will be able to keep up with the rigors of the most demanding environments, at home or in a professional setting.

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Japanese Kanemasa boning knife honesuki 150mm round hdl US $86.80   Auction Ends: 23d 22h 5m

Japanese hocho Kanemasa boning knife honesuki 150mm US $81.00   Auction Ends: 23d 3h 6m

This Shun Pro Deba is built from 32 layers of high quality stainless steel forged to either side of a hard core sheet of VG-10, renowned for its ability to hold a thin, hard edge. This old Damascus steel method was used to create some of the best Japanese swords, resulting in a strong blade with exceptional sharpness. The slightly rippled surface of the blade lowers friction and breaks up contact with the food, resulting in more precise work and less distortion of the product.

In Shun's cutlery, the process yields a forged blade and bolster that is designed especially for slicing. The edge can do incredibly thin precision cuts but is not intended for chopping, cutting through bone, or cutting up frozen food. Sharpening methods include special home sharpening systems or simple flat waterstones, but not sharpening steels.

The handle of PakkaWood, a layered composite of resin and birchwood, has a D-shaped cross section for more accurate gripping and is very durable. Hand washing is recommended.

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Shun Japanese sushi sashimi Deba chef knife Kai Japan limited knife select US $55.00   Auction Ends: 24d 19h 35m

SHUN VG0165D PRO CLASSIC 165mm DEBA CULINARY KNIFE US $138.95   Auction Ends: 25d 18h 29m

The build is the same one used for Shun's exceptional slicing knives, a method based on the secrets of the finest of the old samurai swords. Some improvements have been made over that old method, with a superior central core layer of hard VG-10 steel and a surrounding blade body created from 32 more layers of tougher stainless chosen for resilience and strength. Alone, the VG-10 would be too hard to make a durable blade; but supported by the Damascus layering system, this fine edge becomes the heart of a strong and practical knife.

The slightly rippled surface of the blade body lowers friction and breaks up contact with slices of food, letting the product fall away from the knife without distortion and allowing a more precisely controlled cut. The edge is still vulnerable to chipping and should not be used to cut through bones or frozen food.

Ordinary sharpening steels may damage the edge -- if you step up to Shun, you'll also need to acquire flat sharpening stones for routine maintenance. Washing and drying by hand is recommended as well. The PakkaWood handle is gap-free and dishwasher safe, built of layers of resin-injected birchwood, but all parts of this knife will fare better with a quick wash and dry.

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New Shun Ken Onion 55 Boning Fillet Knife DM0519 DM 0519 5 6 Kochmesser Gokujo US $144.95   Auction Ends: 19d 1h 4m

New Shun Fuji 6 Honesuki Boning Fillet Knife SGE0743 SGE 0743 Kochmesser Kai US $249.95   Auction Ends: 15d 7h 33m

This isn't a knife which would stand up to use in an intense environment like a butcher shop or professional kitchen. For someone who might need to use a boning knife a couple times a year, it might be an acceptable choice, although I think there are better low cost choices on the market.

Echoing my comments about the larger "block set", the lifetime guarantee tells you all you need to know about this knife, which is the manufacturer views this as essentially disposable and can replace it as often as needed. Retailing for less than ten dollars, the steel used at that pricepoint is of questionable quality, although it should take an acceptable edge.

The thin stamped construction will assist with the performance by virtue of the thin geometry. Although it isn't a knife which is likely to see a lot of use in the average kitchen, I'd strongly suggest that if you need a boning knife, spend the extra money to buy a Forschner boning knife. They're considered to be standard equipment in many pro kitchens and butcher shops for a reason: They deliver excellent performance at a very low price, even if that low price is more than double the price of this one. We'll link to the Forschner below as well.

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Chicago Cutlery Boning Knife US $14.99   Auction Ends: 23d 18h 3m

3 Chicago Cutlery Parer And Boning Knife 100SP Ekco US $9.99   Auction Ends: 29d 1h 58m