I have an old Chicago Cutlery cooks knife which is an amazing example of what American knife makers once regularly produced. Unfortunately, this knife isn’t a suitable heir to that reputation. To be fair, this is an inexpensive “specialty” knife aimed at the casual home cook who might use a boning knife every once in a while.
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.
Find this Chicago Cutlery Boning Knife:
