Many mid-priced knives we looked at-including our former pick from Victorinox-appear simply to be paring knives, whose short, straight blades are designed for peeling and trimming fruits and vegetables, not slicing meat. The length allows the knife to slice through even a thick steak in one stroke, and the upswept tip lets your elbow move up as you slice instead of back, where it might strike your chair or a waiter. The Messermeisters also have a long and upswept blade-the ideal steak knife shape, resulting from centuries of evolution. The Messermeisters weigh 89 grams-pleasantly robust, and significantly nicer to hold than the lightweight knives typical at this price. The latter is an aesthetic concern, but an important one: 2015's test revealed that a knife weight of around 80 grams (2.7 ounces) feels just right in the hand. This adds strength (a practical concern), balance, and heft. And unlike any other knives we found at the price, they feature full-tang construction: A single piece of steel forms the blade, bolsters, and handle.

Their handles are finished with pakkawood, a durable resin-impregnated natural wood usually only found on more expensive knives. Their blade-edges are well-formed, smooth, and extremely sharp they cut even the toughest steaks as well as knives we tested that cost five times as much, which canвЂ™t be said for most others in their price range.

No other knives came close to matching their combination of performance, price, and quality of construction. The Messermeister Avanta Pakkawood steak knife set was our clear winner.

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