Knife is a love-letter to this essential culinary tool – its form, history and creation. The knife can be the most functional utensil or the most exquisite piece of design – avid collectors pay jaw-dropping sums for a piece of Japanese hand-crafted steel, made according to traditions that date back thousands of years.

Through interviews with knife-makers, chefs and collectors, acclaimed food writer Tim Hayward explores how the relationship between cook and blade has shaped the both the knife itself, and the ways we prepare and eat food all over the world. From Damascus blades to Chinese cleavers and sushi knives, at the heart of Knife is a fascinating guide to 40 different types of knife, each with its own unique story, detailed description and stunning photographs.

Lavishly illustrated and designed, and as cool, personal and desirable as the most intricately crafted deba, Knife opens up the world of this most covetable of culinary implements.