The 12 Best Cheese Knives

Best Overall

Global Classic 5.5-Inch Cheese Knife

$90 at Amazon $90 at Sur La Table $63 at Saks Fifth Avenue

Crafted in Japan from Cromova 18 stainless steel (a mix of chromium, molybdenum, and vanadium made exclusively for the brand), this Global Classic knife is designed specifically for tackling soft and hard cheese. The knife features a thinner blade that's lighter than traditional European-style knives, maintaining ideal balance and control while reducing hand fatigue as you cut. It also has Global's signature dimple pattern on the handle to provide a stronger grip. There's a serrated edge, an open frame blade to help glide through cheese without it sticking, and a two-pronged tip to serve it up.

This Global cheese knife will last a lifetime with proper care (hand-wash only) and contribute a beautiful piece to your knife collection, whether you're working in a professional kitchen or prepping a cheese board for guests at home.

Blade Material: Cromova 18 stainless steel | Blade Length: 5.5 inches | Handle Material: Stainless steel | Care: Hand wash

Best Budget

Williams Sonoma Open Kitchen Cheese Knife

$10 at Williams-Sonoma

Elevating your cheese experience doesn't have to mean spending big bucks. Only available at Williams Sonoma, this 9-inch (including the blade and the handle) cheese knife boasts a lightweight, durable construction made of matte stainless steel. Its versatile design means it works for both soft and semi-firm cheese, making it a good multi-purpose investment for those on a budget. There is also a spear tip to the knife to help with serving and entertaining, and holes in the blade help prevent pieces of cheese from sticking as you cut. And although the knife is hand-wash only, the single piece of stainless steel is easy to clean and should dry quickly.

Blade Material: Stainless steel | Blade Length: About 4 inches | Handle Material: Stainless steel | Care: Hand wash

Best for Gifting

Claude Dozorme Laguiole Berlingot 3-Piece Cheese Knife Set

$69 at Pottery Barn View on Finatavola.com

Each knife in this assorted 3-piece set is modeled after the famous Laguiole style of quality cheese knives made in France since the mid-19th century—even featuring the tiny bee symbol that's become synonymous with the name. The set includes a spreader knife for soft cheese, a hefty cleaver knife for hard cheeses, and a classic pronged knife to pick up and plate cheese. It also comes with a wooden box and a clear lid, perfect for gifting.

There are four colors available, each with hand-polished, mirrored stainless steel heads, so you can customize the set based on who the gift is for. The ivory and black handles are made of opaque plastic, but there are also olive wood handles and stainless steel handles as options.

Blade Material: Stainless steel | Blade Length: 2.5-inch spreader, 4-inch pronged, 4.5-inch cleaver | Handle Material: Stainless steel, wood, plastic | Care: Dishwasher safe

Best for Hard Cheese

W&P Design The Cheese Knife

$26 at Amazon View on Wandpdesign.com $25 at Nordstrom

While age is not synonymous with quality in cheese (or wine or people), well-made cheese can benefit from time spent in a cave to bring out its complexity and concentrate its flavor. For those special cheeses, this is the knife that will serve you best. Its finely sharpened edge will cleanly cut through the smoother hard cheeses like Gruyere or Emmental, and its pointed stainless steel tip will easily break off pieces of your favorite crumbly cheeses like clothbound cheddars and Pecorino Romano. Plus, its polished hardwood handle with brass rivets make it a beautiful piece to add to your cheese board and existing knife set.

Blade Material: Alloy steel | Blade Length: 7 inches | Handle Material: Wood | Care: Hand wash

Best for Soft Cheese

Boska Soft Cheese Knife

$10 at Amazon View on Webstaurantstore.com View on Instacart.com

If you ever peek in a cheesemonger’s knife drawer, you will almost certainly see tools by Boska. This Dutch company, which has been around since 1896, designs classic and functional cheese tools that can’t be beaten. The stainless steel soft cheese knife, with its slim blade, is designed to slice an elegant portion of your favorite soft cheeses without sticking or creating friction that will make blue cheeses crumble. The blade is sharp enough to cut into your harder cheeses if you’re in a pinch, but it really shines with the softies. And, it comes with a 10-year guarantee.

Blade Material: Stainless steel | Weight: 1.76 ounces | Handle Material: Stainless steel | Care: Dishwasher safe

Best Santoku-Style

CasaWare 5-Inch Cheese/Santoku Knife

$25 at Amazon

Japanese knives are beloved among food lovers for their functionality and precise, modern design. Santoku-style knives, in particular, are quickly replacing the classic chef’s knives in modern kitchens, thanks to their lighter weight and thinner blade for more precise cutting. While they look fairly similar to what we think of as chef’s knives, they feature a wide sheepsfoot blade without a tip and are more balanced. If you can’t live without your Santoku knives and want a great option for cheese, this 5-inch blade is a great option. In fact, you may quickly find it replacing almost all the knives in your drawer.

Blade Material: Stainless steel | Blade Length: 5 inches | Handle Material: Stainless steel | Care: Hand wash

Best for Spreading

Wüsthof Gourmet 5-Inch Spreader Knife

$25 at Amazon $25 at Sur La Table View on Wusthof.com

For your soft, spreadable cheeses (think brie, chevre, or cream cheese) meant for slathering onto a cracker or piece of bread, this 5-inch spreader knife is the best tool for the job. All Wüsthof knives are laser cut from a single piece of high-carbon steel, producing an edge that's super sharp right out of the box. This one also has an ergonomic, triple-rivet handle for added support and balance. Use the serrated edge to cut or scoop your cheese and the rounded tip for spreading. Because of its wider, 5-inch serrated blade and sturdy handle, this knife also works well for sandwich condiments and tomato slices.

Blade Material: High-carbon stainless steel | Blade Length: 5 inches | Handle Material: Synthetic polypropylene | Care: Hand wash

Best Wire

Boska Large Soft Cheese Cutter

View on Amazon $50 at Food52

When cheesemongers really need a precisely cut piece of cheese, they often don’t reach for a knife at all. Instead, you’ll see them reach for a cheese wire, sometimes called a cheese harp. This unassuming little tool makes clean cuts in even the ooziest, crumbliest cheeses with minimal mess. For cheese lovers who like to assemble intricately designed boards or simply want to portion their Brie in exact pieces, a cheese wire will change your life. They’re lightweight, incredibly functional, and will last forever. The wire is pretty durable, but if it happens to break, it’s easy and inexpensive to find a replacement.

Material: Stainless steel | Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 1 inches | Care: Dishwasher safe

Best Set

Boska Monaco+ Black Cheese Knife Set

$91 at Amazon $90 at Food52

This sleek Boska set is a favorite for professional cheesemongers and amateurs alike for a few reasons. First of all, it has a knife for every purpose—whether you’re portioning feta, La Tur, Taleggio, Roquefort, Sbrinz, or a block of humble cheddar from the grocery store for a cheesy recipe, this set will make clean, precise cuts. The quilted black coating makes the knives extra nonstick, meaning your cheese will stay in its intended shape, no matter how often you go back for another piece. Each knife is easy to clean with a bit of soap and water, and the leather case stores them away stylishly.

Blade Material: Stainless steel | Weight: 1.06 pounds | Handle Material: Stainless steel | Care: Dishwasher safe

Best Slicer

Boska Copenhagen Cheese Slicer

$10 at Amazon $25 at Williams-Sonoma View on Webstaurantstore.com

We all love a good cheese board, but one of the best parts of cheese is its versatility. Sure, a cheese board makes a lovely centerpiece or appetizer, but just as often, cheese serves as a great mid-day snack on a Wednesday or as inspiration to make a fabulous grilled cheese sandwich.

For daily cheese snacks, this stainless steel Boska slicer is user-friendly and indispensable. Meant for semi-hard to hard cheeses, it portions clean and snackable sizes whenever you are in need, but its clean, classic design also makes it lovely and functional on a cheese board.

Blade Material: Stainless steel | Weight: 2.12 ounces | Handle Material: Stainless steel | Care: Dishwasher safe

Best with Board

Juvale Cheese Board Set

$19 at Amazon

For a classy, practical gift (for yourself or the cheese-lover in your life), look no further than this cheese board set, complete with a set of four knives. Upon taking it out of the box, it just looks like a classic bamboo cheese board—a lovely gift on its own—but when you investigate a bit further, you’ll find that there are cheese knives within.

The knives and slicer work for all sorts of cheeses, and the materials used are durable and eco-friendly. The knives and board are easily cleaned with a bit of soap and water and are compact for storage. Beloved by reviewers for its transportability and impeccable design, this set provides everything you need to enjoy your favorite cheeses.

Blade Material: Stainless steel | Board Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.6 x 1.6 inches | Board Material: Bamboo | Care: Hand wash

Best Portable

Opinel Corkscrew Folding Knife

$38 at Amazon $38 at Food52

The best cheese experiences often have nothing to do with perfectly arranged cheese boards. If you’re a cheese lover on the go, it’s important to have a knife for those impromptu weekend picnics with bread, cheese, salami, and a bottle of your favorite wine. Any picnicking foodie can tell you that Opinel is the best knife for the job. Think of it as the gourmet’s pocket knife. It’s a simple stainless steel blade that will portion whatever cheese you’re hoping to snack on, and inside the durable Beechwood handle lies a corkscrew for whatever bottle of wine you brought to pair.

Blade Material: Stainless steel | Blade Length: 3.92 inches | Handle Material: Wood | Care: Hand wash