And where good knives have long been considered a big investment, they are making great knives that anyone can own.
“We’re designers by practice,” they agreed. “It’s in our genes. We see a product and wonder why it doesn’t do this, or think I wish this also did that. We come from a purely practical design standpoint.” In other words: Invention comes from necessity. And that’s what sets them apart.

I sat down with the brothers to talk all things knives, from which kind they use most often to their best tips and tricks. 

I sat down with the brothers to talk all things knives, from which kind they use most often to their best tips and tricks. 

The Paper Test
If your knife can slice a clean line through a sheet of paper, it’s a good, sharp knife. They performed the test with some of the old, rusted knives (that they keep for inspiration), and got nowhere. Their own knives cut through the paper like butter.

The Schmidts’ Tips 
1. Jared told us how to cut onions without crying: cut near an open flame. No tears. 
2. Do not put knives in the dishwasher. The chemicals will rust and ruin the steel blade, and the hot water and cool air breaks the bond between the grip and the steel.
3. If you do put them in the dishwasher, or if they are just showing wear and tear, Jared suggests “olive oil. It cures everything. It’s food safe. It’s the perfect fix.”
4. Don’t cut on glass or slate/stone cutting boards. They’ll dull your knives. 

The Right Grip
1. It’s called the pinch grip. Your thumb and forefinger hold at the bolster or on the back end of the blade. The rest of your fingers curl under the grip. The fingers on your other hand hold whatever you’re cutting (onion, tomato, lobster) with knuckles facing out, just touching the side of the blade.
2. Keep the tip of the knife down on the cutting board. 
3. Cutting should be a forward, rocking motion, not a backward slice.

The Job Descriptions
We walked through the Schmidt Brothers’ Seven Piece Set to work out which jobs are right for which knife.

There’s a: 9" bread knife, 8" chef knife, 7" boning knife, 6" chef knife, 6" double edge utility knife, and a 4" paring knife. "In the knife world, the block is considered a piece, which makes this a seven piece set.”

• Bread knife:
“Self-explanatory; this has a really nice serrated blade…” 
• 8" Chef knife:
A favorite of both brothers. “This is the most universal knife in the block.” Best for cutting raw meat, large fruits and veggies, pretty much anything. You can also use it to cut meat from a bone. 
• Boning knife:
“Great flexibility; you can debone chicken, fish, meats. And I'll even use a boning knife for filleting or taking the skin off salmon.” A stiff boning knife works on beef or pork, while a thinner one is better for poultry and fish. 

• 6” Petite Chef’s knife:
Another oft-used knife. “It’s smaller than a standard chef’s knife because many home cooks are intimidated by bigger knives. It also just allows you to do more with one knife, like a chef’s-knife-meets-paring.”
• Double Edge Utility:
“All our knives have custom blades, but this one’s really unique. It has a micro-serration on the main edge and an angle up with a straight blade. So you can pierce something with the straight tip and then cut down with the serrated edge. Or you can use that tip for cutting things like garlic.”

• Paring knife:
“Best for small jobs: Peeling apples or potatoes, slicing a rounded lemon peel, chopping up vegetables and fruits, and de-veining shrimp are all easy.”

• Knife block:
“We make our blocks with a lot of extra room so you can display all your knives together. Even if they aren’t all Schmidt Brothers’.”

After our conversation, I got to see the knives in action. They cut oranges and tomatoes, sliced a fresh ball of mozzarella, and halved an avocado. Jordan removed the pit and, without warning, slammed the knife down on it, making a perfect slice down the middle. He dropped his knife and walked away smiling, arms in the air.

That’s what’s cool about these knife makers – they have fun with it. They get excited when they figure out a new design fix and geek out over the shape of cheese knives. They put their fingertips in harm’s way just to bring us great knives.