The Ginsu knife sales pitch is as much a state fair staple as corn dogs and Ferris wheels.

“It slices! It dices! It cuts through a penny and still slices a tomato!”

At the fair, demonstrations by cutlery showmen/salesmen make it look so simple to turn whole vegetables and hunks of meat into ready-to-cook slices and cubes.

If only it were so easy to cut through all the information and propaganda to figure out which knives are best in your kitchen.

“There are dozens of types of knives out there,” said Rick Martin, chef at Free State Brewing Co., 636 Mass. “But as far as being practical with knives, I’m all for it.”

Simply put, you might not need one of every type of knife out there.

Even restaurants like Free State, which offers a wide range of foods, get by with limited cutlery.

“For a lot of what we do, we can get by with four knives,” Martin said. “We have chef’s knives, boning knives, serrated knives and several paring knives.”

A blade’s shape determines its intended use.

The chef’s knife, also called a cook’s knife, is considered a multipurpose workhorse and a staple in the kitchen. True to its name, a boning knife is curved to help to separate meat from bones. Serrated knives can grip an object and are generally used for cutting breads, and paring knives are smaller and sharp, to be used most often for peeling and slicing vegetables.

Sure, there are plenty of other specialty knives – for instance, tomato knives for keeping ripe slices intact, grapefruit knives for removing fruit sections without membranes and a variety of cheese knives designed for different densities – but Martin said he usually recommends chefs invest in a few high-quality, multipurpose knives.

Knife construction

That’s the same philosophy Geri Riekhof takes when customers come in looking for cutlery at her shop, The Bay Leaf, 725 Mass.

“In the long run, you’re going to spend more money” buying a variety of cheaper knives instead of a few high-quality knives, Riekhof said. “Basically, I’d rather have one or two or three good knives that can maintain a sharp blade, will be efficient and will do a good job.”

The type of material a blade is made from usually determines how long the knife will last.

Blades are usually made from one of two types of steel. Cheaper knives are made from steel that is stamped from a larger sheet of metal. Higher-end knives have blades that are forged steel, or steel that has been molded specifically for that knife.

Some knives have what’s known as a “granton edge” – hollow, oval areas in the side of the blade. That helps keep foods from sticking to the blade while they’re being cut.

Another difference in makeup is the knife handle. Handles can be made from wood, composite materials or stainless steel. That decision can be made based on aesthetics or practicality: Composite and stainless handles require more maintenance and are easy to clean.

Cost concerns

While the forged-steel knives will last much longer, they’ll also slice and dice your pocketbook. A high-quality paring knife could run $30, compared to around $5 for a cheaper stamped knife. Larger forged-steel knives could sell for more than $100.

The potential cost makes choosing the right knives that much more important, Riekhof said. She generally recommends cooks get a high-quality chef’s knife and paring knife.

After that, it’s up to a particular chef’s most common menus. If they cook a lot with fish, a filet knife designed for skinning and de-boning fish might make sense. If they frequently make roasts, a longer slicing knife could be a good buy.

“Not everybody needs a full block set of knives,” Riekhof said. “You need a good paring knife and a good basic knife. The rest is all bonus to enhance your kitchen experience.”

Cutlery care

Caring for a quality knife can help keep it around for a lifetime, Riekhof said.

Manufacturers generally discourage cleaning knives in the dishwasher because the soap is corrosive and the heat can damage the handles.

Shad Woodworth, a partner in Vermont Street BBQ, 728 Mass., said he sharpens his knives nearly every time they’re used. Not only do the sharp knives cut better, they’re also safer and last longer.

“It’s dangerous having dull knives,” he said. “That’s how people cut themselves, if they have to get leverage. It’s better with a razor-sharp knife to have it glide through.”

He said he doesn’t bother investing much in paring knifes. They can only be sharpened a few times before the blade becomes too thin to be used.

“They’re basically disposable,” he said.

Woodworth said slicing and dicing is his favorite part of cooking. Without a good set of knives, he said, it wouldn’t be nearly as fun.

“I’d say spend the $100 on a knife, and go cheap on other stuff in the kitchen,” he said. “Maybe you don’t need the full 20-piece stockpot set.”