Knives have evolved and been domesticated over the years. Predating the fork and spoon, the earliest knives were used as weapons. But as our culture (and culinary tastes) developed over the centuries, so did the ways we use our knives, as did our knives’ shape and design. For today's Please Explain, we will be speaking to Jack Bishop, Editorial Director of America’s Test Kitchen, Sarah Coffin, Curator and Head of the Product Design and Decorative Arts Department at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Mari Sugai, sales consultant at Korin, and Moriah Cowles, knife maker and owner of Orchard Steel in Burlington, VT.

READ: The Cook's Illustrated Guide to Building the Best Knife Set