Güde knives.

These forged chef's knives from the old, traditional Solingen works of Franz Güde, have a forged piece at the end of the handle: this additional weight shifts the centre of gravity to the rear, thus providing superior balance.
All Güde knives are made from stainless steel, ice-hardened, whetted and sharpened by hand. The handle covers - as now unfortunately required for all professional knives - are made of plastic. They are dishwasher-proof.
The length measurements refer in all cases to the blades.

Chef's and paring knives.

The most versatile knives are the large chef's knife (couteau de chef) and the smaller paring knife (couteau d'office). They have rigid blades, protruding extensively at the bolster, and are used for chopping, cutting and slicing. The paring knife is also used for peeling.

Chef's knife (couteau de chef).

The kitchen knife par excellence; used, among other things, for cutting meat, descaling fish, slicing vegetables, chopping onions, crushing peppercorns and so forth.
They must be large: their weight aids all the above-mentioned processes. Perfect handling of these professional tools requires some practice: always ensure that you grasp the handle with all fingers, pressing the thumb firmly to the blade.
When chopping onions and herbs, the rounded point of the knife should be firmly pressed to the work surface with the flat of the left hand, while using the right hand to lift and depress the knife.