Usually when you are cutting, dicing, or mincing, you'll want to pick a straight-edged knife like a large chef's knife or a small paring knife. They have fine, straight edges. Paring knives come in 3 different types, a 4 inch, 2 ¾ inch, and a bird's beak with a curved tip. A chef's knife has either a 7 or 9 inch blade. A butcher knife is traditionally used to cut meat and is shaped differently than a chef's knife. It has a belly, is fatter on the end, and has a clip point. To cut turkey or slice bread, you'll want to pick recessed or serrated-edged knife called a slicer.
