The Dalstrong Origin Story

Dalstrong first began in the sweat and glory of professional kitchens, where CEO and founder Dave Dallaire worked alongside line cooks and sous chefs who tirelessly devoted every ounce of energy and passion to their craft. Watching these culinary warriors give everything they had while using stodgy, uninspired knives, he asked: “Where are the culinary tools to match their intrepid spirit?”

And so he started Dalstrong in 2014, recruiting an always-hungry global team who believe that today’s culinary artists deserve tools that push the limits of their imagination. We’re convinced we can change the world around us through our products, our creativity, and our community. Gathering inspiration that fuels our sense of adventure, from ancient warrior cultures to architecture to fighter jets, we scour the planet for the best materials and manufacturing partners to execute this vision — and will never stop raising the bar, smashing boundaries, and celebrating culinary mavericks in this quest.

What Drives Dalstrong

Our mission is to inspire and drive creativity across the globe, pushing culinary boundaries and equipping cooks with the modern tools they need to enhance their experience. We know that food forms the heart and soul of most cultural traditions — it’s the main event in nearly all celebrations while also being a deeply satisfying individual experience. It can inspire peace and connection, excitement and joy. It can be an expression of creativity, love, style, and community. It gives a reason for families to come together, old friends to reunite, adversaries to find common ground. It can provide comfort and nostalgia, while also transcending barriers of time and space. By putting innovative and high-quality knives, cookware, and accessories in the hands of our customers, we hope to inspire a new generation of culinary creators to discover our guiding truth for themselves: There Are No Limits.

The Dalstrong Difference

The Dalstrong culture is built on continuous improvement. Never being satisfied with our last creation. Relentlessly striving to be better. Rather than lower our standards and use use lower quality steels due to costs, procurement difficulty, manufacturing challenges, etc., we work tirelessly to overcome these obstacles and think outside the box. We don’t rest until we’ve established a means to source the highest quality materials possible.

Using CAD drawings, a 3D printer, and endless creativity, we dedicate countless hours to developing iteration upon iteration until we’re satisfied that each new product fills its full potential. We thrive on the journey of pushing boundaries forward.

We’re proud to be a customer-first organization: our focus is how can we better serve and add more value to our community long after our products are in your hands. We offer an unwavering commitment to the culinary journey of every customer — whether pro, amateur, foodie, home cook, or backyard BBQer.

Powered By Our People

Dalstrong is a high-performing team of young, determined individuals who are relentlessly driven to make a mark in the culinary world. People who believe in their ability to shape and change the world around them through our products, our creativity, and our community. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, our diverse roster spans the globe, pulling from an incredibly rich cross-section of life and professional experiences to perfect every iteration and make every Dalstrong purchase meaningful.

Technology, Meet Tradition.

Our glowing reviews aren’t a coincidence — they’re the result of our commitment to quality, starting with the primary materials we use.

Every line of knives sources premium steel from Japan, America, Germany, Sweden & China.

These premium imported materials are painstakingly assembled by expert bladesmiths in a state-of-the-art facility within YangJiang, China — a city with a renowned knife crafting tradition dating back over 1400 years.

These highly trained craftsmen spend anywhere from 30-60 days on each knife, painstakingly hand-polishing and hand-finishing the blades and handles using the 3-step Honbazuke honing method.

This traditional Japanese process is married with high-tech processes such as Cryo-tempering which improves the steel’s crystalline structure (making them stronger). This merging of modern technology allows us to achieve exceptional quality while keeping the costs of our knives lower for our customers.

Where are Dalstrong Knives Made?

Every single one of our knives is painstakingly assembled by expert bladesmiths in a state-of-the-art facility within YangJiang, China — a city with a renowned knife crafting tradition dating back over 1400 years. Today, Yangjian holds the title of National Capital of Knives and Scissors, exporting to more than 100 countries and accounting for 60% of all knife product exports in China.

Before we partner with any global organization, we seriously consider their stance on worker’s rights and eco-sustainability. It’s important to us that our partners align with our values. Our main manufacturing partners are certified ISO humans rights compliant, with 4 weeks of paid vacation for their employees per year and fair wages.

At our manufacturing plants, the artisans and lead foremen are on a personal mission to prove to the world that Chinese knife quality is world-class. As such, our factory proudly stands head and shoulders above all others in YangJiang.

Our Global Reach

We want the whole world to experience Dalstrong. Our innovative designs draw on inspiration from all over the planet, including art, architecture, historic societies, cultural traditions, and more. Fueled by the motivation of our international team, we won’t rest until we have Dalstrong knives in every corner of the globe. So far, we’ve shipped our knives to 50 different countries on every continent but Antartica. From Israel to Australia, Japan to Argentina, we have happy customers all over the world — and can’t wait to expand further.

Supporting Our Community

In addition to working directly with chefs, Dalstrong has partnered with various institutions to positively impact our communities and the culinary world at large.

By the end of 2021, we’ll have donated 1200 professional chef knives to the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). A workforce development nonprofit, C-CAP provides culinary, job, and life skills to middle and high school kids across the United States. A thirty-one-year-old organization striving to help further food and social justice, equity, and inclusion, they’ve served 350,000 students and distributed 62 million in scholarships to date.

Dalstrong is also proud to have joined both the Wounded Warrior Project and Wounded Warriors Canada. Both projects support veterans or first responders and their families, offering various support programs for community-building, mental wellness, physical wellness, career counseling, and independence.

Notable Influencers

Dalstrong believes that everyone has a responsibility to give back. That’s why we look to partner with chefs, pitmasters, culinary schools, grillmasters — anyone who wants to make a positive impact in their communities and the culinary world at large.

One of those incredible chefs is no other than Dominque Crenn, the first female chef to receive three Michelin stars in the US. Last year, when many restaurants were closing across the country due to the pandemic, we partnered with her foundation to support the homeless community in San Francisco. Through a donation of more than 200 culinary tools — including knives, aprons, and accessories — we’ve helped her foundation provide 2,000 plates a week to those in need.

Our Community

From 3-star Michelin Chefs to parents making dinner, line cooks to grillmasters, and everyone in between, Dalstrong Chefs are treated like family. We know that we would be nothing without our chefs, and try to show it at every opportunity — whether it’s spotlighting some of the amazing female chefs in our ranks or producing custom tools for Thai culinary communities.

All Dalstrong products are designed and crafted to work with you as you strive to be more effective, creative, and precise in the kitchen. From cooking competitions to charitable events, Dalstrong loves to support the chefs who enrich our lives every day.