Knife input please...

fishlessman

lamson makes a great knife and if you like it buy one and use it for a while before purchasing more. they are a slightly softer steel than some but they take an edge quickly and hold up well. i have one thats maybe 60 or 70 years old that i use regularly and even with the 10 or so inch blade its comfortable. i have some japanese blades as well, a global deba and a bunmei oroshi knife, i use them alot and they are extremely sharp, they are extremely hard blades, and they are extremely hard to sharpen. chip one of those and plan on working the edge for a month :laugh: if you get good knives there are some things you need, a good end grain maple cutting board, not glass, plastic, bamboo etc. magnetic strip to hang them, not a knifeblock or drawer storage. some handling skills like never put that knife in the sink, you wash it and hang it, not slide it around with forks knives plates etc. the knife i grab the most is the global deba, pretty much use it for everything but it actually hurts my hand, builds painful callouses from the way i hold it, but it can cut an onion into maybe 200 see thru slices :laugh: its a single bevel so if you decide to buy an electric sharpener down the road most will not sharpen it. also if you do pick up a single bevel for your collection, DONT use a steel on it

Weekend Warrior

Wayne, her brother can sharpen whatever she gets at least 2 or 3 times a year when she comes home with his Edgepro. I only need to sharpen most of my Kaji SG-2 blades about twice a year and the ceramic keeps them in great shape for months in between. Maybe I'll get her the 12" ceramic hone from Ben for Christmas.

stike

if the house is on fire and you can only save one knife, it's going to be your chef's knife.

if you don't want to spend a pantload of money, i would suggest trying out any of the fairly standard german knives, wusthof, henckel, etc.

they are softer than the japanese knives, and might need sharpening once a year, but you aren't working the knife 8 hours a day, either. a little common sense, a quick run over the steel when it needs it, and a pass thru a decent sharpener for a temporary edge (with a once-a-year sharpen by a pro if you want)

keep in mind that some of the japanese knives look gorgeous, with the damascened steel, but very very few of them are true damascene knives, and that pattern is merely laid on top, giving it the look of an expensive knife. instead, get one that FEELS good.

it's entirely personal. i used a wusthof classic knife for a few years, and liked it, until winning a heavier kitchen-aid, which i thought would be a piece of junk (based on the name being slapped on it). it is HEAVY, but balanced. i have discovered i prefer the control of a heavier knife. you might want a lighter one, and 'only' 8". there are also 10" chef's knives, but they might be unwieldy for you.

go to williams sonoma. they will allow you to actually test them. i happen to like the way a chef's knife rolls. i got a santoku early on, thinking it looked promising, but i found the blade too flat along the length. more for chopping than for the way i use it.

after the chef's knife, you will get a better feel for what you want.

couple things that go a little against the common wisdom (what do you expect from me?):

-i used a knife block for a long time before getting a mag strip. knife block is fine, as long as you rest the knife on its back, not the blade.

-using a steel... i use my steel AFTER i use the knife. that way, it goes back on the mag strip with a good edge, and i don't make a big show of steeling the knife before carving a roast. it's already to go.

-you can sharpen your knives, but unless you take the time to learn how, you could ruin them rather than fix them. once a month, when i feel a little drag, i might run it thru a double-bevel sharpener, but once a year, i take it to a pro. couple bucks a knife, ready the next day. sure, he might take off a bit more, but these aren't heirlooms...

anyway.

try the knife before you buy it, ignore looks, go for comfort. buy a mid-level knife, the old standby germans are good for us non-pros and non--sword-collectors. if you find that become a knife fetishist, you can always drop a few hundred on the fancy stuff later

LDD

here's a little secret that alot of people don't know...

Odds are that the town or city you live in will have a cutlery sharpening business. They usually provide the service to restaurants and supply them with sharp knives every week or two. The usually sell an array of knives for dirt cheap. they aren't flashy (usually coloured plastic plastic handles) and they work great! commercial knives for a few bucks.

I picked up a chef's knife for $7.. then another one that was bigger..

find one near you and give them a visit. the few I've been to usually also sell brand named knives as well.

I'm just sayin....

stike

good call. that's basically the place i take mine to be sharpened. they sell brand new knives, as well as reconditioned for very cheap

it's where i got my magnetic strips, actually, too.



(four or five of those knives were from a contest win... a person doesn't need that many knives :laugh: )

stike

i heard her brother was a little nutty, myself. don't let that get around!

Little Steven

How do you get to the pots and pans? :huh:

stike

:laugh: :woohoo:
my wife is 5'6" and she can use them.

Bacchus

I went with Mundial, and couldn't be happier. They are German steel, and priced much lower than many others. I have both the 8"chef and 6"utility.

http://www.mundialusa.com/olivier_individual.html

BigA

can you send me some ifo as well?? I have Henckels, i like them but need to get a couple more knives and was wondering if i should try others??

fishlessman

wow, they really went to town with the handles, my older mundial clam knives are very basic in comparison. good steel in those knives

Weekend Warrior

a little OCD too! :woohoo: I was on the phone with her when she was looking at the knives in Burlington yesterday. She really liked the LamsonSharp knives and the more I learn about them, the more I'm inclined to push her to buy one and try it. Nice to buy from a US manufacturer and they have a lifetime warranty AND lifetime sharpening service with a two week turn around. Nice. The downside, as fish mentioned, they're a little softer(52 to 55 Rockwell)than most and the full bolster makes them a little harder to sharpen than a bolsterless knife. The softness makes them a little more resistant to chipping and breaking though. Might be a good fit for her.

fishlessman

did you check out ginsu :laugh: it actually looks like a good knife, had one ordered but the place went out of business the week i ordered it. it slices it dices it cuts thru cans i might still get one
http://www.amazon.com/Ginsu-Hanaita-5904DS-8-Inch-Damascus/dp/B0027LUCD0

fishlessman

they are really easy to sharpen up though which maybe a good thing up in vermont where i would not bring my knife to the local sharpening place they really look nice in the rosewood handles and looks do count :laugh:

Weekend Warrior

Yeah, she really liked that pretty "bowling ball look" of the acrylic handle. :laugh:

WWSis

I really appreciate hearing everyone's advice, suggestions and common-sense guidance. I have read it all and will take it with me... I'm one who generally takes a while to make a decision, but when I do, I feel pretty good about it...Again, thanks.

Braumiester

Cagey wrote:

I would go with Cutco knives; http://www.cutco.com/home.jsp. They are American made, and they will stand behind their knives forever. I have a set and am highly pleased with them. My mom in her 80s got a set as a wedding present some 55 years ago. I remember sending two of them back for repair. Cutco wanted to replace them as the knives were worn down from years of use and sharpening. Mom wanted "her" knives and just asked to have them factory sharpened and to have the handles cleaned up. They came back like new at no charge. Great knives in my opinion. Remember you get what you pay for, like with any product. Might be why you got an Egg.

Our set of Cutco cutlery was a wedding gift in 1966,once a yr we send them back to Cutco for sharpening for free, I touch them up with a steel in between sharpening. They are serving us well.

Lit

I love my Shun Bob Kramer. I started with the 6" chef and wish I would have gotten the 8" so as soon as I have another $400 laying around that will be my next buy. If you like the Shun onion they have good deals on woot.com frequently. I would also suggest getting a whet stone to keep your knives sharp. Practice on cheaper knives until you get the hang of it so you don't scratch up your nice knives. The global G2 also has very good ratings for only $100.

Jolly Bill Barker

Bacchus wrote:

I went with Mundial, and couldn't be happier. They are German steel, and priced much lower than many others. I have both the 8"chef and 6"utility.

http://www.mundialusa.com/olivier_individual.html

These are great. I love these too. They aren't german steel however. They are made in Brazil. But I don't care. They are a great knife.