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Your top 5 go to knives and why

The MIL wants to buy me some knives for Father's Day so who am I to argue. While I have plenty of knives, this is the time to start a higher quality collection. I know I said top 5, but really what is your top 3 that can get it done. We're talking from carving to cutting to trimming meats, veggies, etc.. Thoughts?

Comments

  • travisstrick
    travisstrick Posts: 5,002
    Richard, your carbon steel blades excite me. Nice collection.
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
  • Jebpot
    Jebpot Posts: 374
    I have Wusthof Classic:  8" Chef, 6" utility, 4" paring Knives. It was a 7 piece set. Wish I had  10" chef instead of 8". Also bought sharper. When you get a good set you think why did I wait so long.

    XL and Small

    Chattanooga, TN

  • SaturdayFatterday
    SaturdayFatterday Posts: 468
    edited June 2013
    Global 7" nakiri:  for all-purpose work, I go with the Global, every time.  Whets to razor-sharp, durable molybdenum-vanadium steel, dimpled handle means it grips well even when my hands are wet.  The handles are hollow and filled with a precise measurement of sand for balance.


    Wusthof Classic 6" utility knife:  for meat slicing and carving.  I'd probably prefer an 8" carver, but the 6" utility has been fine for me.  High-carbon, no-stain steel, full tang, forged.


    Global 8" flexible filet knife:  for trimming, boning, and taking off rib membranes.




    [Northern] Virginia is for [meat] lovers.
  • TUTTLE871
    TUTTLE871 Posts: 1,316
    KA BAR, Been around since the 20's and still going strong today by our military.

    "Hold my beer and watch this S##T!"

    LARGE BGE DALLAS TX.

  • TeamASI
    TeamASI Posts: 1
    edited June 2013
    I have all Shun knives.  First off, you need a good 6-8inch Chef knife, then a good pairing knife... the other 3 types are up to you.

  • Evilsports
    Evilsports Posts: 37
    These are my "go-to" knifes in order of preference, from top to bottom.

    The top two are a tough call as I really love the feel and balance of the large San Moritz, the size (10") is just a touch less practical than the 7" Miyabi.

    If I had to buy knives all over again I think I'd look at replacing them all with the San Moritz Elite line.  They just have a great feel, great weight, and they seem to hold a crazy edge.

    My wife tends to grab the small Wusthof blade (second from the bottom) for 80-90% of her cutting.

    image
  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
    It seems your question was about knife types, rather than brands.  My favorite kitchen knife is a Chef's Knife.  It has a curved blade that will rock back and forth, making chopping an easy task. Next, I like my boning knives.   Most of my knives (Shun) are stainless, but I prefer carbon steel for ease of sharpening.
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


  • XLBalco
    XLBalco Posts: 607
    It seems your question was about knife types, rather than brands.  My favorite kitchen knife is a Chef's Knife.  It has a curved blade that will rock back and forth, making chopping an easy task. Next, I like my boning knives.   Most of my knives (Shun) are stainless, but I prefer carbon steel for ease of sharpening.

    It was VI.  Thanks for the input.. I do appreciate  hearing about the Brands but wanted to know really what type you used and how you utilize them.


     

  • Evilsports
    Evilsports Posts: 37
    XLBalco said:
    It seems your question was about knife types, rather than brands.  My favorite kitchen knife is a Chef's Knife.  It has a curved blade that will rock back and forth, making chopping an easy task. Next, I like my boning knives.   Most of my knives (Shun) are stainless, but I prefer carbon steel for ease of sharpening.

    It was VI.  Thanks for the input.. I do appreciate  hearing about the Brands but wanted to know really what type you used and how you utilize them.



    Ok, I use my 7" Nakiri blade for almost everything.  It's a utilitarian type blade design, good for chopping, slicing, dicing.

    If I'm into something bigger or something that I want to slice "perfect" I reach for my 10" San Moritz.  (Watermelon, brisket, etc.)

    My 8" Henkell chefs knife gets the nod if I'm doing and chopping or cutting that is tough or hard, only because the tip is very slightly bent so I don't care so much if I'm a little mean to it.

    The last three smaller knives don't see a pile of action, to be honest.

    If I had to live with one knife for the rest of my life it would be the 7" nakiri blade, hands down.
  • XLBalco
    XLBalco Posts: 607

    for the chef's knife- whats the driver for the size that you want?  over ease or depth of the meat that you are cutting?  what would make you choose a 6" over an 8", etc..

  • Evilsports
    Evilsports Posts: 37
    If I'm doing a bunch of prep work with veggies I want a smaller blade, if I'm slicing up a tenderloin, brisket, etc I want a longer blade just so that I can cut through the meat in one slice.

    The smaller knifes feel better, especially for quick cutting like chopping veggies.  Anything over (IMHO) 7" for prep work and you're just swinging around more metal than you need to be.
  • Wolfpack
    Wolfpack Posts: 3,551
    1) 8-10" chef knife 2) pairing knife 3) serrated bread knife Maybe a slicing/carving knife Really can do most things with first 2
    Greensboro, NC
  • I have a 10" chef's knife with curved blade that I use for everything and a super cheap (2 for $8 at Sam's) curved boning knife that I use to trim briskets/butts/primals. They actually have carbon blades but they are crap.They sharpen up nice (like a razor blade) but don't hold it well.  I sharpen often and buy new every year or so.




    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    Wustoff chefs knife. And a boning knife from restaurant supply.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    The knife that gets the most use is a 135 mm petty. Probably daily use. After that, its a toss up between a 240 mm gyuto and an 80 mm paring knife. Almost as frequent use as the petty.. Probably next is a 165 mm nakiri followed by a a 7" shoe skiving knife I use as a bread slicer.

    Do have several other knives that are essential at certain times. For instance, an old Dexter-Russel boning knife that is my go to for hacking meat off of bones.

    Speaking of brands, the paring knife is a Richmond Artifex. I'm very happy w. it. Have had it for about 6 months, and have not had to sharpen it. Has a fine edge, and is very corrosion resistant. The Artifex line is very affordable, and, I came across a mention that it is produced in the US by Lamson & Goodnow to Mr. Richmond's specs.

    If you get good knives, consider learning a little knife sharpening. Or find someone in the area who is competent.
  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    Chef knife, santoku knife and boning knife. I have a cheap set of Hamilton Beach that I don't care for, but I get them sharpened periodically and they are razor sharp. Eventually I'll replace with wusthof. My santoku is pampered chef.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    I just use what's close... I do have a heavy duty pair of kit scissors for spatchcock chicken.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    +1 on the kitchen sheers.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    XLBalco said:

    for the chef's knife- whats the driver for the size that you want?  over ease or depth of the meat that you are cutting?  what would make you choose a 6" over an 8", etc..

    Here's a late response. I use a pulling cut when I  slice. Or, for some vegs, a slight forward push.  I rarely use a rocking cut. 6", for me, is the worst size. 6" is too big for detail work, too small for a long, smooth draw.

    The ease of the cut, when doing a pull or push, is dependent on how acute the blade edge is. Ideally, it would be just a wire. A longer length blade allows one to rake the edge over a broader surface. For instance, something as wide as a brisket is often cut w. a slicer. Both of mine are 11".

    I was given a 9" chef's 40 years ago. I got used to it. Maybe a little longer than necessary. I've upgraded to a japanese blade of similar size and shape. A quick pull across everything I've tried makes an effortless smooth thin cut.
  • CANMAN1976
    CANMAN1976 Posts: 1,593
    I have Misono UX 10's They are like razors and awesome!!!!
    Hows ya gettin' on, me ol ****



    Kippens.Newfoundland and Labrador. (Canada).
  • cookinfun
    cookinfun Posts: 129
    Well, I have both Shun and Wusthof Classic, the Shun seem to hold their edges a lot longer, don't know why.  My go to is the Shun 6" and  8" paring type, impressive.
    (2) LBGEs,  WSM, Vidalia Grill (gasser), Tailgater Grill (gasser)
  • XLBalco
    XLBalco Posts: 607
    thanks for the input!
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,674
    i use a global deba single edge and a high end ginzu chef, yep i said ginsu, they make some good knives nowadays.  single edge deba for fine slicing, dont get a global as the handle causes pain with alot of use. i like a big chef knife. i never use a paring knife so i would skip that. pretty much i can do it all with a deba, a chef, and a cheap bread or tomato knife, oh, and a butter knife and a pocket knife
    :D
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • @fishlessman:  love the deba.  Strong choice.

    [Northern] Virginia is for [meat] lovers.
  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583
    If you are going be invested in an expensive knife set then go hold a few. All the blade longevity in the world is moot if its awkward for you to hold. I like shun, but I hold the knife way down on the blade. 8" chef, flexible boning knife, paring knife, bread knife
  • jfm0830
    jfm0830 Posts: 987
    edited June 2013
    I have a set of Wusthof Classic knives that has 12 knives. The ones I use the most are:

    1) 6" Santoku for about 75% of what I do. I really don't like Chef's knife after using this blade.
    2) 8" Panini knife-this serrated knife is great for cutting bread & also things like tomatoes and soft veggies. 
    3) Boning knife
    4) Paring knife
    5) 5" Serrated tomato knife


    Website: www.grillinsmokin.net
    3 LBGE & More Eggcessories than I care to think about.
  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    My 3 most used knives are my 240mm Takeda gyuto, 120mm tojiro petty, and my cck small vegetable cleaver. Just a note though all knives will dull and your best bet is to learn proper sharpening and honing skills. Anyone who tells you they use a honing rod to maintain sharpness doesn't know what a sharp knife is. Honing rods average about a 500 grit and even the expensive ceramic rods are only 1200 grit. Most Japanese knives will come with a 6000 grit plus finish so if you hit them with a rod you are actually dulling them and if you have let them get below 1000 grit finish you shouldn't be buying expensive knives anyway.
  • RLeeper
    RLeeper Posts: 480
    edited June 2013
    Chef's knife, ,meat cleaver for chopping pulled chicken and pulled pork when the occasion calls for finer chopped....electric knife for brisket, turkey,ribs, and ham....pairing knife for trimming
    Extra Large, Large, and Mini. Tucker, GA