Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Knife Recommendations

My wife says she wants some good knives for Christmas. I've seen many of you post about your knives. Do you have some recommendations? I'm thinking about getting her an 8" chef's knife and a pairing knife. She chops a lot of vegetables. I will probably be using them a good bit, too!

Thanks for your help!

Comments

  • hapster
    hapster Posts: 7,503
    A sharp one...

    LOL


    I don't own one yet, but I'm going to say Shun, since I bet that will be the majority of the responses
  • HDumptyEsq
    HDumptyEsq Posts: 1,095

    Wusthoff are great knives. You might add a Santoku  with a scalloped blade too. Great on veggies. I don't have a link but Cooks Illustrated did a comparison about three or four issues ago. It may be accessible on their website.

    Tony in Brentwood, TN.

    Medium BGE, New Braunfels off-set smoker, 3-burner Charbroiler gasser, mainly used for Eggcessory  storage, old electric upright now used for Amaz-N-Smoker.

    "I like cooking with wine - sometimes I put it in the food." - W. C. Fields

  • Kruegs
    Kruegs Posts: 128

    Wusthoff are great knives. You might add a Santoku  with a scalloped blade too. Great on veggies. I don't have a link but Cooks Illustrated did a comparison about three or four issues ago. It may be accessible on their website.

    +1 on Wusthof knives

    XL BGE; CyberQ Wifi; Adjustable Rig, Woo2 Green Bay, Wisconsin
  • I would recomend Henkel I have had a set that we got like 25 years ago and they are still going strong  
    2 Large Eggs and a Mini 2 Pit Bulls and a Pork shoulder or butt nearby and 100% SICILIAN
    Long Island N.Y.
  • Acn
    Acn Posts: 4,424

    Shun will get a ton of recs here, and it should, but Henckels and Wusthof are both really good as well, and there are other brands that are good too.

    My recommendation would be to take her to a store and both of you try them out. Make sure the handle fits your hand, the balance works well for you etc. Then, once you have a brand/line/size/etc that works for both of you, go online to price compare and buy.

    LBGE

    Pikesville, MD

  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    It depends on budget but you are at a great start already. Many people will look at sets and then only end up using 1-3 knives out of that set. Would you all prefer Japanese geometry or more Western-style geometry? That will help decide as well. A Wusthof is going to feel a lot different than a Misono and the cutting styles are different. More likely, you all are used to a Western technique since that is what is most often seen on cook shows and instructional video. If you want the "razor sharp" qualities of Japanese blade you can grab a gyuto which is much like a French chef's knife. You can even get Western-style handles. 

    Shun's are nice, but you can get as good and even better quality for less. 

    chefknivestogo.com is a great resource. You can call Mark and he'll help walk you through stuff or just research their forum. One of the more important things to do is go to a knife shop and handle the knives if possible. This is the best way to get a feel for a blade. They typically have a few selections of German and Japanese steel to choose from. They usually also offer sharpening service for a good price as well. This is important until/unless you get into sharpening yourself.

    Lastly, I would stick to stainless steel for now. Carbon steel needs to be looked after carefully or it will quickly rust(frequent wiping down and drying immediately after washing).
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    costs alot, looks good, great blade material, sends a staightment

    half the price, looks nice, great blade, half the weight if you like a lighter knife, sharper than the shun, if you dont need to make a staightment. this is my favorite knife
    :D
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Shun, Global, Miyabi & Henckel are all excellent, but as previously stated it's best to take her and have her try them out.  Ergonomics vary from person to person.

    Since you mentioned your wife chops lots of vegetables... I just got this Global Vegetable knife specifically for chopping veg.  Much different from a chef's knife and makes a big difference when prepping.



    image
    BGE in the ATX
  • pflug
    pflug Posts: 106

    Wusthoff are great knives. You might add a Santoku  with a scalloped blade too. Great on veggies. I don't have a link but Cooks Illustrated did a comparison about three or four issues ago. It may be accessible on their website.

    Cooks Illustrated liked the Victorinox Fibrox chefs knife.
  • Thanks for all the help so far! Is the main difference between a Chef's knife and Santoku the length?
  • jhl192
    jhl192 Posts: 1,006
    A Henkel 8" Santaku is my go to knife.  
    XL BGE; Medium BGE; L BGE 
  • jhl192
    jhl192 Posts: 1,006
    Santaku knife has a row of indentations on either side of the blade 
    so the vegetables do not stick to the blade as much. 
    XL BGE; Medium BGE; L BGE 
  • Shun Premier. Beautiful, sharp, and guaranteed for life.
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    Thanks for all the help so far! Is the main difference between a Chef's knife and Santoku the length?
    chef knives are more curved,easier to rock back and forth while cutting  than the flatter santoku blade.  i think its more what you get used to
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • I have Globals and Macs. Macs are better. I may be alone on this but a good vegetable knife (rectangular blade) saves a lot of fingertip wounds.

    MAC Damascus Japanese Vegetable Knife

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    Nakiri knives aren't bad. I think I prefer my vegetable cleaver over my nakiri but both are fun. If you are looking at Japanese knives look for a Gyuto. Same as a chef knife. I prefer a chef knife or gyuto over a santoku anyday.
  • I have a Cutco slicing set that I love.  The handles of the Cutco knives just feel so right in your hand.  But my most useful knife when I'm prepping the meat is a Wusthoff fillet knife.  It's great for trimming and skinning.
  • td66snrf
    td66snrf Posts: 1,821
    edited December 2013
    My wife says she wants some good knives for Christmas. I've seen many of you post about your knives. Do you have some recommendations? I'm thinking about getting her an 8" chef's knife and a pairing knife. She chops a lot of vegetables. I will probably be using them a good bit, too! Thanks for your help!

    XLBGE, LBGE, MBGE, SMALL, MINI, 2 Kubs, Fire Magic Gasser
  • I have a few wusthoff and shuns he shuns seam to hold a sharper edge longer.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Thanks for all the help so far! Is the main difference between a Chef's knife and Santoku the length?
    The chef knives I know of start at 6" and run up to 10." Santokus seem to average about 6," altho I've seen one called a mini-santoku that was just 4"

    For a Japanese style, the santoku has a rounder belly than most knives. It was developed as a hybrid that would be more suited to rocking style cutting. Most euro knives at this point have a much rounder belly, which is the German style. But for its length the santuko has a fairly wide blade, good for scooping up chopped veggies.

    The japanese take on a chef knife is called a gyuto (if I recall correctly, that translates as cattle sword.) They have a fairly flat belly, much closer to the traditional French style. Gyutos tend to be a little lighter and thinner, making them more "nimble." They also are usually sharper than the euro standard. The euro manufacturers are starting to produce blades with similar weight and sharpness.


  • I have a wide assortment of high end knives. I Often find myself going back to my wooden handle victonox. I have a number of small pairing knives of different sizes, some sharpened to something that resembles a nail, lol. The victonox are very comfy, great feel with thin but adequate blade. They come in a wide range of styles and shapes and don't break the bank. It's the knife I recommend the most. I would stay away from henkels and the suck (I love mine though) due to weight, especially for your wife.
    "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are."
     Brillat-Savarin
  • Everyone - thanks for the input! I think I'm leaning toward a Wusthof classic 8" chef's (cook's) knife as well as a 3.5" paring knife from the same series. I am very tempted by that Shun premier, though. May have to work up to that one...
  • JohnMc
    JohnMc Posts: 76
    Got an email that Williams Sonoma is having a one day sale today on Shun knives that claims to be 65% off. 
  • Get a relatively cheap carbon steel knife (not stainless) and the best sharpener you can find.  Carbon steel doesn't keep it's edge as long as stainless, but it sharpens much quicker.


    -----------------------------------------------------
    Albuquerque, NM
    Large BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe
  • queued
    queued Posts: 50
    The only good knife is a sharp one.  There are a lot of good brands out there, but if you don't keep them sharp it won't matter which one you get.  For brands, I tend to prefer western style blades, so I like Wusthoff, Henkels, etc.
    Raleigh, NC