Cutlery

What's a reasonable price for you? I have $300 steak knives and also $40 ones. Kitchen knives can range from $20 to $2000 per knife it's all in what you think is reasonable 

I have been eyeing these guys but still can't seem to get myself to pull the trigger 

Dexter knives are not "showy", but are very reasonably priced, and I really like the 4 I have.  If they have what you're looking for, Restaurant Depot has good prices on Dexter.

I agree with @lousubcap in regards to not buying a set.  I purchase knives as I develop an actual use for them.

knives are very personal.

you will want to maybe hit Williams Sonoma to see what they have so you can try them.  even if it is just to hold them.  they used to have carrots at the place near me where people could try them out.  you're looking for a comfortable grip, balance, weight, whatever feels good in YOUR hand. they will have a wide range.

the german stuff (wusthof, henckles, etc.) are softer stainless, but that is for ease of use and sharpening.  you will need to run them over a steel every time you use them and sharpen (or have them sharpened) maybe once a year. they have a double bevel edge in order to try to keep an edge longer

the curve on the blade of these chef's knives (the german style ones) suits those who learn to chop with a rolling cut, where you keep the tip of the blade on the board and continually roll the blade down to chop

the other side of the spectrum has the japanese and carbon steel blades which hold an edge longer, but are more difficult to sharpen (for the average home DIYer).  they are also tough enough (to hold an edge) that the can get away with a single bevel, a keener edge.  they can stain, like any carbon steel, but that is also to be expected. patina.  you'll see a lot of them with the damascus patterns.  most of those are actually just veneer, for visual effect.  they are based on the very real science of how damscus-type steel is made, and there are a number of high end makers selling real ones, but if you see one for $89, it's likely a stainless steel core with a very thin layer of the damacus pattern

they also tend to have a flatter blade edge, one not as conducive to a rolling chop (or whatever you call it).  it is (for me)more like chopping straight up and down. it's not worse, it's just different.  

it's not a case of what is better. it's what is better FOR YOU.

there are also more economical knives, plastic handles and stamped blades, the kind that many many chefs use in real kitchens.  and they can be damn affordable. dexter-russel, sani-safe, etc.

i learned to use a german knife, and so prefer those.  i tried the wusthof santoku, which has a japanese profile, and found it uncomfortable to use.


as @gdenby says though, don't run out and buy a $600 block of knives.  buy a chef's knife.  then maybe a paring or serrated slicer, as you feel you need them. 

some japanese chefs use nothing but one cleaver.  so sure, you don't "need" any more than one knife.  but again, do what works for you.  "right tools for the job" and all that

One thing to note. Older European knives, almost antiques now, and most contemporary Japanese use carbon steel, and are highly reactive. While they will form a patina that reduces corrosion, if not kept clean and dry, the edges will be messed up. If you cut acidic foods, and/or fail to wipe a wet blade down, they most likely will need a re-sharpening. For this reason, most of the knives I use have a stainless cladding protecting a more reactive core.

As @Darby_Crenshaw notes, the cutting style is different. I started w. a Sabatier many years ago. The French blade shape was much flatter than the German style "big bellied" that now seems standard. The nearly flat Japanese shapes were not designed for a rocking cut, but a draw cut, or a shaving downward slice. So I've had no problem using them.

There are some knives which take extreme edges, and do not corrode. There is an older steel formulated by Sandvik around 1905, called AEB-L, that was created for straight razors. Blades made from that are really nice. There are more exotic modern steels that also have edge retention along with stain resistance. Warther cutlery of Pennsylvania now uses a steel named S35VN which has fine qualities.

We've went the "set" route before. Inevitably there are knives in a set I don't like and won't ever use. Nowadays much prefer to buy them individually. Steak knives I'd maybe buy 6-10 of the same for matching set of them....everything else individual purchases. 

The feel of a knife in your hand gets way to little attention, and is the most idiosyncratic.  Greatest blade on earth, in a handle that 98% of the people love will be a total turkey you will hate to use if you are in the 2%.  That makes shopping for knives difficult.  You really want to touch-and-feel them.  I am a big online shopper, but won't do it with knives.  Research knives? you bet!  Find the makes and models of interest?  Absolutely.  Buy one sight unseen?  no way.  William Sonoma and other high end kitchen stores have among the best  variety in store, but they tend to the higher end knives.  That really helps evaluating a set: you may like the chef's and a paring knife in a set, but find the other 3 just don't feel right to you.  I have a strong preference  high carbon steel knives, which have been out of favor for 20+ years now (stainless...of one type or another rule the American market), but they do exist.  The problem is finding them in a store to touch-and-feel.

i agree with above, just buy what you need.  sets have too many you will never use.  i own a santoku, a chefs knife, a slicer, and a pairing knife and this setup suits me well.

as for steak knives i bought two of these on amazon about 7-8 years ago and cant recommend them enough.  still sharp with no rust after all those  years

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004RFM0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

There are times when a set of knives go on sale. Buying the set is not much more than buying a couple of pieces.

I bought a small set of Wusthof knives about 30 years ago and they have served well. I believe there were only 4 knives in the set and it was a good start. The block had room for 8 knives and a steel so I had room to add as time went on. I would buy a small set like this again. Mine had a Chef's knife, a bread knife, a paring knife, a carving knife and a steel.

@MN-Egger I wish they discounted them for that no such luck, still $800 for the bigger one. Check out the video, the music is stupid but just watch how well they cut

FYI - carbon steel does not hold an edge long, but it's easy to sharpen and you can easily get it extremely sharp.  And they're not expensive.  However, they rust and thus need to be cleaned and dried soon after use, not just thrown in the sink soup of dirty dishes.

I can't argue against buying only the knives needed, however, in my situation, I had no good kitchen knives, so following the recommendation of  SGH,  I got this set of Victorinox on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FA3C5MI/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=
I was really only looking to buy a granton slicer and a good chefs knife.  I looked at buying those two separately at several kitchen stores.  Found I could buy this entire set for the same or less and get the extra pieces for "free".  I have since added another boning knife and a breaking knife.  Until I become much more skilled, I think these will serve me well.  Then I may want to begin collecting higher end, speciality knives that serve a particular purpose.  

FarmerTom said:

I can't argue against buying only the knives needed, however, in my situation, I had no good kitchen knives, so following the recommendation of  SGH,  I got this set of Victorinox on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FA3C5MI/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=
I was really only looking to buy a granton slicer and a good chefs knife.  I looked at buying those two separately at several kitchen stores.  Found I could buy this entire set for the same or less and get the extra pieces for "free".  I have since added another boning knife and a breaking knife.  Until I become much more skilled, I think these will serve me well.  Then I may want to begin collecting higher end, speciality knives that serve a particular purpose.  

if i were to buy a set that would be it.  those are all pretty functional and not a lot of fluff.  great price too

bettysnephew said:

I bought a small set of Wusthof knives about 30 years ago and they have served well. I believe there were only 4 knives in the set and it was a good start. The block had room for 8 knives and a steel so I had room to add as time went on. I would buy a small set like this again. Mine had a Chef's knife, a bread knife, a paring knife, a carving knife and a steel.

This is what I did too, except it was a set of 3 Henckel's Four-Star, which fit my big hands better.  Good sale right before Mother's Day (your timing is excellent, but make sure to pick up a little something for wifey too   ).  
 
Then, every year after that, right before Mother's Day, I'd buy one more knife to add to the block; set was completed years ago.  I use them all (boning knife, bread knife, tomato knife, kitchen shears, long slicing knife) except the santuka, it doesn't really get used.  
 
According to Cook's Illustrated most if not all European manufacturers have now gone to the narrower, Japanese-style angle.  I've purchased a Chef'sChoice electric sharpener which has one wheel designed to knock down a 20-degree angle to 15, but have yet to take the plunge; I plan on leaving the heavier of my two chef's knives at the original 20-degree angle, as I use it solely for hacking through bones and squash, and it hasn't needed resharpening yet.