Knife discussion here!

Lockdownx99

Ok. I have been around and around with my wife about getting some quality knives. I have owned Sabatier knives before but i feel like I got a very low end set. They lasted maybe a year or 2. Albeit, I didn't actually know what I had, and therefore never took really good care of them. Dish washed them, let them sit, never sharpened etc.

Well, Last year I bought 2 Shun santokus. The 5.5" and the 7". I brought them home and put them in a drawer for about a month then ended up taking them back because I was too scared to use them. I didn't want to mess them up trying to slice thru wings or whatever. just me being super anal retentive. anyways, I have just re bought the Shun Classic 7" santoku. It should be here tomorrow and I have every intention on using it to its full potential. Ive been watching technique videos and proper care videos. Im confident that I can get a fair amount of proper use out of it. 

My point here is, What else is everyone using? Walmart special? (I'm currently using some cheap farberware walmart crap my wife made me buy 2 years ago). What do you like about your knives over another one? do you stick with 1 brand and model or do you mix and match for the best selection for what works for you? Me personally, I would probably stick with the model I have chosen just for uniformity as long as this knife turns out to be halfway decent. whats everyone else's thoughts?

keepervodeflame

I have four Globals which are wonderful knives and true workhorses. I love them and use them constantly. However, after reading the reviews I picked up a Victorinox 8" chef with a red handle. I sharpened it with the global 15 deg Asian ceramic water stone. The knife only  cost me 29 dollars and it is truly one of the best knives I have. A life lesson, that  quality is not always reflected by the price. Ps. my advice is to skip the sets and buy individual knives designed for a specific job. I have one of those sploosh blocks that holds almost everything regardless  of shape and size. 

Maccool

Shun Ken Onions. Excellent knives for sure.

GeorgeS

I have a set of Henckels that my wife and I got right after we got married 20 years ago. They have been great knives although I'm starting to loose the handles. They have those black plastic handles and they have never been in the dishwasher but are starting to crack right at the rivets.

Jstroke

Lockdown, Keeper hit a piece of it on the head. Buy the individual knife that works best. I am an ex chef 12 years and i am a sales professional in the industry. What you see in a chefs knife roll never matches after a few years. They mix brands and handle styles that best fit . I personally have done the same. All of mine are different. I am not brand specific. Here is how I started. I went to a store that sold multiple lines and handled them. I used them to cut celery and potatoes and peppers just like i would normally. The one that handled the best came home. What you have just ordered is a veg knife. It is not meant for busting up chickens or working on butternut squash. The blade is thinner and the whole knife is built to be light and agle. For splitting chickens etc. and for general workhorse activity you need a Chef knife. Look at wustof classic or global just for reference. I would buy at least nine inch. But again go handle them. Use them in the motion at the store. Good knice like these and many others will last a life time. Another thing, i would not buy an electric sharpener. They will literally wear the knife out by grinding it down. A good steal and stone is essential or at the least a hand held sharpenr that you drag the knife through the little V. Here is what i bought first and what i use every day. Chef knife, pairing knife, nine in serrated bread knife, boning knife. I use the boing knife the least and my chef knife 95 percent of the time. My wife has the 7" santouko. For me it is too light for my go to.it is awesome for mushrooms and onions and other veg. My chef knife feels like an extension of my index finger. I can chop smash carve peel etc. that to me is how it should feel. Good luck. Remember how it works and how it looks are two very different things.

Lit

I personally think shuns are over rated for the price. They are nice knives but you can go on chefknivestogo.com and pick up one of the cheaper tojiros in the same price range and have a better knife IMO. Also a santoku is not the best choice to start with. If you want a do everything knife start with a 8* Gyuto or chef they are the same thing. A 10" is even better but many people are not ready for a 10".

gdenby

For years, the only really good knife in the house was a 240mm Sabatier/Hoffritz we were given as a wedding gift. Besides that, I had odds and ends, a few Chicago Cutlery, a Dexter Russel boning knife, etc.

After 20+ years, none of them had even a decent edge. I tried out various sharpeners, and eventually got and Edge Pro Apex. Spent several weeks learning to use it by sharpening my old beaters, as well as stuff I picked up cheap at 2nd hand stores. Then I started on the Sabatier. Took hours, but eventually got it back to a shaving edge.

What I learned was that the quality of the blade steel is very important. A good sharpener can put a fine edge on anything, but low end steel will hold that edge for only a few cuts. Not worth having.

I tried out a few of the common Euro-style knives. Most of those are "German" style, with a deep belly edge, used for rocking cutting. The Sabatier's "French" edge, which I was used to, has a much shallower belly. I came across Japanese knives, whose shape is much more like the Sabatier.

Also, the Japanese blade steels tended to be much harder, and had a more acute bevel. I was sold. At this point, if a blade won't hold at least an 18 degree bevel per side, I don't bother w. it. My best has a 12 degree bevel.

Yes, they are scary sharp. One of the better descriptions of how well a good knife cuts is "Food falls apart in its presence." One must not use them without care. It took me awhile to gain better knife handling habits, but I haven't chipped a blade, or cut myself for over a year. My wife doesn't touch the better ones.

Like most people, most of my cutting is done by 3 knives. A 90 mm paring knife, a 150mm petty knife, and a 240mm chef's.

But I have a cheap nakiri for veg, and hope to get a better one. I have a Chinese cleaver, but I am very clumsy w. the big blade. Only use it for cabbages and melons. For bread, I use a very inexpensive Murphy shoe skiving knife. Would like a better boning knife.

AD18

Another vote for buying after you have a chance to hold it.  I went through several knives at my local shop before settling on a higher end Henckel.  I liked the way the handle felt in my hand, the weight distribution, and its overall heftiness.  Wustof's where close second.  I bought a 10" chef knife first as it gets the most use chopping and preparing most items.  Then a smaller paring knife and a boning knife.  I also really like a pair of poultry sheers for taking apart chicken. 

jerryb78

When it comes to stuff like disassembling wings, I usually use a cleaver.  They're cheap and heavy and won't take as much of a beating from going through bones, etc.

midwestsmoker

We have a set of Wusthof and the asian blade to match. Since neither one of us are chefs and wouldn't be able to fully appreciate anything better these are a perfect fit for us. My wife and I do take proper care of these however I do use the Chefs Choice 1520 to maintain the blade. I did buy my buddy a set of Kitchen Aid knives from costco, since these were his first set of good/descent knives there was now reason for him to spend hundreds/thousands of dollars until her learned how to appreciate a good knife

fishlessman

ive got knives i dont use and some i use alot. the only small kife i use is an old clamming knife, i never use a paring knife, never use a boning knife. i have a nice global single bevel deba that looks nice on the wall but even after 2 years of non use i still have a callous on my index finger from holding that handle. i do use a global cleaver, the heavey one, if you dropped it you would lose your foot
  bunmei oroshi is nice but incredibly hard to sharpen. what ive come down to is big light chef knives with a good steel, simple comfortable japanese handle, hundred dollar price line, they seem to do everything but open clams and fillet fish. at home its a 240 mm goko gyoto, and at camp its a high end ginsu hanaita, yes i said it, a ginsu, it dices it chops it slices thru a can, its a beautiful light weight chefs knife with vg-1 steel, a slight step below the high end shun with vg-10. the only other knife i use is a showtime tomato knife for breads, no need to buy a high end bread knife, the cheapest one you can find does the job. almost forgot the fillet knife, leech lake fillet, if that knife doesnt scare a person theres something wrong with them, buy band aides
)

Lit

Why buy a bread knife? I use my 240mm Takeda gyuto its a much cleaner cut than a bread knife. I do not worry about handle feel at all. If anything curved handles get in the way I just stick with a standard Japanese straight WA handle. I choke up on knives when I use them so most of my hand is up towards the blade not on the handle.

Legume

Man, I have a real mixed bag of knives.  No idea if they're expensive, I know most aren't.  My best knives are probably a 10" chef's labeled Forschner that I've had for 25+ years and a great Solingen carving knife that's at least 20 years old.  I've  never had either sharpened but use a diamond steel and they still make me uncomfortable when I first get them out.  I have a few left from a wedding gift set - Gerber maybe, never liked them. Also have a few of the white handled ones from Sam's (boning knife, etc.) that don't hold an edge for long, but in shapes that I didn't want to invest big $ in. Lastly, I bought a few knives at Ikea a few years ago to leave at a friends cabin on the coast - liked them so much I bought a few for the home.  They're around $15 with a black, slightly down curved handle that has a nice grip to it.  Totally inexpensive but very sharp and a steel puts a great edge back on them in just a couple of passes.  Completely surprised by the price, not sure how long they'll last. 

I think the biggest thing for me is getting rid of knives I don't like - I used to have a drawer full of knives that were gifts or were supposed to be good and I held on to them because they were supposed to be good.  Come to think of it, I still have some of those Gerbers I need to get rid of.

fishlessman

Lit said:

Why buy a bread knife? I use my 240mm Takeda gyuto its a much cleaner cut than a bread knife. I do not worry about handle feel at all. If anything curved handles get in the way I just stick with a standard Japanese straight WA handle. I choke up on knives when I use them so most of my hand is up towards the blade not on the handle.

you dont buy a bread knife but it always seems someone buys you that 50 piece set off the infomercial, its the only useful knife in the set
)

Mickey

Suggest you get knives out of the drawer.

Legume

just those I don't use @Mickey

MaskedMarvel

Shun - rhymes with moon...

stemc33

@mickey , that's just scary seeing all those knives sticking to the wall.
Lots knife smart people on the forum. Once again, this forum rocks.
Ceramic knives are awesome. They definitely rock when it comes to vegetables. One draw back is frozen meat and care has to be taken when cutting around bone. Dropping or dishwashers may damage edge too. But, I've had mine for two years and haven't had to send them in for sharpening yet. Most companies will sharpen ceramic knives for free. Reason it's free is because they stay sharp
I like the idea of different knives for different task. Kinda like using the right screwdriver for the job.

prodraft1954

I have a set of Cutco that I love, lifetime free factory sharpening. My son is a chef and has a set of Wustof Customs that he won at a competition when he was in culinary school that are outstanding. Ceramic is nice but very brittle.

ksmyrl

+1 for Henckels. Had them 14 years and I'm able to keep them very sharp. @GeorgeS call Henckel and tell them about your cracked handles. They will replace them. I've had two replaced in 14 years, no hassle at all. They've been great to us.

Cymbaline65

Henckels, Wustof and Cutco. The Cutco's were a recent purchase and their de-boning knife absolutely rocks. American made, lifetime warranty. More expensive than Henckels but cheaper than Wustof and Shun. A Chef's Choice electric sharpener. Whenever I visit the in-laws, I have to pack that and sharpen everyone's knives...

paqman

Mickey said:

Suggest you get knives out of the drawer.

@Mickey‌ - Why?

Lockdownx99

I plan on practicing technique on soft veggies and boneless meats so I think the santoku, while probably ideally not the best starting out knife, it will still get some decent use and serve a purpose. (thats just me justifying buying the wrong knife from the start lol). I do plan on getting the 8" chefs knife and Ive got my eye on the cleaver. I have an amazon wish list full of finer than box store kitchen utensils. My wife thinks the meat cleaver is useless. She thinks its strictly for hacking things. I wish there was some way of convincing her that it has a very good purpose.

paqman

My main set is the green one (Sanelli). I purchased it last year to replace my Victorinox Fibrox that I have been using for the past 15 years. I was happy with the Victorinox but the the Sanellis are so comfortable to hold that I had to get them. I also own one Henckel chef knife that I use when splitting chicken and cutting through smaller bones (because I do not want to damage the blade on the others).

paqman

I forgot to mention that I wash all my knives in the dishwasher. This is the main reason why I did not invest in japanese knives...yet.

paqman

@Lockdownx99‌ - If you feel like cutting meat with a santoku, why not?

SWMBO always uses a boning filet knife regardless of what she cuts... What is important is how it works for you and how you feel with the knife... Some knifes may be better fit for a task but it does not mean that you cant use them for another purpose.

Botch

AD18 said:

Another vote for buying after you have a chance to hold it.  I went through several knives at my local shop before settling on a higher end Henckel.  I liked the way the handle felt in my hand, the weight distribution, and its overall heftiness.  Wustof's where close second.  I bought a 10" chef knife first as it gets the most use chopping and preparing most items.  Then a smaller paring knife and a boning knife.  I also really like a pair of poultry sheers for taking apart chicken. 

 

Exactly what I did, and exactly what I got (Henckel's 4-Star).  I've had mine 27, 28 years now, and the chef's and paring knives now have glossy handles, just from years of use.  These handles aren't riveted, and they're still perfectly secure.  

Lockdownx99

right now I use my santoku for most everything. Its just a cheap farberware so i don't really care about it. I have held the Shuns before about a year ago when I bought them the first time. I liked how they felt, even though they are right hand handles. Im actually left handed but it was not an uncomfortable grip for me. Also, my wife is right handed so maybe they will feel even better to her and impress her. 

gdenby

Lockdownx99 said:

I plan on practicing technique on soft veggies and boneless meats so I think the santoku, while probably ideally not the best starting out knife, it will still get some decent use and serve a purpose. (thats just me justifying buying the wrong knife from the start lol). I do plan on getting the 8" chefs knife and Ive got my eye on the cleaver. I have an amazon wish list full of finer than box store kitchen utensils. My wife thinks the meat cleaver is useless. She thinks its strictly for hacking things. I wish there was some way of convincing her that it has a very good purpose.

Ever notice how many recipes start with "Sauté onions..." Learn to cut those. There are many youtube vids showing the standard technique. W. a really sharp knife, you won't cry. And, as you get the hang of the "claw" grip, you should be able to slice and dice without staring at the onion. It is simple. With a broad bladed knife or cleaver, the metal is always pressed against knuckles, and as those draw back, the blade zips right thru the onion, cutting as finely as you are able to pull back the holding hand.

Took me about a year, but one day I diced an onion while talking to my wife, and she looked at the bits and said "That was pretty fast." Dang!

Meat doesn't get to be fun until it has bones in it, so the santoku will only be a starting point.

Chill meat in the freezer so it has a little ice firmness. Makes cutting much easier.

I've read that a Chinese cleaver can be used for about anything. I suppose that is true for those w. skilled hands. Not me. I also have a traditional Western style cleaver, pretty cheap, that serves for whacking.

Besides a way to keep the blades sharp, look around for some cutting boards.

Mickey

@paqman‌ hay, that works just the same man. :-c

MeTed

Wusthof Knives are what I have used for decades. They are very good knives.

The important part about always having a sharp knife is to sharpen them about once a year on a good set of stones.I take mine to a 17 degree bevel. And you must use your steel on your knives every time you use them to clean the edge of small nicks. I only Have to sharpen with stone about once a year and use a strop about once a month.

So if you are going to invest in a good set of knives,Please invest in a good set of stones and a strop and a steel and learn how to use them. Not a cheap electric sharpener,they do not not work so good. 

Good luck.