Kitchen knives.

ryantt

Hey guys looking for advice on getting a new set of kitchen knives, I know many of you on here are knowledgeable and appreciate your help. Thanks

TnJed

Japan Woodworker has some amazing knives. 

Chubbs

I would suggest not getting a whole set. Grab a chefs knife a paring knife and a boning knife you can handle most any task. Personally I have global and love them

NCEggSmoker

My experience is don't buy a set. They generally include a bunch of junk to max out the number of pieces so you feel you got a deal. 

Cictorinox makes a number umber of nice less expensive chefs knives and slicers. Also a good pair of kitchen shears and an inexpensive paring knife.  With those four you can do most anything. 

If if you routinely break down large hunks of meat then you may have some other specific needs like flexible blade filet knives and or scimitars...etc.  some other expert can probably speak to that. 

Ozzie_Isaac

Calling @SGH .... based on his advice and @Cazzy  I just ordered a Dexter-Russel scalloped slicer (Sani-Safe S149-12SC) a Victorinox 6" semi-flexible curved boning knife, and a 6" straight boning knife.

I got the white rubber type handles for easy cleanup and good grip.

Carolina Q

Don't buy a "set". Not even a small one. I bought a chef's knife, a 6" utility and a paring knife as a set. Use the chef's knife every day, but I rarely use the utility and I virtually NEVER use the parer. Buy the knives you will actually USE. 

If possible, hold the knife to see how it feels your hand. When I first saw the Shun Ken Onion, I just HAD to have one. Until I held it in my hand. Ugh, not for me!

tamu2009

Would definitely agree with the notion of don't buy a set. I've got wusthof classics and love them but knives are very much about individual feel. I'd say go to a nice store and and fell a few different brands and lines to see what feels good in your hand. Look for balance, weight and comfort. 

I have Wusthof because that's what my parents bought me when I got married. If I was buying my own, I probably would have gone with Global. You won't go wrong with any of the major brands (Wusthof, Global, Shun. Henkels).

ryantt

I'm in board with the onset idea, where is the best place to buy.  Locally all we have are big box store like  bed bath and beyond     

ryantt

Also what should I expect to pay for a decent chefs knife boning knife in Cleaver

fishlessman

i pretty much only use one knife now, goko gyuto from chefs knives to go, thats at home. at camp i use a ginsu hanaita chef knife. the japaese d straight handles seem to fit most hands well. both of those knives are scay sharp and hold an edge well

gdenby

What is the condition of your present knives? Been sharpened any time in the past few years? A standard trade-off is that knives which are less expensive need frequent steeling, and sharpening. Even some 2nd hand store knives are worth having if you have a simple sharpener.

What is your budget? As mentioned above, Victorinox gets consistently high marks for price/performance. If you are willing to spend $50 for a paring knife, and around $150 for a chef's knife, the edges those category of knives will hold are much keener, and w. care, will stay sharp for many months of daily use.

Related to the budget issue. As above, most tasks can be handled by a good chef's knife. A standard recommendation is to have a good chef, utility and paring knife. But there are lots of things that call for other kinds of blades. If I need to chop a bunch of cabbage, my inexpensive Chinese cleaver beats everything else. If I want to clean up carcass bones to make stock, a boning knife that can take abuse is the best. In other words, spend as much as you can on the kind of knife you use the most. Buy other knives that are suitable for tasks you do not do as often.

byrne092

Zwilling PRO by JA Henckels are nice and can be found at BB&B. They are the forged steel style. You pick them out individually, which made it nice. If i recall most of the knives were about $40-$150 a piece depending on the style.

tarheelmatt

My go-to knife broke about a month ago and I haven't had the chance to get another one yet.  I want to hold the knife before I purchase it.  They sell nice knives at Sur La Table in Greensboro, but haven't got over there yet.  

My first one to handle is the Shun then the Wostoff's.  

Like others have said, don't waste your money on the sets.  

Acn

@tarheelmatt - are you east or west of Greensboro?  There is a really nice kitchen store in Cary where we got a couple of knives last fall.  They have a great selection and were very helpful about opening the case and letting you hold and try all the knives they had.

ryantt

gdenby said:

What is the condition of your present knives? Been sharpened any time in the past few years? A standard trade-off is that knives which are less expensive need frequent steeling, and sharpening. Even some 2nd hand store knives are worth having if you have a simple sharpener.

What is your budget? As mentioned above, Victorinox gets consistently high marks for price/performance. If you are willing to spend $50 for a paring knife, and around $150 for a chef's knife, the edges those category of knives will hold are much keener, and w. care, will stay sharp for many months of daily use.

Related to the budget issue. As above, most tasks can be handled by a good chef's knife. A standard recommendation is to have a good chef, utility and paring knife. But there are lots of things that call for other kinds of blades. If I need to chop a bunch of cabbage, my inexpensive Chinese cleaver beats everything else. If I want to clean up carcass bones to make stock, a boning knife that can take abuse is the best. In other words, spend as much as you can on the kind of knife you use the most. Buy other knives that are suitable for tasks you do not do as often.

Trying to keep it under 600 total. I've had our current knives sharpened a few months back, but thy just don't hold an edge.  I've tried running them over a steel and also on my stra steel and also on my strop.  That keeps my straight razor good in straight razor good and sharp.  We live in north eastern Ohio 

tarheelmatt

Acn said:

@tarheelmatt - are you east or west of Greensboro?  There is a really nice kitchen store in Cary where we got a couple of knives last fall.  They have a great selection and were very helpful about opening the case and letting you hold and try all the knives they had.

I am west of Greensboro.  I am about 1.5 hrs from Cary, depending on which side of Cary.   Sur La Table is the same way.  They'll let you hold knives and they will take your knives to send off to be sharpened too.  

gdenby

ryantt said:

gdenby said:

What is the condition of your present knives? Been sharpened any time in the past few years? A standard trade-off is that knives which are less expensive need frequent steeling, and sharpening. Even some 2nd hand store knives are worth having if you have a simple sharpener.

What is your budget? ....etc

Trying to keep it under 600 total. I've had our current knives sharpened a few months back, but thy just don't hold an edge.  I've tried running them over a steel and also on my stra steel and also on my strop.  That keeps my straight razor good in straight razor good and sharp.  We live in north eastern Ohio 

600 should be enough for a much better than average group of knives.

Good to know you can use a strop. My best and better knives will shave hair when freshly stropped. Note that knives of that quality must be used w. great care. You can cut yourself almost without feeling it.

Fishlessman mentioned above chefknivestogo. They have many good knives, mostly at an excellent price point. They also have a forum, so there is more info there.

Having used stainless most of my life, I have trouble keeping carbon steel knives rust free. I do have a few non-stainless blades, but prefer corrosion resistant metal. There are several knives from chefknivestogo that us a Swedish steel called AEB-L. It was initially developed for razors. Takes and holds a keen edge without too much work.