Need help choosing an 8 inch chefs knife

LostinMiami · March 2011

Here I am asking for help from you guys as usual, I am looking for suggestions on a good knife. I have read that the Japanese ones are better than the german ones, any help would be appreciated.

Carolina Q · March 2011

I have a Wusthof and like it. I'm no expert, but it's my understanding that the Japanese steel is harder and will hold an edge longer. But, that makes it harder to sharpen and easier to chip. I've never owned one, but that's what I've heard.

If lowercasebill doesn't chime in here, you might email him. He's the knife dude.

RU Eggsperienced · March 2011

I got a Wusthof Culinar 8" Cook's knife years ago and love it. Probably had it 12 yrs and it is as good as new.

thebtls · March 2011

By tonight I'm betting you get 25+ responses and you won't know which end is up with all the different feedback...that's like asking someone about which is better, mopar, ford or chevy!

I hope you get some great advice, I know there are some links out there if you search the forum this has been tossed around a few times.

For what it's worth...anything that is balanced, has a blade that is through and through the handle and will keep an edge. I use a middle of the line wusthof classic and it is average at best. I'm looking to replace all my knives...I'll watch your post's responses and learn from the pros!

stike · March 2011

whether a knife is better or not is mostly dependent on who's holding it, i think.

i'll say you can't go wrong woith a good dropped-forged german knife. they can be had at reasonable prices. but some of the japanese stuff certainly could be described as "better". but what do you need?

german knives are a little softer, easier to sharpen, but harder to keep sharp. some japanese knives are single bevel and cut just a bit differently than the double bevelled german ones.

i know that in the past i have seen people at williams/sonoma actually trying them, in the store. i don't know if that's a typical thing or not, but you really need to try them to be convinced one way or th other.

i have a couple commercially produced german ones, and they are fine for me. i sharpened them the other day, and treat them right, and appreciate the way the roll and are weighted. much of that preference you discover over time after using them, so it really will become a personal thing.

i'd suggest not making a 400 dollar purchase for your first knife, but don't cheap out, too. a good knife can be a pleasure to use, and it really does make for a safer knife to have a good one, a sharp one, and one that is comfortable to hold

FLbobecu · March 2011

Just a little FYI - if you choose a hard J knife, a "knife steel" commonly used for Western knives cannot be used on a J knife due to the hardness of the knife. So your going to want to purchase at least one combo J stone for sharpening and touch ups. And decent stones aren't cheap either - you're looking at $45 minimum just for the stone, and up to $150 a stone, depending on what grit you get, size, natural/synthetic, etc.

What's your budget for an 8" knife?

"Sparky" · March 2011

I do really like my Shun knives.They are very sharp,and hold an edge well.I also have a couple of other knives(Wustoff/Hencles?)but rarely use them.I think that it is important to go to a local store and "test drive" them.Not necessarily cutting anything,just to see how it feels in your hand.My 8" Ken Onion Shun fits my hand like a glove(very comfy),and it is my go-to blade

Good luck

BTW: I'm sure that lowercase bill will chime in,he knows a thing or three about Japanese knives

lowercasebill · March 2011

i suggest you figure out how you will maintain your knife first. start here
with the article by chad ward on e-gullet. this article evolved into a book. the link to which is found on the left side of linked home page.
many will recommend forschner[bought out by victornox of swiss army knife fame]. they were recommended by cooks magazine as a bsst value for the money ,, i bought a couple of paring knives on sale for real cheap from amazon and felt i paid too much [$6]. i have a complete set of wustoffs and i use them,. i have a ever growing collection of japanese knives and sharpening stones..
it all depends on what you want and the level of care you want to put into it. please feel free to e-mail

Carolina Q · March 2011

Absolutely agree! A while back, I thought I'd get a Ken Onion. They look so cool. So I went to Williams-Sonoma to check it out. Hated it!! Just not comfortable in MY hand. Might be perfect for you though.

I have several Wusthof Classics and use them all (except the paring knife. Haven't figured out what one of those is even good for). If I had it to do again, I would consider Wusthof's Icon line. For ME, a much more comfortable hand feel than the Classic.

"Sparky" · March 2011

I hear ya Michael,I've had friends tell me that the Ken Onion was a sweet blade,but the handle wasn't comfortable.I thought that my 8" Henkles was comfy at the store,and it is,but it's just too darn heavy for everyday use.It seems to weight a ton,and really wears you out if you're doing a lot of cutting :pinch: The Wusthof Classic handles are way too small for me,but I like the knives.

jaymag_87 · March 2011

We have a couple Shun knives we got at Sur la Table and love them.

The Premier

...and the Shun Classic 6.5" Santoku

The folks at America's Test Kichen recommend the Victorinox (formerly Victorinox Forschner) Fibrox 8" Chef's Knife .

Lit · March 2011

I love my Shun (William Sonoma) Bob Kramer chef knife but if I had to do it again i would not get a Damascus knife as a daily user. I bought a 6000/1000 stone and its very easy to scratch the knife while sharpening or even just cutting. A post above mentioned not using steel to sharpen japanese knives but Shun makes a combination steel/stone with a built in angle for Japanese knives so you can hone them with steel. A 8' chef knife with great reviews and not that expensive ($100) is the global G2 althought it has a very small handle that some people like and some don't. If I could start over I would get the global G2 for every day use and the Shun Sur La Table 8" Bob Kramer just to have a really nice knife. I got my 6000/1000 stone from the bob kramer website for like $45 which is much lower than I saw other places. The Shun are much sharper than the German knives I have used.

bubba tim · March 2011

http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/

Best value for the money.

FLbobecu · March 2011

Lit wrote:

I love my Shun (William Sonoma) Bob Kramer chef knife but if I had to do it again i would not get a Damascus knife as a daily user. I bought a 6000/1000 stone and its very easy to scratch the knife while sharpening or even just cutting. A post above mentioned not using steel to sharpen japanese knives but Shun makes a combination steel/stone with a built in angle for Japanese knives so you can hone them with steel. A 8' chef knife with great reviews and not that expensive ($100) is the global G2 althought it has a very small handle that some people like and some don't. If I could start over I would get the global G2 for every day use and the Shun Sur La Table 8" Bob Kramer just to have a really nice knife. I got my 6000/1000 stone from the bob kramer website for like $45 which is much lower than I saw other places. The Shun are much sharper than the German knives I have used.

If your scratching the knife with the combo stone, something is wrong in the technique your using. Sharpening a knife, properly, won't scratch the finish of a knife. Maybe your using the knife too close to the stone - a typical way to find out if your angle is right, is using the width of two pennies stacked on top of one another.

You can use a steel, on a J knife, but normally it takes quite a bit of work, since the steel is so hard. Two or three strokes over a very fine stone (ie 3000-6000+), per side, is an easier way and only takes a few minutes.

And where did you find the 1000/6000 combo stone for $45? That's a very good price!

FLbobecu · March 2011

bubba tim wrote:

http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/

Best value for the money.

They are a very good place to order from, but the link doesn't go to one specific knife or knives. I did receive my last J knife from them in 3 business days, from Japan to FL! Fantastic service to say the least.

Lit · March 2011

I learned how to use a stone on my $350 knife. Probably not the best idea. I also have random scratches though that aren't from a stone. The 6000/1000 stone is at http://www.kramerknives.com/Stones.htm. I have never posted a link before so if it doesn't work its kramerknives.com. I also recomend a gold stone to flaten your stone if you don't have one.

stike · March 2011

just a note: gotta be careful with some of the damascus steel knives. not all are true damascus, but have only a thin veneer of the damscus (the layered pattern) laid down over a core. true damascus steel is difficult and time consuming to make, and i would be wary of any that are a little TOO affordable.

FLbobecu · March 2011

Lit wrote:

I learned how to use a stone on my $350 knife. Probably not the best idea. I also have random scratches though that aren't from a stone. The 6000/1000 stone is at http://www.kramerknives.com/Stones.htm. I have never posted a link before so if it doesn't work its kramerknives.com. I also recomend a gold stone to flaten your stone if you don't have one.

Thanks for the link - yeah that's a King combo, I think the Shun stones are OEM'd from a different company. And that King combo stones is one of the best entry level stones one can buy.

FLbobecu · March 2011

stike wrote:

just a note: gotta be careful with some of the damascus steel knives. not all are true damascus, but have only a thin veneer of the damscus (the layered pattern) laid down over a core. true damascus steel is difficult and time consuming to make, and i would be wary of any that are a little TOO affordable.

Nice tip. And I'd be wary of any true damascus under probably $1,000. But I can't afford that, or even the replica Shun Kramer chef's knife (though I've added the Shun Kramer utility to my birthday wishlist).

stike · March 2011

the idea behind the damascus is to get the best of both worlds, physically mixing two differing alloys together for hardness and flexibility, among other things.

i just find that although some are pretty, they aren't what they look like they are. ..with a thin veneer over a core that is a lot easier and cheaper to make

appearances aren't everything. i used to have a bmw sticker on the back of a 1980 chevette. hahaha

of course, my girlfriend's friend at the time asked me if it was a new model of BMW. i was being ironic. i don't know i'd actually snag a fish. :laugh:

tjl5709 · March 2011

Although I was fortunate to go to Japan visiting, and picked up a nice chef knife, the real key is proper sharpening. You can make a "good" knife cut better than a "great" knife if it has the right edge. Might not last, or hold an edge as long, but it will cut better.

Search around and get yourself some wet stones. I purchased some, and went thru my knife collection. Some of my utility knives are wicked sharp now, and I'll stack'em against anything.

Richard Fl · March 2011

All are great ideas. I have been buying knives for 30 years, garage sales, in the orient and with over 50 kitchen knives including henckles, japanese sushi my favorites are an 8" chinese carbon steel chef and a small thicker chinese carbon steel for cutting up poultry etc. First thing you need to do IMHO is hold it and get the feel in the hand.

MCR · March 2011

No advertising here... but I love this one, Canadian firm and their best kept secret is their world renowned chirurgical knifes (scalpel) and tools. Commonly refer to as Lee Valley Tools.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/home/OnlineCatalog.aspx?id=44622be6

Please scroll to page 14-15.

Hoss · March 2011

Williams-sonoma has Shuns on sale for 1/2 off now.

If I were gonna buy more knives,I would go Victorinox.I got some Wustoffs and love em but they are pricey.I prefer more BANG for the buck.

Judy Mayberry · March 2011

You asked about a chef's knife, but I find I use a couple of Shun santokus for all slicing and chopping now! It has great balance and feels good in my hand. The wide rectangular blade is great for scooping up the small pieces.

I don't know if this applies to all the new breed of Japanese knives, but the santoku should NOT be sharpened the way the traditional chef's knives are sharpened...you will ruin the incredibly sharp edge if you do.

You're supposed to mail it back to the company for sharpening. That sounds pretty inconvenient, but after a few years I still don't feel they need sharpening! But I'm just cutting and chopping for one, so take that into account.

Every time I get a catalog in the mail, it seems they've produced a new model with some design twist and an elevated price. Mine are old and basic and wonderful.

BS--before Santoku--I was delighted with my full set of Wusthof Classic knives. I think the boning knife is superb.

FLbobecu · March 2011

Judy Mayberry wrote:

I don't know if this applies to all the new breed of Japanese knives, but the santoku should NOT be sharpened the way the traditional chef's knives are sharpened...you will ruin the incredibly sharp edge if you do.

You're supposed to mail it back to the company for sharpening. That sounds pretty inconvenient, but after a few years I still don't feel they need sharpening! But I'm just cutting and chopping for one, so take that into account.

Why's that? The only thing that makes them a little difficult to sharpen is the low angles on J knives, and isn't something one learns overnight, but with lots of practice and patience, just about anyone can do it.

Easiest way, is pick up a combo stone or two decent J water stones, and learn how to sharpen a knife to those very fine angles with a cheap-o kitchen knife.

TONS of videos out there on YouTube. And many other "knife" forums out there, where one can get help on sharpening J knives.

Need help choosing an 8 inch chefs knife

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