OT: Advice on quality kitchen knives
 

Without going down too far into the rabbit hole, I could use some advice on a quality 8” chef knife. I’ve been looking at the Wustolf Classic but wondering if I’m paying more for the name and if there’s better options known by those in the know. This will be a Christmas gift for my wife who loves to cook and will be replacing an old inexpensive chef knife. Whatever the he brand we will probably stick with that and slowly build up a complete set.

I cook a good amount and am a knife snob. Before I became a knife snob, i bought a set of Victorinox knives. For the money, you cant do much better. I still reach for these rather than knives that were double the price.

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fi...5837653&sr=8-5

I really like the Calphalon Katana Series. Have an 8", but prefer the 6" most of the time. They're not expensive (wrong... see edit below), have great hand feel and keep a good edge. I think they look nice as well. Been using them for ~6 years.

Just checked the price on these... they're not as affordable as I thought. They were a gift from my inlaws, so I guess I should have known better.
Still very nice knives.

yes!

we have a kitchen full of really, really GOOD knives.

I was looking for a chef's knife to keep with my car camping gear to take on the road and someone suggested this one, i bought it as a budget option and i'm really pleasantly surprised at how nice it is.

https://www.velocipedesalon.com/foru...nife-knife-jpg

Eric Estlund of Winter fame has the Peg of knives.

I have a bunch of fancy task-specific knives from France and Japan, but honestly they sit and I’d trade them for more of my workhorses: Globals. They’re very well made high-production knives, feel amazing in the hand on long days in the kitchen, are well balanced, and are very (relatively) affordable. If you like the all-metal handle and are good with thinner Japanese blades, you’ll do well with Global.

wusthof is a great knife, a lifetime investment. but it is also a little heavy, which can be an asset (let the knife do the work) but if she is used to something lighter & more nimble, it may not be the best choice. the victorinox is a great knife too, but more of a utilitarian workhorse. not as heavy as the forged wusthof

Well, there is that. And you can say, "oh honey, he makes bikes too. If you like the knife, maybe I can order one of his frames?"

You can also get her a Campagnolo cork screw as well.

Good to see some love for the Victorinox 8" functionally just as good as Wusthof Classics we have in our kitchen. Maybe get the $$$ Wusthof for the wife gift though, just sayin.

If it’s a chefs knife I highly recommend a Sabatier Carbon Steel chefs knife.

We have both Carbon steel sabatier chefs and Vintage stainless sabatier chefs among other various Japanese carbon steel etc.

The sabatier is affordable, keeps a good edge and has a great handle.

Bernalcutlery.com is a great place and I’m sure they’ll assist over the phone.

But first thing—right or left handed? If left handed your options are limited.

More of a warning than anything else - I have some Shun knives I spent a lot of money on (a large part of it because I thought they looked cool), and quickly realized that I don't have property cutting (or cooking) skills. I chipped a couple of them - the blades are super sharp, but brittle)... I typically reach for the Wusthof when I do anything now.

If you are open to a Japanese chef's knife, I have been really happy with Tojiro, not as flashy as Global or Shun, but all the quality I need.

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tojiro-dp-f-8081.html

I have not used a Victorinox, but have seen them highly rated by various cooking magazines. I have a few Calphalon knives, chefs and paring knives, that I use most of the time. They take on an edge fairly quickly and keep it for a while. Wusthof makes fine knives. I always use a good sharpening steel before and after using. Technique and honing are keys to keeping good knives in good shape. Also how one cleans them.

I have a mixture of knives from Japan, Germany and USA. I'd suggest choosing one that is beautiful as well as nicely balanced, etc. because it is a special gift for a special person but............I would buy it from a place with easy returns. I say this because a knife that is a perfect fit for one person may not be ideal for another person. I'd guess that when men buy knives for women they very well have a bit more weight and a bigger handle than the woman would choose for herself.