OT: Advice on quality kitchen knives

[Clancy]

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.

[fmradio516]

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

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by fmradio516

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

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.

[MagicHour]

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.

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

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.

[gbcoupe]

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.

[weisan]

[clyde the point]

Eric Estlund of Winter fame has the Peg of knives.

[gbcoupe]

Originally Posted by clyde the point

Eric Estlund of Winter fame has the Peg of knives.

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.

[jtakeda]

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.

[sitzmark]

Originally Posted by jtakeda

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.

+1

Have purchased many knives over the years - block is full of them. The one I reach for 90% of the time is a 50+ year old Sabatier 8" chefs. A little less weight than the Wusthofs and Henckels - but perfect balance and feels more nimble. Blade is slightly thinner. The spine narrows nicely from handle to the tip, as does the bolster, so the heel cuts almost like a Japanese style blade without a bolster. Holds a razor edge. My stepfather was a foodie and my mother thought this was one of his older knives, so she tossed it in my off-to-college box. He was pissed but never did ask for it back. To this day it is still my favorite chefs knife because of the thinner blade and weighting.

[hokoman]

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.

[rohan]

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

[Ken Robb]

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.

[Veloo]

I agree. Keep the receipt.

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

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.

[Hindmost]

8 inch is a good size for easy handling and medium/smaller items, I use a 10 for almost everything. Stainless is convenient, high carbon just needs a little more cleaning care.

Look into a wood block to park it in and a stone.