OT: Advice on quality kitchen knives

[Tickdoc]

Wustof is my fav. Find a Williams Sonoma outlet if there is one nearby and you can score a nice set for a nice price.

[glepore]

Rabbit hole indeed.

Carbon steel-Sabatier et al-takes a great edge but requires constant attention with a steel then stone, and rusts if put away damp. The bomb when Lee Valley had the 30's stock cheap in the 90's but more trouble than most will put up with.

German steel-wustoff, Henkels-pure stainless. Tough to put a real edge on. Overrated.

Japanese-like surgical scalpels. Fragile edge sharpened at 15 degrees v 25 on euro/american stuff. Slices like a razor but will not withstand casual handling, including poly cutting boards. They love wood. A chore to sharpen but doable.

Global and a couple other nsf rated restaurant brands-surprisingly good, softer stainless, durable shapenable but hit or miss.

Shun is beloved for a reason-hybrid edge, somewhat more euro/american, softer steels, Japanese handles and feel. Stupid expensive though.

My go to is VG10 Chinese knives made in the asian style from ebay. 8 in knives are around 80-90 bucks, perform like real Japanese knives. They require wood cutting surfaces (bamboo boards are cheap) and care in use, but are a joy in hand. Lacking that, I'd buy a good restaurant grade knife from whomever sharpens for those folks in your town, they know what works. Will be worlds ahead of the Henkels/Wustoff crowd.

FWIW, I've used each of the knives mentioned above. Have a collection of antique carbon steel, a bunch of asian ( avoid the santoku that folks love and get a nakiri or cleaver style, just as sharp, more useful and the flat blade allows you to scoop - if i had to have just one knife it would be this) and a 10 in leftover from my restaurant of unknown brand thats ridiculously good for what was likely a $30 knife.

[Clancy]

Originally Posted by glepore

Rabbit hole indeed.

Carbon steel-Sabatier et al-takes a great edge but requires constant attention with a steel then stone, and rusts if put away damp. The bomb when Lee Valley had the 30's stock cheap in the 90's but more trouble than most will put up with.

German steel-wustoff, Henkels-pure stainless. Tough to put a real edge on. Overrated.

Japanese-like surgical scalpels. Fragile edge sharpened at 15 degrees v 25 on euro/american stuff. Slices like a razor but will not withstand casual handling, including poly cutting boards. They love wood. A chore to sharpen but doable.

Global and a couple other nsf rated restaurant brands-surprisingly good, softer stainless, durable shapenable but hit or miss.

Shun is beloved for a reason-hybrid edge, somewhat more euro/american, softer steels, Japanese handles and feel. Stupid expensive though.

My go to is VG10 Chinese knives made in the asian style from ebay. 8 in knives are around 80-90 bucks, perform like real Japanese knives. They require wood cutting surfaces (bamboo boards are cheap) and care in use, but are a joy in hand. Lacking that, I'd buy a good restaurant grade knife from whomever sharpens for those folks in your town, they know what works. Will be worlds ahead of the Henkels/Wustoff crowd.

FWIW, I've used each of the knives mentioned above. Have a collection of antique carbon steel, a bunch of asian ( avoid the santoku that folks love and get a nakiri or cleaver style, just as sharp, more useful and the flat blade allows you to scoop - if i had to have just one knife it would be this) and a 10 in leftover from my restaurant of unknown brand thats ridiculously good for what was likely a $30 knife.

Ok, now I’m in the rabbit hole. A little background. I am a woodworker, furniture maker by trade. I have an old collection of Sheffield steel chisels, old Buck Brothers, Lie Nielsen planes, Japanese water stones, etc., etc.

But with my wife, I’m looking for a nice, high quality knife that she will find a pleasure to use. Where my hand tools are Super Record, I’m thinking more along the lines of 105 for her, maybe Ultegra. The Ken Onion Work Sharp also looks appealing. She doesn’t like me in her kitchen and I’m not that interested in being responsible for keeping her knives sharp. I’m thinking the Work Sharp will allow her to keep her knives sharp. She’s excellent in her own right with her hand skills so should be able to master it. She has no desire to whip out a stone and start sharpening, but the Work Sharp she would use. Any more thoughts on the Work Sharp?

So with a nice knife, I’m looking for something that does have some bling or eye appeal, one reason for the Wustolf. Open to others in that general price range. The Global looks very nice. Would prefer to stay away from more brittle materials found in Japanese knives.

That’s primarily why I was honing in on the Wustolf (bad pun). But I knew this was going to get deep!

And I thought it was spelled Peleton, that’s how we pronounce it down here in Texas.

Should I give her the knife before or after the Peloton?

[jemdet]

I have two Global Knives - an 8" chef's knife and a 3" paring knife. I use one or both every day. Impressive quality at a price that won't break the bank.

[mulp]

I'll add my 2c to this topic since i've been doing a bit of research on the topic for the past couple years.

Low level <$20 i would recommend cuisinart, or any other ceramic knife. These are super sharp, extremely hard, immune to rust, great use and abuse knives. The drawback is they look like toys, cannot be re-sharpened or honed and usually thrown out once they dull.

<$50 victorinox is probably the most bang for your buck knife you will ever find. It has a plastic handle that some people like but if you dont care about aesthetics and just want a nice beginner's knife and learn how to sharpen your own knives, this is a great buy.

$100+ is the issues become much more nuanced. German knives are softer than japanese knives, easier to sharpen but do not hold their edge as long. I've never been a big fan of german knives so I can't comment much on them. I've trended towards japanese knives because they look nicer, are sharper and since I have multiple knives, I can choose the best knife for the job and so i dont really have a need for german knives.

Best japanese chef's knife <$150 is the Miyabi sg2 8" chef's knife. SG2 is harder than VG10 which shun uses. VG10 is a much cheaper steel and people usually buy because they have a damascus design which makes the knife look really expensive. I have shun pairing, 6" and 8" chef knives all made with VG10 so I have experience with Shun's. However Shun is just unable to compare to the quality or attention to detail of Miyabis. Miyabi uses better steal, all handmade, and at $150 can't be beat. The only drawback of a Miyabi SG2 is that it does not have a damascus design.

If you want a damascus design then a Shun 6" or 8" for less than $100 is a good buy.

If you have $250+ then look at the Kramer collaborations, both german and japanese.

[Mzilliox]

Im a snob.

the knife matters much less than your ability to keep it sharp. A sharp knife is a good knife and a safe knife.

every time i pull out the stones, i learn more about what it takes to keep a knife sharp. 1k grit stone and a leather strop will do wonders if you know how they are used.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by 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.

'Costco'???...righto..when you don't pay much for a chef's knife, you get a cheap chef's knife. yikes..

Wustof or Torjiro..what my oldest son recommends..he's a really great cook.

[jtakeda]

Originally Posted by Clancy

Ok, now I’m in the rabbit hole. A little background. I am a woodworker, furniture maker by trade. I have an old collection of Sheffield steel chisels, old Buck Brothers, Lie Nielsen planes, Japanese water stones, etc., etc.

But with my wife, I’m looking for a nice, high quality knife that she will find a pleasure to use. Where my hand tools are Super Record, I’m thinking more along the lines of 105 for her, maybe Ultegra. The Ken Onion Work Sharp also looks appealing. She doesn’t like me in her kitchen and I’m not that interested in being responsible for keeping her knives sharp. I’m thinking the Work Sharp will allow her to keep her knives sharp. She’s excellent in her own right with her hand skills so should be able to master it. She has no desire to whip out a stone and start sharpening, but the Work Sharp she would use. Any more thoughts on the Work Sharp?

So with a nice knife, I’m looking for something that does have some bling or eye appeal, one reason for the Wustolf. Open to others in that general price range. The Global looks very nice. Would prefer to stay away from more brittle materials found in Japanese knives.

That’s primarily why I was honing in on the Wustolf (bad pun). But I knew this was going to get deep!

And I thought it was spelled Peleton, that’s how we pronounce it down here in Texas.

Should I give her the knife before or after the Peloton?

bernal-cutlery.shoplightspeed.com/k-sabatier-8-chef-authentique-carbon-steel-olive-h.html

This would make a great 105 level knife. And to add to above yes, make sure after the knife gets wet or after cutting acidic foods give the knife a quick rinse and wipe with a rag and you’ll prevent rust. Patina will always form. The edge on these knives are very sharp and reform well with honing steel. If you’re using daily send it in 2-3x a year to the local knife shop for a sharpening.

[glepore]

The work sharp or even the cheap manual Chefmate is fine for a 105 level knife/edge. Best thing you can do is show her how to use a steel.

You'll appreciate that I spent several hours last weekend going down the card scraper rabbit hole...

As Ry Cooder sang, "that's the way we do things in Texas"...

[Hardlyrob]

I've worked in the food and restaurant business for more than 30 years. It's fascinating that the people who use knives for a living usually have cheap ones. The two brands you see all the time in restaurants and food processing plants are Dexter Sanisafe, and Victorinox Fibrox.

I'm a functionality snob. Buy the knife that feels right in your hand - I believe that is way more important than stainless vs. carbon steel etc. But even more important than that is keep them sharp. Learn how to use sharpening stones and by all means get a steel and learn how to use it. The steel doesn't sharpen the blade, but it takes little tiny wobbles and straightens them, so the knife feels sharper again. Use a steel basically every day, and sharpen as needed. You should always be able to shave the hair on your arm with a knife - if not - time to hit the stones.

Cheers!

[glepore]

All the Sabatier talk reminds me of these photos-a single waterdriven shaft powering a line of grindstones, and the workers with dogs across their legs to keep them warm.

[scopes]

A chef friend recommended we start with the Victorinox Fibrox Pro knives and if we felt like they weren't enough he'd take us down the rabbit hole.

Started with the 8" and then purchased the 10" - they are a great utilitarian option. Maybe one day we'll splurge, but for now we are happy.

I'm learning knife skills and can practice sharpening on something that wont break the bank if I make a mess of it.

[stackie]

I have Shun after having Wusthof. I like my Shuns and simply sharpen them myself with a stone. Not really that hard.

Most importantly, when gifting knives you must gift it with a penny. The penny is then given back as payment for the knife to avoid the bad luck associated with accepting a knife as a gift. Superstitious yes! Fun, yes!

Jon

[45K10]

I came to post another recommendation for Wusthof but the photos of the guys with dog's on their legs to keep them warm is just awesome.

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by bikinchris

I just go to a restaurant supply store and get the knives they have. I have also bought spatulas etc. there. They have Victorinox knives with plain black handles. I bought my Chef knife, paring knives, deboning and bread knife a few decades ago. I have no complaints.

My little brother worked for TGIFriday's when he was in HS oh so many years ago. He inherited a basically no-name chef's knife with a broken tip. Love that thing. Still use it every time I cook something that needs to have stuff cut up.

In short $$ doesn't always = good to use

M