Vintage per WW2 sabatier! Julia child's would be proud.

Would highly recommend a gift certificate from this place:

Chef Knives To Go: Kitchen Knives, Chef Knives, Shun Knives, Global Knives, Wusthof Knives, Henckels Knives

Great selection of both German and Japanese knives and extremely knowledgeable (fanatical) about them.

Really a subjective topic depending on the user and what for. From many years of using the German made Henckels, they seem to hold an edge fairly well but not the best. Nothing wrong with that if one doesn't mind the extra time and care. I don't know why I still see pro chefs using a sharpening rod, destroying knives but I'm a believer of throwing the round hone in the garbage and getting stones with a proper guide jig for sharpening. BTW: There's a lot of low end Henckel and Wusthof product too for price point shoppers and NOT all are German made. Actually some crappy thin flexy Wustoff's are out there.
We use a variety of type and makes and think there's some great alternatives. By chance and only a few years ago, we found the first version Furi marketed by Rachel Ray (yes, go ahead and laugh) impressive for the money. Wife likes the handle and balance so if your future chef has small hands, really should try them. For me the grips are too small but the blades hold an edge longer than our old Henckels. No flex, rigid and can get the blade wicked sharp. Ugly orange but no slip grip. The few we picked up claim to be German steel, Aussie designed but quite sure made in China. Another brand we like are Wasabi / KAI from Japan. Ridiculous angle and sharpest edge. Not sure though how they would suffice in a commercial heavy use environment and I don't dare try to sharpen them. Have to send them in for free sharpening.

Furi site http://www.furi-knives.us/about.htm. 10 inch chefs on sale http://www.furi-knives.us/furi_cooks_knife_10.htm
(The type we have are from the earlier Rachel Ray, grippy clear / orange handle - not shown)

I gave away all the Henckels I had, just would not hold an edge, and got Wustofs. Those sufficed until culinary school, as a second career, where we used Forschener by Victorinox. Inexpensive and easy to maintain. I still use them for my travel blades.
Usually for a beginning chef something like the Forschener is fine until she has enough experience and is exposed to a lot of different blades used in different conditions so she can make up her mind as to her favorite. I have worked in kitchens where they provided ready-sharpened knives that we used and turned in at the end of shift for re-sharpening.
But to the point of the OP, a visit to a decent knife shop to try out fit/finish/balance would be in order. Knives are personal and pride in your tools is important. A good travel case is also important for protecting the blades to and from work, and for ensuring they stay together when you can't keep an eye on them.
Good luck with this, and pls let us know what she ends up with.

see? Forscheners!! great blade. ugly, cheap, get sharp as hell. easy to sharpen. and you wont cry when some idiot walks off with it..m the handles are grippy and pretty universal in fit.

i've gotten pretty good at sharpening things.

slicing onions using that professional techique where you do the horizontal cuts first, then the verticals..then chop to a fine mince..

the ONLY knife i can do this with is with a high carbon steel knife. i've tried with Wustof and Henkels. nope. my skillset couldnt put it off. with my carbon steel..zip zip zip. done. it really is amazing. if i was a pro cook, i would get a high carbon steel Gyoto knife and call it good.

I have a nice Al Mar damascus one I like.

Bill

I like the Santoku style with a double bevel 15/20. I've found my best blades are anything that is not made in China.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1362442818.jpg

The point of steeling is to straighten the burr.



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1362442877.jpg

Good info here.


Knife Maintenance and Sharpening - The eGullet Culinary Institute (eGCI) - eGullet Forums

Santoku Style

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1362443201.jpg

I might add last time I used the Lansky sharpener with a complex bevel my wife nearly took her finger off with a paring knife. I did warn her.

Sabatier K carbon 8". There are at least four manufacturers of Sabatier, I recommend the K.

A stainless knife is too hard to sharpen daily. The pros use Carbon, they let it oxidize.

Truthfully, commercial knives are leased, and they get dumped in a big container and shipped out, then different knives come back sharp. They aren't glamorous, they are tools-- think Lamsonsharp with the NSF poly handles, like this:

http://www.lamsonsharp.com/store/i/i...&bw=600&bh=600

Not a very appealing gift which is why I say get the French knife.

I think most pro chefs use a Forchner in the commercial kitchen.

I like the smaller handles of the Wusthof Grand Prix I. I just bought a GP II, and it's "ok".

I almost went with a Henkels Pro S, which might be the best, but they are heavy.

Saw this one in a Store in Germany in December. Price is in Euros so its a pretty penny.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1362447662.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1362447710.jpg

Me I use a kbar

i've tried. i've tried to like a Santoku styled blade. i absolutely hate them. i find myself chopping more..lifting the entire blade and chop chop chop..i like the locomotive move where the tip stays in contact with the board, and i move the item past the moving blade. for that, a GYOTO style knife is superior.

i am gonna offer my brother my 10" wustof classic. it is lazer sharp after i worked it with my japanese waterstone. if he takes it, i am gonna buy a 10" well, 240mm Gyoto. bladestyle looks like this:

i would order one from Japan, but his is a William Sonoma offering. note no bolster like our western blades.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1362454146.jpg

Looks like a carving knife. To me a chefs blade has more depth for slice and chopping with knuckle room.

Not a pro here but we do lots daily in the kitchen. No doubt the pro's need the change outs on a regular basis. Both stainless and or carbon have their place and there's a wide range of hardness or alloys too.

Thanks for the link on sharpening. Good read. Angles are really crucial for slicing fine, softer foods. I'm guilty of overthinking what knife is used depending for the job. As an example, nothing is more satisfying than taking fresh baked bread and razor a piece off without any crush. For that, a Japanese made bread knife rules.

I really appreciate all the opinions on this question. If nothing else, I have some good leads for the next knives I buy. Unfortunately the end result is a bit anti-climactic - as part of her program, the culinary institute requires everyone buy the same set of knives which are a basic institutional set you'd see in most commercial kitchens.

Now I'm somewhat back to the drawing board - I will need to look for a really nice gift for the new professional chef, but something other than knives. Hmmm....

chefs shoes (clogs), or a jacket, or an instant read thermometer?

how about a nice leather knife roll? they will need to carry those blades to and fro.

mmm..maybe the required knives come with one. dunno.

Don't care for stainless knives (wusthof's Henkle's etc). You should consider folded steel composite blades. More maintenance but take and hold an edge better. We get our knives from a japanese tool shop. Most of the knives we use are sharper and cheaper than the stainless variety. My $.02

you may be able to pick up some ideas here:

All Purpose Knives

Usually all students at a culinary school are issued the same knife kits, including a fabric carrying case, but some students who have been in the industry will bring their special knife to class after a few weeks. For most students the issued knives are fine.
Remind her to mark her knives to deter thiefs, I used red nail polish to put 3 small dots on the end of the handles and wrapped a piece of masking tape on the handle near the blade so I could see my knife across the kitchen.
For a gift, maybe a subscription to Saveur or Fine Cooking magazines. She will need to come up with ideas for menu items while in school and both of these mags are good sources for ideas. Or, when she comes home and wants to try out dishes, some decent Balsamic vinegar, high-end olive oils, or some flavored salts come in handy.