More kitchen knife talk/questions

[masraum]

OK, so the guys over at the Chef Knives To Go forums aren't huge fans of Shun knives. They think that you can get better quality for the same money buying other knives, and they are probably right. The problem is that not only do these need to be good knives, but they also need to be attractive, and the missus would really prefer them all to match. Since the missus does most of the cooking, and I prefer to keep the missus happy, I decided to go with Shun. Shun has all of the knife profiles that I might want and more. Many other brands may have some, but not all of what I wanted so I'd end up with a mismatched set. Many of you guys seem to think the Shun stuff is pretty good, and I have a feeling they are pretty good, and they are attractive. I bought one of the wooden magnetic knife strips from Amazon. Then we bought the 6.5" Nakiri, the 3.5" paring, the offset bread and a steel. If the missus likes these, we'll probably end up with a few more.





I also got the Shun steel, and I'll be ordering some more sharpening gear from CKTG.

[masraum]

What she really liked were these



But they were much more limited on options and much, MUCH more expensive.

[peppy]

These are the Dexters I bought about 10 years ago.

At the restaurant we have a knife sharpening co. that brings us 4 sharpened knives every month for $10. Some of the best money we spend.

[p911dad]

I have several kitchen knives from CanadaCutlery.com They sell a full (and I mean full) line of professional restaurant knives, some pretty, some very utilitarian, with a range of prices. They are German or US made, very sharp and ergonomic. If you can look beyond the normal high range status knives, these are a good bet

.
This is the Superior 12" bread knife (17" overall) with a Global bread knife for scale. It has the heft to get through a crusty loaf of bread with a few quick strokes.

[vash]

My go to knife

Vintage sabatier. It's old!

[masraum]

nice patina

[vash]

Switched gears.

Went with Japanese variety.




Sent via Jedi mind trick.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by PorscheGAL

I bought the magnets at Lowes. If you have magnets from end to end it holds pretty well. I don't have any issues with the strip coming off or sliding when I pull on a knife.

I got some magnets from my sister that are from a computer drive. You need pliers to pull them off, fingers won't get the job done.


You only need a few knives, and can only use them one at a time. Why not spend top dollar on them?

[DanielDudley]

ChefsChoice 120S Sportsman Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener

[tabs]

Originally Posted by DanielDudley

ChefsChoice 120S Sportsman Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener

I just buy any old knife down at the local Thrift store...paying a buck or two for them...they are as good if not better than anything shown on this Board. I even bought one of those Chef sharpeners....I think it is a model 110 for $4.52. It works fine...

[beepbeep]

This is my go-to kitchen knife. We also have matching set of Porsche knives of various sizes and uses. Somehow, Mora's always get used...easy to sharpen and keep clean...

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by vash

Switched gears.

Went with Japanese variety.

That looks like a nice knife. I prefer a little more space under my fingers (I have big hands) and a little more curve to the end for rocking the knife. I'm not a knife snob. I can't afford to be because my wife also uses the knives. I cringe every time I hear the knife edge hit the counter top. She does leave my chef's knife alone because it's too big for her, so it stays in pretty good shape, but my favorite pairing knife gets abused something awful. I think all of my knives are Heinkel. I have a Ken Onion sharpener that's easy to use and effective, so no worries.

[wdfifteen]

The knife you use is clearly a matter of taste and feel.



These knives look incredibly awkward and would feel odd in my hand. The round handles would be especially troublesome to me.



I can see myself comfortably working with knives like these. The handle on the top one might be a little thin for my hand.

[sc_rufctr]

"West Coast Choppers" now make cooking knives. Not cheap but 100% US made!

[Shaun @ Tru6]

from Made by Hand on Vimeo.

I do veg prep several hours per day at my GF's biz.

Started with a Shun Classic



Good edge, but wouldn't hold it. The spine is very square and hard on finger in the "pinch". Kept it as a backup.

Went to a Kramer Meiji



Handles great but I couldn't get a decent edge on it. Sent it back.

Next was Kramer Carbon



Awesome tool! Takes and holds an edge. Gets razor sharp and handles amazingly. I wash it after working acids and keep it dry. Oil it at night and it's assumed a great patina. Worth every cent.

[BeyGon]

I've just been using Wustoff for the last fifteen years, I thought they were ok. My wife got me this Miyabi for Christmas, not sure why, it seems to work fine for what I do.

[rusnak]

I know that we've talked about this before, but there is a big difference between Henkel and Henkel Pro S. I really like Wustoff Gran Prix, which are not made anymore without the curved handle.

I need to find a cheapo commercial kitchen knife that I won't care if it's dropped on a tile floor or thrown into a stainless steel sink.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I can see myself comfortably working with knives like these. The handle on the top one might be a little thin for my hand.

Patrick, You don't know how a knife will handle until you hold it. Check out Cutco. Handles fit very nicely to your hand.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by cstreit

Okay, so If I DON'T want to spend $164 on a kitchen knife sharpener, what should I get? My Henckles (Pro S) edges are pretty grim.... I don't need to shave or cut sushi with them....

Ha! I'm reading this thread backwards. Try the Work Sharp. But buy it from a quality store that will show you how to use it correctly. I would not use a grinding wheel or carbide sharpener on them.