I'm looking for a cheap but decent quality utility knife for the kitchen. I really like the Victorinox Cutlery 4 inch utility knife (with white Polypropylene handle) and also the Joyce Chen knife (My Handy Little Knife). Does anyone have any experience with these 2 models or have any other suggestions. I was hoping to get a knife with a 5" blade. It's going to be used for cutting chicken, seafood and lots of vegetables. Thnks in advance.
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Basic Kitchen Utility Knife
- Thread starter sean1999
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- Dec 29, 2007
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You can't go wrong with anything from Victorinox. They are the first choice of most line cooks and butchers.
Green Recluse
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Cold Steel K-4 or K-5 would fit the ticket too, if needing another kitchen knife down the road. They are ground very thin and are terrific slicers. They also come with a sheath for around $20
I just got a mora #3 with a 6 inch blade. this thing is wicked sharp but the high carbon makes it prone to rust and staining or so i hear. Perhaps one of the plastic handle ones with a guard would be better for kitchen use. They are cheap as hell so why not?
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Wustoff's Trident "spickmesser" is a great general use blade. 
For most of my kitchen knives I go to Ross Dress for Less and see what they have for under $10. I've had some good luck there. One long Japanese style kitchen knife that's great for slicing, a 4" chef's knife that does a great job as long as I keep it sharp, etc. I can usually find something forged from a no name brand manufacturer that will keep an edge for a nice long time.
I swear I'm going to put a slot in my kitchen knife block for a Bushman Bowie. It's my favorite knife right now. What an edge it holds! Cheap, functional, lightweight, sharpens up in a snap and will cut through bones and anything else I throw at it.
I swear I'm going to put a slot in my kitchen knife block for a Bushman Bowie. It's my favorite knife right now. What an edge it holds! Cheap, functional, lightweight, sharpens up in a snap and will cut through bones and anything else I throw at it.
I used to cook professionally, as such I am a bit of a kitchen cutlery snob...so keep that in mind.
Get yourself something like a 12" fujiwara FKH carbon steel chef knife. and a shun 3.5" in pairing knife. The 12" gyuto from http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/ are really very nice, run about 90 bucks, take a wicked keen edge. The blades are VERY thin, fantastic for slicing, dicing and chopping. You really can't go wrong. I can hold one of those knives with two fingers, just using the weight of the blade, and cut through a tomato in 3/4 of a pass. Honestly, once you move over to japanese chef knives, you will be spoiled for life!
I have used mac, shun, victorinox, cutco (shudder) and nothing really beats these knives for the cost.
You might say, "but Tim, 12" is so big" (thats what she said). Once you get used to it, you will wonder how you ever got along with out it.
They are so flexible, you can also flex the blade against the chopping board to mash garlic.
Also, these knives have an asymmetric bevel (similar to a scandi edge), which increases the apparent sharpness. This also means that the knives are right or left handed.
Avoid the santoku's they were developed for Japanese women that want to do western cooking. They don't do much of anything well.
With a shun pairing knife, and a good chef knife you will be setup to do about 95% of all kitchen cutting tasks. They aren't cheap mind you, but they are inexpensive and will last you a good long while.
Get yourself something like a 12" fujiwara FKH carbon steel chef knife. and a shun 3.5" in pairing knife. The 12" gyuto from http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/ are really very nice, run about 90 bucks, take a wicked keen edge. The blades are VERY thin, fantastic for slicing, dicing and chopping. You really can't go wrong. I can hold one of those knives with two fingers, just using the weight of the blade, and cut through a tomato in 3/4 of a pass. Honestly, once you move over to japanese chef knives, you will be spoiled for life!
I have used mac, shun, victorinox, cutco (shudder) and nothing really beats these knives for the cost.
You might say, "but Tim, 12" is so big" (thats what she said). Once you get used to it, you will wonder how you ever got along with out it.
They are so flexible, you can also flex the blade against the chopping board to mash garlic.
Also, these knives have an asymmetric bevel (similar to a scandi edge), which increases the apparent sharpness. This also means that the knives are right or left handed.
Avoid the santoku's they were developed for Japanese women that want to do western cooking. They don't do much of anything well.
With a shun pairing knife, and a good chef knife you will be setup to do about 95% of all kitchen cutting tasks. They aren't cheap mind you, but they are inexpensive and will last you a good long while.