Best chef's knife for under $200

ginshun

ginshun

Joined
Apr 6, 2004
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1,477
What is it?

Could be production or custom, but I am setting a limit of $200. I am thinking 7" or 8". Grind is not terribley important, although I have wanted to try a chisel ground one for a while. Stainless vs. non-stainless in not all that important to me either, so long as it holds an egde good. Handle material is not important, ergonamics is.

What do you think?
 
I have a Hattori HD-7 sells for about $135 for the seven inch version. The 8" version sells for about $165 and is pictured here. My Hattori has been the best kitchen knife I have ever owned. It litterally falls throw what ever I cut with it.

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You should at least consider an "Old Hickory" before spending a lot on a Chef's knife. It's not the best, but I think it's the best value.
 
I agree with the people who recommend the Shun line. I have a 10" chef's knife and it is great.

9mm4me: that hattori looks niiiice too though.

I have heard good things about hattoris too.

ginshun: The main thing that you shuold do is go to a few stores and handle the different brands that you are condidering. Past a certain point, any chef's knife that you get will be really good. What makes them great is how they feel in your hand, etc...
 
locomike said:
My most comfortable kitchen knife is a Porsche Chorma 301. http://chefdepot.net/porsche.htm

It cuts great and holds an edge very well. I even like it better that my Shun knives, but it's very close.
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This is what I have right now. Personally I think they are crap. Well, maybe not crap, but I want better. They are comfortable, but they don't hold an edge for crap. I can literally sharpen it (or steel it, whatever) to the point where the edge looks perfect, then cut up a dinners worth of veggies and the edge of the blade looks like I tried to cut a cinder block with it. The edge is just weak as heck. I'd say that maybe I got one with a bad heat treat or something, but I have the same pairing knife and carving knife and they are all the same. The only one that actaully seams OK is the serrated tomatoe knife that I got for free with the other ones. Anybody know exaclty what "Japanese type 301 steel" is? My gf's set of kitchen knives with "Stainless Steel - China" blades are pretty much on par with the Chromas that I have. Hers are a little better than I'd expect, and mine are a little worse, so they are roughly even.

They are not terrible knives, but I'd never reccomend them to anybody. I also got the set (santoku, carving knife and pairing knife + free tomato knife) for a little over a handred bucks if I remember right, so I am not terribly disappointed with what I got, but if I'd of bought the 10 piece set for $700 or whatever bucks, I'd of been irrate.

Who knows, perhaps I am just expecting too much out of a kitchen knife, put I'd think that I should be able to make a couple of meals without having to sharpen it.
 
If you want to add a "coolness factor" and a knife that will raise eyebrows to your kitchen check out the Kershaw Shun Ken Onion Chef's Knife. Great looking knife with VG-10 steel. It lists for well over $200 dollars but you can get it at Amazon for $160 bucks.
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locomike said:
My most comfortable kitchen knife is a Porsche Chorma 301. http://chefdepot.net/porsche.htm

It cuts great and holds an edge very well. I even like it better that my Shun knives, but it's very close.
Click to expand...


Interestingly, I second this. I have the Chroma 301 granton santoku, and it slices with almost mystical ease -- i think i have sharpened it once in the last year (you can't steel these for some reason). I paid $50 for it, and i like it better than my $100 wusthofs, Henckles, Sabatier, or even the few laminated Debas i have tried. See what you think!
-Yogi
 
ginshun said:
I can literally sharpen it (or steel it, whatever) to the point where the edge looks perfect, then cut up a dinners worth of veggies and the edge of the blade looks like I tried to cut a cinder block with it. .
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It says in the instructions never to use a steel on the edge, as it will ruin the blade. I guess the instructions are right!
 
hara-kiri-yogi said:
It says in the instructions never to use a steel on the edge, as it will ruin the blade. I guess the instructions are right!
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Can anyone explain why steeling an edge would ruin a blade?
 
hara-kiri-yogi said:
It says in the instructions never to use a steel on the edge, as it will ruin the blade. I guess the instructions are right!
Click to expand...


I only ever use my Sharpmaker to touch up the edge and it never gets very dull. I love them. I have a full set of Shun knives, and they are very nice, but I think, overated.
 
I know you want the cool factor, but for $80 the Global G-4 oriental chef's knife is the best kitchen knife I've ever had.
 
Takeda and Masamoto are big names in this prize range. For a Gyuto in carbon steel look at Masamoto's HC Series.

If you want a stainless chef knife, you might try Tosa's Artisan series. The blade is made of SRS-15 powdered steel hardened to 64 HRC and sandwiched with SUS-405 soft stainless steel. There have been threads about SRS-15 in this forum. Sounds great for a stainless kitchen kife.

From my personal experience I have to add that I've looked for performance gains in kitchen knives for years but finally have realized the futility of this search. I always come back to my old Zwilling Chef knive which certainly isn't at the top of the line with its 56 HRC. I own Japanese and German knives much more expensive but when the novelty effect of these knives has worn out I remember that the handle of the Zwilling fits my hand like a glove and that I can get the Zwilling hair popping sharp in just a minute. After use I just clean it and put it away. That's comfort for me nowadays and I'm more and more reluctant to trade it against the slightly better cutting performance of my Japanese carbon blades.
 
GoodGuy said:
You should at least consider an "Old Hickory" before spending a lot on a Chef's knife. It's not the best, but I think it's the best value.
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I agree. I love Old Hickory knives. If you just want good quality at a good price, you can't beat them. But if you are looking for glamour as well as quality, then Old Hickory isn't for you.
 
9mm4me said:
I have a Hattori HD-7 sells for about $135 for the seven inch version. The 8" version sells for about $165 and is pictured here. My Hattori has been the best kitchen knife I have ever owned. It litterally falls throw what ever I cut with it.

Img525.jpg
Click to expand...

nice Knife.
 
Murray Carter makes some very nice and inexpensive kitchen knives.
 
A really good knife I've been using for the past 6 months is the Al Mar Chefs knife w/ San Mai blade, but it depends on what your cutting the most, like meats, Fish, Veggies. If your cutting meat and fish alot consider Forschner Fibrox those handles have good grip when wet and oily, I've used those over 10 years as a fishcutter in Hawaii they are the best bang for buck. Check the back bone and heel of other knives alot of them are pretty sharp not good for dicing. The Shun is pretty good for dicing, but the rock or curve in blade seems a bit to much. Good luck.
 
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