Kitchen Knives Question

S

sfitterman

Joined
Jun 15, 2004
Messages
9
Hello,

I am quite versed in folders and SAKs but I don't know squat about kitchen knives and I need to buy a set. As you can imagine I am quite particular about my knives but I would like to spend under $500 for a set but I guess I can go a little higher. I have read alot of bad things about the Henkels and read alot of great stuff on some $300 individual knives but I am still at a loss.

Although I love sushi it sounds like I don't want to go with the Japanese brands because of how thin they are and chipping possibilities. We cut alot of red meat, fish, chicken, veggies, etc...

Also, my wife is a lefty so a universal handle would be needed...

What does everyone think of the Wusthof-Trident, Lamson Sharp or Global knives? I prefer forged over stamped and would like steak knives in the set too.

Any suggestions would be MOST appreciated!!!

Thanks,

Scott
 
A huge number of pro's in the reasurant trade use the Victorinox brand. I've had them in my kitchen now for many years and they are great. You can get a set for a very moderate price at Smoky Mountain Knifeworks.

They cut as good as anything else out there included the over priced stuff from Germany. I had some of those and gave them all to my kids as the moved out to places of their own.
 
I agree victorinox kitchen knives are well worth a look. I prefer the Adams knives but victorinox are much better priced in the US. The blades on both are quite thin so slice very well. The handles are good for long use. Other knves will hold an edge for longer but I don't have any problems with victorinox knives.
Global knives (which use AUS118 steel) have a convex grind and also slice very well. They will take a very good edge and hold it longer then a victonix knife but there is a love hate thing with them. Lots of people think they are great to use while others find the handles painful to use for even a short amount of time.
I am a fan of chinese kitchen knives. I often use a No5 rather then a western style knife as the chinese knife of the same thickness stock will slice better and it's a handy scoop. Then again I also like Granton knives, they are great for things that stick to the blade of the knife.
 
You could always go with a chinese cleaver or two. Japanese knives are great too... slicing is a dream with a razor sharp RC65 laminated carbon steel blade. If you chip them, you are either using the wrong knife for the wrong job or you've got them beveled at too small of an angle. You would want double bevel knives though (many of the traditional Japanese knives are flat on one side and so come in left and right hand varieties). Here are some reviews of western style Japanese knives : http://www.foodieforums.com/resources.htm
Also a lot of good drool material here http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/products.html
 
I completely agree with Yuzuha. Of course, you may find the Lamson sharp (at least the forged ones), the Henckels, the Wusthof, or the Victorinox quite adequate, I would go with the western-version Oriental-style blades (since you don't seem to be really into Japanese kitchen knives). Global and the Kershaw-Shun are great examples. My advice would be to not purchase a set, but buy the individual knives as you prefer. If there is a good knife shop in your area, they will probably give you a discount for purchasing several knives anyway. Make sure that the handles are comfortable for you.

Again, as Yuzuha said--cleaver!! Preferably one for meat and another for vergetables-- but certainly the latter. It can make life so much easier and more fun in the kitchen. Here is a recommendation: The best cleaver that I own--and I own many--was purchased in a knife shop up in Maine called the Freeport knife Company (http://www.freeportknife.com/). These are Chinese cleavers--butt-ugly with a gray plastic handle. I don't know who makes them, but I bought one when one of the clerks tossed a paper towel up in the air anc cut it with the cleaver. At that time, they only had a carbon-steel version, now they also offer one in VG-10. Amazing cleaver!!!

Please note that the knives that I am recommending are high-maintenence. Even the Global knives, supposedly stainless, should not be left in the water at all. The Wusthof/Victorinox/Henckels will stand up to this kind of treatment in a way that the Global and Shun knives will not.
 
I like the Martha Stewart brand of knives. They are full tang, 3 rivets, dishwasher safe, easy to sharpen yet hold an edge, and you can get them at any K-Mart.

Martha's chef knive is big and sturdy and available for under $10. The paring knives, boning knives, bread knives, etc. are less.

Now if you want knives to show off at the cocktail party I'll send you some name of some custom makers who will knock your socks (and wallet) off.

http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/knives/martha_stewart_chef.html

http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Cutler...eryday_Brand/sort_~rating/pp_~1/sort_dir_~des
 
No to Lamson, they are very soft. German knives work well, but they cost a lot and the steel is not up to today's standards. I would go with a Japanese brand. You don't need a huge number of knives. On 8 or 10 inch chefs knife, a 6 inch chefs knife, a boning knife, and a 3 or 4 inch utility knife would be enough. If you can tolerate plastic handles, Spyderco makes some excellent knives. Kershaw knives are excellent and more upscale. AG Russell has some good ones. Global are good if you like the design. MAC are also good. Here are a couple links:

http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_maker/a_through_d/a_g_russell_knives/kitchen_knives.html
http://www.macknife.com/
 
Many of the suggestions thus far are stamped knives. Would I really notice a difference between stamped and forged? Forged are so much more money... I cook dinner 5 nights a week for a family of 5 and I am a basic cook, nothing fancy. Every now and then, when I'm lucky, there is venison in the menu though! Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and opinions thus far!!!
 
Forschner, the vitronix brand, is what the chef's buy at my local resturuant supply store. I use them and they are great. There are better knives but no better value. Expensive knives in the kitchen are not always practical if you share it with others who won't treat them with respect. It only takes one bozo to ruin a blade.
 
I consider the bolster on forged knives to be a liability. They add a little weight in from of your hand, but I'd rather get that weight from a longer or taller blade. They get in the way of maintaining a sharp flat edge all the way to the heal of the blade. It is inconvenient to have to grind the bolster down when you are sharpening the heal end of the blade. Forged blades also tend to be thicker which increases your effort when you slice through harder foods.

If you want more weight I would look at adding a Chineese cleaver to your set. Joyce Chen has some that are nice (despite the Chineese name they are made in Japan).
http://www.cooking.com/products/shp...ogle?q=joyce+chen+cleaver&btng=search+froogle
 
Another vote for Forschner/Victorinox with the Fibrox handles. Look in a real kitchen (not a suburban fancypants kitchen--a real high-volume kitchen) and you'll find Forschner. They take a great edge, it's easy to keep that edge, the handles are the most comfortable, and so on. Basically, if you can live without the snob appeal of a more expensive knife, you can't beat Forschner.
 
Random thoughts on kitchen knives...

I really dislike the the Global knives. The handles do not feel secure in the hand...even with dry hands.
Chicago Cutlery...not great. you have to rebevel them to get the best out of them.
Sets...most people that buy sets will use 3 of a 5 knife set. A waste of money. Find three knives...a chopper, a boner/utility and a slicer. Note, I didn't get too specific. Half the fun is finding the knife that makes cooking fun.
Commercial kitchens...in most the knives are passed around and really take a beating. In my kitchen there are only a few rules...Don't piss of the cook...touching my knives will piss me off. :D They won't even move them off of a cutting board to wash the board. I didn't fly 3000 miles just to buy a knife and have the dishwasher ruin it.
I have 6 or 7 Murray Carter custom pieces and one of his "Muteki" line. All are razor sharp and a pleasure to work with. His Muteki nakiri ( vegetable knife) is a great bargin as are the rest of his muteki line. I also have a Takeda that is great tho it is a bit more expensive that the Carters. I also have a few henckels and forschners that get used a bit.
Knifeforums has a dedicated kitchen forum where knives are discussed and shown quite a bit.
 
On a side note, every kitchen needs a serrated blade. For that I'd suggest the spyderco utility knives. They come in two sizes. I give them as wedding presents and they are always appreciated. They'll go through tomatoes, bread, etc. like nothing.
 
sfitterman said:
Many of the suggestions thus far are stamped knives. Would I really notice a difference between stamped and forged? Forged are so much more money... I cook dinner 5 nights a week for a family of 5 and I am a basic cook, nothing fancy. Every now and then, when I'm lucky, there is venison in the menu though! Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and opinions thus far!!!
Click to expand...

One of the Martha Stewart brand of knives is a forged knife set.
 
brownshoe said:
On a side note, every kitchen needs a serrated blade.
Click to expand...

I only have a serrated bread knife. Well the isn't true at home but I don't use them. At uni I don't have any serrated knives.
 
I spent a couple of years working at a Washington, DC knife store under a manager who was a former chef. We sold Henckels, Wusthofs, Globals, Shuns, and Forschners. Though the Henckels and Wusthofs, both German brands, constantly vie for the top spot in most reputable kitchen knife reviews, we have found the Shun line incredibly nice. Globals, though generally sharper due to their 12 degree edge, are too uncomfortable and delicate to be practical. The Victorinox brand, Forschners, are a good knife for a low price, but don't measure up to the Henckels, Wusthofs, or Shuns.
 
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