Hi,
I've been debating about writing a review of some kitchen knives I've been using. And now I have a place to write it!
Any way onward.
The brand name is Bakers and Chefs. A house brand for Sam's Club. For those who might not know, it's a warehouse type outlet branch of Wal-Mart.
What got me interested enough to purchase and try this brand was the etching bragging of German steel and being made in Brazil. This seemed to promise at least an interesting test.
They are packaged two knives in a blister package. I bought a pack of 7" Santukos and a pack holding an 8" and 10" chefs knives. 4 knives for under $30.
A Group shot:
Closeup of the etch:
A brief search for a maker turns up Mundial as the likely culprit. At least they look like these:
Coming out of the package the two Santokus were hair shaving sharp. The 8" and 10" chefs were not. Though 8" was almost there. The blades measured .100 across the spine and taper nicely to their points.
The santokus are full flat ground with typical Grantons. The chefs both have a bit of convex grind at the edge. I'm not sure if I will keep that type of edge going.
The handles are all identical. The surface is slightly pebbled for a better grip when your fingers get slippery. They are over molded for a hidden tang. I have no idea how far back the tang extends into the handle. But they are tight and I don't intend to baton through any lumber. So they should be fine for normal kitchen work. The handles are plenty generous for even the largest hands. The downside to these grips is that they don't allow an easy pinch grip on the blade. It can be done, but it feels awkward to me. Though there are two generous divots at bolster that can be used for a pinch grip.
So, how do they work on the board? Amazingly well thank you. After almost 4 months of daily use in my kitchen, I have yet to sharpen the santukos. I just simply steel and go. I did have to touch up the chefs out of the package. But once sharpened they are holding up well also. I've sliced and diced through carrots, celery, onions, and various large hunks of beast and some not so large beasts. Of the 4 knives, I like and get the most use out of the santukos and the 8" chef. The 10" is a beast but I find it more than a bit too large for day to day kitchen work. Though it works great on cutting those steaks out of a big sirloin tip or breaking down those Boston butts into roasts and fresh pork steaks. Still, I don't use it all that much.
I think these knives just might be the Moras of the kitchen. Not all of us can afford a nice $1000 Japanese knife. And it's nice to find an inexpensive alternative. I would rate these as nice to use as a Forschner, another nice inexpensive kitchen knife. It's amazing what a person can run across sometimes.
dalee
I've been debating about writing a review of some kitchen knives I've been using. And now I have a place to write it!
Any way onward.
The brand name is Bakers and Chefs. A house brand for Sam's Club. For those who might not know, it's a warehouse type outlet branch of Wal-Mart.
What got me interested enough to purchase and try this brand was the etching bragging of German steel and being made in Brazil. This seemed to promise at least an interesting test.
They are packaged two knives in a blister package. I bought a pack of 7" Santukos and a pack holding an 8" and 10" chefs knives. 4 knives for under $30.
A Group shot:
Closeup of the etch:
A brief search for a maker turns up Mundial as the likely culprit. At least they look like these:
Coming out of the package the two Santokus were hair shaving sharp. The 8" and 10" chefs were not. Though 8" was almost there. The blades measured .100 across the spine and taper nicely to their points.
The santokus are full flat ground with typical Grantons. The chefs both have a bit of convex grind at the edge. I'm not sure if I will keep that type of edge going.
The handles are all identical. The surface is slightly pebbled for a better grip when your fingers get slippery. They are over molded for a hidden tang. I have no idea how far back the tang extends into the handle. But they are tight and I don't intend to baton through any lumber. So they should be fine for normal kitchen work. The handles are plenty generous for even the largest hands. The downside to these grips is that they don't allow an easy pinch grip on the blade. It can be done, but it feels awkward to me. Though there are two generous divots at bolster that can be used for a pinch grip.
So, how do they work on the board? Amazingly well thank you. After almost 4 months of daily use in my kitchen, I have yet to sharpen the santukos. I just simply steel and go. I did have to touch up the chefs out of the package. But once sharpened they are holding up well also. I've sliced and diced through carrots, celery, onions, and various large hunks of beast and some not so large beasts. Of the 4 knives, I like and get the most use out of the santukos and the 8" chef. The 10" is a beast but I find it more than a bit too large for day to day kitchen work. Though it works great on cutting those steaks out of a big sirloin tip or breaking down those Boston butts into roasts and fresh pork steaks. Still, I don't use it all that much.
I think these knives just might be the Moras of the kitchen. Not all of us can afford a nice $1000 Japanese knife. And it's nice to find an inexpensive alternative. I would rate these as nice to use as a Forschner, another nice inexpensive kitchen knife. It's amazing what a person can run across sometimes.
dalee
Either re-profile it or get a new one.