Recommendation? Looking for a new 10" chefs knife - budget of $350 or less (approx)

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bedn0009

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Sep 24, 2017
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All,

I cook a lot at home, but don't know a ton about different steel/metal combinations. I have an 8" Henckels Twin Cuisine chefs knife that I really like, but I want to add another (10", I think) chefs knife to my block.

Here are my parameters, would appreciate any advice
  • My budget is around $350 or less
  • That budget was set because I saw the 10" Bob Kramer/Zwiling knife and didn't think I needed more than that
  • I really like the idea of a hand-made American-made knife, and I would be willing to pay slightly more for that if needed
  • I very much appreciate quality and craftsmanship
  • One of the things I liked about that knife is what sounds to be a "big" handle. I have big hands
  • My twin Cuisine knife is pretty heavy - I do like that, but would be open to something new
  • I have some reservations about the maintenance of high carbon steel. Are the trade offs worth it?
  • Are there "super steels" or specific materials that have a good combination of performance and durability/appearance?
  • I use a Ken Onion worksharp sharpener
  • I am used to a European style knife, and I like it, I do not like my Henckels Santuko nearly as much as the German style, but these Gyutou knives do look interesting

Any feedback would be great. I see knives, such as the "Zelite" and "Dalstrong" on amazon that have 100's of great reviews, but what is the knowledge base of the reviewer? that's why I'm here.

Thanks
 
There are several makers that are forum members that could make you exactly what you want.
Off the shelf I favor the thinner & lighter Japanese Chef Knives. Have had Kasumi Brand for several years and had good results with them.
 
Shun Classic 10" Chef's Knife, under $200 bucks.

shunclassic1.jpg
 
I would go to the kitchen knives for sale forum and look around. We have quite a few makers here that make some really nice kitchen knives that are in your price range. Myself I need to find a nice 10 or 12" melon slicer as the 8" blade is a little short. Good luck on your hunt.
 
jd that looks like a killer knife! Love it, and might I add Stuart Davenport (samurai stuart) has a heck of a petty for sale right now in the exchange.
 
I just went through the same exercise. After looking at the custom options as compared to the name brands, I settled on an 8 inch Kramer Essential chef knife. I wanted a wide body chef knife that fit my large hand nicely. Although I really wanted a custom knife of my choice of steel, handle, profile and heat treat (with a $500+ budget), I could not pull the trigger on a custom knife for the following reasons:

1. The best steels (see attached) are also the hardest to grind for a maker (and also harder to sharpen - although I use diamond stones on the WickedEdge system which can handle the best steels) which drive the price through the roof. CPM S110V was going to cost me $1200 with a 1 year wait. I downgraded to CTS-XHP and it was still $600 with a 1 year wait.

2. Heat treating is the most important thing and many custom makers give you the trust me speech, however, many also go thru Peters HT who I called and I was very satisfied after talking through their process with their lead tech (he actually called me back)

3. The 8 inch Kramer Essential chef knife went on sale over labor day and I got it for $112 (MSRP = $249). It is AEB-L with 2x cryo treatment. I was able to hold it in my hand before buying it and the value was there.

There is ton of info out there on steels, et al and I attached one of my go to summaries for you. Look up John D. Verhoeven (Iowa State University) who has done microstructure studies on cutlery steels -- it is great reading.

[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5t7FJ9Zmj1hb0Uya3dKWTdnUkk/view?usp=sharing]
[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5t7FJ9Zmj1hZnF1T0dXRkh0Snc/view?usp=sharing]
 
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I looked at the Kramer Essentials just out of curiosity and as a possible reasonably priced template for a wide spear type Western blade. What bothered me about it compared to their 52100 blades was that the grind was a bit wonky/too convexed and the fit and finish was perhaps not up to par for that price point. The everyday price for that 8 incher is like $169 or so and that puts you in Misono UX10 territory. The grind looked a bit like they leaned too hard into the slack belt as the spine was actually a tad thinner than the body of the blade a little bit below the spine. IIRC, that was not an issue with the more expensive carbon Kramers.
 
I do a lot of cooking, too. About 2 years ago I picked up a J.A. Henckels International Classic 10-Inch Chef's Knife on sale.
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I already had a few Henckels Professional S knives (paring, 6" utility, and 8" chef) and liked them. They take and keep an edge, and feel good in my hands (especially compared to the knives my wife prefers for ergonomics for her hands). The 10" Classic is made from thinner stock than the 8" Pro S, and the lightness surprised me a bit when I first handled it... it seemed to be about the same weight as the 8" knife. However, that thinness means it can slice. I keep our kitchen knives moderately sharp ( they can shave your arm hair), but the 10" takes that keen edge and just floats through whatever you are working on. There are often times when I definitely don't need a long blade but I still grab the 10", because of how well it slices and dices. It is also tough enough to handle tougher things like spaghetti squash.

My wife who was, in her own words "skittish" when we got it :eek:, uses the 10" chef all the time too.

I know this option does not hit all your check boxes, but I've been happy with it, especially since it was about a $50 investment instead of several hundred dollars like other options I had looked at. Speaking of which... if you go with the Henckels, maybe you should send me the difference between it and you budget as a finders fee. :D

Good luck in your search.
 
d762nato said:
I would go to the kitchen knives for sale forum and look around. We have quite a few makers here that make some really nice kitchen knives that are in your price range. Myself I need to find a nice 10 or 12" melon slicer as the 8" blade is a little short. Good luck on your hunt.
Click to expand...
Mercer & Victorinox make 14" slicers not too pricey either. Can't go too big or melons
 
Go to ebay and buy an old stock carbon steel Sabatier, perfect balance, a bit more care needed but a great edge and with the balance you could buy a paring knife and a carving knife. Big fan of old carbon
 
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