Recommendations: Kitchen knives?

Ptman2000

Ptman2000

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I'm looking to replace some old kitchen knives that I currently have. What brand would you recommend I look at? I'm thinking of Shun or Ken Onion Sky/Rain. But have heard Shun are over priced. I'm looking to start with a 8" Chefs and a 3.5" pairer then add on. I'm open to opinions. Thx!!
 
America's Test Kitchen rates the Victorinox 8" Chef's knife as a top performer. There is a YouTube video where it compares favorably with a $300 Bob Kramer carbon steel knife. It can be had for under 30 bucks at some restaurant supply houses, or around 40 bucks off of eBay.

I have a set of Ken Onion Shuns and the blades chip severely with very gentle use. It may just be a bad block set, but I would not recommend Shun.

I have a Tojiro DP 8" Gyuto, the thing is awesome, no chipping as of yet.

I have a MAC Mighty 8" knife with the scallops on the blade, probably my favorite knife for the kitchen. Very nice, very sharp.

I have a 20 year old set of Wusthof knives. They have been excellent work horses. No fear about edge chipping when cutting a squash or roll mincing herbs or hacking frozen food. Just sharpen once a year and steel before using and the things just perform.

So, for economy without performance sacrifice I'd get the Victorinox (I have several, they are great). If you are sold on delicate Japanese knives, the MAC or Tojiro will be better than the Shuns in my experience. For bomb proof knives that your kids and wife can't mess up...Wusthof knives are like Timex, takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
 
Or you could buy some nice Japanese knives from one of the US importers like Korin, CKTG or JKI or firstly from Japan from JCK.
 
Another vote for MAC, Fujiwara, or tojiros, they are an amazing value. I have a few MACs pushing past 12 years now.
 
I don't have experience with many of the suggestions mentioned, and can only relate my own personal experience. Around 2003 I ordered a Henckels 8" chef's and a 10" carving knife from the original 5-star Henckels line. It's basically the same steel as the 4-star line, but with larger, ergonomically shaped handles. I don't even know if they're still offered, or if they're offered in a different version( mine have black, not red lettering). Any how I was so pleased with the quality of the steel and the feel of the handles, that I ordered pretty much 1 or 2 of everything in the 5-star line and haven't needed or desired anything else. Knives are a very personal thing, good ones(for you) feel like an extension of your body. I never could gel with the small handles on the Henckels 4-star line, or the small handles of others. Good luck in your search, I highly recommend checking out the original Henckels 5-star at least once before committing, they've never let me down and keep an edge very well as long as they're steeled correctly.
 
Before you purchase, first decide what you generally will use the knife for . Then decide if the appearance is important. Finally and most important are you comfortable using the knife. A lot of people love SHUN and rightly so, but it is not designed for heavy use. Also it is delicate, if you have a knife block that is not designed for the knife you could chip the point. If Japanese style is for you SHUN is great. If appearance is not an issue I love the Victorinox Swiss Army. Cooks Illustrated rated number one value. Number one selling Cook knife and 5 Star on Amazon also. Sharp and easy to keep sharp. Henckels or Messermeister are also good German Forged Knives, but remember that there is Zwilling Henckels, german and Henckels International, mainly Chinese.
 
I have been using Tojiro DP knives for a couple of months and like the way they cut. The boner is heavier and has a thicker blade to withstand abuse, but the Chef's knife, Santuko, parer, and slicer have thinner blades than most Western knives and prepare food effortlessly as a result. Currently, I rarely pick up the western knives I've used and liked for the last 40 years. As was stated in other answers, don't use the Japanese Kitchen knives if they are going to be abused, but if you are going to use a good cutting board and not hack at frozen foods or bones, the Japanese Knives are great. I have a set of Wustoff Cordon Bleu knives that I take with me when I'm cooking away from home that I also like. Wusthoff designed their Cordon Bleu line of knives with thinner blades and finer edges to cut into ;-) (pun fully intended) the sales of Japanese knives.
 
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I have had two victorinox kitchen knives (8in chefs, 7in santoku), and have been pretty happy with them. Last Christmas I got my wife and I a 10in tojiro dp, and have been using that even more.

That said, the tojiro is really a different class of knife. When guests come over and help cook, I hand them the victorinox. The tojiro does need a touch of training/explaining, while the victorinox they can use just like any other knife they've had.

Another one I've wanted to try is the opinel chefs knife. It runs about the same cost as the others, and so far all of my opinels have been good slicers which leads me to believe it should be at least half decent. I do have a pair of their paring knives. They cut well, but I find the handles a bit small personally.

Anyway, good luck with the choice :D.
 
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