Top quality kitchen knife set for Chef

Even if you get her a knife that's considered very high quality, how long would it stay sharp in a chef student's hands? Really, I'd like to know what "par for the course" would be. Is the edge completely blunt & reflecting light, or chipped out & rippled after one full month of use? One week? One class? At what point is it no longer "scary sharp" as a fine cutting utensil should be?

The best steel won't cut when dull.

Were it me, I'd go with a beginner set of knives, (well, if I had the cash to spare, good ones would be fine too) but my main focus would be on sharpening theory, technique, and tools. Seemingly (to a beginner) small differences in angle, grit, etc. can have such a large impact on performance I don't see a whole lot of point in higher grade blades until these are mastered first.
 
T.K.C. said:
I would strongly suggest the Kershaw Shun Elite series!! Incredible knives!! They out cut most other knives. I think that they ARE worth every penny.
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i agree my uncle has a set and the food channel guy that includes science in his show recommends them.
 
Culinary School will usually offer a set or 2 that the entering student can buy at a discount. I would suggest that she go with these 'starter' chef's sets until she graduates and understands what features she wants in a better set. After hundreds of hours with knives, her needs and understandings will differ from what she may have originally thought at the beginning.

That's what I learned as a California Culinary Academy drop-out.
 
All those Shuns and Globals recommended by the Food Channel celebrities (Anthony Bourdain, Alton Brown, etc.) are recommended for people who want nice knives for cooking at home, not in an industrial kitchen. Big difference. I love my Japanese kitchen knives (Shun and Al Mar, with considerable experience with my brother's Globals), but no way would I use one in a restaurant kitchen. In a restaurant I would want something either heavy duty that can take a beating (e.g., Henkels) or something inexpensive (e.g., Forschner). Japanese blades are great, but every time I use one I do so knowing that the blade is going to chip out one of these days.
 
I suggest reading -

ConsumerSearch on Kitchen Knives

it's a wonderful resource - where they claim to be reviewing the reviews - that is survey all the reviews out there rate them - then come to some concensus. Kind of the right way to do research if we had the resources.

People often quote you get what you pay for.... well that's mostly true - but this is one case where there may be a bargain of sorts -

Victorinox/Forschner kitchen knives -

" Best Kitchen Cutlery Set In reviews, experts often express surprise when evaluating these stamped knives, as they run counter to the assumption that the best kitchen cutlery is forged. Some experts miss the bolster, a feature on forged knives that aids in balance and maneuverability, but they say the Forschner's sharp blade can compete with kitchen knives costing twice as much. Forschner Victorinox knives easily come out ahead of cheaper cutlery in reviews
...
Although some inexpensive cutlery doesn't perform well in tests, reviews are unanimous about one budget cutlery line -- Forschner Victorinox Fibrox(8-inch chef's knife, *est. $30) . This brand gets very good reviews across the board, no matter who's doing the testing. We found nothing but excellent reviews for the Forschner Fibrox kitchen knives, which come close in utility, durability and ergonomics to pricier kitchen cutlery from Wusthof and Global.
...
Forschner Victorinox Fibrox(*est. $60 for three) stamped knives are the exception. In side-by-side tests, experts are amazed at how well these perform next to forged kitchen cutlery that is three times as expensive. In almost every review that tests them, Forschner Victorinox kitchen knives are chosen as the best budget pick.
...
we found more prolific enthusiasm for the Forschner Victorinox Fibrox series of stamped knives(*est. $60 for three) . In an interview with Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, chef Wayne Nish says the Cutco knives seemed dull, while the Victorinox kitchen knives seemed "designed by chefs for chefs." "

I think that's about a good a review as any knife can get.......
and they are inexpensive.

--
Vincent
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Thanks for all the feedback. We've decided to get her a set of Forschner's and possibly two or three Shuns (whichever ones might be most used by her). We might actually get the same for us. Is there a "set" of Forschner's that you would recommend? If you were picking out two or three Shuns, which would you get? Where would you get them all?
 
For a home set, I'd recommend Shun's paring knife and 10" Chef's knife (Classic, Elite, or Alton's Angle) and maybe the santoku and a bread knife of any brand; same for Forschners. Forschner Rosewoods look supercool, but the Fibrox ones do the job as well.

As for where to get them, there's www.newgraham.com www.knifeoutlet.com www.epicedge.com and even www.amazon.com (though New Graham doesn't carry Forschner :( ). A good knife block is always a plus, too. I use a Wusthoff Emerilware block, but they're all good.
 
thombrogan said:
For a home set, I'd recommend Shun's paring knife and 10" Chef's knife (Classic, Elite, or Alton's Angle) and maybe the santoku and a bread knife of any brand; same for Forschners. Forschner Rosewoods look supercool, but the Fibrox ones do the job as well.

As for where to get them, there's www.newgraham.com www.knifeoutlet.com www.epicedge.com and even www.amazon.com (though New Graham doesn't carry Forschner :( ). A good knife block is always a plus, too. I use a Wusthoff Emerilware block, but they're all good.
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+1 Perfect
 
Jagged said:
Thanks for all the feedback. We've decided to get her a set of Forschner's and possibly two or three Shuns (whichever ones might be most used by her). We might actually get the same for us. Is there a "set" of Forschner's that you would recommend?
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For most general use the most basic recommended knives are -

8" Chef
3" Parer

and perhaps add -

4" Utility
Slicer (serrated)

It is very easy to match later purchases, in the Fibrox handles.

This is from -

ConsumerSearch on Kitchen Knives - Full Story

" Important Features: Kitchen knives
Despite the advice of many wedding registry guides, experts say that you should skip buying huge sets of knives. If you have a couple of good quality knives, you won't need the ten or twelve knives that come with cheaper sets. Essential is a chef's knife, which generally comes in eight- or ten-inch lengths. These are the true kitchen workhorses, and a decent chef's knife will do everything from general chopping and slicing to carving meat. According to Chef Wayne Nish (as interviewed for Kiplinger's magazine), the chef's knife is "the most versatile tool in a professional's knife roll."
You'll probably want to add a 3.5- or 4-inch paring knife to your collection, say experts. Paring knives are handy for small jobs such as coring apples or peeling vegetables. A serrated bread knife is helpful for tomatoes and other soft foods, as well as bread. If you buy knives in a set of three, you'll generally get a chef's knife, a paring knife and some kind of utility knife (but probably not a bread knife).
Before you start shopping, experts say you should learn a bit of knife anatomy first.
....
  • It's harder to find wood handles these days, since the FDA banned them from restaurant kitchens. Wood, if not properly sealed and cared for, can carry grease and bacteria. If you like the look and feel of wooden handles, be sure to check for gaps between the blade and handle.
  • .....
  • It's best to handle a knife before you buy. Buying an expensive knife of good quality won't do you much good, if you don't feel comfortable using it. The size and strength of your hands combined with your individual experience handling a particular knife are important considerations. "
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Vincent
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If you are buying some knives for home use, I would also suggest that you consider at least one Japanese black-smithed laminated knife.

Two possible sources. One in the US (yes, it is a Japanese woodworker site, but they do carry an extensive range of high quality Japanese knives in their kitchen section)


http://www.japanwoodworker.com


and, if you would like to take the next step (it's not hard), you could consider buying a knife directly from someone like Shinichi Watanabe, a sixth generation bladesmith in Niigata. His English is quite good and his blades are excellent. Here is his website

http://www.watanabeblade.com/english/

We have Global, Shun and a various Japanese hand-smithed laminated knives at home. Our Japanese laminated blades outperform the Shuns by a very very long way, they just need a little more care in return (eg handwash and dry, not the dishwasher). Plus a little extra investment in a waterstone for sharpening, which can also be used on the other blades.

The Shun parer is a good knife for that purpose.

Enjoy, I do, every time I use one of our kitchen knives.

Neil
 
I use cheap Tramontina Knives they are light, balanced, hold a reasonable edge made from Sandvik 12C27.
Really comfy shaped handles.
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