What's the best kitchen, chef's knives?

Carter knives are made in Oregon, not Japan.
commodorewheeler said:
For the best edgeholding and pure cutting ability for general chopping and slicing, you're going to want to go with something Japanese made. The best brands include Nenox, Hattori, Misono, and Tojiro. Japanese-made customs that fit in this category include Murray Carter, Shigefusa, and Watanabe. All can be ordered from various sites online.

For heavy-duty use, like chopping bones and thick, heavy vegetables like a hard-skinned squash or sweet potatoes, you would likely do better with something German made. Good German brands include Eberhard Schaaf, Wusthof, and Henckels.
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Clearly by the responses... "best" is totally a matter of personal preference and finance.

What's good for one person may not be good for another.

What's best for me, may not be best for you.

I honestly got sort of steamed about reading references to a $10 chef knife....however, after some time, I reflected on times when I have actually said at my table, that...
"you can prepare your food with a $6 knife from RiteAid or the flea market for the rest of your life if you want to....
...meaning that, people do not have to buy a custom chef knife to get the job done.

The question(s) are, what do you prefer to own?
What is your personal-style, extravagant, frugal, somewhere in between?
Do you make detail-cuts? culinary art? or is just good enough fine with you?...possibly chopping things into small bits to fit on a spoon or fork, is good enough.

I could go on and on, but just had to chime-in.

The original question, was regarding Vintage or Antique or soon to be antique chef knives I am correct...

SO...

I'd say Best is what suits you,
and, I'll say
what I say to friends or strangers standing at my table at a show, that,
if a full modern custom is out of reach money-wise....

THEN by all means do buy a vintage chef knife!

Henckels, Wusthof, F. Dick, the list is longer in the realms of kitchen cutlery than anyone could ever really know, and I only know one man who knows more than anyone about European and American cutlery and he knows more than most.

USA made knives from Dexter, Lander's Frary & Clark, Robeson of NY, etc...etc...etc... I mean it's almost insane how much history we had in this fine country of ours in the kitchen and butcher knife realm.

And of course the Japanese realm...most of which is amazing, the vintage knives are truly special too!

SO YES, Buy vintage American or European or Italian if you can, Japanese if you dig it.... and most of us do;)

They will be hand forged then stock & then reduced most of them, Carbon steel for the most part, but some fine stainless blades too, sometimes & often drop-forged (on most of the integrals) but they will be of finer quality that the $10 knife
......and have more heart and soul than anything you can buy from Macy's or Sur la Table'.

OK My rant is over.

Tanks for reading & buy what you like!
And Enjoy Cooking at Home!

-DON:)
 
The best knife is the one that you forget you are using while using it and fits the immediate culinary purpose best.
 
The American-made carbon steel knives word quite well. My "fresh out of the box" today Paring knife made in Franklinville New York works quite well.
 
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