What's the greatest KITCHEN knife, and why?

johnniet

johnniet

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Jul 12, 1999
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Got some weddings coming up, and I'm thinking it might be fun to order some of that classy kitchen cutlery I've always noticed on many knife dealers' web sites.

How many of you have tried out some of these? Anyone who can compare, say, the Spyderco chef and bread knives with the AG Russell ones? Blade thickness? Balance? Smooth cutting? Fatigue after long use?

Are the Kyocera ceramic blades any better for normal kitchen use than a good stainless steel one? I'm thinking in terms of ergonomics and ease of cutting, especially chopping. (Yes, I know they'll never rust or get dull...on the other hand, my housemates have a Forschner, about a year old, that takes a good edge whenever I sharpen it, and cuts really nicely. No rust so far. The one problem is some chipping, probably from being put in the dishwasher, but would any of the other knives have avoided that?)

I was also quite attracted to the Hattori VG10 knives at Chai Cutlery, but I don't know if I'd be able to afford as many of those as I have weddings to go to. All the same, has any of you compared them with good-quality standard kitchen fare?

Much thanks,
John
 
Originally posted by johnniet:
I was also quite attracted to the Hattori VG10 knives at Chai Cutlery, but I don't know if I'd be able to afford as many of those as I have weddings to go to. All the same, has any of you compared them with good-quality standard kitchen fare?
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<a href="http://www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/knives/kitchen/sk170.html"><img src="http://www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/knives/kitchen/_sk170.jpg" align=left></a>I think they're very good and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. In my experience, they're as good as they come, but I can't claim to have tested lots of other expensive kitchen knives.

I don't have any Kyocera ceramics, but I do have a <a href="http://www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/knives/kitchen/boker_c-x.html"><img src="http://www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/knives/kitchen/_boker_c-x.jpg" align=left>Böker</a>. It's main advantages are that it's supposed to last longer before needing sharpening (but then it's probably not an easy task) and that it's chemically inert, making it easy to clean. Cutting performance is not better than a sharp steel knife, nor worse, but it feels a bit different to work with.

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Urban Fredriksson
www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/
Latest updates Moki Hana, Fällkniven WM1 neck sheath, Moki Blossom and Fällkniven S1

"Smooth and serrated blades cut in two entirely different fashions."
- The Teeth of the Tyrannosaurs, Scientific American, Sep 1999
 
I just ordered a couple Gerber kitchen knives Monday. I had considered Henkels and Burgvogels but decided on the Gerbers because they are American made and the blade steel was indentified with a better discription than just "forged stainless".

Jake
 
The Fiskars/Gerber Balance Plus kitchen knives are 440A, non-ugly, and packaged suitably for gift-wrapping. And Fiskars has discontinued the line, though there are still some in dealers' hands here and there.

The Kershaw "Bonvivant" line has bright shiny hollow stainless handles (perhaps not the best for wet hands) and AUS6M blades, and they're suitably packaged for gift-wrapping.

The Spyderco kitchen knives use MBS26 steel, and are harder than most other factory kitchen knives, and cut great. Your hand will appraciate the handles better than your eyes will, which is OK when the handle is covered up with your hand because your're cutting something. Provide your own packaging.

Give a Hattori when the occasion calls for something expensive, and the recipient can be trusted not to throw it into the dishwasher. The damascus on the outside looks great, and the VG10 in the middle cuts great. Nicely packaged too.

The Kyocera knives will hold an edge almost indefinitely, but don't even think about prying or twisting with them. Their 4.5" fruit knife is a good choice for giving one very useful knife, and again it's suitably packaged for gift-wrapping.



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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
They aren't pretty, but my vote goes to Cold Steel's kitchen knives. Let me tell you the story of my Dad's Ice cream cake: We had just taken it out of the deep freezer, like negtative 10 degrees, not the usual 20 like most standard freezers. Anyway, the cake was HARD!! And the Cold steel kitchen knife came to the rescue. It cut right through the thing. I'm not kidding. No hot water, not even cold water was needed. It cut through it incredibly easy, and I've used a lot of kitchen knives. That day, I became a beliver, but don't take my word for it.

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EdRozen-the professional alter-ego specialist
 
Another great idea is to give the Solo's titanium Kitchen knife (available through spyderco). You only have to give one, and they'll never guess how inexpensive it really was.
 
If price is no object, look at Bob Kramer's kitchen knives at www.bladesmiths.com
An 8" Chefs knife starts at $310. There was an article one of the knife mag's (either Blade or Knives Illustrated, sorry don't remember) several months back about knife testing. One of his kitchen knives was tested along a couple other customs, a Bowie and ?. The Kramer chef's knife passed all the tests, chopping a 2x4, rope cutting, and the tester was able to cut an empty coke can in half leaving the base standing. Sounds like they take an edge very well, and take abuse as well. He has a dozen or so options for handle wood, and two different shapes.


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E. Larson
Edmonds, WA


 
I've been using Henckels Professional kitchen knives for about four years that I received at my own wedding. They are outstanding. They differ from the Four Star Henckels in that the handles are triple rivoted instead of molded onto the steel, and are a few dollars more expensive. I received a 3pc starter's set with a 10", an 8", and 3" chef's and paring knife. As long as one doesn't run these things through the dishwasher, I could conceivable see them lasting indefinitely. They require the usual amount of sharpening, but really take a sharp, fine edge. I think the 3pc starter's set runs around 160.00, and it's worth every penny if you ask me.
 
The Hattoris are gorgeous, and you just won't believe how well they cut. On the other hand, they chip extremely easily. I won't use my around bone at all anymore, as in, not even to carve the turkey. But so far nothing can compare to it as far as chopping vegetables, etc. Given the fragility of the edge that I experienced, I don't recommend them as your only set.


Joe
 
I won't claim they are the best, but very high on the list would be the tungsten steel alloy bladed knives by AG Russel. Try their website. These are attractive, well designed, and made from an exceptional alloy.
 
The UPS man just came with our Gerber Kitchen knives. They are GREAT, they feel more like custom knives than kitchen ware and the edge and balance are terrific. My wife loves them, she says they feel really comfortable in her hands.
 
These all sound pretty good -- sounds like I have some thinking (maybe some fondling?) to do. :^)

Does anybody have some experience with carbon-steel kitchen knives like the Sabatier or Roselli? Is there a wide enough group of good uses for them to make them good specialty knives in the kitchen?

Any strong opinions on Ulus versus Santokus versus other chef's knives as veggie choppers?
 
I got a Sabatier carbon steel knife as a wedding present from my dad back in 1973. It takes an outstanding edge--different from any other kitchen knife I've had. It is particularly good at carving meat. It is softer than 1095 alloy. It is fine grained, but the grain that it does have seems to be sharp. The blade is very thin at the tip and easy to bend.

Sabatier still makes an Au Carbon line. They are excellent, but really stain easily. They might not be ideal as gifts, since most housewives would probably be put off by the stains.
 
You don't have to be a professional chef to respect George's chef and kitchen knives. I hope to acquire one or two more at the CKG show. Outstanding performance and value. Have you seen the stag? You should have a serious look.

Ed Storch and Thomas Haslinger certainly warrant consideration. They are on the web and they are very pleasant to deal with.
Matt Harildstad, who I believe is a maker and chef out of Edmonton [a minor City somewhere north of Calgary],also makes some lovely looking work that have had excellent reviews, but I can't vouch for them personally, not having actually used them. Long waiting period on his knives because of the demand from chefs, I understand.
George, Ed and Thomas will all be at the Toronto CKG show, I think. Great opportunity to see their great work and take advantage of our pathetic Canadian dollar.
The Hattori damascus from Laganet looks very, very attractive but I confess that I am disturbed by the reports of chipping - due, I guess, to the very hard edge.
Is it possible to rate and seperate the relative importance of edge holding, edge geometry, blade shape, ease of sharpening, balance etc,? I can't do it. For me it's the combination of factors, but I do give primacy of place to cutting ability, edge holding and handle comfort, which is a function of edge geometry, blade shape...
 
I should have mentioned that neither of these web-sites cover the full lines of either company. Ask for the catalog.
 
Originally posted by HJK:
The Hattori damascus from Laganet looks very, very attractive but I confess that I am disturbed by the reports of chipping - due, I guess, to the very hard edge.
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Well, it says on Fällkniven's web site that they should be treated carefully and with respect, using a cutting board of wood and only "in emergency" one of plastic and that frozen fish or meat influences the edge decidedly negatively.

But one should also keep in mind that there is a reason there are as many as over a dozen different ones in the line, and that's that they're made for different jobs. My santoku probably doesn't have a thick enough edge for encountering bone forcefully, but those which may look quite similar on a photo can have significantly different
edges and thicknesses, and some of the others I wouldn't worry about -- but I can't say I've tested them in actual use.

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Urban Fredriksson
www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/
Latest updates Moki Hana, Fällkniven WM1 neck sheath, Moki Blossom and Fällkniven S1

"Smooth and serrated blades cut in two entirely different fashions."
- The Teeth of the Tyrannosaurs, Scientific American, Sep 1999
 
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SPYDERCO
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David

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DIVERTI NESCIO

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My Photopoint pictures
 
Griffon,
So, which Hattori would you suggest would be appropriate for bone without running the risk of chipping?
 
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