Montana Knife Company Culinary Set
As an avid hunter and hungry guy who likes to eat, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. While my wife is a good cook, I’m the meat guy in our house. When it’s time to prep and cook meat, I must have a good, sharp chef knife. When Montana Knife Company sent me the Stonewall Skinner for a field test, I asked about their new culinary knife set. Field knives get a lot of air time, but I’ve never seen much in the way of the other side of the eating! So, it was something I was excited about for sure. They sent me their three-knife culinary set to chop, slice, and dice my way around the kitchen.
First impressions
They are a thing of beauty! From the handmade bison leather roll pouch they come in to the colorful wood grain handles, it’s clear no expense was spared on this set. Speaking of expense-yes this set is pricey! At over $1300, it must be considered an investment (more on the lifetime guarantee below).
I started with the smallest of the 3 knives and cubed up a hind quarter from a deer that jumped in front of my truck. The sharpness and ease of cutting is remarkable. I have a Wustof set we use often, this is light years ahead of those knives. The grip and feel is very well balanced, and the extreme sharpness makes fast work of meat and veggies.
I next had a large elk roast I decided to slice up for jerky. The largest of the 3 was up to the task. When making precision cuts to keep the thickness even, the longer blade and angle were great. With a shorter blade, one ends up “sawing” back and forth, and therefore, you get uneven slices, which varies your cook times.
I used the medium-sized knife to cut some vegetables for an elk stew in the slow cooker. The blade height is excellent, especially when cutting potatoes, which tend to stick and pile up on the blade. The black cerakote coating seemed to help the potatoes fall off the blade and pile up nicely out of the way.
Technicals
This set was designed by both MKC Founder & Master Bladesmith, Josh Smith and renowned knife maker Mareko Maumasi, who has extensive knowledge as a bladesmith and experience in the restaurant industry. The knives are made with Magnacut Stainless Steel and finished with a black Cerakote® coating for durability. The handles are constructed of G-10 and contoured for a comfortable grip and come in three colors: Black, MKC Orange, and Red.
Added benefit
Because we live remotely in the NW corner of Montana, bulk shopping is a must, and an all-day affair. We vac seal a lot of food and freeze. When it comes to large cuts of meat, whether from Costco or my hunting adventures, we grab these knives and make quick work of portioning.
Conclusion
Now, four months in, I can confidently say that we love this knife set. It is our go-to for all meal prep, from salads to chicken gyros to homemade Chinese. We even have our kids eating more vegetables, as the wife loves making veggie trays. Given the importance of a chef knife in the kitchen and how much more usage it gets compared to the bread knife or a pairing knife, I feel it deserves the investment in a quality set that will last a lifetime. Speaking of lifetime, this set falls under MKC’s “Generations” promise-which states, “MKC will clean, sharpen, repair, and even reshape your blades when necessary, as well as rewrapping handles free of charge.” Check out all the technical details here.
Comment or ask Dave questions here.
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