Knives... For the Kitchen

[Wetwork]

Big fan of Victorinox Fibrox Pro knives. My GF is the chef (better than any resturant in town) so I pretty much cater to what she needs. I tend to mix and match brands, but for sure no Dollar Tree stuff. Actual sets of knives don't do it for me, it seems like it's cheaper to put one together with quality stuff of different makes.

I have a couple of magnet strips screwed to the wall she just snags what she needs.

I also have a roll-up bag of quality knives specifically for the butchering. Boning, skinning, capers, all different sizes, that we keep separate and only dig out for processing.-WW

 

[psirus7]

Victorinox are an outstanding value. I’m convinced I don’t need to spend more than what they cost. I have one of their honing steels too. Great combo and I never have a dull knife.

Cooks Illustrated Test Kitchen agrees with completely.

 

[schwaf]

Regardless of whatever knives you buy, bite the bullet and allow yourself the necessity of a good sharpening system first. A pull through sharpener of any kind is a joke and will ruin your expensive knives. With the guided sharpening systems these days, there really is no excuse for dull or microchipped blades, even with little sharpening skill. KME makes an excellent system for a reasonable price (and can do broadheads and convex blades with the right attachments). Coupled with a leather strop, you'll be digging through your drawers looking for more blades to put a mirror edge on.

As for kitchen knives, I think it's hard to beat a good Japanese knife, especially for meat. German knives if you like em thick and wrassle with your food. Personally, I think Shuns are overrated. They're well marketed here in the US because they're part of KaiUSA (kershaw, zero tolerance). The vg10 steel is ok, and the blade thickness and geometry are thick compared to other Japanese blades. But they are pretty, which counts for a lot.

My favorite are blades forged from HAP40, an advanced powdered steel from Japan. It's extremely hard, holds its edge forever, takes an edge like the top super steels such as ELMAX, reasonably tough, and reasonably rust resistant. Even with regular usage they'll hold a razor edge for several months. Just make sure you have a GOOD sharpening system and don't let them get too dull.

KME Sharpeners LLC

Kohetsu HAP40

koaski24

www.chefknivestogo.com

 

[xcutter]

Victorinox knives are hard to beat for the money. I recently purchased the set below. Very happy with them.

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-4150513US1-Fibrox-13-Piece-Swivel/dp/B08MVS8DY3/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw07qDBhBxEiwA6pPbHum0sRIJZeqfJu5e64QiZlQBYWUBcAUDy6f-P9yeyy9Pglq0BcEY8RoCrwgQAvD_BwE&hvadid=241629757154&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9016521&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=18062432831576938616&hvtargid=kwd-5883204391&hydadcr=13964_10210829&keywords=victorinox+fibrox+knife+set&qid=1617881403&s=home-garden&sr=1-10

 

[darkocher]

Took a long time to figure out good knives were important in the kitchen

Me too. it really saves a lot of time. and safe too.

 

[Dadnstuff]

I am wanting to upgrade my kitchen knives but don’t know where to start. I know that i could just jump in the car and go down to any department store and pick out a new knife block kit but I’m looking for something more personal this time around and might purchase knives individually. Anyone have any good brands they recommend? What type of knives are absolute must haves? Anything else i need to consider?


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I REALLY dig my DalStrong knives.

 

[lovelyorganization]

Sad state of affairs. I still have my Christmas bonus from work, in cash, sitting in a cigar box on the shelf in my closet and can't decide what to do with it. I've been considering getting a high end set of kitchen knives for quite a while and made mention of this to Tracy. Well, her crafting stuff has taken off in a huge way in a totally different direction. She has dropped a considerable sum of $$ the past couple of weeks getting herself set up. Last night over dinner (which was incredible and very creative but don't know if I should post it) she said it's only fair that I get something nice to balance out the money she has spent. She told me to order whatever set of knives I want. I've read stuff about the 4-star Zwilling (SP??) stuff being really good. They are German made but I've also seen some nice stuff that is Japanese-made. good steak knives At least the price tag indicates that it's nice stuff :emoji_laughing: I currently have two sets of professional-grade Chicago Cutlery that I've been somewhat happy with. One set Tracy bought me two years ago for Christmas. The other set I've had for about 30 years. My only issue is that they don't hold an edge for very long and I seem to sharpen them more often than I feel I should. Here is my biggest dilemma: I'm having a hard time justifying the expense, regardless of Tracy telling me to buy them, so I have a couple of Q's for y'all. If you had an unlimited budget to buy a set of knives, what would you buy? Second, what is it about the recommendation that sets it apart from other knives? Lastly, and this is for folks who have already made the purchase: can you justify the expense in your mind? I'm not looking for block sets that have a bunch of steak knives to make the item count look impressive. We already have more steak knives than we will ever have people here eating steak. I'm looking for a 4 to 6 knife set (quantity not set in stone) that will do everything I need to be done...and y'all know I tend to do a lot of stuff :emoji_wink: This may seem like a silly thread but you all are the only ones I trust for accurate info as I'm in WAY over my head on this one. I'd just hate to drop$500 to $1000 on knives that are untested and find them lacking what I'm looking for. I've spent a LOT of time reading about these and can't really see a differentiation between one maker and the next so thought I'd toss this out there and ask the folks who are truly in the know. Many thanks to any and all that take the time to provide info.

At a total loss,

 

[missjordan]

Sad state of affairs. I still have my Christmas bonus from work, in cash, sitting in a cigar box on the shelf in my closet and can't decide what to do with it. I've been considering getting a high end set of kitchen knives for quite a while and made mention of this to Tracy. Well, her crafting stuff has taken off in a huge way in a totally different direction. She has dropped a considerable sum of $$ the past couple of weeks getting herself set up. Last night over dinner (which was incredible and very creative but don't know if I should post it) she said it's only fair that I get something nice to balance out the money she has spent. She told me to order whatever set of knives I want. I've read stuff about the 4-star Zwilling (SP??) stuff being really good. They are German made but I've also seen some nice stuff that is Japanese-made. good steak knives At least the price tag indicates that it's nice stuff :emoji_laughing: I currently have two sets of professional-grade Chicago Cutlery that I've been somewhat happy with. One set Tracy bought me two years ago for Christmas. The other set I've had for about 30 years. My only issue is that they don't hold an edge for very long and I seem to sharpen them more often than I feel I should. Here is my biggest dilemma: I'm having a hard time justifying the expense, regardless of Tracy telling me to buy them, so I have a couple of Q's for y'all. If you had an unlimited budget to buy a set of knives, what would you buy? Second, what is it about the recommendation that sets it apart from other knives? Lastly, and this is for folks who have already made the purchase: can you justify the expense in your mind? I'm not looking for block sets that have a bunch of steak knives to make the item count look impressive. We already have more steak knives than we will ever have people here eating steak. I'm looking for a 4 to 6 knife set (quantity not set in stone) that will do everything I need to be done...and y'all know I tend to do a lot of stuff :emoji_wink: This may seem like a silly thread but you all are the only ones I trust for accurate info as I'm in WAY over my head on this one. I'd just hate to drop$500 to $1000 on knives that are untested and find them lacking what I'm looking for. I've spent a LOT of time reading about these and can't really see a differentiation between one maker and the next so thought I'd toss this out there and ask the folks who are truly in the know. Many thanks to any and all that take the time to provide info.

At a total loss,

I’ll offer my two cents after starting this thread awhile back

I had a hard time stomaching the cost also but let me tell you it’s well worth it. Everyone’s thoughts and opinions were very helpful and i decided to purchase Cutco knives. They had a couple knife packages you could purchase with sheaths included. So i opted for the 5 piece set that came with a cheese knife, 4” pairing, 7” Santoku, trimmer, and a slicer. Then on top of it i purchased a meat cleaver separately that also came with a sheath.

It really is a worthwhile investment and you know it when you get used to your own knives then go over to somebody’s house and use there dull crappy knives and wonder why you put up with having knives like that for as long as you did.

Eventually i want to add Cutco steak knives to my set and also maybe another slicer of some sort. I do not regret the investment

5-Pc. Knife & Sheath Set | Knife Sets by Cutco

This conveniently packaged knife and storage sheath set contains five of Cutco’s top everyday kitchen knives and is ideal for the person who wants multiple pieces they can safely store in a drawer.

www.cutco.com

Meat Cleaver | Top Rated | Free Sharpening Forever by Cutco

Don't be intimidated. This powerful knife makes tough kitchen jobs, like cracking spareribs, easier.

www.cutco.com

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[Dash]

Good read and I hope OP has found what they were looking for.

My wife is an excellent cook and we make just about everything from scratch. We have a small homestead so just about everything has to be prepared straight from the garden for fruits amd veggies to meat from chickens, pigs etc.

A couple of years ago I purcheses sever japanese style knives from Chef Knives To Go and Japanese Knife Imports (cult following, awesome info and support.) We are happy with the switch. The 2 things I have learned are 1. The heel of the Japanese knives are much sharper with less guard (ask my fingers how I know) and 2. Learning how to properly sharpen a knife made a huge difference in performance.

It’s not for everyone, but it has worked well for us. I highly recommend skipping high carbon knifes at first (look cool, but rust easily and react to acidity in different foods) and go stainless. Great entry point is a Gesshin Stainless 210mm Wa-Gyuto (Japanese version of a typical Western chef’s knife) for a main knife and somting similar to a Fujiwara FKM Semi Stainless Petty 150mm.

 

[AKbirder300]

Henckels professional line does it for me. I ran a set of shun into the ground after ten years of cooking, still sold them for 40% of MSRP though, so they held value pretty well.

The ten inch henckels chef knife is a revelation in your hand.

Amazon.com

 

[doc holiday13]

When I was part owner of a sports bar in the early 1980's I bought some 4 star Henckel knives.

The Henckel 4 and 5 star knives are what you want if you buy a Henckel. There are some very low end Henckels that do not carry that sort of warranty you spoke of.

 

[Vandy321]

We've got henckel and Shun.

Does anybody have experience with these "coolina" knives? The have a unique look and seem to have decent reviews for edge retention and durability. Not really wanting to spend $200-300 on a chef knife...

I know these aren't "great" knives, but do they seem a decent value or do they fault into the junk category?

Professional handmade cooking chef knives. The best gifts for man

To make cooking more enjoyable, we choose professional chef handmade knives. Each knife is made with love and care. Knives is the best gifts for man | Coolina

coolinastore.com

 

[Toledo]

I'm always surprised how much use I get out of my 4" rapala filet knife. Works great for trimming meat. And it's cheap.