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Input needed, Kitchen Knives

Inclag

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,752
442
MA
So I'm going to purchase a few kitchen knives for a Christmas gift and have been doing a good bit of research. I think I've narrowed down a few potential brands and have decided to start the set with 2-3 knives based around a ~8" Chef's knife and a pairing knife. I'm open to the idea of mixing and matching brands a la carte to maximize value and from what I've gathered it sounds like it is the preferred method of assembling a cutlery set for those that are semi-serious about their cooking.

What I'm trying to figure out now is what style of knife to go with, Japanese or German? Any of you monkeys have any input? I know that handle feel is important but can be very personal, but as far as weight, size, etc. Plus any input on additional brands would be useful. Right now the brands I'm looking at are Messermeister, Wusthof, the higher end Henckels, MAC, and Shun.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
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if you're already looking at German at Japanese, I think you pretty much can't go wrong. Then again, I'm no expert.

One thing I would also recommend - a good ~8" Santoku knife. I use mine more frequently than my chef's knife. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I used my chef's knife.
 
N

north20

Chimp
Nov 5, 2007
85
0
East Cascades - PNW
jonKranked said:
One thing I would also recommend - a good ~8" Santoku knife. I use mine more frequently than my chef's knife. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I used my chef's knife.
Click to expand...

A big +1 to that suggestion.

I'm a big fan of Wusthof and top end Henckels. Buy either of these and they'll still have them in 20 or 30 years. The first good piece of cutlery I purchased was a Henckels bread knife that I treated myself to when I first got into baking my own bread. That was around 25 years ago; the handle has cracked a smidge at the rear rivet but it's more cosmetic than anything, and the blade is as fantastic as ever.

I think there are other brands as good quality-wise (though these 2 are the only ones I have extensive experience with), but others I've had the opportunity to use or just hold have not been as comfortable or "natural" feeling in the hand. Which as your OP alluded to, is a very subjective thing.

Certainly sounds like you're right on track, though; they should be stoked regardless with what you're considering.
 
in the trees

in the trees

Turbo Monkey
May 19, 2003
1,210
1
NH
We have 6 Globals - a tomato knife, a bread knife, a slicer knife, a pairing knife, a vegetable knife. But the most frequently used is our 8" chef's knife. Definitely our "go to" knife.
 
stoney

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,613
7,271
Colorado
I know it mostly a marketing ploy, but I use a Caphalon. I bought a single 6" chef's knife with a great balance a few years ago and use it for everything except bread. I sharpen it almost every time I use it, and in 4-5 years I still do not have any sharpening wear. I have not seen one from them in a while, but they make a great one-off chef's knife
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

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Nov 10, 2005
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please note: I sharpen my santoku knives EVERY time I use them. I almost lost a fingertip because of this (and my own stupidity) last summer.
 
C.P.

C.P.

Monkey
Jan 18, 2004
547
8
SouthEastern Massachusetts
Agree with all of the comments RE: Santoku Knives. I got to try a Ceramic Santoku knife my sister brought up recently. (think chef Ming Tsai) 'Dont know anything about ceramic knives, but I liked it.
 
amishmatt

amishmatt

Turbo Monkey
Sep 21, 2005
1,264
397
Lancaster, PA
It's personal preference, but I much prefer a chef's knife to a santoku. The flat blade of the santoku just doesn't work for me.

After using Henkles, Wustof and Global, I bought a Shun Classic 8" chef and it's the best I've used. The Henkles and Wustof's were fine, but kind of heavy/chunky and non-precise feeling. The Global's grip was too delicate (small, narrow, light) for me, but the blade was good.

Been using this for a six months, and it hasn't needed sharpened yet. I used to sharpen my German knives before each use.

 
Serial Midget

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
Dexter Russel NSF food service knives do the job right without being stupid expensive.

No amount of money, carbon or 'high tech' ceramic will ever replace skill & technique. :)
 
kazlx

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
I have the Henckels Classic. My go to knives are the santoku and the 8" chef. You honestly can't go wrong with high end knives. Once you get up to that general price range, it is more personal preference than anything.
 
DirtyMike

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
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My own world inside my head
Nutt up and get teh ceramic........ Seriously... they stay sharp. Cut everything just like steel does, and nothing soaks into the blade, no corrosion possible at all, every Manf I have seen does a lifetime warranty, and most offer a free sharpening service should theye ver even need to be sharpened.

Another one to throw out there... not sure if they make tehre own or if they are amde for them.... but the Iron chef sets are awesome for steel blades.......


I have an iron chef set the wife uses..... But I always get the ceramics out. Three years old, uses frequently..... have yet to have any need whatsoever for a sharpening. Dropped a few times as well, no chipping or breakage at all.
 
rigidhack

rigidhack

Turbo Monkey
Aug 16, 2004
1,206
1
In a Van(couver) down by the river
Ceramic is cool, but the blades can be very brittle - you drop it and it is DONE. Sounds like DirtyMike got lucky with his. I guess you just need to be really cautious with what you choose.

I have had really good luck with my Henckel 4 stars (8" Chef, 8" Santoku (awesome knife!), 5" serrated, 4" paring, 4" curved blade), Globals and Whustoff. I like the German knives, but I have to say that the santoku gets a ton of use. I managed to get the whole set of Henckels with a knife block for $90 shipped.
 
AngryMetalsmith

AngryMetalsmith

Business is good, thanks for asking
Jun 4, 2006
21,229
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I have no idea where I am
The new Miyabi knives are amazing. They are made from real Damascus steel, are light weight and cut effortlessly. As a smith and a former foodie, these knives are truly impressive.

SurLaTable carries them.

Birchwood Series




Fusion Series





Pops to anyone who gives good knives to a friend who is serious about cooking.
 
Inclag

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,752
442
MA
AngryMetalsmith said:
The new Miyabi knives are amazing. They are made from real Damascus steel, are light weight and cut effortlessly. As a smith and a former foodie, these knives are truly impressive.

SurLaTable carries them.

Birchwood Series




Fusion Series





Pops to anyone who gives good knives to a friend who is serious about cooking.
Click to expand...
Those Fusion series knives look great and I like the slightly obtuse angle between the back of the blade and handle. Will have to look into those.
 
jdcamb

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
19,838
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I have a 15 year old Henckels and a Japanese knife my ex gave me. I very happy with them. On the occasion I am feeling stabby they are usually close by....
 
ridiculous

ridiculous

Turbo Monkey
Jan 18, 2005
2,907
1
MD / NoVA
Inclag said:
Think I'm leaning towards the MAC. Anyone have any experience with them?
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Best bang for the buck in my opinion.

I think Global make some of the most balanced knives Ive ever picked up. I see myself grabbing a couple of these in the very near future.

Side note: I see one of these in my near future. So ridiculously sharp, short handle feels great.

 
CrabJoe StretchPants

CrabJoe StretchPants

Reincarnated Crab Walking Head Spinning Bruce Dick
Nov 30, 2003
14,163
2,484
Groton, MA
I'm getting a Global paring knife for a friend's wife to add to her set for Christmas. I'm far from an expert myself, but they seem nice to me.
 
Batman

Batman

Monkey
May 20, 2002
358
0
Mississauga
Another vote for Henckel. I have an 8" Henckel Twin Cusine chef knife that's used daily. Heavy but balanced. Once you get up in the price range it's more about personal preference and "fit". Quality is there across most of the brands.
Also bought the parents a set of Henckels + block last year and they replaced the entire "drawer of knives" they used to have. Knives+scissors+block were only about $125.
 
-BB-

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
4,254
28
Livin it up in the O.C.
I have a mix of the German and the Japanese...

For every day use I really like the Henckles Twin 5-star, but for some specialized pieces I have Shun.


The henckles twin-cuisine and Twin 5star have an amazing handle shape that is SO easy to hold... and hold for Hours. Plus their blades are VERY strong, so IMO they hold an edge much better than my Shun.

That being said, the Shun are probably nicer knives. They are sharper than the henckles but they are much easier to knick if you are not careful. SO, if you are going to be super anal about your knives then do the Shun... if you want some that are a little more forgiving I'd say go Henckle, but make sure you get one with the ergo grip. Oh, and I'm not a big fan of the ones with the full stainless handles. Slips easier... Full Tang is great (as in the Twin Cuisine), but there should be a little black on the handle too.

Oh... one more thing. The Shun can rust a bit if you put them away wet. Henckles won't.
 
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-BB-

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
4,254
28
Livin it up in the O.C.
The Joker said:
I know it mostly a marketing ploy, but I use a Caphalon. I bought a single 6" chef's knife with a great balance a few years ago and use it for everything except bread. I sharpen it almost every time I use it, and in 4-5 years I still do not have any sharpening wear. I have not seen one from them in a while, but they make a great one-off chef's knife
Click to expand...
Yeah, for the $$ these are pretty good deals. I got my parents and my in-laws the same 6in Chef's for xmas a few years back. I also like how they have the "sheath" so that you can store it in a drawer without kincking the blade.

IMO the Calphalon is like an IronHorse bike (minus the DW hype)... ok maybe more like a Specialized. It is a HUGE step up from the Wal-mart bikes in that it is an actual legit bike that you can actually take on the trails. It isnt' a "bling" bike though like Turner or Yeti. It does 90% of what the bling ones can do, but at maybe 40% of the price.

It was funny watching them test out a REAL knife. They were afraid to use it bc it was "so sharp"!! Up till then, they were using some of that stamped cr@p from the 70's with cheap riveted handles.
 
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