Buying knives makes my head swim

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I said this before but I'll say it again. I can't believe how lucky I am to have found this site. If I ask a question y'all give me good answers. You did it when I wanted to make tortillas from scratch. You did it when I asked about gas ranges, although I had pretty much decided on the one I want (still saving up the money but getting closer). And now you did it again with knives when my head was swimming. You guys are the best.
 
I know. That's why I want to read the book before I buy an expensive thing that I will use rarely. I'd much prefer to know how to sharpen by hand.
 
Check into local knife sharpening services. It should cost you less than $5 to get your new knife done. Kitchen stores and butcher shops sometimes offer the service.
 
Check into local knife sharpening services. It should cost you less than $5 to get your new knife done. Kitchen stores and butcher shops sometimes offer the service.

That's true Andy. Our farmers market has the local knife sharpening guy there once a month. He charges $5.00 per knife. Someone here mentioned they have their knives sharpened from the butcher at the local supermarket. We do alright at home but once a year I have them done perfectly at the farmers market, and it's worth every penny.
 
Let me add a bit of water to your swimming pool, Liz. Since you're looking for both price and quality, toss a glance in the direction of Rada Cutlery. I have five: bread, regular paring, cheese, and two steak. The handles look strange - brushed metal or black plastic, basically a slightly oval branch with a
small bolster. :LOL: In spite of that, they are rather surprisingly comfortable in the hand. They are sharp when you buy them and stay that way. And they are inexpensive. They have an odd sales model, mosting being offered in what appears to be tourist destinations. :huh: Rada also promotes itself as a great fundraiser opportunity for groups. I bought mine at an Amish store in OH that caters to both the Amish and tourists. All five may have cost me...$30? Maybe $35. Can't beat that with a stick. If you can't get the map page to work on their website (I couldn't), just google "where can I buy Rada Cutlery" and the map click on that link works. It looks like you might be able to get them at places in Ellisville, Hattiesburg, and Collins, among others.

I can also recommend the Dexter-Russell knives that both RP and skilletlicker mentioned. I can also get into my car and get to their public showroom in less than 15 minutes. ;) You can buy them online, but, like you, I prefer handling a knife before I buy. It looks like there isn't anything near you. The closest might be Meridian? Looks far on the map...

I said this before but I'll say it again. I can't believe how lucky I am to have found this site...
I can't speak for the others, but I am glad you found us, too.
 
God knows I had enough water in my swimming pool when I started my search and you have added more! I'm chopping and dicing at the moment. I managed to make my cheap knives sharp enough to please me which was a great surprise. All I have is a ceramic thing with 2 rods and a steel...

After I get through with prep I will search for rada cutlery. Thanks, I guess....

Let me add a bit of water to your swimming pool, Liz. Since you're looking for both price and quality, toss a glance in the direction of Rada Cutlery. I have five: bread, regular paring, cheese, and two steak. The handles look strange - brushed metal or black plastic, basically a slightly oval branch with a
small bolster. :LOL: In spite of that, they are rather surprisingly comfortable in the hand. They are sharp when you buy them and stay that way. And they are inexpensive. They have an odd sales model, mosting being offered in what appears to be tourist destinations. :huh: Rada also promotes itself as a great fundraiser opportunity for groups. I bought mine at an Amish store in OH that caters to both the Amish and tourists. All five may have cost me...$30? Maybe $35. Can't beat that with a stick. If you can't get the map page to work on their website (I couldn't), just google "where can I buy Rada Cutlery" and the map click on that link works. It looks like you might be able to get them at places in Ellisville, Hattiesburg, and Collins, among others.

I can also recommend the Dexter-Russell knives that both RP and skilletlicker mentioned. I can also get into my car and get to their public showroom in less than 15 minutes. ;) You can buy them online, but, like you, I prefer handling a knife before I buy. It looks like there isn't anything near you. The closest might be Meridian? Looks far on the map...


I can't speak for the others, but I am glad you found us, too.
 
Wasn't trying to impress, just inform. ;) Still, if you see a display sometime, give a peek. Not bad for the price. Given a choice between my Zwilling and a Rada? Even at 8 times the cost, I'll pick my Zwilling every time.

What impressed me the most is that it is American Made. And I do try to buy A.M. as often as it is available and is of real quality. I also went to Amazon and the majority of their product reviews are all five star. Some were 4.5, but when looking at those ratings, they sound like folks who never give any product a full five stars. I saw a lot of reviews that stated the handles were rather skimpy. Too small. Having arthritis, I need the chunkiness of Oxo handles. I can no longer give a thin knife handle a good solid safe grip. :angel:
 
I have these cheap crap knives. I have looked at everything but can't decide. There is a specialty store in Hattiesburg where I could hold the knives in my hand but I don't want to go there knowing in my heart that I will find the same thing on line for less. It's a lovely place but expensive and I won't take advantage of them. If I take advantage of their expertise I will fee honor bound to buy from them.

I'm a dog groomer. I bought a lot of grooming shears on line. I spent a ton of money and ended up giving a lot of my expensive shears away because they simply weren't right in my hand. I started buying at grooming shows. The shears that I use most often are the ones I bought at shows. The sellers looked at my hand and suggested a shear that would fit me well.

I have decided that I need more education. I just purchased this book An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro: Chad Ward: 9780061188480: Amazon.com: Books Perhaps after I read it I'll know enough to go to the expensive store and show the lady my small thick fingered hands, see what she has and buy from her.
I feel it's important to try knives before you buy. All hands are different. You need to feel the balance and to know the knife fits comfortably in your hand and if it doesn't then don't buy it. After all - would you buy a pair of shoes that don't fit you just because you had tried them on and you didn't want to disappoint the shop-keeper?

Any shop-keeper who objects to the customer "just looking" but with an intent to buy when s/he finds the right thing, is the shop-keeper I wouldn't buy from!
 
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I feel it's important to try knives before you buy. All hands are different. You need to feel the balance and to know the knife fits comfortably in your hand and if it doesn't then don't buy it. After all - would you buy a pair of shoes that don't fit you just because you had tried them on and you didn't want to disappoint the shop-keeper?

Any shop-keeper who objects to the customer "just looking" but with an intent to buy when s/he finds the right thing, is the shop-keeper I wouldn't buy from!

You're analogy about shoes and knives on the internet is a good one MC.
Guessing how shoes will feel on the feet or a knife in the hand is a crap shoot at best.
 
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I know that your right but I've just recently gotten more seriously interested in cooking, good equipment and tools. I groomed for years before I could even tell the difference between shears that fit my hand and ones that did not. If I went to cooking school I'm sure I'd learn in short order. The Kitchen Table (the store in Hattiesburg) offers cooking lessons. I may look into it but probably not...That place is more for people with money than for common folk like me. I have to go into town Wed. I'll stop buy and talk to them. They have a hand egg beater that I want made by OXO

The knives that I have decided upon are a far cut above (pun unintentional) what I have now. Besides, I can afford them! I'm sure that they will do just fine until I feel the need for something better.
 
I know that y'all are right about this but these knives are a far site better than what I'm using now which probably don't fit my hand. Honestly, I don't do enough knife work to know the difference. I only cook on my days off and only for myself. I make 2 big things eat a couple of meals or each and stick the left overs in the freezer. That way when I get tired of what I made on my days off I can always find something interesting to eat I made a while ago. Most of y'all are more serious cooks, have a family or at least a husband and cook every day.

At this point it matters not. I just ordered the knives. I feel confident that I'll be delighted with them. The only thing I'm worried about is the 12" slicing knife. However will I store a monster like that? Can I wrap it an a towel and stick it in the drawer?
 
At this point it matters not. I just ordered the knives. I feel confident that I'll be delighted with them. The only thing I'm worried about is the 12" slicing knife. However will I store a monster like that? Can I wrap it an a towel and stick it in the drawer?

I wouldn't do that. Hopefully it will come with a knife guard - some kind of paper or plastic sheath that it fits into. You can put that in a drawer.

If you have the wall space, some people like using a magnetic knife holder: http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=13840861

I have a knife block like this: http://www.amazon.com/J-A-Henckels-International-Hardwood-Block/dp/B00BBOD8US
 
I'm hoping that it will come with a sheath of some kind but it wasn't mentioned. I have a knife block that came with my cheap set. It's slots are horizontal None of the slots will hold a 12" knife without 2 inches of the blade sticking out. I'll see what arrives and take it from there. I have a magnetic thing to hold my clipper blades at work. It's great and very handy to use. I'll buy one for this one knife if I have to.
 
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At this point it matters not. I just ordered the knives. I feel confident that I'll be delighted with them. The only thing I'm worried about is the 12" slicing knife. However will I store a monster like that? Can I wrap it an a towel and stick it in the drawer?

Liz, get one of these for that long knife in a drawer.
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