I was using an 8" chef knife (henkels) but I switched over to the ten inch (wusthoff) for everyday use a couple of months or so ago. The ten inch was a little awkward at first but now I have it pretty much figured out. It's thinner and doesn't seem to weigh that much more than the henkels, but it is definately a bigger knife. The extra blade length really helps, and I have developed much more of a back and forth sawing motion when I cut things. I still use the eight inch knife for some smaller tasks but not too often.
knife length
- Thread starter anchita
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
This is my baby . . .
It may not look too impressive but I use this guy frequently, daily. I have had it for around 30 years. This chopper is used almost exclusively, chopping, slicing, smashing garlic cloves etc etc. even though I have a full range of top quality knives.
Look along the top edge and you will see it has even doubled as a hammer on the odd occasion.
It is made of iron (no I'm not the Iron Chef), has a few little nicks on the cutting edge, which I can't be bothered grinding out, but it is razor sharp, very rarely needing sharpening.
The other great part is when you finish slicing etc it is great for sliding all the meat and veges onto for transporting to the wok or pot.
Of course I would not use it for paring or intricate prep work. I have seen the Iron Chefs doing wonders with choppers larger than this.
It may not look too impressive but I use this guy frequently, daily. I have had it for around 30 years. This chopper is used almost exclusively, chopping, slicing, smashing garlic cloves etc etc. even though I have a full range of top quality knives.
Look along the top edge and you will see it has even doubled as a hammer on the odd occasion.
It is made of iron (no I'm not the Iron Chef), has a few little nicks on the cutting edge, which I can't be bothered grinding out, but it is razor sharp, very rarely needing sharpening.
The other great part is when you finish slicing etc it is great for sliding all the meat and veges onto for transporting to the wok or pot.
Of course I would not use it for paring or intricate prep work. I have seen the Iron Chefs doing wonders with choppers larger than this.
choclatechef
Washing Up
It is a bad mamma jamma! I see you like carbon steel also!
PA Baker
Master Chef
Note to self--never anger choc OR Wayne!
PolishedTopaz
Sous Chef
I use a 6 and 10 inch Henkles pro-s series, I tend to favor the 10 inch more.
Advise on buying: go to a resturant supply store and handle the knives, look for full tangs as opposed to half and plastic handles. Henkles make their knives by a single block of metal and form one blade out of the center of the block as opposed to getting to blades out of one block of metal. This insures a stronger tool.
Keep in mind though that all Henkles or Wustofs' are NOT created equal, the prices will range from 30 to 130 dollars for the same size knife, depending on the series that you buy. Get the best that you can afford and treat it kindly. Ask for these expensive items for gifts
It worked for me.
Advise on buying: go to a resturant supply store and handle the knives, look for full tangs as opposed to half and plastic handles. Henkles make their knives by a single block of metal and form one blade out of the center of the block as opposed to getting to blades out of one block of metal. This insures a stronger tool.
Keep in mind though that all Henkles or Wustofs' are NOT created equal, the prices will range from 30 to 130 dollars for the same size knife, depending on the series that you buy. Get the best that you can afford and treat it kindly. Ask for these expensive items for gifts
It worked for me.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
"WAYNE CAN COOK!"
GB
Chief Eating Officer
I use a 10" chefs for most things and I love it, but I will also use my 7" santoku when I need something smaller and then my paring knife which I don't remember what size it is, but I am guessing in the 3" range.
mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
I am not even going to tell you about my crummy knives. Don't ban me, please!
PA Baker
Master Chef
It's OK mud! I just got my Henckels last year. Before that I felt like a fancy cook when I had gotten a hand-me-down block of knives from Ikea!
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
waynet, that's a real beauty. a buddy of mine has a similar one. very heavy, the weight of the blade does a lot of the work.
mudbug, no need for fancy knives. i have an oxo good grips set that i love. and i chop a lot of veggies for a lay person (not in the food biz). ever since i changed from a hard plastic cutting board to a soft plastic one, and occasionally a wood one, the blades stay sharp. only needs to be "steeled" every so often.
mudbug, no need for fancy knives. i have an oxo good grips set that i love. and i chop a lot of veggies for a lay person (not in the food biz). ever since i changed from a hard plastic cutting board to a soft plastic one, and occasionally a wood one, the blades stay sharp. only needs to be "steeled" every so often.
PA Baker
Master Chef
Psiguyy said:
LOL! Remember those Ginsu commercials?! My mom had a set of their steak knives that she threw out when she cut the end of her finger off using one to untie the knot on a plastic bag. God forbid she'd waste a bag, and of course the accident was the fault of the knives!
It's a joy to sit and read the comments of good "cooks" on important topics like knives...
The "bigger the better" says I!
The heavier the construction of the blade, and so on..I expect you understand...
My 12" (?) Chef's knife by "Trident" purchased about 20 years ago foraround and "incredible" $40 )Cdn$)! now costs about $150 (taxes in!) and gives suh incredible "Control" to what you are doing..the Henkels the lids bought me last Christmas are so light in weight and so skinny in blade that I have to "sneak" the big guy out and use him for the "serious" stuff...
Lifter
The "bigger the better" says I!
The heavier the construction of the blade, and so on..I expect you understand...
My 12" (?) Chef's knife by "Trident" purchased about 20 years ago foraround and "incredible" $40 )Cdn$)! now costs about $150 (taxes in!) and gives suh incredible "Control" to what you are doing..the Henkels the lids bought me last Christmas are so light in weight and so skinny in blade that I have to "sneak" the big guy out and use him for the "serious" stuff...
Lifter
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Psiguyy said:I love my 16" scimeter (or is it scimiter?) knife. I can swing that sucker above my head and bring it crashing down on whatever my left hand is holding on the board. WHAMM!!! Cuts through anything. Meat. Bones. Nails.
Lets hope you don't mean your finger nails
choclatechef
Washing Up
mudbug said:
We would never ban you mudbug.
We will help you when you are able to purchase some good knives though. I think if you are looking to purchase some good knives, but don't have a lot of money, the Dexter carbon steel knives are a good choice if you like the heavier kind of knife Lifter is talking about and you want to buy them new.
What Lifter is saying is that the weight and size of the knife does the work and not you.
My knife forum recently had a thread on "Size Matters". Here are some of the comments:
What are the benefits of using a 12 to 14 inch knife? One nice long stoke w/ no sawing action. Just simple and beautiful slicing.
Carbon steel knives are the most popular steel for kitchen knives on the knife forum because of the ease of sharpening, the keeness the edge can be sharpened to, and the edge retention.
As far as price/function goes, members on the knife forum like the Dexter line. Here is a site where you can find a dealer near you. http://www.dexter-russell.com/cgi-bin/search.asp
I had bought some good dexter carbon knives on E-bay.http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=43326&item=2291935475&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11660&item=6136642606&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11660&item=6138363951&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11660&item=6137443724&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=43322&item=2293387581&rd=1
mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
thanks so much for all the knife info, choclatechef! also the rest of you guys for not laughing aboutt my raggedy knives. I'll be better someday and buy "real" ones. or maybe just sharpen the ones I have a little more often
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Psiguyy said:
My friend was given a set of "Chef Tony's" Miracle Blades which she relegated to her beach house. I used them and sincerely believe that I could cut an onion better with a dough scraper than with those knives ....
AllenOK
Executive Chef
At home I use a set of Chicago Cutlery knives. The French knife in that set is an 8". At work, I the three knives I pull out every day are my F. Dick 8" French Knife, 10" serrated scimitar bread knife (that thing is dangerous! Almost amputated my thumbtip once), and my F. Dick 3" paring knife. However, I've been noticing lately that I like to go to the kitchen equipment drawer and get out a Dexter 10" stamped French Knife when I'm chopping large quantities of stuff. Sometimes I even use the 12". I've found that stamped knives are lighter in weight, and I can chop with them faster and for longer periods of time. However, the tang doesn't extend all through the handle, so there is the chance of the handle breaking.
Similar threads
