If you could recommend one knife?

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Selection of cutlery made from superior steels is of importance. However superior steels are only part of the story in that steels of a somewhat lesser quality, if properly maintained, can cut quite well. In short, within reason, steel quality is no substitute for sharpening skills.
 
teehee .... yes! Mac, the knife. :)

I just helped some friends buy an 8" Mac Pro while we were in Honolulu. Comes sharp, gets sharper (see below), nice and stiff and great feel in the hand...if you want an 8" knife. Overall, great blade.

Selection of cutlery made from superior steels is of importance. However superior steels are only part of the story in that steels of a somewhat lesser quality, if properly maintained, can cut quite well. In short, within reason, steel quality is no substitute for sharpening skills.

Since I started learning about knives and have been working on my sharpening skills, I cannot agree more with this. I'm still having a hard time with steeling properly but, wow, a properly sharpened knife is like nothing I've ever owned before...it's magnificent.
 
I love my Global 12" chef knife but I need a paring knife and cleaver to go along with it. If I only had 1 knife it would have to be a 8" chef knife, probably a good german steel because I would be scared to use a Global or other Japanese knife on bones. I have a cleaver for bones, so I do not have to use my Global knife on that. 12" is too long for paring, so thats why I would go with a 8" knife.
 
There just isn't any way to get by with one knife. If nothing else you need a small knife and a big knife. There is some degree of latitude with a big knife and a small knife, but a medium sized knife will just not be suitable for too many things at either end of the range.

After I left home and got my first apartment I did well enough with just two knifes, and yep you guessed it, a big one and a little one. Today I'm like most cooking enthusiasts with a big, fully stuffed knife block set and other knives (including a cleaver) that I use less often kept in a drawer because don't need them at hand. (Particularly that cleaver! It would really be nasty to drop it and have it land on your foot!)

Here is what I would recommend if you could have just two knives: 4" paring knife and a 6" chef knife. Or you could go with maybe a 5" serrated utility knife and a 7"-8" chef knife. Or even a Santoku instead of the chef knife.

Most chefs probably would criticize my 4" paring knife and go with the 5" utility knife but I've got both and I use the paring knife far more often than the utility knife.

One good thing, in real life you can have as many knives as you want! :) Even too many, although I'm not there yet. (Yeah, right.) :D
 
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i've got a very old but beautiful sabatier V series 12" chefs knife.use it for just about everything.i attended a repossession & the owner who was also a drug addict was waving it at me & the bailiff.luckily we had armed police with us.they let me keep the knife.
 

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We use Raco knives, they are very long lasting and lovely to cut, slice and dice with :)
 
You could try looking online for cosmetic irregular knives (wusthof trident irregulars for example). That way you can get better knives at a discount.
 
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