Santoku vs. chef's knives

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The major difference is that the polypropelene grips on the two smaller knives are slightly indented along the length, while the grip on the chef's knife isn't; and the fibrox grip has a slightly more matte finish. With a chef's knife, I tend to wrap my hand around the grip (like shaking hands) but with a paring knife, my thumb is on the side of the grip and fits into the indentation. The whole point is that for $44 I think you get a great deal, especially when you consider that moderately-priced 8" chef's knives start at twice that and up!
 
Mario said:
The major difference is that the polypropelene grips on the two smaller knives are slightly indented along the length, while the grip on the chef's knife isn't; and the fibrox grip has a slightly more matte finish. With a chef's knife, I tend to wrap my hand around the grip (like shaking hands) but with a paring knife, my thumb is on the side of the grip and fits into the indentation. The whole point is that for $44 I think you get a great deal, especially when you consider that moderately-priced 8" chef's knives start at twice that and up!

Thanks! I was asking because TJ Maxx also had an 8" Wusthof Silverpoint Chet's knife that I was considering. Trying to decide if the Victorinox fibrox 8" knife would be a better choice.
 
Hand made

You can get great hand made Santoku and other style Japanese knives for reasonable prices. I'm going to just talk about the ones that have the western style double bevel edge. Typically a knife is hardened (tempered) along the cutting edge and gets softer towards the back edge. This is so it won't be too brittle. As the knife is sharpened over the years the edge moves back and the metal gets softer. The hand made Japanese knives are made with an inner layer of hardened steel sandwiched between two layers of softer steel, or even wrought iron, so they remain the same nor matter how many times they are sharpened. Also, the process of heating the metal in coal, then hammering, then quenching works wonders. I have a Santoku made by this guy that cost me around $80 (from Japan Woodworker) and it is just outstanding. Mr. Kobayashi Makes a 21 cm Kitchen Knife - YouTube
 
Thanks! I was asking because TJ Maxx also had an 8" Wusthof Silverpoint Chet's knife that I was considering. Trying to decide if the Victorinox fibrox 8" knife would be a better choice.

use and like this: type301 - CHROMA Cnife

The site will show you all of their knives. I use the 10 inch chef's knife. My son uses both the 10 inch, and 8 inch chef's knife, He also had the Santoku, before someone where he worked used it when he'd stepped out for a break, and they abused and broke it. I love that strange shaped handle. Though it is smooth steel, it makes the knife super easy to clean and sterilize, and provides excellent control in both the x and y planes of motion. It also reduces side to side roll.

And I'm not sure why, but even when my hands are goopy and slippery, I have no problem hanging on securely to the knife handle.

There are a bunch of useable knives out there. Your budget, the size of your hands, cutting style, etc. determine what kind of knife is best for you. Just be aware of the many different styles of knives. That gives you more options, and will make selecting the right knife more attainable.

Even the way you sharpen a knife is argued upon. What bevel is the best for the chore and kind of knife you are using. Should the edge be serated, or scalloped, or smooth? Should you look for a compound bevel, a convex bevel, a chisel bevel, etc.? There is a lot more to keeping a great knife than one would think. And if used properly, and kept sharp, sometimes a $10 knife from your favorite box store can perform nearly as well as a knife that costs $1000. Ok, I'll shut up now. There is so much information available about knifes that it can be downright confusing. Don't be confused. Just get a knife that suits you.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
You already have a paring knife so the only real extra for you is the 4.5" serrated knife if you buy the Victorinox 3-piece set. The set costs $44.40 (no shipping costs and no sales tax, at least in MA); the 8" chef's knife by itself costs $36.25, so you can see why I bought the set. It really just depends on the price of the Wusthof: if it's under $36 go with Wusthof; over $36, then decide if it's worth the difference between that price and $44 to get 2 more knives (1 of which is superfluous).
 
Good advice and good comment with this as the core message;
"the best knife for you is the highest quality knife you can afford, and fits your needs."

If I can help you with a selection, let me know.
chef@yoursmartkitchen.com
 
Mario said:
You already have a paring knife so the only real extra for you is the 4.5" serrated knife if you buy the Victorinox 3-piece set. The set costs $44.40 (no shipping costs and no sales tax, at least in MA); the 8" chef's knife by itself costs $36.25, so you can see why I bought the set. It really just depends on the price of the Wusthof: if it's under $36 go with Wusthof; over $36, then decide if it's worth the difference between that price and $44 to get 2 more knives (1 of which is superfluous).

Thanks! I think the Wusthof is under $30 - will check tomorrow. What do you use the serrated knife for? Is it only for bread?
 
Chief Longwind Of The North said:
use and like this: type301 - CHROMA Cnife

The site will show you all of their knives. I use the 10 inch chef's knife. My son uses both the 10 inch, and 8 inch chef's knife, He also had the Santoku, before someone where he worked used it when he'd stepped out for a break, and they abused and broke it. I love that strange shaped handle. Though it is smooth steel, it makes the knife super easy to clean and sterilize, and provides excellent control in both the x and y planes of motion. It also reduces side to side roll.
Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

The Chroma knives look really cool. I didn't see any prices on the site. Where did you buy them?
 
Stock Pot said:
You can get great hand made Santoku and other style Japanese knives for reasonable prices. I'm going to just talk about the ones that have the western style double bevel edge. Typically a knife is hardened (tempered) along the cutting edge and gets softer towards the back edge. This is so it won't be too brittle. As the knife is sharpened over the years the edge moves back and the metal gets softer. The hand made Japanese knives are made with an inner layer of hardened steel sandwiched between two layers of softer steel, or even wrought iron, so they remain the same nor matter how many times they are sharpened. Also, the process of heating the metal in coal, then hammering, then quenching works wonders. I have a Santoku made by this guy that cost me around $80 (from Japan Woodworker) and it is just outstanding. Mr. Kobayashi Makes a 21 cm Kitchen Knife - YouTube

Wow, it was fascinating to see how these knives were made!
 
yogiwan said:
Good advice and good comment with this as the core message;
"the best knife for you is the highest quality knife you can afford, and fits your needs."

If I can help you with a selection, let me know.
chef@yoursmartkitchen.com

Thank you! I may take you up on that. There's so much information to absorb!
 
We purchase them online. Just type in "Chroma Type 301 Knives" in Google, or whatever search engine you use, and a number of site will come up. The prices range from $40 to $110, depending on the knife, and who's selling it. I've been using my chef's knife since 2003, and it still performs, and looks like brand new. Just remember that stainless steel isn't rust proof. If kept clean, you will have zero problems. But it the knife is left dirty, it will corrode, and can develop little pits in the steel. And that is true of all stainless steel, whether it's in knives, cooking vessels, or whatever.

The knives in my kitchen that still look like they did the day I bought them, and they are about 35 years old, are three Chicago Cutlery, stain resistant knives I bought just after getting married. I don't use the as often though, as the hollow ground blades just don't cut as well as a good straight-grind blade does. And I keep the edges very sharp. The other downside to the Chicago Cutlery knives is that they are a very tough steel, but aren't necessarily a very hard steel. Once they are sharp, they stay that way for a reasonable amount of time. But they take a lot of work to get sharp.

I also have a very old high carbon steel carving knife that I found in my basement. It was all rusty, and looked like it was destined for the garbage can. My oldest son took it on as a project, and cleaned it up. It isn't as pretty as new, but is a good, sharp knife, with no rust. And it sharpens up better than any other knife in my kitchen. And it's phenomenal for cutting up meat. The only downside is that after using, then washing it, I have to oil it with veggie oil to keep it from rusting.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
I've had a Cutco chef's knife for over 40 yrs and just recently invested in a Cutco Santuko knife. I use them interchangeably. You might want to take a look at the Cutco products, they're made in the USA, and they have a life-time guarantee. I recently sent back 7knives back to the company for sharpening and it cost me $9.00 and that included shipping. They replaced my paring knife for free. They are not inexpensive, but it's a worth the investment. I might add that I have other knives that include Chicago Cut., Henckels, and Wusthof, they too were an investment, but they don't beat my Cutco.
 
I have a Victorinox chef knife, and I love it. Cost $26 and works fantastic. For the vast majority of home cooks, this knife will more than meet their needs.
 
danbuter said:
I have a Victorinox chef knife, and I love it. Cost $26 and works fantastic. For the vast majority of home cooks, this knife will more than meet their needs.

I'm glad to hear that! What kind of knife sharpener do you use?
 
I have a 6" and 10" Wusthof Classic, and an 8" Chicago Cutlery chef's, and all 3 have been good knives. The Chicago has a feel very similar to the Wusthof Classic. I use the 6" for a general purpose knife, like when I have to chop one or 2 cloves of garlic, or disassemble a broccoli crown... any light job. The 8" when I have a lot of things to chop, and the 10" for stuff like squash and melons. I've never owned a santoku because I've never seen the need.

I have an 8" Cutco chef and I hate the feel of it. I don't like the handle, either the shape or the texture. It mostly lives in a drawer out of sight.

My sharpener is a Chef's Choice electric 3 stage. The only electric recommended by Wusthof.
 
RPCookin said:
I have a 6" and 10" Wusthof Classic, and an 8" Chicago Cutlery chef's, and all 3 have been good knives. The Chicago has a feel very similar to the Wusthof Classic. I use the 6" for a general purpose knife, like when I have to chop one or 2 cloves of garlic, or disassemble a broccoli crown... any light job. The 8" when I have a lot of things to chop, and the 10" for stuff like squash and melons. I've never owned a santoku because I've never seen the need.

I have an 8" Cutco chef and I hate the feel of it. I don't like the handle, either the shape or the texture. It mostly lives in a drawer out of sight.

My sharpener is a Chef's Choice electric 3 stage. The only electric recommended by Wusthof.

I appreciate hearing how you use the different size knives. So far the 6" Wusthof Silverpoint is working out well, but I don't know if the sharpener I have is ok. It's the Chef's Choice Manual Diamond Hone 440.
 
I am planning on investing in a knife set for myself for Christmas but I dont know what to do! There are so many sets and price ranges to choose from!
Help! :)
 
I am planning on investing in a knife set for myself for Christmas but I dont know what to do! There are so many sets and price ranges to choose from!
Help! :)
When I bought knives for my son the past Christmas, I purchased Tojiro DP in a 240 Gyuto, a Nakiri, and a 120 petty. Along with a block, the price was less than $200. I don't think the average home chef needs more than 2 or 3 knives. Better to have a couple of good ones than a block full of knives you will seldom use.

The nakiri is a bit unusual, but is a favorite of mine. Knives are personal. If you have access to a good knife vendor, ask for recommendations and handle as many knives as possible. Otherwise, talk to Mark at CKTG or someone similar. He will make recommendations based on what you need and want, not what he wants to sell.
 
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