Knives...so many to choose from...which do I buy?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

marcellarella

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Messages
11
I have a set of mediocre knives in my kitchen. They are okay but I do a lot of cooking and would like to find a good all purpose very sharp knife that I can use for everything, but mostly chopping veggies. I have no idea where to start though. I go to the store and there are so many to choose from! Does anyone know of a good company? The name of a good knife? I guess I'm not looking to spend too much on it...$40 max.

Thanks for any advice! :)
 
marcellarella;
Are you looking for one knife or a set? The key to buying knives is to first and foremost find a knife that is comfortable in your hand. Beyond that, briefly, forged are best but good stamped knives can be the better buy. There are literally THOUSANDS of brands out there but remember that most of them come from a handful of factoories overseas. If a knife feels good, fits your budget and is made to yur satisfaction...get it!
 
thank you for your response. i guess i just need spend some time to do some more looking around. thanks again! :)
 
If buying knives try not to set too low a budget, some knives can cost upwards of £75 ($130). I bought a set recently that cost £130 ($230). They are well weighted and nice and sharp, plus they have their own drawer which has nothing else in to damage the blades.
 
BubbaGourmet's advice about getting a knife that is comfortable is right on! You need to try out (at least hold in your hand) any knife that you are considering. It is just like buying a pair of shoes. You can spend $200 on a pair of shoes, but if they don't fit right then you will never wear them. Knives are the exact same way. You do not have to spend a fortune either to get a good knife. A lot of Chefs recommend Chicago Cutlery. They are very inexpensive. I bet you could easily find a good knife in your price range (maybe even two). Victoranox (sp?) which is the company that makes Swiss Army knives also have a like of kitchen knives that are inexpensive and supposed to be very good.

I personally have Wustoff Grand Prix's and I love them, but they are very expensive. The Chefs knife alone was over $100. They were a wedding gift so it didn't come out of my pocket, but I am very glad I have them.

Once you do get a knife you will also want to buy a honing steel at the same time. This is not the same as a sharpener. A honing steel should be used every time you use your knife to keep it in good condition.
 
Not sure if you are looking for a single blade or a set, but If you only have 40.00 to spend, I would consider purchasing a single blade.

You will be better off in the long run if you want a top quality set of knives to buy them a piece at a time instead of an inexpensive set. High quality knives are a lifetime investment if properly sharpened and maintained.

If you on the other hand are a real busy person, for whom replacement is a better option than replacement, just get a set of stamped knives from a well know manufacturer. There are often 3 piece starter sets in your price range.
 
This merchant has some advice that matches much of what you see here but goes a bit farther. I wouldn't consider a "SET" because as you've been told they must fit YOU and even within the same brand thats unlikely.

[url]http://www.knifemerchant.com/ [/url]
 
I like Dexter/ Russell. They are high in carbon, keep a good edge and don't cost an arm and a leg. I just ordered an 8" chefs knife. here is just one site. This one has the best prices. I suggest you try one of the smaller knives first. My sister gave me a paring knife. That's what convinced me to order the chefs knife. The paring knife and the chef's knife are the ones I use the most.
http://www.sharperapproach.com/dexter_russel_knives.htm
 
Knifes

I have 3 Chicago Cutlery knives and I like them a lot. I've had them for 2-3 years now and they still seem to be as sharp as ever.
I dont think I will ever buy a full set of knives because one thing I am learning is that knives are sort of use specific.
I want a knife that I can rock back and forth for chopping Onions and peppers and such
I want a knive with a pretty straight blade of making carrot sticks and other such things so that I can draw the knife through the food with a maximum amount of knife, in contact with the food.
I want a knife that has some weight to it when I am trying to section pineapple or canteloupe or trying to wack the ends off of the pineapple
I want a fairly small knife like a 6"m chefs knife when I am trying to cut the canteloupe off the rind or something else that is not very big.
 
For the money, either Forschner or Mundial knives. Forschner is well made (by Swiss Army) sell for a very good price. Mundial are quality knives, steel is a little soft but for the budget minded person a great deal.

You can purchase a good 8" or 10" Forschner knife for around $30.00
 
Marcellerella, hai sono Italiano?

As for the knife, if you want to get a knife that lasts you a long time with an excellent edge, youll be spending twice to three times that. But for that much money, go for a gehring.
 
If price is not an object I would recommend a Japanese made western style knife like Masamoto or Misuno. The steel is much harder, retains an edge much better and just far superior construction. Once you use one of these you will never go back.
 
There are some excellent posts here, but probably none of us can answer definitively or "finally" on the point of your questions...

I have heard all sorts of good reports on the premium Japanese products, that argue that they are about the finest, if the costliest, knives available...

I've carried a Victorinox Swiss Army "Officer" knife in my pocket for 20 plus years, and will fight to support the "quality" issue of this blade maker...

"About" 25 years ago, I spent the big bucks (well, back then, my big chef's knife cost about $40, today its around $150) for Henckel knives with the through tangs, thick, heavy blades, high carbon steel, and at this late date, they are still there for me (though the 6" paring knife has recently been retired) and I have to say that I've been very satisfied with the service they have offered over the years, inasmuch as when "service" is considered against acquisition cost, these were very cheap to buy...

I bought a "set" (which by no means means every knife they offer!) and a "block" to store them in for my godson 6-8 years ago when he was 21, and getting involved in "chef'ing" and cooking for the fun of it, with the advice that he could reasonably afford to buy replacements when they wore out (ie he's be around 50!)

The "Sharpening Steel" is a MUST BUY...and its so simple to use, and keep your cutlery up to service...an unmaintained knife is often a danger to users!

My kids bought me a full set of Henckels last Christmas, but bought the serrated models, (un-resharpenable!) with the light gauge blades...these are in fact out of the box quite sharp (well, there were certainly affordability issues!), and while these will certainly cut tomato, celery, cucumber, bread etc, on a par with the old heavyweights, they will not last, and where a heavyweight blade is required to split a watermelon, coconut (or even a big onion!) they aren't nearly the tool that the big knives are...and will eventually wear out...

A boning knife as an instance...I paid $85 (Cdn$) for a heavyweight, and one of the kids will "inherit" it...not that I'm knocking off anytime soon!...and the cheaper one works fine for now, but in five years will be being re-cycled...

You guys all have your own issues, and if you need a full set NOW, then go to WalMart and get the cheaper short term ones...and if you can spring a few bucks every other month, save up and buy the best you can find...(and use too! That comment on hefting it in your hand is entirely on the mark! I'm 6 feet, 200 lbs, its a bit different if you're 5"-0" nothing and 110 lbs!)

And if you can get a "steal" on EBay, go for it!
 
I have been anxious to try out a Wustoff Santoku but they are expensive to just try out.

Last week I purchased a Wustoff Santoku "look alike" by Fauberware at Linens and Things for $10.00!

I hope the real thing works better than the copy. I am not too impressed with the copy.

The flat edge is a good feature. It seems to cut cleaner than a French knife. The depressions, for lack of the proper name, along the blade don't do any thing for it. When slicing any thing the slices still stick to the blade.

It does have a good balance and fits the hand well. I would like it to be a little heaver.

Charlie
 
Hi Hungry. I have the real deal and I do like it a lot, but it is a pretty light knife. I use it for veggies and small jobs, but I still use my chefs knife much more. The depressions (I think they are called cullens) do absolutely nothing IMO. They might reduce the friction on paper, but in practice you will never notice a difference.
 
I have the real deal, too, Hungry. (I am blessed with several from the Culinar line.) Like GB, I tend to use my chef's knife almost always for day-do-day cooking, but the Santoku really shines when slicing paper-thin morsels of a chilled smoked salmon or a rare beef tenderloin. It also works very well on see-through slicings of various vegetables. I do consider it a "specialty" knife, though. It comes out rarely, but when it does, it shines admirably for me.
 
Back
Top Bottom