Good knives

I like any of the Shuns better than the Wusthofs. There are also some Shuns that aren't as fancy but have the same blades for less money.

Oh Fanny thanks for the link on the Victronix knifes. I ordered a set to give my little sisters family and I am anxious to see them. Shipped from Kansas to Oklahoma, they are currently in Ohio :/
 
My wife gave me the Mercer Genesis 7" Santoku for Christmas:

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I almost cut my finger off tonight, so I guess that's an endorsement. The thing is pretty amazing. It smokes my Henkels 5-star chef's knife, and probably cost 2/3 as much.
 
Knife storage question: Right now, I have a 15 yr old set of semi-cheap knives that I want to replace. We got the set as a gift. The knifes are in a block. I am about to start replacing them but don't know about keeping them in the block. Seems going in and out of the wood would dull them but I don't want to just put them in a drawer, loose.

How you guy dudes store the knives to keep them sharp and from getting beat up?
 
I have been looking at the Ken Onion Shun knives. Has anyone worked with these? I was wondering if they require any changes in the way you use them. They have such an unuasual design. They look and feel like they would be very user friendly knives, but I have only handled them in the store I haven't actually used them in the kitchen.
 
Re: Ken Onion knives, the fusion handle pretty much forces you to hold it a certain way. My dad has one, and whenever I use it, I keep thinking that I would prefer a more standard handle. Also, the curve of the handle puts the blade a little higher in relation to your hand, so if you have bigger fingers, they'll probably make contact with the cutting surface if your rocking the knife at all.

Just my take, I wouldn't turn one down, they're really cool.
 
My Xmas present to my left-handed amateur chef brother-in-law:

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Just because I ******* rock to have as a relative.
 
hulla, if I was doing it again and doing it right, I would get the magnetic holder that you hang on the wall. Particularly, if I was gonna throw down and get some high dollar blades to hang on it.
 
I would go with a magnetic strip over a block. however, my preferred method is to use a plastic knife safe cover.
 
into this thread very late. hopefully, if this turns into a point of reference it will help.

I worked in food service for 6 years (late high school and early college). I worked in a bar b q place and sliced more than 10,000 or so briskets, 100,000 or so sausage links, no telling ho many slabs of ribs (with knuckles), mutton, ham etc. etc. etc. We used forschner almost exclusively. There were times where the owner would buy something else, but generally the forschner were used to the point of replacement.

We liked the forschners because they were unbelievably easy to maintain, held the edge very well, and did exact.y what we need them to do and did it comfortably.

Now that I am out in the real world I have a set of henkels that was given to me at my wedding that are nice. I use the steak knives often and some of the other knives when needed. I have to forschners in the drawer that I use almost exclusively when the rubber meets the road. That is the best part about having good knives - they fit and work. I use them for almost everything.

And - should the **** ever hit the fan and they begin to deteriorate - go buy another one. they are not expensive and work wonders. I remember at the bbq - we got a new knife or two (per cutter that is) about every 9 months. Not too bad given what those friggin knives were going through.

I will use them religiously forever based on personal experience despite the fact that buying "bigger, better, more expensive" knives are well within my means.

Like I mentioned - I am not trying to convince people to not buy the high end knives. Those are awesome. But, give my experiences, I don't see the need. go buy some forschners and be very happy with your selection.

btw- these are what I use -
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on a side note - if you use a meat fork - this is the best you can find.
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Good comments about the Forschners. Anyway, once my wife gave me the money for the knives, cosmetics and snob appeal came into play, leading me to the Wusthof Classic. I think the Wusthof Grand prix is pretty much the same knife, but for only 10% less, and you can see the parting line on the plastic handle.

I'm liking them pretty well. The 8-piece box set came with a handheld sharpener, and i bought the 7" Santoku separately, and it came with a Santoku sharpener (assume the blade angle is more acute).

Thanks for all of the input on this thread. It was really a great help.
 
hi.

just got done trying out my brand new, first ever Shun knife.

It is a Kaji hollow ground santoku.

it is ridiculous how sharp this is. an onion is literally like butter to cut through with it. compared to my henkels, it is not even a close comparison.

i am in love.
 
We have a set of Meisermeisters that have held up great over the last few years. The overall quality and ability to keep an edge is excellent.

We also have a couple of Global knives in santoku and paring and I use them every time we cut veggies.

I'd recommend both Meisermeister and Global.
 
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My 7" Forschner Santuko kicks ***... and it costs a fraction of what the big boys cost. It cuts through hard carrots like butter...

Like several people have mentioned - ask the chefs and they all agree that you don't necessarily get a better knife for the extra cash you put down.

Having said that... those Shuns and Globals look pretty cool. I've decided Globals aren't worth their money because they are so brittle and tough to sharpen.
 
What is the proper way to sharpen quality knives? I am particularly interested in the Chef'sChoice sharpeners as, if they are worth a crap, they seem to be pretty fool proof. The fact that Williams-Sonoma carries them makes me think they may be OK. Or should you just get your knives professionally sharpened.
 
After a few weeks with my Wusthof, I am hooked, great knife. As far as sharpeners, and this comes directly from me and professional chefs, do not buy a ready made sharpener, buy a steel. The sharpeners can mark the knife and damage it. Wusthof sharpen great with a steel, make sure you use the right angle or have it sharpened elsewhere. I have paid to have knives sharpened and they were never done as well as doing it myself. Just take 3 minutes per knife while you are watching tv and sharpen each knife.
 
1. steel sharpens knives, and 2. 10 years? I could cut things with my hands better than knives after 10 yrs, I use my knives daily.
 
steel hones knives, straightening the edge.

it will not grind a dull blade in to a sharp edge.

what makes you think it sharpens and not "hones".
 
A steel does not "hone" a knife either, to hone is to sharpen, you use a whetstone to hone something, a steel just straightens the edge, allowing the sharp edge to do its job properly.

as for sharpening, I use a diamond whetstone to sharpen my knives, which I haven't had to do yet for the Mercers that I have had for 3 years. They are still cutting beautifully with a touch up on the steel every now and then. I use the paring knife and the 7" santouku mostly.

I keep the set that I have in Miami in a block that stores them vertically with air all around them, the edges don't rest on wood at all, the set in Orlando are in the drawer with the knife protectors that you get free from Mercer on them.

I picked the Mercers over the others because of the way they felt in my hand when I use them. The reasonable price was just gravy.


and whatever you do, don't put them good knives in the dishwasher!
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one other thing, that holding in the hand thing to cut? Alton Brown says that that is the correct way to use a paring knife.
 
I'm a chef and really late to this thread but of the quality knives already mentioned on this board my advise is pick which ever feels best in your hand.

I pick up my Forschners just as much if not more than more my Wusthofs.

As for the "honing" steel- think of your knife as a comb with thousands of teeth. With use those teeth get out of alignment. You use the steel to get all those teeth back in a straight line. This helps you sharpen less so the knife lasts longer as the teeth are still sharp but aren't lined up straight.
 
and everyone should have a Ginsu knife in the drawer, purchased from the Ginsu salesman at the State Fair on OU game day after his gloriously cheesy pitch, preferably after a win. Ginsus are the perfect knife for using when you need to fillet a overripe tomato after sawing some steell filings off of a hammer and sawing a cinderblock in half using the same knife. Be sure and wash your Ginsu knife in the diswasher.
 
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