Kitchen knives

**rbruce** · 07-04-2005, 11:00 PM

After seeing the "Dining with the Devil" thread in the "Freedom of Speech" forum I thought we could do a kitchen knife thread here. Anything kitchen related should go here.

I don't do a whole lot of cooking, but right now I either use my knives from Old Hickory or BRKT.

My mom is a salesman for Cutco Cutlery. I will soon have a set of knives form them. They're overpriced if you have to pay for them, but mine are free.

I'm also thinking of getting this chef set from Victorinox, for use when car camping.

I have also checked out the Al Mar chef knives. I have heard good things about them, on the hoodlum forum, but they are out of my price range for kitchen knives.

What knives do you guys like to use in your kitchen?

**Mike Stewart** · 07-05-2005, 12:59 AM

R,

Kitchen Knives is an interesting area.

There are some very different schools of thought on chef's knives.

I have been researching it for over two years and have managed to confuse myself even more.

If you put price aside for the moment--there is a strange thing that has happened in the last few years.

For a very long time we all were very comfortable with your basic French Shaped Chefs knife in 6-7-8-9-10 inch blades.

Along came the japanese with a bunch of blunt looking odd shaped knives and even copies of the basic French Knife. They have literally taken over the high end of the market and totally swept the kitchen Snob Market. They have silly japanese names for all of these things and have Secret Steels that are super hard and must be sharpened with only thier japanese Waterstones. These knives are $300 to $1500 and I can't figure out why or what the heck the difference in use is on most of them. They say that you have to totally re-sharpen them at least once every six times you use them.

If you steel them like you stated above--they Micro-chip along the whole edge. They are Brittle edged.

I have been cooking for a very long time and still use an 8 inch blade french Style knife. I've used the same one since 1993 and it's still just as good as any of all these fancy japanese knives that I have tried. I have drawers full of them. they have names like Guyoto, shun, Sitaki--I can't pronounce them and they all sound like someting someone who drank way too much Saki made up.

I even have some of the japanese Titanium Nitrite coated ones. My old H.G. Long sheffield knife does the same job.

To prove a point to myself--I went out two weeks ago and bought one of those 7 inch Wal-Mart Faberware $6.99 chefs knives. You couldn't cut yourself with it --if you fell on it. The steel must be mush 420 at something in the very low 50's rockwell. I took it to the shop the next day and re-profiled it with a perfect convex edge. It would shave hair off a gnats butt. I have been using it for everything--everyday--for the last two weeks. It is very clubby and does not have a great feel but I have not re-touched the blade and I can still cut a tomato thin enough to read the newspaper through. It

This $6.99 wonder knife is not nearly ground properly --it has very little Distial taper to the point and is not lively in the hand like my Sheifield or American or French chefs knives. BUT--what do you expect for $6.99?

Keep in mind that I have cooked every meal for two weeks and just this weekend I have made two very large" sit down" meals for friends and family and cut a bunch of veggies--meats --breads--you name it and that knife cut it. I diced two whole flats of strawberries for Pies,jam and bisque. This knife is still plenty sharp.

Am I just nuts or have these japanese guys sold a whole bunch of folks a big Fibberony?

Mike..............................................

**Mr.LaBella** · 07-05-2005, 05:59 AM

after reading your post, Mike.......:-D [* kidding *]

your nuts!

I use a Henckles ( cheapie block ) .. everedge.

I havent had any problems in the 7 or so years I have had it and only resharpened 1 knife since.

rbruce, my maw + paw got a cutco set from a cousin of theirs in the 60's or 70's and theyre still going strong.....

NO resharpens or anything!

crazy stuff~

**RGRAY** · 07-06-2005, 07:54 PM

My wife likes Global; thin and sharp.

I've been seeing them more and more on the Food Network and other food shows.

Here's a nice starter set.

**Lemmy** · 07-06-2005, 08:55 PM

I use Shun Cutlery and have been happy with it. I wore out a set of Cutco that I got from a friend that used to sell them. He said if you send them back for refinishing it is like getting new knives.

**cdf** · 07-07-2005, 08:00 PM

I use Wusthoff Trident , and have recently aquired some Kershaw Shuns , They are very nice , especially the Chineese cleaver . It's nice to find one in good steel . I like the Kershaw/Alton Brown short Santoku style with the angled handle .

**TOB9595** · 07-07-2005, 08:41 PM

I use a mix of stuff in the kitchen.
I prize my Filip Kitchen knife that is the large blu/blk G10 D2 steel. I also use the Spyderco Perrin.

Here's all of em
Bo Hankins Camp Knife. A real handful. Recently I bought 5 pound lobster from Shoprite and this sailed thru the shell. First time I used a head breaker on a knife. Blade edge was wonderful as a cleaver. Sucker's were tuff. Nothin else would break the shell

Victorinox cheese knife
Steel, hardly ever used....
Victorinox bread knife. Great on a whole homemade loaf of bread. The Amish make the bread not me

Filip's Kitchen Knife. Belgian Knifemaker of LOTSoTalent. D2 Blk/blu G10
Burgvogel Steak knife. Been with me for more than 20 years. The best set o steak/dinner knives.
Victorinox paring knife. ~$4 a great knife.

Filip's Kitchen knife retired my OOOOOOOld Herter's.
Sigh I miss the Herter's catalog and ALL the really cool stuff...

Tom

**Mr.LaBella** · 07-07-2005, 09:47 PM

how come ya never brought that kitchen knife to any meetings?

I would like to see it!

**TOB9595** · 07-07-2005, 10:42 PM

I have !!!
You need to make more meetings.

Don't let the things like LIFE get in the way
hahahahaha
Next time if you're gonna be there
Tom

**Mike Stewart** · 07-09-2005, 01:16 AM

Tom,

I would be very interested in seeing that knife too.

Mike............................

.

**wes** · 07-09-2005, 10:41 AM

Picked up some cheap Japanese knives at Winners. Turned out to be better than all the other knives I have bought before. Both came to about $20.00 CDN if I remember correctly. The santoku is used more than any of the others.

The other steal, pardon the pun, is the Chinese Cleaver from Lee Valley Tools.

This thing is amazing. It's big, sometimes too big, but takes a keen edge and will go through just about anything you put before it. Handy to pick up vegetables and to move things into the pan or pot. Very impressive for guests as well.

**Mike Stewart** · 07-09-2005, 10:51 AM

My Daughter-in-law is Vietnamese and I have cooked at thier house a number of times and used her chinese chopper. They do take an edge but I found that I didnt have the control I get with my chef's knives.

(Please excuse--I don't know all those santuki--guytuki ,sanisuzuki made up japanaese names for kitchen knives.)

This could totally be the fact that I'm used to an 8 inch Chef's knife for most everything and I'm just not used to her choppy thingy.

Mike..............................