kitchen cutlery...yeah it's a tool

[Downwindtracker 2]

French knives are what the great chefs use, but they are French, so that might explain it. Three Elephant or something like that. In older stainless, the stainless was an impurity and as such, the edge would crumble. The more expensive ones use better stainless now. Get Lenard Lee's book on sharpening from Lee Valley. They sell good knives, too.

 

[Parrothead]

I need some new kitchen knives. The only knife I own that's worth a hoot is from a company called Cutco...great knife but I got on their website and it almost looks like MLM of some sort. Anybody here had a good experience with a particular brand of knife?

Cutco is an excellent knife. My family (mom and brother) are what I’d call semi-professional chefs. They both have Cutco knives, though my brother prefers his Wusthof. He travels with his Wusthof if he’s going to be cooking.

Me? I use a KitchenAid set I received as a wedding gift. I cook food, I’m not a chef or anywhere close.

 

[M6erfan]

French knives are what the great chefs use, but they are French, so that might explain it. Three Elephant or something like that. In older stainless, the stainless was an impurity and as such, the edge would crumble. The more expensive ones use better stainless now. Get Lenard Lee's book on sharpening from Lee Valley. They sell good knives, too.

Your thinking of Sabatier

 

[LB-1911]

New guy w/ a join date of today bumps a thread from "11" 7 post in 7 minutes.

 

[ChrisLS8]

I have Freidr **** Elite, Tojiro, a couple Shun and a few Damascus knives I got from a local smith. I havey eye on a few more as well

 

[B_Bimmer]

New guy w/ a join date of today bumps a thread from "11" 7 post in 7 minutes.

Yeah, probably spam, still was a fun thread to read back through. I consider knives tools, and as such have way too many.

 

[LB-1911]

Yeah, probably spam, still was a fun thread to read back through. I consider knives tools, and as such have way too many.

You won't need this link then.
https://www.knifecenter.com/

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Cutco here. We had a couple that were getting dull and my wife somehow broke the tips off. Sent them away and received 2 new replacements. Great warranty

 

[exmaxima1]

Cutco here. We had a couple that were getting dull and my wife somehow broke the tips off. Sent them away and received 2 new replacements. Great warranty

I guess I’m a steel snob because I would never even consider buying a knife made from 440A steel——and that’s what Cutco uses. Lowest grade stainless available. Sure, they have great warranties but I’d rather use a knife that holds a sharp edge, that sharpens relatively easy, and doesn’t need a warranty in normal use.

Wusthof, Henkel, pretty much anything from Soligen (Germany) is vastly superior to Cutco. Even Chicago Cutlery uses better steel than 440A.

Tests confirm:

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/129/Chefs-Knives-Rated

 

[MikeinNorthWales]

We have a 10 pc Cutco set, plus 8 Cutco steak knives. That being said, I use, almost exclusively, my 7" Victorinox Santoku knife. I love it. Balanced, holds an edge, just easy to use.

I can't get the Cutco stuff to take an edge, let alone keep one. It feels like I'm trying to sharpen a piece of cold rolled steel. It sounds like the steel is balling up in the stone. But they will sharpen the knives for free, so I may take them up on it. There is an Oreck store near me that also sells Cutco. They do the sharpening in house. It may be my only hope to get an edge back on them.

The Lansky system is definitely for smaller knives, as someone said a few years ago...

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[mcj115]

I am a Cutco fan here...picked up a set from Costco and love them. We had a lower tier Henkel German steel Chinese made which were ****.

 

[seber]

My wife had a set of Cutco when we got married. Absolutely horrible knives. Very soft steel, miserable handle shape. They have been in a back drawer for 30 years. I also have Henckels, and some other German brands that get used only when the Chicago cutlery is all dirty. The German steel is far softer than The Chicago. One set is US made and the other is China. Both are great steel but I have rehandled the US set dut to the wood being damaged over the years of dishwasher abuse.

 

[4xdog]

Those in the Saint Louis area have a terrific resource for kitchen knives. Bertarelli Cutlery on the Hill has a good selection and offers in-house sharpening of any edged tool. Worth a stop.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Good steel takes time to sharpen, but stays sharp longer. In a skinning knife, hitting moose hair is the same as dragging the blade over concrete, frequent sharpening is a pain. But with a kitchen knife, easy sharpening, a few passes over a 1000grit waterstone, will earn you lots of brownie points.

 

[Ton ton]

I love going to a knife show. Yes, I have been to one.

 

[parks31]

I have multiple sets of Rada knives they are priced great and made in the USA. Highly recommend.

 

[exmaxima1]

I love going to a knife show. Yes, I have been to one.

Thanks for reminding me to check the dates of the Badger Knife Show in Janesville WI. Fairly small show, but still fun to see the custom knives:

http://discoverwisconsin.com/event/badger-knife-show-3/

 

[Ton ton]

The one I went to in Harrisonburg,VA was bigger than I expected.

 

[minke]

I got some Dexter Russel knives at a chandlery and have one Spyderco . The particular Spyderco knife has a somewhat uncomfortable handle but I like it anyway. I don’t use it for hours at a time. The Dexter Russel white plastic handles are comfortable and not slippery when wet.

Both varieties keep a good edge and aren’t a great deal of work to sharpen. I do use a steel frequently. In my old age I quit sharpening freehand and use the Spyderco sharpener.

( https://www.dexterrussellcutlery.com/ )
( https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/K04BK/Utility-Knife-6-5-quot-Polypropylene-Black/852 )
( http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=77 )

 

[Kurt4440]

I opened up the first page of this thread and saw Krusty the Clown and was immediately transported back a decade. Wow.
I have german knives that I keep hidden just for me and a set of Dexter Russel knives for anyone to use.

 

[visionguru]

I have sets of Henckles, Wusthof, Shun, Tajiro, Mac,...etc. which I bought more than 10 years ago. My main set is Henckles 4 star, good but not excellent. Right now, lots of knives from China/Taiwan definitely rivals anything German, in both quality and workmanship.

 

[MushCreek]

We have a set of Cutco that we bought from a kid trying to fund his education. I'm underwhelmed by them, and reach for my 10" Wusthoff most of the time. I'm adding specialty knives; I bought a meat slicing knife, and it's a revelation how well it glides through meat. Next up, I'm researching bread knives. Since I retired, I make all of our bread now, so a good bread knife is warranted.

 

[orangeblood]

Oh, noooo, I am a kitchen tool freak! Sounds familiar, I can't seem to get enough knives either!!! Knives are not unlike trends in the tool industry; things are going offshore like crazy to keep costs down and increase profits.
After tons of research and trying out different brands I have come down to a couple choices I like and use on a daily basis; plus, some brands thrown in for good measure! .....

^ what he said 10x, especially comments about Wustohf

 

[Jeffh40]

Pretty much all J.A. Henkles Pro in my house. A handful of our knives are older than the Pro designs but that means they predate the International label as well.

1 Wustoff paring knife and 1 Rhineland utility knife as well. They hold edges just as well as the Henkles so no complaints on those purchases.

I'll give Rhineland some credit, they make beautiful handles.

 

[outlawz2004]

We have Wusthof's. Really nice set.

 

[ezridr60]

Wusthof. Ain’t cheap though. Bought a set about 15 years ago, $750 for 6 steak knives, and 9 assorted kitchen knives, wood block, steel, and scissors. First set the handles began to develop cracks, we never had them in the dishwasher, Wusthof replaced the entire set, no questions. Believe they were having a manufacturing issue at the time, lotsa internet complaints about the cracking. No problems since.

 

[Ton ton]

Wusthof sounds nice. I may have to check them out.

 

[Retroman]

North Arm, Small Canadian knife maker.

 

[PatY]

I have sets of Henckles, Wusthof, Shun, Tajiro, Mac,...etc. which I bought more than 10 years ago. My main set is Henckles 4 star, good but not excellent. Right now, lots of knives from China/Taiwan definitely rivals anything German, in both quality and workmanship.

What is your opinion on the German vs Japanese knives?

 

[electroman187]

I have a Wusthof set that was given as a wedding gift over 13 years ago. They are very nice, durable knives. We are not super careful with them - they go in the sink and in the dishwasher. They take an edge really nicely and holds up well. Any time I use a different set from another household, I am disappointed. I am stringy with money, but these are worth their cost and worthy of their reputation.

 

[exmaxima1]

I have sets of Henckles, Wusthof, Shun, Tajiro, Mac,...etc. which I bought more than 10 years ago. My main set is Henckles 4 star, good but not excellent. Right now, lots of knives from China/Taiwan definitely rivals anything German, in both quality and workmanship.

If I didn't enjoy buying singles so much, I would consider a Chinese-made set such as the Cangshan sold by Costco and Amazon. Excellent reviews, and Costco is pretty good at warranty issues: just bring them back to the store for replacement. This is a decent set for most every kitchen chore:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BUMTVWE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Jeffh40]

Wusthof. Ain’t cheap though. Bought a set about 15 years ago, $750 for 6 steak knives, and 9 assorted kitchen knives, wood block, steel, and scissors. First set the handles began to develop cracks, we never had them in the dishwasher, Wusthof replaced the entire set, no questions. Believe they were having a manufacturing issue at the time, lotsa internet complaints about the cracking. No problems since.

I had 2 Henkles knives develop cracks in the handles. Sent them an email with photos and they sent me new knives no questions asked once I sent them back the old ones.

German knife manufacturers are no joke about the lifetime warranty.

 

[exmaxima1]

I had 2 Henkles knives develop cracks in the handles. Sent them an email with photos and they sent me new knives no questions asked once I sent them back the old ones.

German knife manufacturers are no joke about the lifetime warranty.

Did you need RECEIPT?

 

[tonyciambrone]

I guess I’m a steel snob because I would never even consider buying a knife made from 440A steel——and that’s what Cutco uses.

Yea Cutco is not even a midgrade knife. People are just razzle-dazzled by a sharp knife in general, since the norm is to use a knife for 15 years or so without so much and honing it.

I can make basically any knife sharp enough to shave with easily. How well it retains that sharpness, how easy it is to sharp, the stiffness, the durability to cracking and chipping, the ease of cleaning- these are factors that matter.

I have a couple Costco made in Brazil beater knives I let anyone use, and I have three Japanese knives from chefsknivestogo that I use. 240MM Gyuoto- Blue #2, 270MM sujihiki Aogami Super, and an SLD 165mm Nakiri.

I keep all my knives sharp so anyone is happy to use whatever they pull out of the drawer. I don't like the thick profiles and softer steel of German knives so I don't own any. I would consider a cleaver in the 52-58 rockwell range but not much else.

 

[visionguru]

What is your opinion on the German vs Japanese knives?

Generally speaking, German knives are beefier, especially the handle, the blades are thicker too. Japanese knives are lighter, thinner, and way sharper, more suitable for cutting tasks require precision (for example, Sushi). German knives are more robust, probably ok bang around a bit or to put in a dishwasher, which is a no-no for Japanese knives.

In terms of workmanship, Japanese knives can be works of art, German knives are more utilitarian. Somehow, Japanese knives of the same brand are consistent in quality, German knives usually have several levels of quality within 1 brand, probably because there are many small Japanese brands, but only a few German brands.

German vs Japanese feels like McDonalds vs Gourmet restaurants.

German knives are more practical in western kitchen.

For example, this Henckels Twin 4 Star II is one of my favorite daily knives. Notice the handle shape, the end cap, the thicker part at the end of the blade to protect hand from blade, very thoughtful. Japanese knives often don't consider protecting hands and they are scary sharp.

 

[PatY]

Visionguru..thank you. The Japanese knives fascinate me but the German knives will probably serve me better for what my needs are.

 

[limpy88]

old thread, but I throw my new guy 2 cents in here too. been a knife nut for years and have been down to blade show and know custom maker and manufacturing reps. I have chigao cutley(wife had before met), western, Cutco, wustoff, "double man" henckels, and Shuns. love my shuns. For the money you can pick up them on sale for good prices. I have the shun "premier" line. if I had the money I would get the Shun "Fuji" line.

global are good knives too and a lot of pro chefs use the at the restaurant as well as wustoff, henckels, shun classic line. but not at home. they are knives the hold up but not the prettiest.

if I had unlimted funds I would a complete set Takeda Hamono. But the do require a lot of regular maintaining and care. he sets up a blade show every year and I have to stand back from his table and contain my drool. they are so light and balanced. most amazing knives I have held by any maker

takedahamono.com/english/index.html
chefknivestogo.com/takeda-knives.html

 

[seber]

old thread, but I throw my new guy 2 cents in here too. been a knife nut for years and have been down to blade show and know custom maker and manufacturing reps. I have chigao cutley(wife had before met), western, Cutco, wustoff, "double man" henckels, and Shuns. love my shuns. For the money you can pick up them on sale for good prices. I have the shun "premier" line. if I had the money I would get the Shun "Fuji" line.

global are good knives too and a lot of pro chefs use the at the restaurant as well as wustoff, henckels, shun classic line. but not at home. they are knives the hold up but not the prettiest.

if I had unlimted funds I would a complete set Takeda Hamono. But the do require a lot of regular maintaining and care. he sets up a blade show every year and I have to stand back from his table and contain my drool. they are so light and balanced. most amazing knives I have held by any maker

takedahamono.com/english/index.html
chefknivestogo.com/takeda-knives.html

I looked at those knives. Everyone has preferences but for me I want a bolster on any knife. I don't want to have to slow down because the knifemaker did not take the time to add a part. I also never want a round handle. That makes control more difficult. add the two together and someone is going to get cut.

 

[limpy88]

I looked at those knives. Everyone has preferences but for me I want a bolster on any knife. I don't want to have to slow down because the knifemaker did not take the time to add a part. I also never want a round handle. That makes control more difficult. add the two together and someone is going to get cut.

the traditional japanese style has been around a long time.
and with good knife grip bolsters don't matter to any hand size or shape

herobotchef.com/2014/07/when-one-knife-grip-style-just-doesnt-cut-it/

I never us regular/hammer grip.

and as far a handle shape that is different for every person. my shun preimers have a oval with a swollen belly handle. they are great. I have xl to xxl hands depends of the brand of glove. but I also like octogon shape handles to