# Best Kitchen Knives?



## Hallis (Feb 15, 2007)

I've seen a lot of info about different kinds of knives on here but despite searching haven't found a great deal on good kitchen knives. I want to get rid of the old crap wal-mart cheapies that we've been using for years and step up to some GOOD knives. I've looked at various JA Henckles sets, Kitchen Aid, and a few others. I dont mind dropping a few bills on a good set. I want those blisteringly sharp, stable, cut your finger off without even feeling it, knives. 

Anybody have any suggestions? I'm looking for a full set with block, ~9 or so knives. I dont really need a cleaver. But definately a good chef's knife, pearing knife, etc. So far i'm leaning towards Henckles

Shane


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## Arcoholic (Feb 15, 2007)

Well where to start

Stamped knives of good quality:
Victorinox has a good line and the steel is reasonably soft to make sharpening a snap.
Henckel has a good line of stamped knives as well ( yellow handle )

Forged knives
Any Solingen company ( Henckel etc.) make very good knives but sharpening is not so easy and the heel becomes an issue over prolonged sharpening.

There is also very good companies like Misono, William Henry etc

it really depends on how much dough you want to spend. I have spent thousands of dollars over the years for my operations and i must say every knive has its pros and cons.


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## Hallis (Feb 15, 2007)

i dont mind shelling out $200-$300 or so. I was thinking of the Henckles four or five star knives as the 9 piece sets fall in my price range. 

Shane


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## schill (Feb 15, 2007)

From my very limited experience with (good) kitchen knives, I really like the Forschner (Victorinox) Fibrox handle knives. When I was looking for "better than discount store" knives, I did a fair amount of research and kept finding good reviews of the Forschner. The fibrox handles are plastic, but I find them to be very comfortable - and you don't have to worry about taking care of wood handles.

They got good reviews from Cooks Illustrated.

I have not needed to sharpen my knives yet so I can't comment on that.

I did not buy a full set of knives which would have had knives I did not need. I bought 8" and 6" chef's knives that I'm very happy with. I also got a couple paring knives of differing lengths. I find I use the 6" chef's knife the most but really like the 8" too. I used to be more of a fan of paring knives for a lot of small tasks but the 6" has taken over.

I store the knives in a drawer rather than in a block. I use Lamsonsharp knife safes for the blades that will fit (the 6" chef won't without some modification to the knife safe).


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## RA40 (Feb 15, 2007)

We've been liking the Shun line from Kershaw.
http://www.kershawknives.com/searchresults.php?search_by=category&search_value=22

http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=249

It performs better than any of the German made knives I've had in the past from Henckles, Wusthof... Overall construction and craftsmanship is excellent. IMO.


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## Grubbster (Feb 15, 2007)

Check out these. They are VG-10 core damascus blades with corian handles. Very nice for the price.


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## Lobo (Feb 15, 2007)

I was also wondering this!
A bit of threadjacking here, but what would you guys say is the Spyderco Byrd(absolutely the best bang for the bucks) equivalent for kitchen knives?


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## kanarie (Feb 15, 2007)

I find most of the Sabertier and Twillingen knives pretty bad (except the $100 + a piece versions, maybe) I like sure like Gobal and the expensive series of Ikea is pretty good!!


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## Manzerick (Feb 15, 2007)

I like Cutco but admit I do not know verymuch on knifes. I'm starting to get the bug and hopfully will learn soon


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## CLHC (Feb 15, 2007)

WÜSTHOF and/or Murray Carter (M.S.)


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## iamerror (Feb 15, 2007)

While I do not have a lot of experience using kitchen knives, I have read a good deal about them on the internet and recently bought some for myself. 

Victorinox/Forschner knives are highly regarded and should offer great value, great "bang for the buck". The fibrox handled versions should be good at avoiding bacteria compared to other knives.

You can also look into Global knives, which are more expensive, though. These are Japanese, lightweight steel-handled knives. (Not the type of knife for you if you like heft)


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## gunga (Feb 15, 2007)

It's been said here before, but I've found some great brands I use:

Henckels, Wusthof, Sabatier. Heard Global is great too.

If you can, go to the store and try them out. Each knife has a different feel. I like the rocker better in the Wusthof and went with that instead of Henckels.

I only end up needing a few knives, you sure you need 9?

Chef's, paring, utility, bread.

Depends on what you need them for, of course.


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## RIDE (Feb 15, 2007)

Most people don't need a full set...rather 3 or 4 knives that will serve most of your needs.

I agree with the WUSTHOFF suggestion and have always enjoyed my Globals. They will price out more than a set of Henckles (for 4 high quality blades)...but again, you won't need 9 different knives either.

Good luck!

RIDE


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## cy (Feb 15, 2007)

some of the best kitchen knives I've ever used are the plainest. 
old ontario hammer forged kitchen knives are da bomb! best of all found em at the flea market for under $6 ea. 

and yes I've got several german & japanese knives including hinkel. my fav big knife is an old Gerber kitchen knife.


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## bwaites (Feb 15, 2007)

gunga and I must be distant relatives.

I tried most of these, (I missed the Shun's, though, dangit!) before I settled on the Wusthof Tridents. I bought the best the store had 5 years ago, and I've been very happy. 

I, too, like the rocker on the Wusthof's much better than the Henckels, which is what I was planning on buying before a very knowledgeable sales lady showed me the difference. (She had both, so it didn't matter which I bought.)

You can spend more, and SOME of the Sabatier knives are well made, but not all, and being able to tell the difference is critical. I spent a lot of time researching them, and actually have couple individual knives that I like, but couldn't find a set I like as much as the Wusthofs. 

Most of those mentioned here are decent knives, and it does come down to what fits your hand and what you like!

Good luck!!!

Bill


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## karlthev (Feb 15, 2007)

I use Wusthof but, there are many other brands as good I feel. Your don't need nine knives though--chef's, paring, filet and maybe a serrated bread knife will accomplish 99% of your needs. Spend a few bucks on a sharpening steel for honing though and, learn to sharpen whatever you buy. You can spend a small fortune but without keeping them sharp, you might as well buy junk to throw away.


Karl


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## cdosrun (Feb 15, 2007)

Hi,

I'll add my own opinion for your consideration.

I have some cheaper forged knives from a local department store (Debenhams), Global, one Wusthof and one Victorinox.

The cheaper knives were not too bad at all, they don't hold an edge anywhere near as well as the decent ones, but for the money, I can't really complain. The Victorinox has a very nice, sharp blade but it isn't anywhere near balanced with that light handle.

The Globals are very nice. I have a forged 27cm forged chefs knife (GF-34), 18cm vegetable knife (G-5, 13cm chefs (GS-3), Deba etc. and a few smaller ones. They all hold a razor sharp edge really well and I find them superbly balanced in my hands (medium sized) if I hold them with the pinch grip.

I only have one Wusthof (a flexible filleting knife) and again, it is very well made and holds an edge well.

I wouldn't have any hesitation in recommending either of the above makes. What I would suggest considering though is how you are going to maintain them. I have 1000 and 5000 grit ceramic whetstones and only use the latter on the Global and Wusthof. They don't need much maintenance, but a touch up every now and again keeps the edges keen. I sharpen freehand and find the edges of the Global easier to keep at the correct angle. The maintenance of good knives should be factored into your purchase and sharpening knives IMHO is a skill that most should learn (I'm certainly not perfect at it!).

From my own experience, I would agree with the other suggestions and plan to buy fewer knives. The one I use the most is vegetable knife, it is great for chopping and julienning vegetables, secondly would be the 13cm cooks knife, it isn't very large but is perfect for most uses, like chopping up meat. The large knife is great for cutting big vegetables (squash, swede etc..) but often too large (too long for the chopping board for example). I wouldn't have thought you need many more for most uses unless you cook professionally.

Perhaps the best advice would be to go and actually handle some of these knives in a shop. Pick one up, hold it in the normal grip you would use for chopping, slicing etc and see how it feels in our hands (and in anyone else's who may be using them). Most of the makes listed above by everyone else would be reasonable but as with anything, if you don't like using them, you will go back to the old ones and that defeats the object.

As I said, only my personal opinion, but it may help you make a decision.

Andrew


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## ksonger (Feb 15, 2007)

Take a look at the Furi Coppertail Pro's. I have several thousand dollars worth of custom david boye dendritic steel knives that are just fabulous cutters but have wood handles so i have to be carefull with them. I picked up one of the larger chef furi's and really enjoy cutting with it and not worrying about it. Plust they are pretty inexpensive on ebay. rachel ray sponsers a version with orange silicone handles that are very popular but i prefer the all stainless.

ken


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## wmirag (Feb 15, 2007)

We've had a fair number of "traditional" good knives, so I was skeptical when the Mrs. bought a "Furi Gusto Grip". But this knife takes an edge with just a steel, holds it a long time, is light and ergonomic, is thin, and the scalloped blade really DOES make cutting easier.

If I needed a set of knives, I'd get these, hands down.

I dunno anything about this retailer... it was the first one I found in Google...
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=9985

W.


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## Hallis (Feb 15, 2007)

I am going to see if i can find a good knife store. There used to be one in the mall a few years ago but they arent there anymore.


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## CLHC (Feb 15, 2007)

Try checking out Williams & Sonoma or a Crate & Barrel store for kitchen cutlery if they're in your local shopping mall.

Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!


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## chmsam (Feb 15, 2007)

My two cents worth: I have Wusthof, too. If you look at the number of posts here that mention them, that should tell you something. I use knives at my job for most of the day. My personal kitchen knives are Wusthof. That should tell you something, too.

They are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but you do get what you pay for with some things in life. That said, I would probably not buy them at a mall store, but after looking at them in an overpriced store, I'd search the 'Net for a good price.

This is a bit off topic, and forgive me if you already know this but other readers might not -- never put a good knife in the dishwasher. They are meant for washing by hand. Also, even with most stainless knives if you use them for cutting citrus, wash them immediately to avoid potential stains. Sharpen them as you would any fine knife, but do not use regular honing oil or any other petroleum based products. Food grade mineral oil or another food grade honing oil are available if you do a little looking and are much healthier choices.

Hope this helps.


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## gunga (Feb 15, 2007)

Oh yeah, as per the above posts, make sure you budget for sharpening gear.

I use a steel for honing/maintaining the knives, brand doesn't matter, I just got a Henckels because I like the handle.

I also use a DMT diamond stone (extra fine, green base). It works very well for sharpening, but is slow if you let your knives get too dull (horrors!). 

It's nice, uses water for lube (no oil needed) and works well. Costly tho (was $65 Cdn for me).

I store them in a drawer block. It's not bad, and saves space. Others use a block or a magnetic rod. Don't let knives bang around in a drawer.

Always wash and dry by hand. Always use a cutting board.

In any case, take care of your knives and they will last forever.

Then it's not so bad buying the costly ones!


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## Hallis (Feb 15, 2007)

I did already know not to put them in the dish washer  

I'll definately look into the Wusthof. 

Shane


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## springnr (Feb 15, 2007)

Mac Knife


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## BigBoy (Feb 15, 2007)

I like the "Pro-S". The brand is from Soligen Germany - but I can't remember if it's Henckels or Wustoff.


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## bwaites (Feb 16, 2007)

Pro-S is Henckel, nice knives, I just prefer the Wusthof shape.

Bill


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## AluminumOvercast (Feb 16, 2007)

Check out Global (forged versions). They are my favorite.


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## schill (Feb 16, 2007)

wmirag said:


> I dunno anything about this retailer... it was the first one I found in Google...
> http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=9985


I bought my Forschner knives from www.cutleryandmore.com. Good service and quick delivery. I've only purchased from them 2 or 3 times, but I don't have any problem recommending them based on my experiences.


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## GadgetTravel (Feb 16, 2007)

We have had both Wusthoff Trident and Henckels 5 star. Some of these we have had for 20 or so years and we have been extremely happy with both. I think checking them out in person and getting the one that you like the feel of best is the way to go. I dont think you can go wrong with either Wusthoff or Henckels.


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## CLHC (Feb 16, 2007)

My brother is a chef up in Washington state and he uses and recommends the WÜSTHOF knives.

Then again, what the others said about "feeling" out the knives first.


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## tenfour (Feb 16, 2007)

i second the vote for Shun.

I have used wustoff, henkels, and shun (and cheapies too)... shun are my favorite. they just feel awesome, stay sharp forever, look nice... they are a bit expensive though.


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## MoonRise (Feb 16, 2007)

Buy good stuff once and take care of it. It costs less in time, money, and frustration than buying lesser quality stuff.

That said, most kitchen knifes are made of a relatively soft steel and/or not highly hardened in order to handle 'ease of resharpening' (softer sharpens easier but dulls faster) and to handle kitchen abuse. The buzz-words "High Carbon Stainless Steel" or "Stainless Cutlery Steel" are marginally better than "made of metal" IMNSHO.

From what I've seen, many of the stainless kitchen blades are made of 420-class stainless steel and on the relatively soft side. Then again, I think I have gotten to the point where I think steel softer than Rc-60 is soft. Generally, I am not overly impressed with 420-class stainless with only a few exceptions.

I would recommend going and handling some good name-brand knifes first and see what feels good to you and seems to generally fit your hands. Different brands and handles all feel and fit differently to your hands.

Wusthof and Henckels are two higher-end brands with good-decent reputations. I would suggest going for a forged blade instead of a stamped blade, either CAN make a decent knife but usually manufacturers seem to make their stamped knifes at an overall lower price and quality point.

Don't even think of buying 'never-needs-sharpening' saw-edged knives. The only time a saw-edged or serrated knife is good is for only certain cutting operations, like a serrated bread knife IS the proper tool for the task.

You can get by with only a few knives, and you will most likely develop a certain favorite or so, but what you NEED are as follows:

- paring knife or two
- chef's knife or three
- serrated bread knife

You can add:

- boning/fillet knife or two
- slicer (the right tool for big roasts)
- cleaver if you need it

Note that an asian-style cleaver is slightly different in design and use than a western-style cleaver.

Kitchen shears -are- handy as well.

If you or the SO are into 'matching,' then maybe look into a set with the matching steak knives. You'll probably pay more for the 'matching set' than going ala carte, but sometimes it just comes down to that aesthetic.

The Shun and Ken Onion Kershaw blades look and seem decent, I haven't bought or used any though. At least the blade steel seems to be at least a little step above normal stamped 420. The Rachel Ray, KitchenAid, Emeril, etc are or were all in the 420-class steel and/or stamped and I wasn't impressed the last time I looked.


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## Hallis (Feb 16, 2007)

Trust me, I'll never buy a knife with such a hideously orange handle. so the Rachael Ray stuff is out for sure. lol

Shane


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## Uncle Alvah (Feb 16, 2007)

I'm with Cy.
Ontarios "Old Hickory" knives are unbeatable value. Zero snob appeal, but practicality re-defined.


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## ksonger (Feb 16, 2007)

well the furi FX also comes with stainless handles and until you handle it/cut with it, look at the specs you can not describe the good feel. I have had kitchen knives from most all of the aforementioned makers and many that were not. some i still use, some i gave away and some are in the drawer but the one that i reach for is still the furi FX. Do an internet search on kitchen knife reviews or furi fx and see what you find. THis is a durable, sharp, very comfortable knife not to be just written off as some hohum stamped knife. BTW, at least according to their website they are forged. Perhaps you could share the source of the grade of steel they are made of with us? 

Do yourself a favor and visit some knife stores and hold all these knives, see what they feel like.


**note, i just looked at the kershaw shun knives and they look sweet if you are up to paying the money.

I guess the real story here is that there are a LOT of good knives on the market, you might want to waltz over to bladeforums and search some of the threads there, this is a popular topic and real life chefs and masterbladesmiths frequent the forum.

ken


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## hurld (Feb 16, 2007)

Cutco (Double D edge)


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## smokinbasser (Feb 16, 2007)

I have been using my ontario old hickory knives for over 30 years and the only upgrade I would make is one ceramic paring knife. I have a henckles steel for straightening the edge and both diamond and arkansas sharpening tools. I do have one thin serrated stainless steel "miracle" edge knife for cutting frozen food, but mostly for cutting patties from sausage rolls, the serrations cut through the plastic package faster than a sharp plain edge will.


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## cy (Feb 17, 2007)

after the deer is hanging and it's time to process a deer. 
what comes out for is my old ontario hammer forged kitchen knives!

talk about performance, all go and no show.


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## sgtgeo (Feb 17, 2007)

RA40 said:


> We've been liking the Shun line from Kershaw.
> http://www.kershawknives.com/searchresults.php?search_by=category&search_value=22
> 
> http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=249
> ...




+1 I have a Shun Wide Santuko and i love it.

also have a mix of global and henkels

My dad has had a Cutco serrated carver for my whole life still going strong


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## J_Oei (Feb 17, 2007)

Had a set of Henckels that worked fine but kept having dinged edges. Couldn't figure it out until I found that *someone* had been putting them into the dishwasher. All that banging around would put little microdents in the edge that a steel would not bring out.
So, after having sharpened them a bunch of times, (it did take me a while to figure it out, my wife always said I was slow) I ended up getting a set of Shuns.
Solved the washing problem as I liked the knives so much, I would wash them after I used them, so now they never see the dishwasher. The Henckels I used to leave out for the wife to clean. (I cook, she cleans up, and obviously destroys knives...)


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## Sable (Feb 17, 2007)

I have a 16-piece set of the Wustof knives. They are beyond excellent - I highly recommend them.


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## john willis (Feb 17, 2007)

I looked for years before deciding on wustof.


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## waynejitsu (Feb 17, 2007)

I did not see anyone recommend Remmington.
I guess because they are no longer made...
I had a set of Wustof that I gave to my mother when I picked up the Remmingtons.
The Wustof handles felt more comfortable, the Remmington Steel kept a better edge.

I also bought my mother a set of the higher end Tramontina which is a "best buy" for the quality and price.


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## loveit (Feb 18, 2007)

We have had a set of Henkel four star knives for nine years now. They are still very sharp and are excellent knives. I would buy them again today, but I would also look at Wusthof-- both are wonderful!


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## farscape105 (Feb 18, 2007)

I just bought my first real quality kitchen knife, a Global Chef knife from William Sonoma and I LOVE it. Also have a Sabatier paring knife my parents had and it keep nice sharp edge. 

Now, I have some sharpening questions for those that have japanese knives, since they have a sharper degree than European knives. What is best way to sharpen them? I thought of buying Mino sharpener which is at right angle for japanese knives, but have read varying opinions on them. I am thinking of getting whetstone with 1000 grit on one side and 4000 on other. But afraid of using stone since new to that and heard that can take some skill. I guess when you pull back on stone you have to pull in an arc vs. straight back since blade curves up at point. Also, I have a grooved steel, but read best to use a smooth ceramic steel, do you guys steel regularyly? Thanks


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## CLHC (Feb 18, 2007)

Other cutlery sets can be had from Kyocera, Victorinox, and if still available—Saladmaster. The later we have had for well over 30+ years.


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## DieselDave (Feb 22, 2007)

I have a set of Henkels and a couple of Wustof knives and they are far better than what I need. A buddy is coming by to show me a set of the Shun Ken Onion knives. I'm sure he wants more for them than what I can afford but they look cool in the photos I saw. He probably saw how much they cost and decided he would rather have the cash.

I saw a kyocera ceramic sashimi knive on line today that was on sale for $719 AND sold out. That blows me away.


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## CANDLE (Feb 24, 2007)

One of the characteristics to look for is the steel. VG-10 is probably the best hardened to rc 60 to 62. Also, it takes a great edge. BG-42, ATS-34, 154-CM are similar, but perhaps a slight notch below. AUS-8 and 440C are easier to find and so close to the above you probably won't notice that you have to sharpen them a little more often. 440C is very often used in commercial knives and performs very well. ZDP189 is the hardest at rc 64 or higher and will hold an edge better, but is perhaps not as tough as some of the other steels. It is often laminated. Try AGRussell.com


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## robinhood4x4 (Feb 24, 2007)

Anybody see the new damascus "japanese" style knives Costco is selling? Anybody try it yet?


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## Rudi (Mar 3, 2007)

Not all knives fit all hands!
Go to a store that carries several good brands, and handle them. And if a knife fits your hand well, don't assume that a larger or smaller knife of the same set will also fit you. My kitchen knives are all of different brands.


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## radiopej (Apr 14, 2015)

A place nearby in Sydney lets you pick custom knives forged in Japan. You pick the handle, blade type and some other stylistic decisions.

I'm planning on getting a couple eventually. 

I currently really like the Mcusta Zenmai series too.

The important thing is to get the right knife for your use. Don't buy a set - you'll get a bunch if knives you won't use. You basically need 3 knives - equivalent to a chef's knife, a utility knife and a paring knife. Perhaps a bread knife too, but that doesn't need to be expensive. Make sure it's comfortable to hold.


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## mercurialpissings (May 4, 2015)

Try ceramic knives. Crazy sharp. I own and highly recommend the Kyocera Ceramic Santoku knives. I have a couple for a few months now and they're as sharp as the first day used. That's the awesome thing about ceramic. They're lighter than you're usual steel knives though so they're best for peeling and paring soft items like veggies and fruits.


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## Alaric Darconville (May 13, 2015)

My partner was dubious about my selecting a Henckels chef knife and 8" santoku-- but they were at a store closing sale so I got both for under $100.

After she used them, she swore to NEVER buy a cheap knife again, and concedes that the full price for these knives would have been fair. They're a dream to use! 

The knife that gets used more is the santoku, and I only sometimes have to try to touch up the edge. Sometimes, I use a steel on it, other times I give it a quick few strokes on the bottom of a coffee mug (with running water going), and it's back to slicing tomatoes to near tissue paper thickness. Hand wash only! The heating/cooling of the wash cycle, the chemicals, and the rattling around are bad for knives.


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## P_A_S_1 (May 13, 2015)

I started a thread in the Knife Forum in regards to kitchen knives and experiences with them. I use Henckles too and 'steel' them on a hard piece of leather to refresh the blade when needed, and it's needed often I find. However they are easy to keep sharp. I think for the price you paid they're worth it but when paying close to retail you have other options.


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## EddyP (May 14, 2015)

Grubbster said:


> Check out these. They are VG-10 core damascus blades with corian handles. Very nice for the price.



Agree with him. Beautiful knifes, especially for the price


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## MrJino (May 21, 2015)

Don't buy sets or block sets! You will end up only using 1 or 2 anyways.

Get a quality chef and pairing knife, maybe a bread knife if you cut hard breads.

Wustof and Henkel are very good brands, I've used them at home before.

Personally I have the higher end japanese knives, for my job as a chef.
They outperform German made knives, but cost a pretty penny.
My chef knife (or gyuto) was $440, but is a dream to use.

Someone mentioned misono, a very good japanese brand that caters to American chef with western handles, where as my handles are traditional wood handles with octagon grip.
You could easily find a misono in your budget and still have fantastic steel and geometry.


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