Kitchen Knives (1 Viewer)

[Marmalade]

My wife has done the most miserable thing imagineable...invited a knife salesman over during Sunday football. I am guessing the knives are going to run around 50 plus per knife. My question is what is a good brand/price for kitchen/eating knives? Where is a good place to buy said cutlery? Thanks for your help.

 

[avoiding injuries]

Hopefully it's a Cutco rep. Buy them.

 

[-jb-]

Shun is the height of awesome in a home knife.

Bang for your buck, you can roll with Anolon.

 

[Marmalade]

What makes the knives any different? Do they use different steel? Hold the sharpness longer? I just don't get the price difference...250 for a set up to 4000 dollars.

I appreciate the help.

 

[-jb-]

What makes the knives any different? Do they use different steel? Hold the sharpness longer? I just don't get the price difference...250 for a set up to 4000 dollars. I appreciate the help.

Yes, and yes. The type of steel, as well as the technique used in creating the knife, determines how sharp a blade can be made, how long it can remain sharp, and subsequently how long the knife will live (every time you sharpen it, it takes some life away). that said, either of the knives listed above, if properly taken care of, will last a very, very long time.

 

[-jb-]

PS - two things I really lik about the Anolon set, not related to the blade itself - rubberized handle, bamboo block. haven't seen either of these in other decent sets.

 

[littletank]

Chicago Cutlery has some pretty good knives for good price.

 

[Tony Jabroni]

Chicago Cutlery has some pretty good knives for good price.

Got a set for Christmas, they are very durable. The set also comes with some nice kitchen utensils too, pasta spoon, (don't know what else you would call it) spatula, etc.

 

[squidrope]

I have Henkels. Very happy withn them.

 

[TheFanatic]

Couple of things, never buy a set. You don't need all those knives. I have 5 Shuns. I don't need anymore. Don't spend the extra cash. Also don't buy a wooden block. That wood dulls the blade every time you slide a knife into it. Buy a magnetic strip. Doesn't dull the knives and is much higher on the cool factor. Also, I loved my chicago cutlery knives when I had them. Then I got the shuns and have no idea how much beter a knife could be. Sort of the difference between a point and shoot cam and a DSLR. Both do the job. But one does it so much better.

Those with the CC knives, enjoy them and never buy a Shun or a good Henckels or Wustoff because you will dump those CC's in a New York minute....

 

[zander_s]

Couple of things, never buy a set. You don't need all those knives. I have 5 Shuns. I don't need anymore. Don't spend the extra cash. Also don't buy a wooden block. That wood dulls the blade every time you slide a knife into it. Buy a magnetic strip. Doesn't dull the knives and is much higher on the cool factor. Also, I loved my chicago cutlery knives when I had them. Then I got the shuns and have no idea how much beter a knife could be. Sort of the difference between a point and shoot cam and a DSLR. Both do the job. But one does it so much better.

Those with the CC knives, enjoy them and never buy a Shun or a good Henckels or Wustoff because you will dump those CC's in a New York minute....

A few GOOD knives is way better than 12 cheap knives!!

 

[The Z Machine]

Shuns have GREAT balance in the hand. Very well designed knives.

 

[Flying V]

I've seen the demo for Cutco knives, and they are very impressive. And you don't have to buy an entire set, either. But there is no way I'm ever paying that much for a knife that my wife will mangle in the garbage disposal or my kid will use as a chisel in the garage. I'll just keep replacing my cheap knives and keep the better ones hidden for use when nobody else is home.

 

[Sarnoff]

Go into any high-end restaurant and the chef will be preparing all his hundred-dollar-plus meals with a $10 Dexter-Russel 8-inch chef's knife.

 

[-jb-]

Go into any high-end restaurant and the chef will be preparing all his hundred-dollar-plus meals with a $10 Dexter-Russel 8-inch chef's knife.

Most of my chef buddies use Global, but I'm sure there are DR's all over the place. Home knives are a luxury item, not a utility. Same thing with cookware. Take a look at how beat up the pots and pans are in restaurant kitchens. It's a high use, high abuse environment.

 

[The Z Machine]

Go into any high-end restaurant and the chef will be preparing all his hundred-dollar-plus meals with a $10 Dexter-Russel 8-inch chef's knife.

Yes, this is true. The plastic, white handled chef's knife that you can find at a restaurant supply store will serve that purpose well. Those knives are meant to be more or less disposable. They are meant for industrial use. A home knife is one that is meant to last for decades, hold an edge longer than an industrial knife, and look nice. If you're down with having more or less disposable knives you replace once a year or once every two years that look cheap and don't have as nice a feel as a good quality knife, then go ahead and use those. They'll serve your purpose just fine.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Go into any high-end restaurant and the chef will be preparing all his hundred-dollar-plus meals with a $10 Dexter-Russel 8-inch chef's knife.

Yes, this is true. The plastic, white handled chef's knife that you can find at a restaurant supply store will serve that purpose well. Those knives are meant to be more or less disposable. They are meant for industrial use. A home knife is one that is meant to last for decades, hold an edge longer than an industrial knife, and look nice. If you're down with having more or less disposable knives you replace once a year or once every two years that look cheap and don't have as nice a feel as a good quality knife, then go ahead and use those. They'll serve your purpose just fine.

I've got the $$$ Shuns and I find I like the white handled chef knives I can get at Sam's Club just as well. The megabuck luxury knife market in my opinion is a scam for the most part. Sure, the quality is excellent. But they're highly over rated. As you said, you usually don't see them used by real chefs in great kitchens. But they've been marketed extremely well to yuppies that fancy themselves as foodies who have more money than cooking skill. to the marketers though. They're kicking butt.J

 

[ArcticEdge]

Go into any high-end restaurant and the chef will be preparing all his hundred-dollar-plus meals with a $10 Dexter-Russel 8-inch chef's knife.

Yes, this is true. The plastic, white handled chef's knife that you can find at a restaurant supply store will serve that purpose well. Those knives are meant to be more or less disposable. They are meant for industrial use. A home knife is one that is meant to last for decades, hold an edge longer than an industrial knife, and look nice. If you're down with having more or less disposable knives you replace once a year or once every two years that look cheap and don't have as nice a feel as a good quality knife, then go ahead and use those. They'll serve your purpose just fine.

I've got the $$$ Shuns and I find I like the white handled chef knives I can get at Sam's Club just as well. The megabuck luxury knife market in my opinion is a scam for the most part. Sure, the quality is excellent. But they're highly over rated. As you said, you usually don't see them used by real chefs in great kitchens. But they've been marketed extremely well to yuppies that fancy themselves as foodies who have more money than cooking skill. to the marketers though. They're kicking butt.J

What's wrong with you?AE

 

[the hairy scotsman]

Go into any high-end restaurant and the chef will be preparing all his hundred-dollar-plus meals with a $10 Dexter-Russel 8-inch chef's knife.

Yes, this is true. The plastic, white handled chef's knife that you can find at a restaurant supply store will serve that purpose well. Those knives are meant to be more or less disposable. They are meant for industrial use. A home knife is one that is meant to last for decades, hold an edge longer than an industrial knife, and look nice. If you're down with having more or less disposable knives you replace once a year or once every two years that look cheap and don't have as nice a feel as a good quality knife, then go ahead and use those. They'll serve your purpose just fine.

I've got the $$$ Shuns and I find I like the white handled chef knives I can get at Sam's Club just as well. The megabuck luxury knife market in my opinion is a scam for the most part. Sure, the quality is excellent. But they're highly over rated. As you said, you usually don't see them used by real chefs in great kitchens. But they've been marketed extremely well to yuppies that fancy themselves as foodies who have more money than cooking skill. to the marketers though. They're kicking butt.J

The main reason you won't see anything high-quality and expensive like that in a restaurant kitchen is because it will get stolen by some employees.

 

[MotivationalPoster]

I built my knife collection starting with the essentials then added the specialty pieces over time. These 3 knives will be enough 90% of the time:

1. Chef's knife

2. Paring knife

3. Serrated/bread knife

I have a mix of Henckels Pro S and Wusthof Classic because I like the forged full tang construction. Everyone's hands are different so you'll want to try out the grips and weight of different brands to see which feels the best to you.

I think it's worth the money to get a good chef's knife as I use this the most. Keeping my knives sharp all the time and learning good knife skillz save me time in the kitchen and make the prep work less of a chore.

 

[The Z Machine]

Santoku type knifes are pretty damn nice for chopping vegetables. Really easy to get a good julienne going.

But I would agree that the order of use for me is: Chef (regular, Chef (Santoku), Bread, Paring, and then Fillet.

 

[johnnycakes]

Do you have a Kirby vacuum too?

 

[chet]

Costco has a Henckels set (~10 knives and a block) for $170. I am sure it's their lower end but still a great deal IMO.

 

[Gigantomachia]

Go into any high-end restaurant and the chef will be preparing all his hundred-dollar-plus meals with a $10 Dexter-Russel 8-inch chef's knife.

Yes, this is true. The plastic, white handled chef's knife that you can find at a restaurant supply store will serve that purpose well. Those knives are meant to be more or less disposable. They are meant for industrial use. A home knife is one that is meant to last for decades, hold an edge longer than an industrial knife, and look nice. If you're down with having more or less disposable knives you replace once a year or once every two years that look cheap and don't have as nice a feel as a good quality knife, then go ahead and use those. They'll serve your purpose just fine.

I've got the $$$ Shuns and I find I like the white handled chef knives I can get at Sam's Club just as well. The megabuck luxury knife market in my opinion is a scam for the most part. Sure, the quality is excellent. But they're highly over rated. As you said, you usually don't see them used by real chefs in great kitchens. But they've been marketed extremely well to yuppies that fancy themselves as foodies who have more money than cooking skill. to the marketers though. They're kicking butt.J

The main reason you won't see anything high-quality and expensive like that in a restaurant kitchen is because it will get stolen by some employees.

That and any chef worth the money carries his own knives. No self-respecting chef would use the house knives, I mean really.Bottom line for a good knife, make sure it fits YOUR hand well and keep it sharp. As stated, the better the quality the longer it will hold its edge and the less time you will spend sharpening it. And I am sorry, a cheap knife from Sam's club is still that, a cheap knife. Assuming Joe actually uses these cheapos often and keeps them sharp, he is buying new ones at a cost close to what he would have spent on a good knife that lasts twice as long.But hey, no accounting for taste

 

[Adebisi]

You'll see the Shuns on Amazon's Gold Box deals from time to time. If you're going to spend the money and can be patient, that might be the best way to build your collection.

 

[TheFanatic]

The handle thing is a big deal. Go to a William Sonoma and handle all the big names. That's what I did and I liked the feel and the balance of the Shuns more than Henckels and Wustoffs. I went in planning on getting one of the three. I let fit and feel dictate which.

And the knives and pots and pans that are all beat up in a professional kitchen doesn't mean that the chefs that work there don't have good pots and pans and knives at home.

I was at this celebrity chef BBQ cook off in the spring. Two of the chefs were big chefs here in St. Louis and the third was Ray Lampe who is Dr. BBQ and the official spokesman for the BGE. He had this roll up back pack type deal that unrolled to have all his tools flat on a counter top and all of his knives were shuns. When feeding 500 or 1000 people a night it's more function than form. But this guy, when feeding three judges used Shuns.

The other two were using Wustoffs or Henckels.

 

[MotivationalPoster]

The handle thing is a big deal. Go to a William Sonoma and handle all the big names. That's what I did and I liked the feel and the balance of the Shuns more than Henckels and Wustoffs. I went in planning on getting one of the three. I let fit and feel dictate which. And the knives and pots and pans that are all beat up in a professional kitchen doesn't mean that the chefs that work there don't have good pots and pans and knives at home. I was at this celebrity chef BBQ cook off in the spring. Two of the chefs were big chefs here in St. Louis and the third was Ray Lampe who is Dr. BBQ and the official spokesman for the BGE. He had this roll up back pack type deal that unrolled to have all his tools flat on a counter top and all of his knives were shuns. When feeding 500 or 1000 people a night it's more function than form. But this guy, when feeding three judges used Shuns. The other two were using Wustoffs or Henckels.

Shun and Global make very good knives too. Just that I already had my Wusthofs and Henckels when the Japanese brands became popular. I think these knives will outlast me.

 

[Chiwawa]

The main reason you won't see anything high-quality and expensive like that in a restaurant kitchen is because it will get stolen by some employees.

Exactly. Also, you won't find too many chefs with high end cutlery in their home because many of them don't work 12 hours cooking for others and go home to cook. It's usually take-out, fast food, or a simple dish without much prep if any.

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

You'll see the Shuns on Amazon's Gold Box deals from time to time. If you're going to spend the money and can be patient, that might be the best way to build your collection.

appreciate the heads up

 

[Adebisi]

You'll see the Shuns on Amazon's Gold Box deals from time to time. If you're going to spend the money and can be patient, that might be the best way to build your collection.

appreciate the heads up

There was a Henckels 8-piece set up just now, but all have been claimed.

 

[cstu]

I can vouch for the Anolon set. Not on par with Henckel, Wusthof, Shun and others but very good knives and on sale a lot on Amazon. I picked up a 10 piece set for $70 last year. That said the most used knife we own is a Wusthof Classic santoku.

Regarding Cutco, they are good knives as well - very, very sharp - but I don't like the feel of them because they are too lightweight.

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

The rep is here and it is Cutco. The knives are pretty neat, but the price is kinda steep. The guy is speaking with my wife as I type this, and he is the son of my one of my wife's coworkers. Apparently, their are a lot of these guys in college trying to make a few extra bucks.

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

Well I went shopping on Ebay while the wife was listening to the sales pitch. Apparently, there is a guy who lives in Tulsa that is selling these things like crazy at discounted prices. I told my wife not to buy and check with the guy on Ebay. Hope they are not stolen items.?

 

[ArcticEdge]

Go into any high-end restaurant and the chef will be preparing all his hundred-dollar-plus meals with a $10 Dexter-Russel 8-inch chef's knife.

Yes, this is true. The plastic, white handled chef's knife that you can find at a restaurant supply store will serve that purpose well. Those knives are meant to be more or less disposable. They are meant for industrial use. A home knife is one that is meant to last for decades, hold an edge longer than an industrial knife, and look nice. If you're down with having more or less disposable knives you replace once a year or once every two years that look cheap and don't have as nice a feel as a good quality knife, then go ahead and use those. They'll serve your purpose just fine.

I've got the $$$ Shuns and I find I like the white handled chef knives I can get at Sam's Club just as well. The megabuck luxury knife market in my opinion is a scam for the most part. Sure, the quality is excellent. But they're highly over rated. As you said, you usually don't see them used by real chefs in great kitchens. But they've been marketed extremely well to yuppies that fancy themselves as foodies who have more money than cooking skill. to the marketers though. They're kicking butt.J

What's wrong with you?

AE

Cut Joe some slack. There is nothing wrong with Joe preferring his knives like Otis prefers his wimzens mirrors.

fixed

 

[Oliver Humanzee]

I use a Wustoff classic santuko, a Tres Claveles 6'' chef's knife, and a Tres Claveles paring knife. All are excellent and amply suit my needs, but I am super impressed with the Tres Claveles chef knife. It is lightweight, perfectly balanced, and holds a blade better than any other stainless I've used. I didn't buy the knife (Mrs. Humanzee bought it in Spain a few years ago), but Google tells me that it is about half as expensive as the Wustoff.

Though I have absolutely no real use for one, I often linger over the old, hand-forged, carbon steel, Sabatier-type "cuisine massives" I see on eBay from time to time. Does anybody have any experience with such knives? Are they worth the hefty price tag, or am I paying a collectors surcharge?

 

[cstu]

The rep is here and it is Cutco. The knives are pretty neat, but the price is kinda steep. The guy is speaking with my wife as I type this, and he is the son of my one of my wife's coworkers. Apparently, their are a lot of these guys in college trying to make a few extra bucks.

Buy them on eBay. My mom loves Cutco knives and asked me for steak knives for her birthday and I was able to get 8 for $180 shipped that normally cost $232.

 

[johnnycakes]

I bet you don't even need any knives and the kid wouldn't even be in your house if he weren't the son of one of your wife's coworkers.

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

I bet you don't even need any knives and the kid wouldn't even be in your house if he weren't the son of one of your wife's coworkers.

BINGO!!!

 

[flapgreen]

MIRRORS!

 

[Otis]

Cut Joe some slack. There is nothing wrong with Joe preferring his knives like Otis prefers his wimzens mirrors.

fixed

My legal team has alerted me to this post in connection with our weekly search of the board for "Otis" mentions.

 

[ArcticEdge]

Cut Joe some slack. There is nothing wrong with Joe preferring his knives like Otis prefers his wimzens mirrors.

fixed

My legal team has alerted me to this post in connection with our weekly search of the board for "Otis" mentions.

Duly noted..

 

[Major]

My wife has done the most miserable thing imagineable...invited a knife salesman over during Sunday football. I am guessing the knives are going to run around 50 plus per knife. My question is what is a good brand/price for kitchen/eating knives? Where is a good place to buy said cutlery? Thanks for your help.

If you're a FBG, nothing less than Global is acceptable. These knives are great but will definitely knock you back close to a grand for a decent set. http://www.global-knife.com/

 

[-jb-]

My wife has done the most miserable thing imagineable...invited a knife salesman over during Sunday football. I am guessing the knives are going to run around 50 plus per knife. My question is what is a good brand/price for kitchen/eating knives? Where is a good place to buy said cutlery? Thanks for your help.

If you're a FBG, nothing less than Global is acceptable. These knives are great but will definitely knock you back close to a grand for a decent set. http://www.global-knife.com/

My chef buddies dig these. I didn't care for the handle myself. A little short for me, but that's what they like about them.

 

[jagbag]

I like my Forschners. Nothing fancy, pretty good prices.

 

[flapgreen]

Will be looking to buy some good knives soon too. something on the cheap end of good

 

[flapgreen]

No way in hell would I allow a door to door salesman in my house. Hell, he'd be lucky I didn't throw him over the fence.

 

[Statcruncher]

I've seen the demo for Cutco knives, and they are very impressive. And you don't have to buy an entire set, either. But there is no way I'm ever paying that much for a knife that my wife will mangle in the garbage disposal or my kid will use as a chisel in the garage. I'll just keep replacing my cheap knives and keep the better ones hidden for use when nobody else is home.

This guy gets it.

 

[denveredge]

I like my cutco knives but my friend who owns a cutlery company got pissed at me having crappy knives and gave me a set of wusthof knives. Those are nice but not worth the price if I would have had to buy them. I have a cutco knife that is a spatula with a cutting edge, it is money.

 

[The Z Machine]

I like my cutco knives but my friend who owns a cutlery company got pissed at me having crappy knives and gave me a set of wusthof knives. Those are nice but not worth the price if I would have had to buy them. I have a cutco knife that is a spatula with a cutting edge, it is money.

Please let me know how one would use such a thing.

 

[Statcruncher]

I like my cutco knives but my friend who owns a cutlery company got pissed at me having crappy knives and gave me a set of wusthof knives. Those are nice but not worth the price if I would have had to buy them. I have a cutco knife that is a spatula with a cutting edge, it is money.

Please let me know how one would use such a thing.

After you flip your grilled cheese you can easily cut it in half with the spatula. I'm sure there are numerous other examples, but do you really need them?