# Need help in picking out some knives, accessories and storage



## babytiger (Oct 14, 2010)

I'm moving to Australia in January and want to get a new set of knives before doing so. At first, I was going to buy a set of Saber (13-piece) which Costco has on sale for $199 right now. From reading some reviews, that seems to be a good price for a decent set of knives. BUT, I just received a generous cash gift from my sister for the holidays and can now afford to spend more. I think I'm willing to spend $500 or so for some really good pieces.

Right now, I mainly use the cheap Napastyle knives I got from Costco several years ago. I use the 6 or 7 inch santoku for most prep. I also often use several serrated knives from Cutco that I got 15 or so years ago.

I have absolutely no experience in sharpening. I have a Wusthof hand held knife and scissors sharpener that I use on the santoku when it gets a little hard to cut through stuff.

What I want:

*Something that is easy to take care of. I generally do clean up quickly after cooking, Knives are usually washed within half an hour of using. I've read that carbon takes more care than stainless. However, if carbon is fine with sitting for half and hour before I have to wash it, I think I can be fine with either.

*Something that I can possibly sharpen myself with a simple tool, maybe even the sharpener I already have. I don't mind if I do have to buy another one though, as long as it isn't too expensive (please recommend).

*Several pieces that will allow me to do the following: chop lots of vegetables, crave cooked meat, slice bread, cut meat/fish/tomato, peel/cut fruits. I also want some kitchen shears but I'm not sure if it's worth spending a lot on a brand name one or just a cheap generic one. I won't be cutting through bones with them.

*Oh, I also like a set of steak knives that are inexpensive and of decent quality. I don't anticipate using them for more than a few times a month so it's fine as long as it'll cut through a piece of steak.

I've been reading about MAC, which seems to be similar in price than Shun. However, I can get Shun from Bed Bath and Beyond for 20% off.

Also, I need help getting something to store knives. I don't like blocks and much prefer something I can store in the drawer. I like the look of the Global knife trays. However, I'm not sure if another brand of knives would fit in that tray. I also saw a bamboo one by Shun. Again, if I end up with different pieces by different brand, would it work? Are there good alternative knife storage for drawers? I prefer a tray over a soft roll bag for easy access.

I know there are a lot of information on the forum already but I just don't have time to really look through all of them. I have a lot of packing to do and need to get these knives very soon as we need to have them pack away to be shipped in the next month. So any help is much. much appreciated.


----------



## stl243 (Dec 16, 2010)

i love my Sabers.

and my chroma.

but the Saber's are very good knives.

c


----------



## cuppiecake (Jan 22, 2011)

Have you ever heard of Cutco knives? .. well I assure you that they are really great knives, they have a very unique yet universal handle that's great for comfort, all knives have a full tang construction and is made of high carbon surgical stainless steel grade (440 A), it also has a very unique and sharp edge. All Cutco knives are handcrafted in the U.S. and have a forever guarantee, forever performance, forever sharpness, misuse or abuse and money back guarantee, so if you were to ever have problem you could ship it back free of charged to be fixed to your liking. Cutco knives are also easy to clean and dishwasher safe.... reasons why I love my Cutco knives!


----------



## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Well, they are better than Ginzu.


----------



## babytiger (Oct 14, 2010)

I actually do have some Cutco pieces, got them about 15 or so years ago. My favorite is the spatula knife. The serrated knife has worked fine for slicing and such. However, I was never quite comfortable using the chefs knife from that set. I know about the guarantee and such, and they are quite easy to maintain. Since I've moved to Australia though, sending the knives back for sharpening and such is just not going to work.

I have picked up 2 nice Japanese knives. I think I will be happy with them. I haven't tested them out yet as they're currently being shipped with the rest of my stuff.


----------

