# A good knife?



## bijoink (Sep 14, 2005)

What is an ideal chef knife for you a commercial forscher or something like wusthof, ceramic, global etc?


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## cook-jetto (Sep 17, 2005)

It depends.

I like ones made from germany. Because the're stainless steel. DOnt buy the wooden ones.

Emerils knives are ok. but a brand named wolf something is decent


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Huge question, so many factors to consider.

First, start by using the search button to find earlier conversations here on the subject; there've been MANY.

Second, don't ever buy a knife until you've held it in your hand. What fits Emeril's or Rachel Ray's hands may not fit yours at all. Example: Wusthof knives are very good, but they don't fit my hands. Therefore, they'd be a waste of money for me.

You get the idea. Have fun searching!


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

No argument here with me. Wusthof Trident all the way. If I had only one knife, it would be a Wusthof chef's 8" white handle.


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## haolegirltatu (May 17, 2004)

I have used knifes from Sabatier to Wusthof and I have to say my all time fave is the Shun by Kershaw...I love the handle. ( if you can forget that alton brown pinps them out)-

The santoku I use as my chefs knife. The handles are D shaped and are wood - but have a water proof resin coating - making them safe for commercial use. They look like samuri swords- the blades are thin and 16 folded steel - and have a awesome ability to keep veg from sticking....spendy- but worth it- dont get sucked into the Ken Onion knife though- I have it and do not like it.


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## dutch7 (Sep 25, 2005)

What is everyone's thoughts on ceramic knifes? I have been debating on getting one, are they worth it? I heard they are just mostly good for cutting veg's...


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## mikeb (Jun 29, 2004)

I'm a big fan of Victorinox/Forschner knives. For the price you pay, you can't beat em. They're easy to sharpen and comfortable to use. Most of my knives are Victorinox.

My chef knife is a brand called Kasumi - made in Japan and has similar folded steel pattern to the Shun. The Kasumi is quite pricey though (quite a bit more than Shun or Global). Globals are also nice.


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## operivy (Oct 5, 2005)

I think any reputable company would make a fine knife. Personally i use a 7 inch Wusthof Culinar for pretty much any job. I have really large hands(i can palm a basketball with extreme ease) and the handle still is large enough for my hand. Ultimately just find one that is comfy. I do however disagree with the thinking "a comfortable 20 dollar knife is better than an uncomfortable 100 dollar knife" Im sorry it just isnt.


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## vondy (Feb 9, 2005)

Love my Shuns, would have nothing else.


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## botanique (Mar 23, 2005)

Bijoink,

I am a Henckels girl all the way. 8". It fits in my hand like it was meant to be there.

HOWEVER, my interest is peaked with the ceramic. I think I'll check out Kyocera.

Botanique


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## hipjoint (Jan 29, 2005)

TRADITIONAL "wisdom" tells you "forged german steel", "full tang construction", "full bolster for heft and balance", and "three full riveted
handles". That's tradition. some people like tradition. some people would rather have a sharp, straight knife.

forschner fibrox knives have STAMPED blades, no bolsters, no full tang construction, no rivets in the handle and are test rated equal to or 
superior to the german blades at 1/3 the cost.

MAC knives (superior series) have STAMPED blades, and no bolsters and their santoku beat out the henckles and wusthof blades in the last cook's illustrated testing. i own all three knives and i have to agree with their opinion .... the MAC is a superior knife at 1/2 the cost.

the kai shun knives have STAMPED blades, only a partial bolster, no full tang construction, and no rivets in their handle and yet i can't believe that anyone who has used one can ever say that it isn't a sharper blade than anything german. edges stay sharp longer than anything german as well. you may not like the handle, the heft, or the balance, but you can't say that the germans make a sharper knife.

as for the ceramic knives, yes they are sharp, but they don't take the abuse good ol' steel can withstand, and they are also a thicker blade. try slicing a cucumber into slices so thin that you can read thru them ... a cinch with either the forschner, MAC, or shun ... hard to do with a ceramic. the blade just isn't thin enough.

my two cents ... and change.


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## leftychef (Oct 2, 2005)

ive been using a Cutco 10" Chef's knife for 5 years and i would agree that it all debends on how it fits your hand because i remember trying out a wusthof and it gave me palm cramps after a while. The best thing to do is try them all! fun stuff!


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## briangig (Sep 26, 2005)

Personaly, I use a 8" Wusthof chef's knife.

After I saw the tang snap on a cheap knife the head prep guy was using, and almost lost a few fingers, I got him a 8" Henckels Chef knife, the international series. Cheapest of the line, but I hear its the same blade as all the other ones. Anyway. It is basically a clone of mine, impossible to tell apart! I sharpened both mine and his the same day a few weeks ago, I checked his blade today and it was razor sharp, while mine needed a few swipes on the stone to get it razor sharp again. Go figure. Mine was $90, his was $35 or something like that.


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## hipjoint (Jan 29, 2005)

snapping knives are not the exclusive right of cheap knives. i have seen lots of pricey knives snap and for lots of weird reasons. a friend of mine at a cutlery shop tells me he had to deal with about thirty snapped wusthofs last year. i had a friend show me an ittosai sashimi knife he snapped a while back ... it had set him back $900!! seems that pricey knives snap more often because they have harder, stiffer steel so they are less likely to flex and bend under pressure and are more likely to snap.

for reference, i bought a 10" "forged" chef's knife from mervyn's "home" collection for cheaps (regularly #14.99 but it was on a 50% sale!!) and i have beaten the poor thing up ... chopping and hacking and whacking with it like i don't care and it has actually stood up to all that abuse. i would be scared of treating my shuns and messermeisters and macs and sugimotos like that. they might be able to withstand such abuse but at those prices, why risk it?


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## lifter 69 (Oct 22, 2005)

I am extremely happy with my Global. Its crazy sharp! :lol: I would like to try a ceramic though...


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## vyshtia (Oct 15, 2005)

Shun knives here.
I take my knives personally. I love the beauty, originality, top rated sharpness, elegance, traditional, and feel of the Shun knives.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

I just got a Kyocera 3" paring knife from a friend . It's surgically sharp, a little scary, but definitely a new standard in my kitchen.

I have a Global 5" cook's knife I love also. But for big jobs I love my Henkel's 8" chef's knife. I have a 7" Henkel's santoku on order.


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## metrakay (Apr 1, 2005)

I have a kyocera prep knife, about 5" blade... I used it for some time, and then it got dull. Needs to go back to the factory for sharpening... Haven't used it since. No place in my kitchen for a knife I can't sharpen. too bad, because it was a great knife. If they come out with a ceramic-knife sharpening tool for "home" use, then I may try it again.


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## choppsman (Jan 24, 2006)

i love almost anything that is japanese steel, hatorri, misono, shun...they are all nice..i have a shun


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## mikelm (Dec 23, 2000)

Just put this up on the other knife thread- take a look at

http://www.japanwoodworker.com/produ...&dept_id=13173

for fun browsing a variety of oriental-style knives of a wide range of materials.

Nice descriptions and background details, too.

Mike


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## jolly roger (Jan 27, 2006)

I have many knives that I use for diferent tasks, but if I had to carry only three with me, they would be these three: 12 inch Henkles four star-super sharp, hardened steele, holds an edge better than Lynn Swann holds a football. Next, the Forschner "sandwhich knife". Eight inches of serration and two inches of flat heel, this knife is excellent for cleaning fish, breaking down veggies, and slicing the cheese. Finally, anything German that calls itself a boning knife. Preferbly at least six inches and flexible. Get to it!


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## gravyboat (May 3, 2005)

Kyocera knives are incredible - you expect some resistance when you cut - but there is none! It is a bit like going throu clear air. 
However it is just a gizmo not a knife really. The edge will get chipped (i mean small invisible chips) unavoidably especially in commercial kitchen. The blade is very fragile if dropped and I cannot see any practical use if these ceramic knives really. Maybe once a month at home cooking your favourit meal ;-)


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

here's a thread in the chef's forum regarding Gunter Willham knives. The wood isn't quite as nice as it appears on the website...but I really like this knife! I'd easily take it over my Henckles twin select series.

I would have to echo blueschef's statements. I just love this 10" Chefs Knife. For $55.00...the look, feel and blade...I think it makes easy work of much of the competition.

dan


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## pughjr (May 21, 2006)

hi there. 
i am a chef at a resort in CO. all we use is wusthof knives. they stay very sharp with the use of a steel and have the best warranty out there.

i have a wusthof classic wide 8 inch cooks knife for sale. never used still in the package.

make an offer. they retail for around $115

email me with any questions: [email protected]


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## eloki (Apr 3, 2006)

I've used victorinox when I first started cooking, since then, I've bought a shun knife and I absolutely love it! It fits my hand perfectly, and is incredibly sharp.


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## greasechef (May 20, 2006)

When I got my first serious cook job at a hotel, I ditched my cheapo knives and dropped nearly a grand on top of the line Henckels. If I had it all to do over again, I would not buy another German knife, my Global knives are much easier to maintain.

Perhaps my sharpening skills could use some honing, but I can't get any of my German knives to hold an edge to save my life. Last year with a global though, I took 1/2 of my fingernail off along with all of the meat behind it. A couple weeks after the last sharpening, and I didn't feel a thing until several moments later. :lol: I just grabbed my side towel and said, "Oh, I think this is a bad one." Had I been using any one of my Henkels, it would have taken some serious sawing to draw blood.

As for bread knives, I won't buy anything under 12". I like my big green Sanelli, it is too ugly to sprout feet, and cheap enough to toss when it needs sharpening.

I also always have a loaner knife in my toolbox for whenever somebody asks, "You have a knife I can use?" Of course I do, it's a 50+ year old knife/ machete hybrid, 15" long and curved like a sword.


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## bigwheel (May 26, 2006)

Only people who buy **** knives is dumb yups with gold visor cards. The pros all use Forschner Victornox. Click this link and tell em uncle bigwheel sent ya. The boy will treat you right. Get the firebox handles like the fella say. Dont forget the 6" curved boner either (no snickering please) it be the most versatile knife in your drawer. Free shipping when you break a hundred or used to be anyway. Leaves just enough leeway for the paring knife and the steel to keep em sharp. Forschners aint like the kraut knives you do not have to hire a tinker or buy a grinding wheel to keep em sharp.

http://www.justknives101.com

bigwheel


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

The current issue of "Cook's Illustrated" features a Knife comparison. Victorinox cleaned up in most categories. 

The first Victorinox I ever got was back in '85, a real Swiss soldier's pocket knife--free too! (along with a free gas mask, a free sleeping bag, free green fatigues...) Ever since then I've been using Victorinox and never hestitate to convince others too.


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## culinarymd (Apr 24, 2006)

I have a Culinar chef knife and bread knife. Also a Grand Prix III sutoku and paring knife. Although they are German, mine don't fail to cut wonderfully. I sharpen them myself and keep them honed with my steel. They also feel so natural in my hand.


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## dano1 (Oct 23, 2003)

heh, and a few more freebies too i'm sure.


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## bigwheel (May 26, 2006)

Well dang folks..that was a lot of useful to know knife info from all of ya. Feel like I has set through a full semester with Wolf Gang Puck..or Bobby Flay etc. Thanks a lot. Now I was raised on big Old Hickory Butcher Knives. Was the only knife my mama owned I think and she used it very effectively on everything. Guess thats why each time I open my knife drawer I see so many of them crazy things Now it can make sliced raw tomatoes taste sorta funny sometimes. But iron is good far ya right?

bigwheel


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## piracer (Jun 22, 2006)

i use a g-20 global 20cm chef's knife. very sharp, very nice blade altho i had to get used to it switching from big thick german knives to a thinnner japanese one. but still very good, very sharp.


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## nentony (May 7, 2005)

Bigwheel,that's funny. My knives are Tridents, but I keep one Old Hickory filet knife for nothing but slicing tomatos. does a beautiful job.

Tony


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## jolly roger (Jan 27, 2006)

Bigwheel...Um, where do you keep your beloved cutlery???


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## bigwheel (May 26, 2006)

Well I got two main repositories for knives. The house knives stays in the cabinet drawer in the house. My good pride and joy fancy smancy Forschners stays in the original box they came in safely stored inside Fredericka the world famous wannabe roach coach and mobile sausage kitchen which stays parked in the driveway next to my crib. Formerly Fredericka was a 1977 20' Leprechaun brand Ford Motor Home..then she got outfitted with triple ss sinks and work tables etc. I only bring the good knives in the house as needed cuz the warden always trying to run em through the dishwasher. I keep threatening to back hand the fire outta her coola if she does it again but some wimmen is hard headed ya know?

bigwheel


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## cheftorrie (Jun 23, 2006)

I have to admit, I am a Wusthof man, they are my favorite and always will be.
They fit my had well and hold an edge.


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## bigwheel (May 26, 2006)

Dont think anybody will argue the ***** knives will hold an edge..the big problemo seems to be getting an edge back on there once you lose the one you got. Remember well at a bbq cookoff great pals o mine had the dullest Hennickles granton edged brisket slicer I have ever seen or heard tell of and they was gonna have to slice brisket with it later in the day. Swear I spent half a day with a steel trying to get that goofy knife sharp and it still wouldnt cut hot butter when I was done. Now Forschners dont treat a person shabby like that. Just hit with the steel a few times and you be ready to shave with it. Last plenty long enough to stay sharp till the cutting is done too...least for my purposes. Now since you is a pro Chef do realize your cutting chores be mo tedious than mine most likely. In my most vivid dreams might could envision a scenario where longevity of the edge might be the prime motivation factor With the Forschners you might need to stop at the midpoint and give em a touch up on the steel..but that aint no thang. I can usually debone and cube 2 or 3 pork butts (Boston butts for yankees) with my Forscherner 6" curved boner afore it needs a lick or two or the steel. Time you get to butt 4 it definitely needs a lick or two. 

bigwheel


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## cheftorrie (Jun 23, 2006)

I know what you are saying BigWheel, but my Wusthof seem to hold and sharpen well. I run it with my steel always before I use it. I also never forget to sharpen every so often. And one thing that you should keep in mind is that if that knife you were talking about was already dull, a steel will not make it sharp. The steel will make the edge "true" but it will not sharpen it, more or less take tiny,tiny burrs out. Just remember always use you steel, and sharpen with tri-stone every once in a while. If you dont have a tri oil stone, it is a good investmen.


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## bigwheel (May 26, 2006)

Well see..with Forschners you can skip the sharpening step..throw away the grinding wheels..whit rocks etc..cuz all you will ever need is a steel. Now this do not count if you trying to bang it through rebar with a sledge hammer etc. I aint sure completely but sorta think you could do the same thing with a ***** knife if you used a diamond steel maybe. At any rate I dont normally buy cooking stuff without checking with some folks who know about that kinda stuff. If you got a Forschern all you need is a steel. This not even count me talking to all them butchers in the DFW area who had their Forschners for 20 years or so and never bumped into a whitrock etc. Ahh the wonders of soft steel. The Germans had the same problemo with Luger pistolos if you might remember. They just built em too good. Little mud make em clog up etc cuz the tolerances was too tight. Old .45 ACP guv'ment model just keep on spitting em out cuz it was made Loosey Goosey. I think we got similar anal retentive scenarios here but dont take my word for it. :smiles: 

bigwheel


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Bigwheel, Nope. Sooner or later you're gonna have to sharpen your knives, using some kind of an abrasive. The knife's edge is basically two bevels that meet, and whre they meet is razor sharp and very thin. Imagine a piece of paper standing on edge, that's the edge of your sharp knife under a microscope. Use your knife for a while and you'll have to keep it tuned with the steel, why? Because the very thin edge has curled over, soft metal more than hard, and aggresive chopping or hard cutting boards will accelerate this too. The steel, with it's grooves, straightens out the edge from it's curled state to straight edge again, and you're in business. But after steeling your knife you should wipe it clean on a piece of paper towel, or else you'll get black crud on what ever you cut. 

That black crud you wipe off your knife every time you steel it, is minute bits of metal filings, small pieces of the edge that have fatigued and broken off. So yes you can steel the edge many times, but after a while (for me about every 3 mths) the edge is just plain dull. Under a microscope it would look kind of rounded over, with no distinct bevels, and the steel can't straighten out the curled edge, because there isn't any edge. When this happens you have to use an abrasive method to get two new bevels and a new edge. I do this as LITTLE AND INFREQUENT as possible, because it is abrasive and your knives will shrink every time it's done. Then again a dull knife is about as usefull as a gun without bullets...


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## bigwheel (May 26, 2006)

Ahhh well...I got kin who live up near Missouri so somebody gonna have to show me. With Forschners just use the steel till the knife disappears and then go get a new one. Simple huh?

bigwheel


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## cheftorrie (Jun 23, 2006)

FoodPump, I am guessing you are a fellow chef, or just have a **** of alot of knowledge becuase I couldnt have said it better. No matter what kind of knife you have, Forchners, Wusthof, Furi, Henkles, F.Dick, Shun, or whatever, your knife will eventually need sharpening.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Mmmm. F. Dick. Not a popular brand here in N.A. Got a F. D. smoked salmon knife, and a meat pounder. Manged to wrangle am very large F.Dick poster out of the salesgirl. Shows a very Germanic, uh, lady, next to a snorting bull. In German it says " Gegrundet 1778, Volles Gewahr fur Jedes Stuck. Ca. 600 Arbeiter. (Founded 1778, full guarantee for every piece, aprox 600 workers) Love it, got it framed and named it "My big Dick"...


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## cheftorrie (Jun 23, 2006)

FoodPump you seem like a funny and respectfull person... what is your position in the Kitchen?... I am assuming you work in a kithchen because you sure know your stuff...Anyways funny story... Actually I hope I do not get in trouble for saying this on these message boards, but here goes, When I was at Johnson & Wales, the Knives that were issued to us were a set of F.Dicks... Anyways the joke around the school was that everybody had a 10 inch you know what.. (for the french knife).... Anyways I am new to these boards and if some of you members dont mind I wouldnt mind an introduction with your experience and credentials.... whether it be a homemaker, BBQ Dad, Line cook, Newbie in the business or 50 year vet chef...


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

My postion in the kitchen? Well, lets see, I do just about everything: Pastry, hot and cold, training staff, supervising, driving, general maintainence, ordering, dealing with customers...Come to think of it, I own the place too...


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## jolly roger (Jan 27, 2006)

I only asked because you referenced a "knife drawer"...where knives go to die. I'm pleased to find out that it may have been more of a generic term for a respectable destnation for beloved steel. Otherwise, I was going to have to shank your a*s!


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## cheftorrie (Jun 23, 2006)

That is very cool. I wish I had the opprotunity to do more Pasty, I paid to the extra money to take the course at JW and rarely get the opprotunity to do it... Last time that I got to do it was like February at an Easter Seals benefit...


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## 107cain (Jun 29, 2006)

Anyone have much experience with Globe Knives?


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## castironchef (Oct 10, 2005)

You mean "Global" knives?


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## mediumrare (Jul 3, 2006)

I've used Henckels for most of my career, but most recently I purchased a 10inch Wusthof Culinar. I have to admit, it's the best knife that I've ever used. I have small hands, but it's not too heavy or big, and the edge stays sharp forever, just run it over your steel after every use. 
I also bought a Grohman knife a little while back. Grohman is a German-owned company in Pictou, Nova Scotia and it's a great knife as well.


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