Recommendations for a new knife set

[dspiel]

Hello,

Im a culinary student and I recently had my knife set stolen from my car and Im looking to buy a new set. Im pretty sure i want to get the Wusthof Culinar Series but I wanted to know peoples opinions concerning Wusthof as well as other brands.

 

[mezzaluna]

I'm not a pro, but I just invested in a set of Henkels Classic. I'm still getting to know them, but so far I'm in Henkels Heaven! The balance is wonderful. I do have one Global I love (5" all purpose), though.

 

[jim berman]

I am sure there are as many opinions on knife sets as there are knives! For what it's worth, I say don't buy a new set. Buy one knife at a time and see what you like. You may like a Henkel 10" chef's knife, but hate the Henkel fillet. Conversly, you may like working a Russel pairing knife, etc, etc. Your knives are your trusty tools and as such, should be carefully selected, one at a time. I have a built a collection over the years that is neither expensive nor fancy (okay, okay one or 2 fancy ones). But, I know them and they know me.
Anyhow, sorry to hear your knives were lifted. GOod luck and choose wisely... have fun doing it.

 

[marmalady]

I agree about not buying a set; see if you can try out different brands and models. I have to say I am a Wusthoff kind of gal, though! Bummer about your knives being stolen; I had the same thing happen at a catering event -I know it was one of the servers, but couldn't prove it. It was especially a bummer because some of the knives were presents from my hubbie. Sigh.

When you get ready to buy, check out Professional Cutlery Direct - www.pcd.com for great prices.

 

[kylew]

I'm glad you copped to it

 

[chefboy2160]

Jim , Great advice . I have many different brands and I love them all dearly . Course Im kinda cheap so a lot of them are
Forschners , but I realy love the balance , the edge , the feel , darn there I go getting mushy on my babies .............

 

[jim berman]

And there really is nothing wrong with spending some $$ on an expensive blade. I treasure my custom-made knife. I got to play a role in its design, so it is even more valuable to me than just its cost. And cheap knives can be fun, too. I have a very 'middle of the road' Forschner that I wouldn't trade for anything. Its a 14" chef's knife that I treasure - it just works well for me. I guess that is what it really comes down to. Glad to see others feel the same.

 

[84rhonda]

I own the Culinar series, and I do love em'. But the finish on the handle is so delicate that I find myself watching my every move when i place the knife down. But yeah, i agree with everyone here completely, test out a few knives and build a collection. Sorry to hear about your knives being stolen, but personally I would not want to bring a too expensive set of knives to culinary school, they're begging to be stolen.

 

[marmalady]

Don't take your goodies on catering gigs either - that's where mine were stolen! Have also caught servers doing things like trying to open a can with my Wusthoff paring knife!!!

Jim - a 14" chef's knife - wow! I thought I was the machoist girl on the block with my 10"!

 

[dspiel]

not to worry, when i work in the industry i plan to buy a cheap set of knives to work with

 

[brook]

I'm very sorry about your knives being stolen. It's bad any time, but especially so when you are a student. There are tons of knives out there -- what you like depends on the size of your hand and personal preference, among other things. Having tried a variety of brands (Another vote for not buying a set!), I am most fond of my Wusthof Classics: the balance, weight, and feel of the handles are very comfortable in my hand. I would stay away from Kyocera ceramic knives -- even though the literature says the blades are really hard and wear-resistant, I heard that they break easily, especially the tips!

 

[marmalady]

Th e Kyocera knifes do break - drop 'em and it's over. I do, however, have a ceramic veggie peeler that's ceramic and it's awesome. Got it from PCD. Well worth the $12.00 (I think) price tag.

 

[catciao]

I'll echo Jim's comments on buying one at a time. I purchased a Wustof Chef's knive because I liked the feel in my hands. But then ended up buying the Henkel's 5* for 5 other blades but not in a set. I started with the ones I knew I would use the most. The others can go on my birthday wish list. People may think I'm nuts for wanting them as presents but I'd take them over a bottle of perfume any day.