Kitchen knives recommendations

[Sarajevo]

Hi all!

Preparing Christmas dinner this year reminded me that our Fissler kitchen knives have lost their edge.

We have therefore decided we need to get a new set of kitchen knives and want to invest in something that will last a long time. a one-piece construction would be best, as the primary weakness with our current ones is the handles coming loose, dirt collecting in the sockets (excuse the incorrect terminology!).

Have any of you guys any recommendations for a good all-round set of kitchen knives?

We have no specific requirements over and above every-day food preparation. We cook almost everything from scratch, but are not cordon-bleu chefs. Durability would be more important than the best sushi knife in the world.

Happy holidays to all and thanks in advance.

[kilyung]

Kyocera ceramic knives

[figbo]

[Sarajevo]

Originally Posted by kilyung

Kyocera ceramic knives

thanks - they look good and the prices are reasonable too.

[masterserg]

Chris Reeve Sikayo. I like Global as well. You should learn how to sharpen though ... they will all lose their edge at one point or another. Look into the wicked edge system. Fantastic!

I am not a fan of ceramic ... they are brittle and hard as heck to sharpen. Chris Reeve uses S35V steel which gives you a great balance of hardness, chip resistance and edge retention (too hard it will retain the edge for a long time but it will chip easily ... too soft, it won't chip but it will lose the edge quickly).

You don't really need a set either ... you need a chef's knife, a parer, maybe a bread knife and that's really about it.

[Chef_hacker]

Speaking form extensive experience

MAC no contest

[Beek]

I use Global. Good stuff!

[Sarajevo]

Originally Posted by masterserg

Chris Reeve Sikayo. I like Global as well. You should learn how to sharpen though ... they will all lose their edge at one point or another. Look into the wicked edge system. Fantastic!

I am not a fan of ceramic ... they are brittle and hard as heck to sharpen. Chris Reeve uses S35V steel which gives you a great balance of hardness, chip resistance and edge retention (too hard it will retain the edge for a long time but it will chip easily ... too soft, it won't chip but it will lose the edge quickly).

You don't really need a set either ... you need a chef's knife, a parer, maybe a bread knife and that's really about it.

thanks for the tips - especially re the number of knives we need. That would also let us spend more per knife on fewer knives.

[Sarajevo]

Originally Posted by Chef_hacker

Speaking form extensive experience

MAC no contest

thanks - they look impressive but haven't found a UK dealer yet.

[masterserg]

Originally Posted by Sarajevo

That would also let us spend more per knife on fewer knives.

A good idea ... get quality ... not quantity. ONE proper chef's knife is a must. You don't really need all the other crap in the set except for the parer. But definitely look into the wicked edge or a similar system. I can take ANY cheapo chef's and turn it into a laser sabre with some time and patience. The difference between a good and properly heat treated steel and a bad quality steel is how often do you have to do that. Of course my wife grabs it and starts chopping through raw butternut squash and the likes and that's it ...using it as chicken shears is another favorite of hers .... that really pi$$es me off

[Andad]

I do the cooking at home and use Arcosteel.
I chose these because they are all steel with no crevices where the handle meets the blade. Easy to keep clean and little chance of cross contamination.
For the tricky stuff I use CeramiChef.
I am the only one who is allowed to use the ceramics because they are just ---- sharp.

[withthesword]

i'm not a big fan of sets. if you're looking for a great all around kitchen knife, i'd go for Carter Cutlery. i have several examples of his work, and it is spectacularly top notch. hand forged and finished blades done in the traditional japanese way.

bonus for you made in usa junkies, they're 100% made in the usa. and for the canadaphiles, Mr Carter is canadian.

national pride aside, they are completely worth every cent. seriously top notch.

[SUBversive]

Originally Posted by withthesword

i'm not a big fan of sets. if you're looking for a great all around kitchen knife, i'd go for Carter Cutlery. i have several examples of his work, and it is spectacularly top notch. hand forged and finished blades done in the traditional japanese way.

bonus for you made in usa junkies, they're 100% made in the usa. and for the canadaphiles, Mr Carter is canadian.

national pride aside, they are completely worth every cent. seriously top notch.

Carter cutlery looks amazing.

[withthesword]

i carry a carter neck knife every day. probably gets used even more than my edc pocket knife.

[GradyPhilpott]

I hate to be the predictor of doom, but...

...IBTL.

[withthesword]

it's a shame too cos it's a pretty mundane thread. i suppose kitchen knives are still knives though :/

[unclesallie]

Wusthof. Very Expensive, razor sharp, well balanced, and well, wonderful.

[Andad]

.

[gold canyon]

x3

[Andad]

Originally Posted by withthesword

it's a shame too cos it's a pretty mundane thread. i suppose kitchen knives are still knives though :/

You put the EDC into this post mat(t)e?

[Demosthene]

Originally Posted by masterserg

Chris Reeve Sikayo. I like Global as well. You should learn how to sharpen though ... they will all lose their edge at one point or another. Look into the wicked edge system. Fantastic!

Do you recomend the 6.5 inch or the 9 inch Sikayo?

[bayerische]

Originally Posted by unclesallie

Wusthof. Very Expensive, razor sharp, well balanced, and well, wonderful.

What I use.

[dysondiver]

Originally Posted by masterserg

Chris Reeve Sikayo. I like Global as well. You should learn how to sharpen though ... they will all lose their edge at one point or another. Look into the wicked edge system. Fantastic!

I am not a fan of ceramic ... they are brittle and hard as heck to sharpen. Chris Reeve uses S35V steel which gives you a great balance of hardness, chip resistance and edge retention (too hard it will retain the edge for a long time but it will chip easily ... too soft, it won't chip but it will lose the edge quickly).

You don't really need a set either ... you need a chef's knife, a parer, maybe a bread knife and that's really about it.

that man knows his stuff , must agree . but again , sharpen the ones you have and keep them out of the dishwasher.

[masterserg]

Originally Posted by Demosthene

Do you recomend the 6.5 inch or the 9 inch Sikayo?

I have the 9 but the 6.5 is appealing. 6.5 strikes me as more of a chopper though I think they can both handle any job. I guess it depends on your cooking needs.

I might get it at one point or another. They are rarely available ...

[Sarajevo]

Originally Posted by dysondiver

that man knows his stuff , must agree . but again , sharpen the ones you have and keep them out of the dishwasher.

'bout ye Tom

The ones we have have never seen the inside of a dishwasher and we do sharpen them, but they have just gotten worn over the years, in particular the handles

[Sarajevo]

Originally Posted by withthesword

i carry a carter neck knife every day. probably gets used even more than my edc pocket knife.

Matte

This thread was about kitchen knives only; any reference to carriage, etc., of knives will have only one inevitable and entirely understandable consequence.

[69mach351]

I will second the ceramic knife. We were given some by some friends and they were absolutely awesome. On a down side, one got chipped in two places. We ended up tossing it because of that.

[tattooedfagin]

Used Global ceramics over Xmas, only bought due to 60% discount but impressive all the same

[Gaijin]

This discussion is about kitchen knives and has not gone off track. I doubt that this will be locked unless it does. The spirit of the law not the letter of the law.

[masterserg]

Originally Posted by 69mach351

I will second the ceramic knife. We were given some by some friends and they were absolutely awesome. On a down side, one got chipped in two places. We ended up tossing it because of that.

Exactly my point above. Gotta find that hardness balance (edge retention vs. durability/resistance to chips).

My preference is around 58 ... even 59 RC ... Harder than that, the edge lasts a long time but it is brittle and hard to sharpen properly (you need to know what you're doing). On the other hand, take Henckels ... they make great stuff at a reasonable price but I find the steel to be too soft (I think they are around 56/57) ... they take a fantastic edge, razor sharp ... but slice a couple kiwis or strawberries and it starts dulling right there ... The flipside is that they are super easy to sharpen ... just a couple passes and you are good to go. This depends on how it was heat treated.

Ceramic knives are way above on the scale (not sure what are the values but I would guess over 80 as they are second only to diamonds?) so they technically can go a long time without maintenance ... if they don't chip that is.

All brands mentioned in the thread make quality stuff and will take on a great edge if maintained properly. The differences relate to stuff like this ... how long will the edge last? will it chip? does it need to be touched up every day? does it take on a nice polish?

Contrary to popular belief ... a sharp knife is a safe knife.

I love S30V / S35V steel ... IMHO, it hits that perfect balance. There are other steels such as ZDP 189, S90V etc that are higher end and take on a better edge that lasts longer but they are a pain to maintain.

Anyway, if anybody wants to continue this discussion, please feel free to PM me ... I rather keep this thread open as it is quite interesting.

Some basic reading about the Rockwell hardness scale here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell_scale