Kitchen Knives - What do I need? What should I look for?

Question

Hi All!!! I'm looking to replace my old and bent knife set, but I don't know where to start! Help me!!! Lol. I'm interested in what brands you recommend, places to purchase knives at reasonable prices, and which specific knives you find useful as a home cook (and why). Also, it would be helpful to know what I should look for and consider when I am researching and testing knives, as well as any tips on caring for/storing the knives. 

I have smallish hands, so I read somewhere that I should look at Japanese knives. (I understand that people usually get either German or Japanese knives...what about Cutco?) I figure i need a chef and paring knife, but that is as far as I got. What's the recommended length of the chef and paring knife? Last question if I buy certain knives (i.e. chef knife) do I still need to purchase shears?

Thanks for your input...I know these are a ton of questions rolled into one post. :)

Answer

Hi Chilidogs,

The quality leader of the inexpensive stamped knives is Victoronix--and they have quite a selection to consider--with plastic and/or rosewood handles. That's a good place to start--and the defining first knife is usually a chef's knife--often 8". The forged knives of Wusthof and Zwilling/Henckels are tiered upwards in price, but will compare directly with knives from Victoronix. If you are slicing up lots of vegetables, you might look for an inexpensive, Japanese style Nikiri as a second big knife (about 6 1/2"). There are different blade styles for 3 1/2" paring knives, so you might want more than one. Your paring and chef's knives should be from the same product line for a common handle.

You should at least consider a pull through sharpener, and possibly a honing rod, to maintain sharpness. Don't buy a knife without holding it in your hand.

Ray

Answer

My wife and I both have smaller hands, and we've found that Global knives just feel more controllable and comfortable.
We have Global's Sai series from Williams-Sonoma: a 7.5"-ish chefs knife, a 4"-ish paring knife, and an 11" serrated bread knife. My wife loves the paring knife and fights me for it when we cook. Even though those are the only knives we 'need,' I'll probably get a 5.5-6" utility knife, too...sometimes a chef's knife is just too unwieldy.

Answer

Hi Chilidogs,

I'd strongly recommend the take-apart kitchen shears/scissors. Here are some alternatives:

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/shears.htm

I got a heavy duty pair made by Wusthof, but unless you get a really cheap Chinese knockoff, I can't see how you could go wrong.

Ray

Answer

A bread knife is handy. But it isn't something you need to spend a lot on.

Answer

I like my Wusthof knives, and I assembled my own set: a chef's knife, a boning knife, a meat-slicing knife, two paring knives, shears, a serrated bread knife, and a much smaller serrated knife, which I use for slicing tomatoes and cased sausages. I also use a steel to keep them sharp between visits to the pro sharpener.

Answer

Japanese knives are usually considered to be superior to German knives. More options with type of steel and hardness rating (HRC) and handles with Japanese kitchen knives. They come in Western handle, D handle and octagonal. Japanese knifes have higher HRC than German. 59-62 is a good range. If you were to compare the profile/geometry of German Chefs knife with a Japanese Gyuto they differ quite a bit. The Japanese knifes are thinner and the belly not as wide. I personally prefer the geometry/profile of a Japanese knife over a German one. Within Japanese knives there are some that just have outstanding geometry and profile. Mix that with good steel, decent HRC, a nice handle, good fit and finish and you have a real winner on your hands. 

The Major retailers only scratch the surface of the Japanese knife market. They typically only offer models from a few Japanese mass produced Co. like Shun, Global, Miyabi, and maybe Mac. Of those Brands I like Mac the best.

If you have a specialty Cutlery shop near you, that is the only way to see and handle some of the other lesser known to general public Japanese brands/smiths. You can do quite a bit of research online/ knife forums and then maybe make a play sight unseen. I don't have a specialty knife shop near me and have done pretty well, buying without handling. I have large hands so that can be challenging as well to find the right fit. Japanese knives are not always small handled. I have western handle, D handle and Octogonal that are all work well for the knives they are on, and they fit me fine. Western handle is a safer play on a Japanese knife because it's a more universal design.

Check measurments and you can always call or e-mail Japanese chefs knife.com or Chubo, Chef knifes to go, Epiedge and ask them about a good reccomendation for your experiance hand size etc.

The best introduction to Japanese knives is going to be the Tojiro Dp. 8 in Gyuto. decent geometry, fit & finish, and ok VG 10 steel and HRC for only $50 -- $60 bucks. Thats where I started and now I have moved on from the DP and discovered a whole world of lesser known but amazing quality Japanese kitchen knives. To be honest I only like the DP from Toijiro if I want a $50 dollar knife, anything from $80 and up I look elsewhere. Japanese K Knives start to get pretty pricy as well, but I have found some great deals also. 

If you buy a nice Japanese knife you pretty much also have signed on to keep the thing sharp. That means learning the whetstones. (No way around it really) You can use a pull through sharpener like the ceramic wheel the Mino Sharp 2 but I only do that for a quickie on my less expensive knives because it sharpens pretty well but scratches a little.

 More maintenance if you go Carbon steel also. You can go SS cladding for less maintenance. This is such a bad ass knife that I don't even care if it is carbon steel. It's just the one to get. On my wish list for sure. I think I have to get the Masamoto wa-petty also

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoNn-yyr0hA

A 8 in Gyuto,, a 6inch petty, a Nakiri and throw in a all purpose but not great at any one task Santoku & should cover your needs pretty well.

A few recommendations beyond the entry level Tojiro would be:

Sakai Takayuki Grand Cheff. Swedish steel good profile decent price. basic upgrade from DP.

Masamoto VG Hyper- Molybdenum 

Masamoto KS

Sakai Yusuke is good.

Ryusen Blazen ( One of the better powdered steel western handled knives)

Hattori HD/ Ryusen 63 layer VG -10( Vg-10 is overdone but this is one of the best, suppose to be good heat treating also.)

Asai

Tanaka ( good rehandle candidate if you get one with a basic D at a low price)

Misono UX 10 One of the better higher production lines.

Takamura ( another powdered steel stand out)

Glestain ( really cool knife w/dimples)

Takeda.

Mizuno

Shigefusa- great black smithing/ handmade. 

The Miz and Shigs higher end offerings are a step up in price and quality.

I told you there was alot to this Japanese Knife business and I still have much to learn. My sharpening skills are not that great yet either.

Wow, that was a long post. That might be it for me for awhile. It's been fun CH'ders.

Answer

I have used carbon steel French knives since the sixties, but last year I was given a Tojiro nakiri, the one with the plain wood handle with a plastic ferrule, probably not super pricey but OMG can it cut! If I were starting new I'd pair it with a similar (maybe a Richmond)) gyuto, probably around 10", and another Dexter 10" bread knife. As for paring knives, I rarely use them, but when I do I love little Sabatier Nogents, from The Best Things. They are super pointy. A Japanese petty might be a good choice, too.

Answer

I'm not in the same league as the great aficionados doling out sound advice here. Nowhere close.

But here's a fun knife to take dancing. You won't marry it, but you'll have a lot of fun.

It was the first knife I ever purchased new for myself 3 years ago... I was at the Wok Shop in San Francisco and asked the owner what might be a good knife and she replied "oh honey! This your knife, this all you need! I use it, she use it, she use it! This knife you want I ring you up - here! $10!"

And with that I was sold a knife. And never once regretted the purchase. It is probably my most used daily knife. $4 every 6 months to sharpen professionally.

I've since added other knives... But if I had to start over with just one. I'd spend that $10 all over again.

So while you're shopping around for an investment, think of this as a nice little try it piece. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001FEJ0WO/ref=pd_aw_fbt_79_img_2/185-0069933-4013620?ie=UTF8&refRID=06ET80XN3QYX40NK3WRF

Answer

CaliforniaJoseph has the right idea. Go to an Asian grocery store and buy what they use in their restaurant. Look at what the Chinese chefs use. Martin Yan sells one but look at that style.

Then there's the Chinese vegetable knife.

Save your money and get what the professionals use.

I have a Russell Green River Works, a Kin Lih, and a Kiwi. Good stuff and cheap.

Someone will say, "You get what you pay for." My reply is, "Many times you don't get what you pay for."

Answer

Hello Chilidogs! 
I think that the most useful 3 knives that you should get are a 10in chef knife, a 3in paring knife, and a serrated bread knife. An 8-inch chef knife seems to be the industry standard but I find a 10 inch a little more useful and when I switch back to my 8-inch if feels too short to efficiently slice and chop on the board. I also prefer the french blade shape (basically the same as a gyuto) to the German as it has a little less belly.and a better point. I suggest finding a knife that is comfortable and easy to maintain. Think a 10 in Victorinox is a great choice and at only 20 dollars or so quite affordable. I think that for a paring knife with a longer/larger handle is very nice and can be more comfortable than the ones with the tiny handles. I would check the paring knife using several grips to see if it feels right in your hand for both on board and in hand cutting. For the bread knife, I personally would just get a cheap. After you have these three knives I would base future purchases on what your personal cooking style requires. If you regularly fish or buy whole fish a fillet knife is going to be a lot more useful for filleting fish than the three knives listed above and you should invest in one. If you regularly de-bone meat a flexible boning knife would be a good choice. if you regularly cook roasts a trenchelard or slicing knife is going to give you cleaner slices than trying to carve with your chef knife. If you regularly make sashimi a yanagiba might be a good investment. Japanese made knives as a general rule are tempered slightly harder and therefore, can hold a slightly sharper edge than german or french knives. A well-made german or french knife will hold a good enough edge to handle most kitchen tasks but will require more steeling and more frequent sharpening. I use the three knives pictured below probably about 80% of the time.
Good luck on your search!
-Mucousmemebrane

Answer

What you 'need' is highly subjective because we all have different cooking styles or prepare different kinds of foods most frequently, thus have different needs. I happen to have a small set of Farberware knives, which is on the cheaper end of mid-range price wise. I know some think this is a "mortal sin" of cooking not to have the most expensive knives ever, but I sharpen mine regularly and have never had issue with chopping with them. I have used more expensive knives at family members houses and honestly, not seen enough of a difference to justify spending hundreds of dollars on a set of them! 

IF I could only have 3 knives, I would have a santoku, chef and bread knife. My santoku is the most commonly used knife I have and if ever I got a truly expensive knife, it would be a santoku. I prefer the feel and shape more than that of the chefs knife, and find it easy for quickly chopping or dicing fruit/veg. I use the 'utility' knife a lot too, but always for small tasks (like cutting a lemon in half, or the top off a tomato kind of thing) and would not invest a lot of $$ in one. Bread knife sees a fair amount of use but I don't think theres much quality difference in bread knives. Personally, I rarely use the chefs knife, only really when I need to split a particularly hard squash or large melon. The one I have is fine and I wouldn't buy an expensive one. I also rarely use the paring knife and probably wouldn't even have one had it not come in the set.

Answer

One bonus I've found with Japanese knives is that with such thin blades, it doesn't wedge produce like the European counterparts. Hardly ever shed a tear now when working with onions. :)

Answer

Whatever knives you get, get a good, professional steel. I bought 3 Forschner knives from a retired butcher awhile ago, and he had a steel in the box - I had a steel that came with my old Wusthof set, but I bought it for 5 bucks. I took it home and used it on the Forschner knives, then on my Wusthof set - the edge it produced with just a few strokes was unbelievable; absolutely no comparison to my Wusthof steel, which I subsequently junked. It's made by Friedrich Dick. They make many models, and there's no number on it, so I can't tell you which one I have. It has a black handle, and the steel section is 12" long. F. Dick also makes knives, but I have no experience with them - I like Dexter Sani-Safe knives, which are inexpensive workhorses that you'll find in a majority of commercial kitchens.

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Kitchen Knives - What do I need? What should I look for?

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NEW OLD HICKORY 7-7 USA MADE 7 INCH BUTCHER KITCHEN KNIFE 6479315 71721070252 eBay

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Old Hickory Knives OH7504 Carbon Steel Paring Knife 4" Blade Superb American eBay

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