Good set of Kitchen Knives - Suggestions?

[freshprince1]

Good morning all, I'm looking into a good set of kitchen knives. Just wondering what you may come across available locally?

Not wanting to spend ridiculous amounts of money, but I don't mind investing in a high quality set that will last forever.

What have you had good luck with?

Cutco? Henkel? Kuradori?

[flipstah]

You don't need a good 'set'. You just need one or two knives, really.

- A chef's knife
- A cleaver

I'd check out Knifewear in Inglewood for a chef's knife and just buy a cheap, heavy duty cleaver from T&T or Lucky's and get it sharpened through them.

[FixedGear]

Definitely not cutco.

[sillysod]

I can say that the sharpest best knives I've ever used were in XL Brooks meat plant. They are not expensive and you can get them any industrial wholesalers (Russel food equipment, Hendrix etc.)

I have a set of really nice Wusthof knives and I never ever use them. I use the $20.00 commercial knives everytime.

http://img5.foodservicewarehouse.com/Prd/200SQ/DexterRussell_S112-6PCP.jpg

they are ugly, but the difference is that knives for residential use are stainless steel and they do not hold an edge very well, surgical steel is easier to sharpen and holds it's edge nicely.

The catch... no dishwasher because they will rust. You need to hand wash them and oil them before putting them away.

Unless you are doing delicate work as a sushi chef you do not need a fancy knife. You want something that is easily sharpened and holds an edge well.

Also keep in mind $2.00 knife sharpening on Tuesday at Hendrix. every 6 months I drop off all our kitchen knives there.

[ExtraSlow]

Agreed, you don't want a "set" of knives. You want two or three knives of good quality.

For me, I find cheap wal-mart bread knives to be a good as more expensive ones. Same deal for paring knives. Don't spend much here. Spend $30 at wal-mart on those two, and them buy a really good chef's knife or santoku.
For Cleaver, it's not high-end, but I really like my Lee Valley - Chinese Cleaver (http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=32457&cat=2,40733,40738,32457) . Only costs $20, but it's decent quality steel, and it holds an edge well enough for my use. Nicely weighted.

[in*10*se]

since you dropped Henkel, you can pick up a "cheaper" set at bed bath and beyond.

I went to chinook Williams Sonoma and tried out a bunch of sets for weight, feel and look. Settled on the wustoff ikon set. As long as you keep any of the "higher" end knives sharpened, you shouldn't ever have a problem. (they'll usually throw in a free knife sharpener)

I'd recommend trying out a knife set before you buy.
Williams sonoma was good about taking them out of the case and testing a bunch. So start there.

[A790]

Paid $185 for these back in May and have been happy. I don't need anything fancy right now and they sharpen up nicely.

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0054O1RKE/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[freshprince1]

Thanks for the tips.


And thanks to the mods for moving this thread over here....I'm a bit rusty.

[Mitsu3000gt]

My advice is go to Knifewear, and pick up 1-3 Japanese knives. They will be better than just about anything else, and you don't need a full block - a Santoku can do almost anything, then add maybe a paring knife and maybe a carving knife, whatever your preference. I just have the 1 Santoku, and it works for almost everything.

The knife I have from there is ridiculous. 3 other people have gone out and bought it after trying it. WAY sharper than anything I have ever used, and holds it's edge like crazy. It will slice all the way through a tomato with just the weight of the knife. Most of them are like that there, you can try them out. He has his own brand of knives now too, made to his spec in Japan - I would look at those too.

If you need steak knives for guests, just pick up a cheap set of Henkels when they go on sale, or similar.

Just visit Knifewear, and I suspect after learning about them and trying those knives, you'll never buy a "normal" store brand again. Plus it's cool to have a knife handmade by a swordsmith in Japan haha.

[Tram Common]

Originally posted by flipstah
You don't need a good 'set'. You just need one or two knives, really.

- A chef's knife
- A cleaver

I'd check out Knifewear in Inglewood for a chef's knife and just buy a cheap, heavy duty cleaver from T&T or Lucky's and get it sharpened through them.

I don't know. I thought this way too before picking up my ultra cheap Walmart complete set and I was really surprised how much I used all the knives.

If you are willing to take care of your knives, most cheap sets will serve you just fine. I would love a nice $300.00 + small set... but in all honesty, my $40 on sale special complete set from Walmart has lasted me the last two years just fine.

Don't put them in the dishwasher, clean them after every use (don't let them sit while you eat and drink and laugh) and sharpen them regularly... good to go.

That all being said, I'm no chef... I cook simple meals that require very little in the way of meat preparation... and I almost never use a cleaver.

[CanmoreOrLess]

Remember if you are buying a traditional Japanese chef knife, they come in L and R. Use the wrong one and you'll know it, better have 911 on speed dial.

[msommers]

I have 3 knives and only use two: Chef's Knife and Paring Knife. Some of the Shun knives are pretty good. I was given Ice Bear knives which are some Japanese rebrand with the VG-10 core. They've worked well and remained very sharp, but how they compare to others I'm not entirely sure.

Don, how often do you use your clever? I can't think of an instance yet where I wish I had one.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Shun is at the "bottom end" of anything Kinfewear sells, at least that's what they told me when I was in there.

It's a pretty good knife that is marked up a lot and sold at places like Williams Sonoma. You can buy the same or better quality for less money in other brands you've probably never heard of at Knifewear. Nothing wrong with Shun, it's just overpriced (so I am told, based on construction process, steel, etc.).

[msommers]

They have different levels from what I remember, it's been awhile since I was researching knives.

Quality Japanese knives are the way to go though, it's a lifetime investment that will make your life so much easier if you enjoy cooking. Mine are top or probably even mid-level but they're so much better than any knife set offered.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by msommers
I have 3 knives and only use two: Chef's Knife and Paring Knife. Some of the Shun knives are pretty good. I was given Ice Bear knives which are some Japanese rebrand with the VG-10 core. They've worked well and remained very sharp, but how they compare to others I'm not entirely sure.

Don, how often do you use your clever? I can't think of an instance yet where I wish I had one.

I primarily use my cleaver for everything, especially if I'm hacking into chicken and need to cut through bone.

I use it to chop, mince, slice, tenderize... I don't pull out anything else, really. I don't do deboning/filleting so I don't need a pointed tip or flexible steel.

My dad is the one that uses the chef's knife because he wanted one for his birthday.

[geoffreyjames]

I'll second the Wusthof Ikon recommendation! They occasionally go on sale at Crate and Barrel, so keep an eye out if you're interested.

[A|pine]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
You can buy the same or better quality for less money in other brands you've probably never heard of at Knifewear. Nothing wrong with Shun, it's just overpriced (so I am told, based on construction process, steel, etc.).

I am in with mitsu.

If you're really looking into investing for knives this is what I recommend. The folks at Knifewear will hook you up and if you purchase all the knives I'm sure if you ask for a deal he or she may cut you in as an independently owned shop.

If you're serious this is what you need for a home cook (As per Thomas Keller's Ad hoc at home):

Honing stone (they'll throw this in if you buy all knives)
Good chef's knife - all purpose you'll use this for almost everything
Fillet Knife (flexible, tapered) - great for fish, and deboning especially if you do your own butchering
Pairing knife - peeling and fine dices on shallots. Easier for kids to use due to the size.

Cleaver - you can get a generic one from TnT. Reserved for cutting through bones etc.

Slicing Knife (longer) - great for meats, in my opinion this isn't a must (he lists it in the book)
Luxuries - Santoku

[bcylau]

both shun and wusthof are basically made by the same principles. mass manufacturing, a knife geometry that has mass/ general appeal (so its easy to use with any technique, but bad at doing a specific cut well), and an overly thick blade for most kitchen cutting (ie overbuild, so no blade failure, but poor performance). And there is really nothing wrong with those, but they are just more show than go.

But really you can make any blade cut well if you have a good sharpening system, on the most basic level, good knives just stretch out the time you need before the next sharpening.

I would suggest going to knifewear and checking out some blades. If you are the type to internet shop then

$7 shipping from japan, hard to beat for value on some blades
http://japanesechefsknife.com/

canadian option, wusthofs are on there as well
http://www.paulsfinest.com/

american site with alot of knives at good deal (ie american pricing lol)
http://www.chefknivestogo.com/

More service oriented knife stores
https://toshoknifearts.com/
http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/
http://www.knifewear.com/

and there are some custom makers too if you want to get crazy they charge about $40 to $100+ per inch of knife
http://www.cartercutlery.com/
http://www.rodrigueknives.com/
http://www.devinthomas.com/

[Red@8]

I get my knives from here:
http://korin.com/

I have picked up a couple of blades from Togiharu that I am in love with. I had tested various blades from Shun, Wusthof, Henckles, etc but really felt comfortable with the knives I picked up.

I have a set of "one man" Henckles which I use for every day stuff. The Togiharu are far superior but in a different price range of course.

Occasionally they have a 15% off sale.

Their customer service is unreal and although I am local here in NYC they do say they ship worldwide. The only drawback would be not being able to try the knives before you actually buy them. Which I would definitely suggest you do as that completely changed my purchase.

[89coupe]

Have a look at these brands, most used by Elite Chef's around the world.

http://korin.com/


Akifusa Asai Aogami
http://bernalcutlery.com/shop/category/all-cutlery/japanese-knives

I use three knives more then anything, a Santoku, a paring knife & a clever.

Thats is.

[suntan]

Victorinox Fibrox knives. CI's favourites. I use these mostly now because they have an excellent edge and are not expensive at all.

You need three knives:

Chef's
Bread
Paring

Optionally a meat slicer is nice to have.

http://www.amazon.ca/Victorinox-40520-Fibrox-8-Inch-Chefs/dp/B000638D32/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382546324&sr=8-1&keywords=victorinox+knife

http://www.amazon.ca/Victorinox-Bread-Knife-Serrated-blade/dp/B000IAZC1O/ref=sr_1_30?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1382546443&sr=1-30&keywords=Victorinox

http://www.amazon.ca/Victorinox-Paring-Knife-4-Red/dp/B000IAZBWO/ref=pd_sim_k_3

These are available locally at Hendrix:

http://www.hendrixequip.com/

Also Happy Cooker in Market Mall and the knife store in North Hill Mall has them.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Can buy Victorianox at winners sometimes. Good Japanese knives are awesome. A good Santoku or Nikiri will serve you well for for a couple of decades if taken care of. Speaking of which, I do have a very nice used Asai Santoku VG10 for sale. Rarely used after I got a Fujiwara.

[LOLzilla]

I'm trying to support the American economy. I've two knives from LamsonSharp from the Fire series.

http://www.lamsonsharp.com/store/p/705-Fire-Forged-7-Kullenschliff-Santoku.html

I'm a big fan of the handle as it does not hold moisture.

[Weapon_R]

I swear by rada knives and love them. As sharp as a razor blade but you need the sharpener. I might pick up a heavier chefs knife from another brand but otherwise these are unbelievable for the price.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Canadian tire has some very heavily discounted knife sets (Henkel, Cuisinart) in German and Japanese styles if anyone is looking for a decent, cheap, full set.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/8/KitchenBath/Knives/KnifeSets/PRD~1422444P/Cuisinart+14-piece+Japanese+Knife+Set.jsp?locale=en

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/8/KitchenBath/Knives/KnifeSets/PRDOVR~1425464P/Henckels+Classic+Forged+Knife+Block+Set%2C+15-pc.jsp?locale=en

[r3ccOs]

its really all about budget because sky's the limit

I have quite a number of knives that I've owned throughout the years...

I started with victorinox forschner stamped blades.
They're cheap, they flexible, and a razor sharp edge can be put on them. They are comfortable, but are very light and the steel isn't overly "hard", which then results in it losing it's edge fast.

I still have a fillet knife, as nothing beats a good stamped blade for its thinness and flexibility for filleting

I then bought a Henkel Twin master series set, which included a pairing knife, chef's knife, deboning/butcher knife, and slicer.
Like the forschner, these can be purchased at a restaurant supply store.
They use a fridour ice hardened blade which is a decent steel.
I find they're easy to sharpen, and maintain an edge with basic honing.
The handle are a yellow plastic, and aren't slippery as wet, but not quite as nice as the Forschner.

I put these knives a couple steps above the forschner and I use these when I travel, doing bbq comps.
If I lose or have one stolen, it really doesn't break the bank.

http://www.zwilling.ca/zwilling/knives-and-accessories/twin-master/32106-260-twin-master-butcher-s-knife-10-260-mm#.UmsWNPmTizk

I then got a great deal on a set of henkel twin 4 star
The set included a 8' chef's, a Santoku, a pairing knife, a bread knife, and a couple other utility 4' knives.

These knives are awesome, period.

They use a slightly different steel than the master and a hybrid SIGMAFORGE forging process, using a full tang.

Any of the Twins outside of the master I believe use the same steel, and have different handles for different ergonomics.

I can't say anything bad about them at all...
Great Balance, Great non-slip handle, steel that's super easy to hone, and maintains an awesome edge.
They are machine washable, and stainless really never rusts, which is a plus.

I also own 2 more knives... and one I use the majority of the time...
Takeda Santoku and a 200mm sushi knife.

One is blue steel number 2, and the other is "super" blue steel.

These high carbon knives are stupid sharp, as they're shapened at 18 degrees, they are super hard because they're forged high carbon steel, BUT are also brittle and are more prone to rust.

You have to be more careful with handling these knives, as they are delicate... you have to dry them, as any moisture will create rust.

The handle is a basic wood handle, and if you get used to holding a santoku properly, it's fantastic!

the balance of a true japanses santoku, and the damascus/unrefined finish really help keep food from stick on it, better than those stupid grattons on most stainless knives.

I use this knife often... very often. BUT if the job requires heavy cutting or cleaving... I'm off to something else, like my Henkel Chef's or my Butcher's knife.

these are expensive knives, but if you are to own one, get a good hand forged santoku.

[C_Dave45]

For your average homeowner, the biggest factor in having a good knife is just keeping it sharp. I see people spending huge dollars on knives, but then hardly ever sharpen them. We bought a real good, and easy to use sharpener, and our knives cut everything like butter. We even put one in the camper. Makes prepping for dinner a breeze.

I talked to a professional butcher and he just buys average knives, but of course sharpens them every few hours.

Keeping a knife sharp is the key.

[msommers]

I wish I was really good at sharpening blades properly. Does that guy in Inglewood do any courses or anything?

[flipstah]

Originally posted by msommers
I wish I was really good at sharpening blades properly. Does that guy in Inglewood do any courses or anything?

I believe they do sharpening and cutting classes. On a side note, do you have Instagram? Follow me for some killer food porn made using the cleaver. :drool:

Everyone loves filters :rofl:

[msommers]

I don't have to be on Instragram to snoop do I? But yeah I'd be interested what you hack up haha.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by msommers
I don't have to be on Instragram to snoop do I? But yeah I'd be interested what you hack up haha.

Guess not lol.

www.instagram.com/doncommando

Its mostly slicing and dicing stuff but I might be hacking up a whole chicken for next week so be on the lookout for that.

[WhippWhapp]

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/wusthof-classic/deluxe-knife-block-set-p122391

[bcylau]

sharpening system is the most important part about cutlery, and its fairly easy to learn. check out cartercutlery.com and www.japaneseknifeimports.com , they both have very good videos on sharpening.

lee valley have some of the cheapest waterstones that you can buy, http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=33009&cat=1,43072,67175,67177&ap=1

thats pretty good to learn on.

for a good knife, you would want 60 or over in rockwell hardness, which pretty much eliminates all german knives. look up VG10 steel, AEB-L, CPM154 for stainless. or tool steels like srs15, d2, s2, zdp, m4 are good but tough to sharpen for a beginner. and the easiest to sharp are the carbon steels, it good if you want to learn about sharpening. 52100, hitachi white, or blue, and similar steels are the ones you want to be looking for.

[nagooro]

Bump...has anyone tried or have a set of Chicago cutlery knives?

Looking to pick up a set in the next few days. Was initially leaning towards a set of Henckels, but after reading this thread I might take a look at some of the other options.

Are any stores in Calgary significally cheaper than others? (knifewear, the bay, bed bath and beyond, etc)

[gpomp]

^Hendrix's prices are pretty reasonable. I think it's about within a few dollars of what you would pay from amazon

[birdman86]

One guy told me these fancy expensive knives are so sharp they can cut onions without making you cry - is that true

[npham]

How much are you looking to spend? I wouldn't bother with a set. Just get a couple high quality knives - paring, santoku/chef's and you are good to go for 90% of the time.

[jdmakkord]

I use my Masakage Nikiri for most of my cutting. Sharper than any commercial grade or consumer grade knife I've ever used.

[Strider]

This piqued my interest after reading the glowing review on Serious Eats. I'm much too impatient to wait more than 2 days for anything now though (ruined by Amazon).

However, would be down for a group buy if anyone else is interested (cheaper per knife and save on shipping)

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/118233123/misen-cook-sharp

[msommers]

Go to Knifewear and get one or two knives. A set isn't necessary.

This is what I have: http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=66571&cat=2,40733,40738,66571

I took a sharpening course at Knifewear and they were surprised Lee Valley had such decent knives.

[ExtraSlow]

Lee Valley has several excellent knives at really good prices.

I think it's a total waste to have a a set of more than four knives. Get fewer knives of better quality and you will never look back.

[dirtsniffer]

have 4 knives is definitely sufficient excluding steak knives obviously. We have wustof and shun knives and they are awesome.

[msommers]

I use 3 knives. A chef, paring and bread.

Don't see the point of many more :dunno:

[blitz]

I keep one shitty one around for other people to use.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by msommers
I use 3 knives. A chef, paring and bread.

Don't see the point of many more :dunno:

I like a 5" utility knife in addition to that list.

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by msommers
I use 3 knives. A chef, paring and bread.

Don't see the point of many more :dunno:

That's all I've ever used when cooking/baking.

[Squishy]

We have Lagostina's most expensive set from Canadian Tire. It's like $1200 or something ridiculous regular price but got them on sale for $500. They're pretty nice knives. No issues with them so far, coming up on a year in December of usage. We did have to exchange the scissors though because it was binding. No issues doing that though.

[stevieo]

http://japanesechefsknife.com

That's where I buy my knives for work. Comparable to knifewear but less $

[saiyajin]

Originally posted by stevieo
http://japanesechefsknife.com

That's where I buy my knives for work. Comparable to knifewear but less $

is it in USD? with our CAD value they're probably pretty close now :nut:

[freshprince1]

Originally posted by nagooro
Bump...has anyone tried or have a set of Chicago cutlery knives?

Looking to pick up a set in the next few days. Was initially leaning towards a set of Henckels, but after reading this thread I might take a look at some of the other options.

Are any stores in Calgary significally cheaper than others? (knifewear, the bay, bed bath and beyond, etc)

After starting this thread, I actually ended up buying a set of Henckels. I was at the Bay near christmas time, and they had a 12 piece set on sale for like $300...regular $900!? This includes 4 steak knives, a big and medium slicer, bread, pairing, sharpener rod, small serated veggie. I like having the choice of what to use...and when preparing big meals, its nice to have enough knives to go around.

Per the advice in the thread, I also bought a nice sharpener and these knives have been fantastic. I ended up spending less. I think the quality is above average...but nothing too crazy. And I only have to sharpen them like every 3 months or so.

Just make sure you buy Henckel "Twins" of some sort. The more little Henckel guys they have on the blade, the higher the quality. Costco Henckels only have one guy. The set I bought have the twins...and then there are also triplets, i believe.

Good luck.

[stevieo]

Originally posted by saiyajin


is it in USD? with our CAD value they're probably pretty close now :nut:

Oh man.. I actually don't remember haha. I bought my knives maybe 4 years ago, and still going strong. Sorry couldn't answer your question.

[chathamf]

I've been rocking the Schmidt Bros knives they sell at Costco now Got them for 60 bucks a couple months back, but there 99 now I believe. Great knives. Seem like they will hold up fine.

[redline]

I have some twin star 4 II henkels for the every day knives , then I have some knives from knifewear for my knives. I want to pick up a new carving knife from knife wear then I am done buying knives.

[BlueHaloGirl]

I've used J.A. Zwilling Henkles the 4 star series and the Wuesthof trident grand pre professionally and love them both.
Of course I have them now at home and use them daily but as a chef I'm partial to higher quality knives.

As already mentioned if you spend the money on high quality knives you need to keep them sharpened. Same goes for cheaper knives. If you keep them out of the dish washer and maintain their edge you will get years out of them. A good stone and proper steel is all you need. The stone for monthly sharpening and the steel for every time you use your knife. I put my blade to my steel before every use to keep the edge.

Out of all my knives I only use my chefs knife (8 inch or 12 inch), paring knife (3 inch or 4 inch), boning knife, filet knife and bread knife on a pretty regular basis.

Personally even though I don't cook professionally anymore I still prefer the higher end knifes as they are meant to last when taken proper care. I also prefer the ergonomically moulded handles and most important to me the fact that they are all one piece of metal from the blade through to the handle.