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Thread: Kitchen Knives -- lots of good knives, but what about value?

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    Default Kitchen Knives -- lots of good knives, but what about value?

    I've had some crap knives from Chicago Cutlery, to independent pieces from ceramic LG pairing, Henckel Twin 4star bread and a couple Shun pieces I've recieved as a gift (a boneing and Santoku)

    The Henckel is a serrated blade so I've only used it really ever for Bread

    The Shun pieces are great all around, but its incredibly difficult to get the edge right. Its not a standard sharpen or edge process with a steel or sharpener.

    Overall the balance of the Shun is nice, but my god its an expensive knife and it just isn't the length I needed.

    So low & behold, I dug around the net to find out whether there are a few good values around that have received some solid review.

    & There were a number.
    They range from specific cuisineart knives, to mundials, victorinox to henckel or wustoff.

    However it seems that from a culinary perspective, alot of restaurants use products supplied by restaurant supply companies. (go figure right? lol)

    So I dug around further, and I see that a number of restaurants purchase two major brands for general use, but one significantly more.

    Victorinox Forschner -- Very popular, especially in a plastic fibrox handle. Thin, light flexable blade that holds an alright edge, but very easy to sharpen.
    Made of stamped powder'd steel. Very affordable

    The most however preferred (I called 4 different supplies across NA): Henckel Twin Master (part of their twin line). Lightweight compared to other Twin Henckles as its not a full tang knife, and has a bright plastic yellow fibrox handle.
    Apparently its the SAME blade as what Henckel uses in all their Twins, ranging from cuisine, fourstar and even pro.

    Now, you won't find much about the Twin Master, as Henckel doesn't have much published online about them. But they are stamped on the blade with the same method Frudoir - hot drop cooled method as the other blades are in the ZWILLING JA Henckle TWIN line (Pro/4star/cuisine)

    Now, the yellow fibrox plastic handle is light but is non-slip. Its not nearly as astheticially pleasing but its overall weight is reasonably balanced. Compared to the Victorinox Forschner, its much stiffer in the blade and feels more substantial.
    The yellow is bright, but made to be for two reasons: Kitchen theft deturrent
    To be highly visable for safety (such as in dishwater, where it shouldn't be)

    My buddy is a prep cook at the palliser, and he was always raving about some German yellow handled knife. I called him today, and said... did you mean Henckles? He told me to wait, then picked up the phone and said, yup those ones.

    I can live with the yellow, and think that they look pretty badass on my magnetic holder.

    This is the thing.. I went to Genea kitchen supplies and picked up a 10" Chef's knife, 9" slicer and a pairing knife (all twin masters) for $59.70
    That's less than half the price of an equivalent Chef's knife from Henckle's retail line.

    Even their reps said its not worth spending the extra cash on the other Henckel knives, which they carry, as they are adamant that the blades are the same. Same performance, almost 1/5 the price! They also had some nice Globe & Wustoff, but said, that this yellow handled Chef's knife will be the last I'll buy.

    I took it home, and have to say that they are on-par performance wise with the Shun's.. in fact easier as the Chef's knife is a better all purpose in my hands than the Santoku.

    I'm pretty certain that I'll never spend any more on knives than I have to, as with other things such as my other cookware and preperation pieces.
    Last edited by r3ccOs; 09-25-2009 at 12:16 AM.

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    Have a look at the thread I started in the Home & Garden section about this exact topic:

    http://forums.beyond.ca/st/276874/good-kitchen-knives/

    I did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that fewer excellent knives were better than a whole set of decent ones. I ended up with a Santoku knife hand made in Japan by a knife/sword smith. There is no comparison between that and Henkel/Wusthof in my opinion. The German knives are made out of a lower quality steel, lose their edge faster, but they are better for rougher work of if you are going to be hitting a lot of bones.

    Shun knives are decent but they are the "low end of the high end" and they don't sell them in Japan. They tend to be marked up a lot by various stores but you can probably get them cheaper online if you must have them.

    Go visit Kevin down at Kinfewear and try out some knives there, you won't want to cut with anything else again. The Japanese knives are harder to sharpen but they are also much harder steel so you need to sharpen them a lot less often. It's probably best to have a professional sharpen your knives anyways.

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    Yea I should have posted this thread in a home & garden.

    I realize that blades can obviously range from absolute garbage to the exclusive like anything.

    I think that Wustoffs & Henckels are like the Rolex of knives, where they are somewhat common, but have great appeal and quality.

    Where as those exclusive knives that Kevin has are like those Patek Phillipe watches which are extraordinary.

    However that is reflected in its price...
    I mean god damn a Henckel 4star block costs close to $200 or more for a large one.

    This thread was about knives with good -> great performance for a good price.

    So far my commercial grade yellow handled Henckels with the Fridour blades have been tremendous value and have performed incredibly.

    I can built a whole set and buy a magnetic holder for about the same price as the block I mentioned lol.

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    ^^^ Did you mean Geanel Restaurant Supplies? I couldn't find a Genea kitchen supplies in Calgary
    heloc that shit

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    That it... my bad Geanel

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    Originally posted by r3ccOs
    Yea I should have posted this thread in a home & garden.

    I realize that blades can obviously range from absolute garbage to the exclusive like anything.

    I think that Wustoffs & Henckels are like the Rolex of knives, where they are somewhat common, but have great appeal and quality.

    Where as those exclusive knives that Kevin has are like those Patek Phillipe watches which are extraordinary.

    However that is reflected in its price...
    I mean god damn a Henckel 4star block costs close to $200 or more for a large one.

    This thread was about knives with good -> great performance for a good price.

    So far my commercial grade yellow handled Henckels with the Fridour blades have been tremendous value and have performed incredibly.

    I can built a whole set and buy a magnetic holder for about the same price as the block I mentioned lol.
    Kevin has some bang for the buck stuff too, $80-$150/knife if I recall, and you can easily spend that on Henkel/Wusthof stuff. IMO those are exceptional knives at good prices.

    There's nothing wrong with a good set from Henkel/Wusthof though, and it sounds like you have a good thing going with that kitchen supply store. I might have to check that out for the kinves I don't care about quite as much (I wanted at least one really good multi-purpose knfe).
    Last edited by Mitsu3000gt; 09-25-2009 at 11:28 AM.

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    first of more to come

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    what is that bottom knife with the weird round end on it?

    but i want some of these yellow knives. Does Geanel Restaurant Supplies have a physical store i can go into, or do i have to call them and order them?

    also, the only thing about not having a full tang is that at some point, the handle is going to fall off the knife. i've had this happen within a couple of years for some knives, but have others for about 8 years now that still have the handles. but really, if you can get several years out of a knife that is like $20, it's worth it to just buy a new one when it breaks.
    Last edited by nonlinear; 09-25-2009 at 02:54 PM.

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    oops
    Last edited by nonlinear; 09-25-2009 at 02:53 PM.

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    both of those knives have the same markings on them and yup Genael off of 36th ave NE has a whole showroom stock full of these things.

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    never mind those dollar store knives

    try the RONCO knives

    https://www.ronco.com/knives/Default...=google-knives



    "Prices are amazing."
    Last edited by thetransporter; 10-02-2009 at 01:31 PM.

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    go ronco!

    But I'll probably buy a nice hand hammered Santoku from Kevin @ knifeware

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    Bottom knife I believe is a carving knife or slicing knife, pretty sure its used for roasts so you can slice thin, I'll post up the knives I've been currently using and have had since 2000 and still going strong, they are also JA Henkels but 5 star series
    Last edited by dj_rice; 10-02-2009 at 10:21 PM.
    Originally posted by GTS Jeff
    You know those bored stay at home moms who's entire lives revolve around driving their kids to soccer, various cleaning accessories, and worrying about neighbourhood rapists? The kind of people that watch the View and go "uh huh..." Those unfulfilled people who try to fill the void in their empty lives by writing whiny letters to the editor complaining about shit that no one really cares about?

    Well imagine if instead of writing that letter to the editor, she just posts on a car forum for car enthusiasts. That's Kritafo.

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    I was thinking of picking up one of those yellow handled chef's knives but I don't really need it. They go for about $30-$35. Seems like a good value.

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    I use Rada:

    http://www.radacutlery.com/

    Here's the thing though. They are SHARP AS HELL, but with a caveat: they require frequent resharpening. The blades are ultra thin and can slice through anything. They are very reasonably priced (i.e. you can get about 6 for the price of a Wustoff). But regarding the sharpening - because they are so thin, they can be resharpened in literally seconds. There's a special sharpening tool they have with 2 wheels on it. Run it through a few times and it's good as new. Plus they come with a lifetime warranty. People have chipped knives trying to cut stupid things, they'll send it in and Rada just gives them a new one.

    Anyway, I've had mine for about 2 years now and they are still awesome and are my most used knives. I also received a Wustof $150 knife for my wedding and hardly use it cause it just doesn't see to compare at all to the Radas.

    Aside from the frequent sharpening, the only other thing would be avoid the dishwasher unless you won't mind mild oxidation on the handles (blades are perfect though).

    If you want the best, try visiting Paul's Finest and getting a Misono...

    http://www.paulsfinest.com/
    You have a couple of photos that are great... you must be very good at photoshop!

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    Originally posted by clem24
    I use Rada:

    http://www.radacutlery.com/

    Here's the thing though. They are SHARP AS HELL, but with a caveat: they require frequent resharpening. The blades are ultra thin and can slice through anything. They are very reasonably priced (i.e. you can get about 6 for the price of a Wustoff). But regarding the sharpening - because they are so thin, they can be resharpened in literally seconds. There's a special sharpening tool they have with 2 wheels on it. Run it through a few times and it's good as new. Plus they come with a lifetime warranty. People have chipped knives trying to cut stupid things, they'll send it in and Rada just gives them a new one.

    Anyway, I've had mine for about 2 years now and they are still awesome and are my most used knives. I also received a Wustof $150 knife for my wedding and hardly use it cause it just doesn't see to compare at all to the Radas.

    Aside from the frequent sharpening, the only other thing would be avoid the dishwasher unless you won't mind mild oxidation on the handles (blades are perfect though).

    If you want the best, try visiting Paul's Finest and getting a Misono...

    http://www.paulsfinest.com/
    I'm going to take your word and order up a set. I have read nothing but good things about these knives, although information is hard to find. The one thing that makes me worry is that their primary marketing tactic is selling through fundraisers. I have read that they compare to the better known brands like Wustof and Henckels though, but at a fifth of the price and made in the U.S.A. I'll follow up and post findings
    Original Post NAZI Moderated


    Originally posted by r3cc0s
    Felon or Mistermeiner

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    Originally posted by Weapon_R


    I'm going to take your word and order up a set. I have read nothing but good things about these knives, although information is hard to find. The one thing that makes me worry is that their primary marketing tactic is selling through fundraisers. I have read that they compare to the better known brands like Wustof and Henckels though, but at a fifth of the price and made in the U.S.A. I'll follow up and post findings
    Yes they truly are. They seem to sell mostly through word of mouth and such. The reason why I personally like them so much is that they are so thin but strong. They are basically modeled after surgical tools. I highly recommend the French chef's knife and the carrot peeler - it is by far the sharpest carrot peeler I have ever used. And do make sure you buy the sharpener as well. You'll love the knives even more knowing that you got a whole set of them for the price of 2 wustoff or henckels.
    You have a couple of photos that are great... you must be very good at photoshop!

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    I was about to buy a set of Victorinox Fibrox for $100 and found these on Amazon U.S. for $49. The Henckels were at least $150+ but I think these are going to be good. If they work out I'll get a set for my parents as well.
    Original Post NAZI Moderated


    Originally posted by r3cc0s
    Felon or Mistermeiner

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    Tried out a set of Forschners the other day...
    For vegetables, the Forschner Santoku w/ Graton edge is fabulous.

    Its thin... its light, and doesn't stick and the fibrox handle is comfortable.

    The thin stamped blade, I was able to sharpen razor sharp with a diamond steel and a solid finishing steel.

    That being said, its easy to hone, but will lose its edge faster, as its rockwell is a 54-55...

    It also is a bit light IMO for meats, even the larger 10" chefs, where the Twin master is more tapered and heavier.

    The twin master cannot be sharped as much, as its a thicker blade (well they don't have a santoku), but it does hold the edge better...

    A 4star henckel and Wustoff Triden is anywhere from 55-57
    The henckel Ceramax is rated @ 66, which will hold an incredible edge, but will require a diamond steel (which will still wear quikcly) to hone.

    Now... get this boys & girls... there are plenty of other knives that get into the top sharpness point without breaking the bank.

    Shun has a number of FG10 & FG1 steel blades (the one with the metal folds) for about the same price as the Wustoff and Henckels with a much harder rockwell of HRC of 61

    but... above that... there is a 7" Ikea Slitbar series chef knife also made of the same FG10 that should have the same rockwell rating for $79.99 (that is the only knife that is a FG10 in the collection, and you can tell by the folds)

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    I have a "twin gourmet" and it is stamped, not forged....its the low end of the twin line. I think the Twin Masters are stamped also. They are made in spain. The 4-star, Pro-S with the forged blades are all made in Germany.

    Anyways I'm not really that impressed with it but for $35 it's good to have. I'm been looking at that ikea FG10 knife...it sure does look nice. I was thinking of going a different way and going for these presidents choice ceramic knives. They are really sharp, and at $25 for a chef knife, if it lasts a year with proper care, I think it might be a real option to consider for the home user who doesn't want to deal with sharpening their german or japanese knife. Just throw it out and get a new one when it gets dull.
    Last edited by szw; 10-21-2009 at 07:41 AM.

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