Another 'What Knife!!!'

[37Flipper]

Hi all

I've got about £130 to spend on some knives. I've read loads of reveiw, but as always I thought I'd ask the collective here before I commit. I quite like the look of these 'Henckels' and the Sabatiers (I know they're more than £130, I would be applying man maths to these..)

So before I commit myself to one of these, what else am I missing. The only stipulation is I want a new chefs knife, utility knife and a paring knives as a minimum.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Thanks

Flipper

(I do know that Sabatiers aren't just one brand..)

Edited by 37Flipper on Thursday 17th January 17:57

Edited by 37Flipper on Thursday 17th January 17:59

[21TonyK]

I'd have a look through this lot.

http://www.nisbets.co.uk/2/Kitchen-Chefs-Knives/c0...

Some cracking deals on there if you hunt through the overpriced stuff. I just picked up a couple more knives while they were almost half price.

Personally, unless it's a recognised brand I'd steer clear of "sets" off Amazon. Easy to pick out the 3 or 4 knives you will really use and a roll or cheap block to keep them in.

[21TonyK]

Add a decent flexible knife and a cheap (<£2) tomato knife to your list

[37Flipper]

Forgot to say I like these too!!! Wüsthof

[scenicroute79]

Hard to know what to recommend as a lot of it comes down to personal taste and what feels comfortable to use, I've got a global which i'm very fond of, but quite lightweight, so if you like a bit of weight to your knives then avoid and stick to the German knives or Sabatiers.

You definitely get what you pay for with knives, spend more on a couple rather than a whole set. 8" Chefs Knife and a Paring knife are my staple and very rarely use any others. For me the most important thing is keeping them sharp, and using the right type of sharpener for the right knife is key. Wustof's, Gustav's, Henkels, Sabatiers etc have a high steel content which will hold an edge for longer but can be harder to sharpen. The more Carbon in the blade the softer and easier it is to sharpen, though less durable as a result.

I've never got on too well with a steel, and use a Chef's Choice Diamond Hone on all but my Global for which I use a ceramic water sharpener.

I'd personally recommend Victorinox knives and one of the Chefs Choice Sharpeners. Great Combo, not the flashiest of knives but strike a perfect balance of weight, comfort and ease of sharpening and reasonably priced.

Hope this helps.

[uncinqsix]

Check out these. You only really need two knives - a 210 or 240mm Gyuto and a 120mm Petty. Otherwise have a look at the Fujiwara FKM on the same site. Great value.

scenicroute79 said:

. The more Carbon in the blade the softer and easier it is to sharpen, though less durable as a result.

Eh? The more carbon, the harder the steel. You didn't mean Chromium did you? (knives made from good plain high carbon steel are the best of both worlds - easy to sharpen and hold their edge very well. But they get rusty if you don't look after them scrupulously.)

Edited by uncinqsix on Thursday 17th January 20:11

[Juicetin1]

Uncinqsix...presumably you can only sharpen a 60/40 bevel blade on a whetstone?

[Huntsman]

I have a Henckels that I got in 1990, its still a bloody good knife, edge comes up well, I suspect it'll outlast me. I have a Sabatier too, both I would consider to be once in a lifetime purchase.

[uncinqsix]

Juicetin1 said:

Uncinqsix...presumably you can only sharpen a 60/40 bevel blade on a whetstone?

That would be right. I doubt there is much practical difference between 50/50 and 60/40 so it's not critical to retain the factory 60/40. However, if you use waterstones it'll probably gravitate to 60/40 anyway, as it's easier to sharpen the front (60) side than the back (40) side.

If you sharpened a 60/40 blade in a pull-through sharpener it would probably end up at 50/50 before too long, but waterstones work much better anyway - it's worth taking a little time to learn to use one.

[scenicroute79]

uncinqsix said:

Eh? The more carbon, the harder the steel. You didn't mean Chromium did you? (knives made from good plain high carbon steel are the best of both worlds - easy to sharpen and hold their edge very well. But they get rusty if you don't look after them scrupulously.)

Edited by uncinqsix on Thursday 17th January 20:11

Maybe softer was the wrong way to put it, but a knife with a higher carbon content should certainly take better to sharpening. Some of those really tough shiny stainless steel blades can be a sod to sharpen if they lose their edge completely.

[uncinqsix]

Toughness is the word you're looking for, and it has more to do with the other alloying elements than carbon. High carbon steel can be very easy or very hard to sharpen depending on what else is in there and how it is heat treated. But yes, some of those modern stainless steels can be a real pig without the right sort of stone!

[shotgunfacelift]

It is true as has been said that you get what you pay for, and imo Global and Wüsthof are the best. Over ten years working with these knives in professional kitchens, they have undergone every test!

Now it's down to what you like, weight and a solid feel (Wüsthof) or a lighter, almost delicate feel with the Global's. Personally I have a mixture of both, for work and for home. My fiancée prefers the Global's and if I'm doing 'heavy' work I prefer the Wüsthof's

As far as durability and length of life is concerned, if you are using them at home for normal everyday cooking then either brand will last you a long long time. Global's have a lifetime guarantee, which in my experience has always been honoured, no questions asked. I have sent them 2 knives back and had them both replaced within a few weeks, no proof of purchase bla bla they just replace them straight away

The Wüsthof's I have are the 'Classic' ones, and also covered by a lifetime guarantee, although I have never had to use it so can't comment on their customer service

In reality you can buy a Wüsthof 'Classic Cooks Knife' and then something like a Global 15cm Santoku and a bread knife (if you enjoy fresh bread at home like I do ) and you'll pretty much be able to get every job done with those. And you'll be a very happy cook