Knife choice

[Hosenbugler]

If you could only have 3 types of food prep/slice knives in your kitchen, you know, paring knife etc, what would they be?

[Pothole]

I only have 3

[Crusoe]

Start here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=130...

General chopping Santoku 180mm should do, a small knife like a 135mm Petty and then something larger for chopping through things with bones maybe a small cleaver (kagayaki).

[soad]

Chef's knife
Utility knife
Palette knife

[Hosenbugler]

Pothole said:

I only have 3

Go on then, I'll bite, which three are they?

[calibrax]

Cleaver
Flick knife
Stiletto

Oh sorry, I thought this was the "Crime, Murder and Thuggery" forum

[Hosenbugler]

Crusoe said:

Start here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=130...

General chopping Santoku 180mm should do, a small knife like a 135mm Petty and then something larger for chopping through things with bones maybe a small cleaver (kagayaki).

Thanks Crusoe, I've had a right ol wade through that lot.

I've basically decided on 2, Santoku and paring, but cannot for the hell of me decide which way to fall on the third.

[Crusoe]

Would depend what you are going to be using it for. Most would probably want something to carve roasts, filet fish, cut bread, chop coarse ingredients, cut through bones etc. So most would have another three or four but you could probably cover most of that with a general use heavier 240mm European style chef knife.

[Pothole]

Hosenbugler said:

Go on then, I'll bite, which three are they?

Wusthof Classic 8" Cook's,a present when I left a job in about 1998
small wooden handled paring/slicing knife I bought for pennies in Barcelona about 1991 - sharpest knife I've ever owned
Cheap as chips small thin cleaver my Mum bought in Peking in the mid 70s - holds a great edge and slices and carves really fine.

There are various others in the drawer but those 2 are the only ones which really ever get used.

[grumbledoak]

I only have one - an enormous 270mm Hiromoto HC Gyuto. It was a mis-order but it's fantastic and I use it for everything.
Order soon - he is 78 and has no heirs:
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/Hiromoto.html

You might also want a bread knife.

[Pothole]

I have a bread knife, I don't count it as it's only used for one thing

[Hosenbugler]

I think I'm probably leaning toward a carving/slicing type knife, as the 3rd option, although the actual profile of the knife , thin/wide blade,remains a source of indecision, although I'm perhaps thinking the latter the wiser decision.

I have a bread knife, and a crude no name, very heavy , crude , but sharp all steel chef type knife, which could double up with mallet assistance as a cleaver. Its crude as said, but effective, that said I do little actual butchery, I get the man who calls himself that , to do most of mine.

So there we are, I have a dedicated razor sharp filleting knife I have had for years, so perhaps that carver is the best bet?

Edited by Hosenbugler on Friday 4th December 20:46

[carinatauk]

A suggestion.

The japanese make excellent slicing knives, I have ordered some more from http://www.japanesechefsknife.com. Ordered on 2 Dec here today, better than Amazon Prime (tossers).

[wolfracesonic]

This is a brilliant site if you are interested in Japanese kitchen knives, or knives in general, with loads of reviews and info on knife types and the various steels used Zknives

[Hosenbugler]

Thanks for the links guys.

I'm actually giving serious thought to visiting these people : http://www.japaneseknifecompany.com/

The thought of visiting the great toilet on the Thames fills me with dread. But when spending the amount of money I'm considering doing, then it makes sense to see and get the feel of the tools prior to purchasing.

As well as offering top notch functionabilty , it would be great if the knives look good, and very importantly , offer blades which are easily maintained, in respect of cleaning, and sharpening/keeping an edge.

We shall see.

[dazco]

I've had Japanese and Globals and victorinox (sp) and Henckal (sp again) and without doubt the best of the lot have been Wusthoff.

I suppose Globals are ok if you can get on with the handles, I can't, if my hands are in any way wet the knife easily veers left or right from the vertical downward strokes

[Hosenbugler]

dazco said:

I've had Japanese and Globals and victorinox (sp) and Henckal (sp again) and without doubt the best of the lot have been Wusthoff.

I suppose Globals are ok if you can get on with the handles, I can't, if my hands are in any way wet the knife easily veers left or right from the vertical downward strokes

Son in law has globals, and appears I'm same as you , don't like the handles/feel of them. Just don't feel right, to me, at any rate.

Shall have to get a look at the Wusthoff

[militantmandy]

I use a Santoku for 99.99% of everything:





I have this for fiddly stuff:



And a big, heavy, traditional french chef knife for big stuff.

[NordicCrankShaft]

Kai Shun knives where the best knives I've ever used. I spent a small fortune on these as they stay sharp for a long time and are nice in the hand with a decent weight. Every chef I met that used the same knives raved about them.

Globals were my first ever chefs knives......truly awful knives when you start to venture out and use other much better and cheaper brands, you'll realise how crap Globals are!

[militantmandy]

NordicCrankShaft said:

Kai Shun knives where the best knives I've ever used. I spent a small fortune on these as they stay sharp for a long time and are nice in the hand with a decent weight. Every chef I met that used the same knives raved about them.

Globals were my first ever chefs knives......truly awful knives when you start to venture out and use other much better and cheaper brands, you'll realise how crap Globals are!

The Kai I have sharpens and keeps its edge better than any of the others. I also have some I o shen which are Japanese blades with western style heavy handles. They're also good.