Single Kitchen knife
Discussion
I've had a bit of a search so please point me at any recent threads but I am getting fed up with cheap knives now that blunt very quickly. I'd like a single go to chefs or Suntoku-type knife that I can use for the majority of kitchen prep as a xmas present to myself.
I don't mind spending up to about £100 but no more, and ideally a bit less but I don't necessarily want anything that seems to be predominantly marketing budget, unless they're really good (I'm looking at you Global)
Any recommendations?
I don't mind spending up to about £100 but no more, and ideally a bit less but I don't necessarily want anything that seems to be predominantly marketing budget, unless they're really good (I'm looking at you Global)
Any recommendations?
TimmyMallett said:
I've had a bit of a search so please point me at any recent threads but I am getting fed up with cheap knives now that blunt very quickly. I'd like a single go to chefs or Suntoku-type knife that I can use for the majority of kitchen prep as a xmas present to myself.
I don't mind spending up to about £100 but no more, and ideally a bit less but I don't necessarily want anything that seems to be predominantly marketing budget, unless they're really good (I'm looking at you Global)
Any recommendations?
Knock yourself outI don't mind spending up to about £100 but no more, and ideally a bit less but I don't necessarily want anything that seems to be predominantly marketing budget, unless they're really good (I'm looking at you Global)
Any recommendations?
https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/santoku...
I have bought several knives from here and have been impressed with the knife and the service.
Unknown_User said:
Knock yourself out
https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/santoku...
I have bought several knives from here and have been impressed with the knife and the service.
Another recommendation for JCKs - I bought a few of about 6 years ago and love them. I also bought a 3-wheeled minosharp to keep them sharp - just a few strokes on the fine wheel after every use and they stay shaving sharp. https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/santoku...
I have bought several knives from here and have been impressed with the knife and the service.
I treat myself whenever I can to a new Global knife to add to the collection.
I'm no expert, but as far as I'm aware they're up there in the 'expensive but very good' bracket......they're certainly expensive.
Often some good prices here: https://www.millyskitchenstore.co.uk/GlobalKnives-...
I'm no expert, but as far as I'm aware they're up there in the 'expensive but very good' bracket......they're certainly expensive.
Often some good prices here: https://www.millyskitchenstore.co.uk/GlobalKnives-...
If you're looking for a specific brand, I've got a selection of Victorinox and Mac knives.
Victorinox are fantastic, relatively low cost and can hold a great edge.
Mac are a Japanese brand which don't seem to have much of a UK presence, but has a lot of fans in commercial kitchens. It gets sharper than any knife I've used, and stays razor sharp through heavy use. Lovely to hold too.
Good to see you just after 1x knife instead of a pointless big block... Decent Santoku, big chef knife, paring, pastry, and fileting all you need.
Definitely budget in a decent sharpener, if you're going japanese, make sure it suits the narrower bevel angle (15°), than the larger European angle.
Victorinox are fantastic, relatively low cost and can hold a great edge.
Mac are a Japanese brand which don't seem to have much of a UK presence, but has a lot of fans in commercial kitchens. It gets sharper than any knife I've used, and stays razor sharp through heavy use. Lovely to hold too.
Good to see you just after 1x knife instead of a pointless big block... Decent Santoku, big chef knife, paring, pastry, and fileting all you need.
Definitely budget in a decent sharpener, if you're going japanese, make sure it suits the narrower bevel angle (15°), than the larger European angle.
Unknown_User said:
Knock yourself out
https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/santoku...
I have bought several knives from here and have been impressed with the knife and the service.
Do they ship to the uk?https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/santoku...
I have bought several knives from here and have been impressed with the knife and the service.
edit- soz, it was showing USD and I need to read the website title
TimmyMallett said:
Do they ship to the uk?
edit- soz, it was showing USD and I need to read the website title
Yes. Communication is always good, the knives I've had from JCKs have never been damaged and arrived within a reasonable timescale. edit- soz, it was showing USD and I need to read the website title
There are some lovely knives in that link around your price range. Let us know what you end up getting.
ETA -
I like this - https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/first-j...
And this - https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/santoku...
Edited by Unknown_User on Thursday 17th December 15:58
I'm very pleased with one of these: https://uk.knivesandtools.eu/en/pt/-lion-sabatier-...
I find Global handles uncomfortable so hardly use mine at all. It does look good though.
I find Global handles uncomfortable so hardly use mine at all. It does look good though.
Unknown_User said:
Knock yourself out
https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/santoku...
I have bought several knives from here and have been impressed with the knife and the service.
^^^ This. My only chefs knife is an absurdly big Hiromoto HC Gyuto from them, plus a Minosharp. Totally recommended both.https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/santoku...
I have bought several knives from here and have been impressed with the knife and the service.
devnull said:
I might be controversial and suggest a well maintained £30 Victorinox will be just as good.
I'll be even more controversial and suggest going to TK Maxx and spending £15-20 on a chef or santoku knife. Avoid the celebrity endorsed ones and buy which ever feels most balanced in your hand. Then buy some sharpening stones and learn how to use them. Only then consider spending over £100 on a knife from JCK. As above. Any knife (cheap or not) once sharpened and maintained will remain sharp if it is used and stored correctly.
That aside, I would seriously consider whether you want a western style chefs knife or a Santoku. They are considerably different.
I would suggest a 8.5" chefs knife with a steel to maintain it. Wash by hand, don't let it rattle around in a drawer with others and get it sharpened every year at a local kitchen shop.
Any of the recognised brands are more than good enough and for a hundred quid you could pick something up and a steel quite easily.
The one thing I certainly would not be doing though is looking at a Global as a main kitchen knife. I have a whole rack and drawer of them but only one or two actually get used.
That aside, I would seriously consider whether you want a western style chefs knife or a Santoku. They are considerably different.
I would suggest a 8.5" chefs knife with a steel to maintain it. Wash by hand, don't let it rattle around in a drawer with others and get it sharpened every year at a local kitchen shop.
Any of the recognised brands are more than good enough and for a hundred quid you could pick something up and a steel quite easily.
The one thing I certainly would not be doing though is looking at a Global as a main kitchen knife. I have a whole rack and drawer of them but only one or two actually get used.
wong said:
I'll be even more controversial and suggest going to TK Maxx and spending £15-20 on a chef or santoku knife. Avoid the celebrity endorsed ones and buy which ever feels most balanced in your hand. Then buy some sharpening stones and learn how to use them. Only then consider spending over £100 on a knife from JCK.
That's where I am at the moment. My Go To knife is a Robert Welch 11cm Santoku but it doesn't seem to keep an edge very long. Maybe I have unreasonable expectations/tough tomatoes? I used to use a sharpening block but turned lazy recently and use an Anysharp. Maybe that's the issue? Or the dishwasher.....I used to work in a butchers many years ago and we used to have belt sander sharpeners and steels with no hand guards
https://www.robertwelch.com/products/signature-san...
Edited by TimmyMallett on Friday 18th December 12:05
Edited by TimmyMallett on Friday 18th December 12:06
TimmyMallett said:
That's where I am at the moment. My Go To knife is a Robert Welch 11cm Santoku but it doesn't seem to keep an edge very long. Maybe I have unreasonable expectations/tough tomatoes? I used to use a sharpening block but turned lazy recently and use an Anysharp. Maybe that's the issue? Or the dishwasher.....
Nothing wrong with Robert Welch knives but a combination of dishwasher and using an Anysharp will have killed it. The RW Santoku is factory ground to 15 degrees where as the Anysharp is set at 20 so essentially you have blunted the knife using it.If you get it reground (or do it yourself) and use an appropriate sharpener or maintain it properly it will be as good as new.
Edited by 21TonyK on Friday 18th December 14:27
A £100-200 knife will still get blunt with use. Store them properly and learning how to sharpen is key. There are lots of "100 Yen (= poundshop) knife sharpening" videos on YouTube, where people sharpen a cheap knife (using much more expensive whetstones) and get amazing sharpness.
I've got a cheap combo whetstone and a more expensive 1000/3000 whetstone. I spent ages watching YouTube but still couldn't get a decent edge. In frustration I bought a £70 Catrahone machine sharpener (Catra make sharpeners for knife makers). This works great, gives a decent edge and takes a minute. However, I was still uneasy that every blade would end up with the same angle and machines tend to take too much material away. I went back to the whetstones and can now get a decent edge.
Tips to using a whetstone:-
You need a consistent angle for the whetstone - You can buy guides on the internet or I made my own wedges at 17° (for Western knives) and 14° (for Japanese knives).
You also need a consistent angle when using the sharpening steel ~ 18-19° for Western or 15-16° for Japanese. Chefs who wave the steel about in the air and scrape the knife several times are unlikely to be this precise.
You don't need lots of pressure - 1-2 pounds is fine.
A more acute angle will be sharper, but blunt easier.
I've got a cheap combo whetstone and a more expensive 1000/3000 whetstone. I spent ages watching YouTube but still couldn't get a decent edge. In frustration I bought a £70 Catrahone machine sharpener (Catra make sharpeners for knife makers). This works great, gives a decent edge and takes a minute. However, I was still uneasy that every blade would end up with the same angle and machines tend to take too much material away. I went back to the whetstones and can now get a decent edge.
Tips to using a whetstone:-
You need a consistent angle for the whetstone - You can buy guides on the internet or I made my own wedges at 17° (for Western knives) and 14° (for Japanese knives).
You also need a consistent angle when using the sharpening steel ~ 18-19° for Western or 15-16° for Japanese. Chefs who wave the steel about in the air and scrape the knife several times are unlikely to be this precise.
You don't need lots of pressure - 1-2 pounds is fine.
A more acute angle will be sharper, but blunt easier.
TimmyMallett said:
I do have a ceramic sharpening block so I'll buy an angle guide and do it properly
Explain a ceramic sharpening block? You mean a sharpening stone?To be honest if its been through a "sharpener" then you can't do more harm. YouTube will guide you, no need for angle guides, mine got used for ten minutes before being thrown in the kitchen box in the garage.
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