Chef’s knives?

[Tech Tonics]

My wife and I are adulting particularity hard these days and it’s time to upgrade to a decent chef’s knife.

I don’t want to spend a ton of money, but she’s an excellent cook and I want to get her something nice.

What brands?


Sent from my iPad using TGR Forums

[gretch6364]

Can you define your budget better?


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Tech Tonics]

$100-$200?


Sent from my iPad using TGR Forums

[nickwm21]

Without knowing what you have and your budget....

If she's currently using some target or pampered chef bullshit - the standard brands; Wusthof / Global / Henckels - are great and would be an awesome improvement.

If she's currently using a Wusthof / Global / Henckels and wants to go up from there... then there's 1000 high end knife makers to choose from and sky's the limit.

[highangle]

Henkels Professional "S" 10" $180

[Falcon3]

Around $100, I'd go an asian knife with VG-10.

Tojiro GP $85
Shun Classic $100-125

Maybe get the cheaper one, then get a nice set of stones and a steel to keep everything sharp.

Really the stones and steel are the key to long-term sharpness.

I'd wager that a $30 Mercer kept sharp with the stone would out-cut a $200 knife that's not kept up well.

[shafty85]

We really like our Shun knives.

[undertow2]

I went through the same search as you and spent a lot of time researching and ended up with Dalstrong in the Shogun series...

https://dalstrong.com/products/shogu...s-7-chef-knife

Ended up with several styles and have really been happy with them... As Nick said there are a shit ton of options out there...


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[tgapp]

We have Tojiro knives in our household and they are fantastic. I'm too lazy for traditional japanese whetstone sharpening (though I have done a fuckton of it), so we use the Ken Onion Work Sharp. 10/10, highly recommend both the sharpener and Tojiro.

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

[warthog]

I prefer Cutco, but I know some don't like the sales rep thing.
There are some awesome chef knives at Sur La Table if you have one of those near you.
$100 will get you one good knife maybe.
I really like the Santoku style knives- pretty much all I use now, unless I am carving up a bird.
https://www.surlatable.com/products/...antoku-knives/

[nickwm21]

$100-$200?


Sent from my iPad using TGR Forums

Does she like her things matchy-matchy or would she like something unique.

If you go with one of the standard brands you could probably get a chefs knife and a pairing knife in your budget then buy additional knifes in the same brand/style as gifts in the future...

Or

You might be able to barely skip into your budget on a higher end French or Japanese blade.. and give her something unique. Hard to give you brand recommendations... you are probably better going to a local shop and looking...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BobMc]

Yup, I did the same, spent $100 on a Japanese steel knife. Can’t really go wrong with damascus steel, just keep it sharp.

[nickwm21]

I really like the Santoku style knives- pretty much all I use now, unless I am carving up a bird.

Santoku > Chefs for general prep work. If you have a quiver of knifes a Santoku will get used the most.

But if you have only one knife - it should be a Chefs knife...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MakersTeleMark]

Just get a global and keep and learn how to sharpen it and move on. This is coming from someone with over 40 knives.

And, just like TGR, don't let the crowd convince you to get something bigger. An 8" tops is plenty. I use my smaller knives way more unless I'm really hacking into shit, but the majority of times I'm using a $10 veggie cleaver and a 6" global. And I cook every day, and have the callous on my right hand to prove it.

And yes, I own 2 Santoku's, one a custom made single sided blade from Japan.

Or just blow the bank and go on ebay for an original non Zwilling Bob Kramer and hope you get blow jobs everyday for the rest of your life.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BOB-KRAMER-...UAAOSwF3VcgDxA

[John_B]

Got a big ass chefs knife as a wedding present and while it's nice I wished we'd gone for some sort of lighter Japanese style knife. It's pretty clunky unless I'm trying to murder a butternut squash or a pumpkin.

[dan_pdx]

We're big fans of our Global G2 chef's knives. We were constantly fighting over who got to use it, so we bought a second one.

[irul&ublo]

MAC knives. And with all due respect to those who are size challenged, I love my 10" chef. I think it is easier to use than 8".

And if you get a Japanese knife, remember that the blades are sharpened at a 15* or so angle as opposed to 20-25* for European style knives.

[irul&ublo]

Yup, I did the same, spent $100 on a Japanese steel knife. Can’t really go wrong with damascus steel, just keep it sharp.

You got a real damascus knife for 100? Brand please

[MakersTeleMark]

MAC knives. And with all due respect to those who are size challenged, I love my 10" chef. I think it is easier to use than 8".

And if you get a Japanese knife, remember that the blades are sharpened at a 15* or so angle as opposed to 20-25* for European style knives.

They are actually single beveled, so don't try that kids. At least youtube that shit. Go Red Sox. Stop the #fakenews.

[irul&ublo]

They are actually single beveled, so don't try that kids. At least youtube that shit. Go Red Sox. Stop the #fakenews.

Only some are single beveled, usually for slicing fish. Far more are double beveled

[neufox47]

I’ve been a fan of my 8” Mac Professional. Thinking about adding a 10”. Also, I got my mom a 8” Victorinox chefs knife and it is a hell of a knife for $50. There’s a reason that is what meat cutters and chefs typically use. The Mac stays sharp longer but not double the time.

Also, do you keep your knives sharp enough they will shave hair / easily slice a tomato? If you don’t, invest in a sharpener you like and will use. I’ll take a sharp $3 knife over a Bob Kramer that is dull.

[oftpiste]

I have this, but at 10" it's a lot of knife.

https://www.zwilling.com/us/zwilling...941-263-0.html

Also have one of these but not what you're probably after...

https://www.zwilling.com/us/zwilling...=en_US&start=1

Try this. They go on a sale sometimes.

https://www.zwilling.com/us/zwilling...941-203-0.html

That said, this is my next one.....

https://www.zwilling.com/us/zwilling...947-183-0.html

These are seriously lifetime, incredible blades and worth a little extra coin. Get a steel and keep it honed and your kitchen life will change.

I have a friend who is good pals with Bob Kramer who designed these, and has several real Kramers gifted to him (fucker) by Bob, and I've fondled them. These are 90% of a real Kramer at 1/10 of the price (if not less).

[Falcon3]

You got a real damascus knife for 100? Brand please

The Shun Classic is a damascus folded over VG-MAX for $108 on Amazon right now.

And if you get a Japanese knife, remember that the blades are sharpened at a 15* or so angle as opposed to 20-25* for European style knives.

Acktually....pretty much all new German knives ( in the last 10-15 years) are sharpened around 15 degrees and pretty much all commercially available Japanese knives are double beveled now too.

[climberevan]

FWIW Cooks Illustrated always recommends the Victronox over the fancy brands. There really is no need to spend more unless you just like bling.

I prefer a 10" chef's knife for 90% of my cutting. When I'm forced to use an 8" it just feels wrong.

The best sharpener, IMO, is the Worksharp belt system. My knife will fall through an over ripe tomato with only its own weight. Regular steel use between sharpenings keeps it that way.

[old goat]

America's Test Kitchen likes the Victorinox Chef's knife. $40. I don't know how reliable or unbiased their recommendations are. I haven't used it.
I have some mid price German knives--I forget what brand--label worn off, but my favorite knives are some no name chef's knives I got from a restaurant supply.
I used to sharpen a chef friend's knives--ex Chez Panisse, started Zuni Cafe in SF--no name knives with simple handles.
I don't find features like steel butts and bolsters add anything to a knife.
My newest knives are 30 years old.
The main thing about knives is knowing how to keep them sharp and then doing it. A knife is only as good as the the person who sharpened it.
The best blade I own is Japanese, 80 years old and still in great shape. It hasn't had a lot of use though--it's a katana my dad brought home from WWII and a little unwieldy in the kitchen.