Hello all!
I've spent hours reading countless threads on knives and my head is dizzy. All I wanted was to buy a knife!!
I am not a pro, don't intend to become one, but I am very passionate about cooking. I recently learned proper knife techniques and would like to get a very good knife so I can become faster, more accurate and get better at those knife techniques. Right now I would like to get a very good all-purpose 10" chef's knife. I want to chop oninons, shallots, veggies, prep meat, etc...
I've never sharpen a knife either, but I would like to learn. Still, I know I won't have a huge amount of time to sharpen my knives, so if one knife is faster to sharpen, or can hold an edge longer, it would be an advantage.
I am not too sure what the differences between "high carbon" and "stainless steel" mean for knives: I keep reading high carbon knives require more maintenance but I'm not sure what exactly? Just keeping it dry and clean after each use? And if that's the inconvenient of a high carbon knife, what are the advantages?
I went to "Sur la table" and tried three knifes: a Global, a Shun and a Wusthof. They were all in the $130 range, 10" chef's knives. I think I preferred the Shun, but obviously it's hard to tell in a minute of fake-air-cutting. $130 sounds like a good price range for me, but I don't mind spending a little more if it's going to make a real difference.
After much reading here, I'm still not sure whether or not the models I've considered are right for me, but here's what I have:
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Togiharu Inox Steel Gyutou
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Inox Sabatier-K
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Carbon Sabatier-K
I really like the shape of the blade on the Sabatier, but I'm not really a huge fan of the bolster, which is why I'm considering the Togiharu - at the same time I guess I could get used to that bolster pretty quickly and I would probably be fine with it.
Also, any idea on a beginner water stone and honing steel for my knife?
Thanks! Can't wait to read the replies!
PS: How do I know if those (or other) knives have a symetrical V-shaped edge or an asymetrical "70:30" edge? I assume a V-shaped edge would be easier to maintain for a beginner?