Fries -
there's a lot of questions in them there post.
some obvious ones:
carbon steel has the reputation for being harder and holding a better edge. it stains. if you like pretty, it's a when you're finished cutting wipe/clean it maintenance issue. if a stained darkened knife doesn't bother you, it's not an issue.
stainless steel - due to the alloys used - is softer. trade-off is: no staining. my stainless knives are just as shiny as when I bought them 30 yrs ago.
symmetric/asymmetric sharpening/cutting edge profile - refers to where the really pointy part is. symmetric the cutting edge is dead center on the blade. asymmetric it is set to one side (or the other - these typically come in left hand / right hand models)
for an all around knife I would recommend only a symmetric edge. for specialty purposes - or even amateur special - like me - an asymmetric can be useful. just of late I got a santuko asymmetric. it is my weapon of choice for specific tasks; the differences/advantages are perceptible.
sharpening: get over the fear. it's so easy, cavemen did it. get your kid's protractor, draw the angles out on stiff card board, cut out as a guide. Sears has sharpening stones. a pinch of attention, two dashes of 'I care' - and you got it. no magic involved.
for the home cook / kitchen the whole 'edge lasts longer better wider' thing is blown completely out of proportion, methinks. I have the Wuesthof Classic series; I use that (egads! nasty) grooved steel daily, touch up the edges twice a year on a stone. no problem.
if I'm slicing up a cabbage it's half a cabbage for cole slaw. I'm not in a restaurant prep situation slicing up fifteen boxes of cabbage - so the 'they're too heavy' and 'won't hold an edge past fifteen hundred cabbages' just does not apply - to me.  |