[cwshields]

Hi all, I'm a newbie here but I'm wondering which knife would be better for general purpose use a Wusthof 6" chefs knife or a 135mm Hattori HD2 petty? I don't have a lot of room to manuver in our small kitchen and I already have an 8" Wusthof chefs with a 3" pairer. They are comparable in price with the Wusthof being slightly less expensive.

[castironchef]

If it were me, I'd go with the Hattori. Asides from the inherent beauty, it's a different design than the Wustoff chef's knife that you already have. That could be useful.

However, in the end, it's your kitchen, your hand and your cash.

[cwshields]

That's rhe way I'm leaning as well (Hattori) as I also love the way it looks. I've read good things about both but the majority seem to lean toward the Hattori. Thank you for your reply.

[Culprit]

A "general purpose" knife is a very personal issue. My own choice is an eight inch chef's knife but my wife likes something else. Get something that feels good in your hand and that, when you pick it up, feels like an extension of your own body. Anything that feels awkward is a bad choice.

[Mezzaluna]

This afternoon I received my March/April 2007 copy of Cook's Illustrated. They have a review of chef's knives. They termed the Victorinox Fibrox 8" Chef's Knife a best value at $22.95. It was the least expensive knife they tested of nine knives.

I would recommend you find this article and read it for yourself, as they evaluated four aspects of each the knives (handle, blade, kitchen tests and edge retention). Cooks' says that you can read reviews of the 30 chef's knives they've tested in recent years at www.cooksillustrated.com.