ChefTalk Knife buying, selection and care guide

dockterweeble · #1 10-05-2007, 12:25 PM

I am a first year culinary student looking to buy my first, and hopefully last set of knives. Looking for any advice, and specifically the difference between the shun pro and classic models. Is the price difference worth it? What the exact difference is? thanks

Harpua · #2 10-05-2007, 12:50 PM

I think there are lots of threads on this already. Search for "knives" under the search option. I think you will find many answers

adamm · #3 10-05-2007, 01:45 PM

Instead of buying a whole set of knives you might want to check out just buying a knife or two at a time to clompleate a set, i have a pretty full set of wusthof knives, but i do have a cople other knives from other companies.

damack · #4 10-18-2007, 02:39 AM

im looking to buy a new chefs knife, the one i have dosent keep an edge for that long, from the different sights i have looked at it looks like for a good quality 10" chefs knife i will have to spend around 100-140. im ok with that cristmas is coming up. any way i have looked at global, hinkel, wolsof, MAC and a few others im thinking MAC because there hub is only 20minutes away and im thinking i might beabel to buy from them and get it a little cheeper and i know a few people that have them and are happy. but let me know what u think

please give me your experance with the knifes and if u think that there worth that. remember i am a poor culanary student but i do want to have good equment.

9ballprodigy · #5 10-18-2007, 05:33 PM

if your knife isn't keeping it's edge, i can only assume two things. either you:
A. have a knife that is stainless steel and is a softer metal than high carbon knives or
B. you are needlessly hacking into things like bone or shellfish.

i'll give you the benefit of the doubt. sounds like you need a knife made of harder steel. if you are using a german chef's knife, you may want to switch over to japanese ones. i recommend Shun which has a a steel called VG-10. it allows the edge to be sharpened to a much narrower angle and still be durable. if you have about 250$ to spend, go for the Kaji line which has steel called sg-2. harder steel, shinier, prettier, and a bit more comfortable.

OR if you take care of your knives REALLY well, invest in an all-carbon steel knife. it'll rust a lot easier because of the lack of chromium in the steel compound and it chips a lot easier, but if you keep it dry and don't drop it, nothing else holds it's edge better.

ChefTorrie · #6 10-18-2007, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 9ballprodigy

if your knife isn't keeping it's edge, i can only assume two things. either you:
A. have a knife that is stainless steel and is a softer metal than high carbon knives or
B. you are needlessly hacking into things like bone or shellfish.

i'll give you the benefit of the doubt. sounds like you need a knife made of harder steel. if you are using a german chef's knife, you may want to switch over to japanese ones. i recommend Shun which has a a steel called VG-10. it allows the edge to be sharpened to a much narrower angle and still be durable. if you have about 250$ to spend, go for the Kaji line which has steel called sg-2. harder steel, shinier, prettier, and a bit more comfortable.

OR if you take care of your knives REALLY well, invest in an all-carbon steel knife. it'll rust a lot easier because of the lack of chromium in the steel compound and it chips a lot easier, but if you keep it dry and don't drop it, nothing else holds it's edge better.

I HATE Japaneese knives...

Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system.
As for knife selection, your best bet would we go to a Chefs Depot or warehouse and hold them in your hand. You need to get what feels best in YOUR hand. "Harder, shinier, prettier, and a bit more comfortable."
Well, number 1, what may be a bit more comfortable for you, might be alot LESS comfortable for other people. Number 2, I really hope a chef or somebody who works in a commercial kitchen did not just describe a knife as shinier, and pretty. Wow.

As for me, I use a Wusthof, and am an adamant supporter of Wusthof, and will try to convince anybody to go and hold one and try one out.
However, I am also aware that they do not fit well in everybody's hand, like they do in mine.
I love my Whustof's , and take very good care of them, as you should whatever direction you choose to to go (which will hopefully not be the Japan route.) I have had mine since my first day at Johnson and Wales, which, was a good time ago. ( I am 38 going on 39) and graduated in 91, and they still slice through the skinside of a tomato like they day I Got them.
And againnn, I know i sound like a broken record, but please to go a warehouse or depot and try some in your hands. Get a feel. You will be doing yourself a favor!

buonaboy · #7 10-18-2007, 11:09 PM

I'd stick with german knives, Ive always really liked them. I have a few Globals at home I recived as a gift and they just feel kinda flimsy, they're sharp but just dont feel great. I really like the F.Dick 1905 series they look sexy, they're high carbon so they stay sharp and the balance is perfect. The professional series is really nice as well. I have One J.A. Henckel that I've had for 15 years, but that was when they were good - Now that you can get a one at Target, I just don't trust the quality
-ciao
-mike

P.S. Stop chopping so much and roll the knife -it will stay sharper longer.

adamm · #8 10-19-2007, 12:14 AM

I have wusthof knives and love them except that the seem to need to be sharpend very often, but i hate even a remotly dull knife, once my knives have trouble cutting tomatoes i sharpen. I dont like the thoght about getting a japense knife but the next knife im looking at getting is a mac.

Just Jim · #9 10-19-2007, 12:49 AM

I started out by building a set of Henckels a piece at a time.
I have many brands, Wusthof, F. Dick (everyone needs an 8" dick), Globals, some ceramic, Dexters, Forschners, the list goes on.
I definitely don't need a new knife anytime soon, but that has been the case for a few knives now.
When does need have anything to do with it, lol.

While they are good knives, I am tiring of the Wusthofs, Henckels, etc, with a bolster.
I get a longer life out of a Japanese knife without a bolster, and while it won't hold an edge as long as a German, it is easier to sharpen.

As far as how a Wusthof feels, they have a few styles, so you may find one that feels good.

On a side note, Henckels has really whored themselves out, with never need sharpening knives, and they are even stamping their name on Spanish and Japanese steel.
Ugh.

GourmetAmor · #10 10-19-2007, 12:55 AM

Quick question, what are you using for a cutting board. if your using glass or marble your probably hurting your knife more than you think. you should use plastic or wood. it accepts the blade. harder surfaces round the blade so youll have to hone the blade often. I would suggest SHUN knifes. they are really nice.

9ballprodigy · #11 10-19-2007, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChefTorrie

I HATE Japaneese knives...

"Harder, shinier, prettier, and a bit more comfortable."
Well, number 1, what may be a bit more comfortable for you, might be alot LESS comfortable for other people. Number 2, I really hope a chef or somebody who works in a commercial kitchen did not just describe a knife as shinier, and pretty. Wow.

well, a good functioning knife should have a comfortable handle, good balance, and a steel compound that allows it to hold a good edge. anything after that is glim and glamor. power windows and leather interior. so the kaji line pretty much offers only that after the harder steel. damascus, engravings, it's all just "pretty and shiny". i don't know how else you want it described. "more aesthetically pleasing"?

point being, if you find a knife you are happy with in term of practicality, any dollar spent on it afterwards is going into looks and brand. i like a good looking knife so i spend the extra bucks. shows that i care to have something finer even though i use it everyday.

as for hating japanese knives... to each his/her own. i appreciate the heft of a german knife (if i'm going to be hacking away at squash all day), but if i'm going to be doing fine julienne and fine dicing all day, i rather have a lighter knife. also, i HATE german knives because of the bolster (gets in the way of sharpening) and the spine of the blade is way too thick for me (dicing onions is easier with a japanese knife IMO).

damack · #12 10-19-2007, 05:35 AM

well it sounds like it need to go to a cutlery store and see how they fit in my hand,
for the question about cutting bords, no i would never use marbal or anything that hard for my knifes, its plastic and wood.

right now i have a set of Messermeister which i got from school and i have used MAC and a few other high end knives and i can tell the difference, the knifes i have a good they are just not the best. i would like somthing that can keep an edeg a little better then what i have. also im not sure if i should go with germin or japanis.

sounds like germin will hold an edge longer and take more abuse, but japanise knife are shaper and will not stay sharp with abuse. is this sound about right?

9ballprodigy · #13 10-19-2007, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by damack

\
sounds like germin will hold an edge longer and take more abuse, but japanise knife are shaper and will not stay sharp with abuse. is this sound about right?

german knives hold an edge longer because it's sharpened to about 22.5 degree angle. the angle that most western culinary schools will tell you to sharpen your knives to.

however, japanese knives tend to be sharpened to a more acute angle. something like 15 degrees. this of course give a sharper edge, but lacks in durability. they counter this downfall by using harder steel compounds. depending on the compound, this either totally makes up for the drawback of a more acute angle, or it just makes it slightly more durable compared to the same angle applied to a german steel knife.

ChefTorrie · #14 10-19-2007, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamm

I have wusthof knives and love them except that the seem to need to be sharpend very often, but i hate even a remotly dull knife, once my knives have trouble cutting tomatoes i sharpen. I dont like the thoght about getting a japense knife but the next knife im looking at getting is a mac.

Im not sure what kind of Wusthof you have, or how you take care of it, but like I said, I have had mine for a while, and as long as you run it across your diamond steel quite often, you do not need to sharpen much at all.

adamm · #15 10-19-2007, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChefTorrie

Im not sure what kind of Wusthof you have, or how you take care of it, but like I said, I have had mine for a while, and as long as you run it across your diamond steel quite often, you do not need to sharpen much at all.

See i dont have a diamond steel, i just have a f dick sharpening steel(which just hones and doesnt sharpen. Iv always heard that you can mess up a knife with a diamond steel. Idk if its true or not though.