If you could only have one..

Think I would have to go with a macheti

The answer to your question is my 10" K-Sabatier chef's -- for its combination of edge qualities, versatility and toughness.  But your "one knife" hypothetical is so much about those three qualities -- especially toughness -- the answer was a no-brainer. 

 

But, it is not the knife, not even the chef's knife, I use most often.  When choosing one knife to use to cook a meal, it's usually either my Konosuke 270mm gyuto (chef's) or Konosuke 300 suji (slicer).  In my case, they are nearly interchangeable, but wouldn't be for very many other people.  More, long, expensive and flimsy knives like the Konosukes, which put a premium on board size as well as knife and sharpening skills, aren't the best choice for everyone either. 

 

N.B., I mention the brand only to highlight their "laser," and slightly delicate natures.  That is, neither would be an appropriate as an "only" knife which might run into bones or very tough fruit and vegetable skins and stems. 

 

The answer to the question to which knife I respect most, is probably the Konosuke suji because of its very surprising agility.  Even at 12" the blade is both very light and ridiculously easy to point.  Plus, the handle makes "coming over the top" very easy and the knife has just enough shoulder to make chopping a breeze -- as opposed to most slicers which are real knuckle smashers.  It's not really mo' bettah than the gyuto though, just newer.

 

Fortunately, I have more than one beloved knife and hope you do too.

 

Finally, the practical answer to most knife choice question lies more in sharpening than elsewhere.  Almost any sharp knife can perform almost any knife task better than almost any dull one.

 

BDL

Edited by boar_d_laze - 7/5/11 at 6:20pm

BDL has already hit all the high points it seems. The "One Knife" question usually begs more questions than real answers. If you were asking most used that's a different story altogether.

Much like BDL, I favor a Konosuke but in my case a custom cleaver just a tad smaller than a #6 at 210x100mm. I just got a new playmate in though, in the form of a Shigefusa cleaver in the same size. I'm going to have fun figuring out which I like more

I should note both the cleavers are carbon steel. White #2 for the Konosuke, and "Spicy" swedish steel (A Shigefusa trademark) for the other.
Edited by Potato42 - 7/5/11 at 8:36pm

I don't have the biggest collection... for me it'd be a 10" Sabatier, too (it's Thiers-Issard/"Nogent").  Though I cut a whole lot of onions and sweet potatoes, which leads to (to put it nicely) a very uneven patina.  Or a lot stains, if you will.

 

I recently got a JCK "CarboNext" gyuto, which will be seeing more of the onions, perhaps.  I'm a beginner sharpener, so perhaps it won't always be the case that the Sab is noticeably sharper.  At the moment it is.

 

But I use the Sab 90% of the time.  I also use a Togiharu stainless petty, and some very inexpensive parers I bought from a local sharpener guy that share the other 10%.

My modified Chinese chopper with a drop tip.  Pretty much does everything I need to do in the kitchen from chopping pork ribs and smashing garlic and ginger to deboning meat -- the steel is somewhat mild and so doesn't chip even on beef neck bone, and sharpens easily and quite well.

 

It's nice to have all these other knives but if I had to choose just one that would be it.

Almost any sharp knife can perform almost any knife task better than almost any dull one.

 

"Almost," BDL? "Almost?" When did you start pulling your punches? There's no almost about it, as I know you know. Any sharp knife can perform any task better than any dull one.

 

The most dangerous thing in the kitchen is a dull knife!

 

That aside, I have to agree that choosing just one begs the question. Rather, there's a small number of designs that should be in every cook's kit, so that you can use the right tool for the right job. For me a minimum kit would be:include: 1. A chef's knife; 2. A slicer; 3. A petty or boning knife; and 4. a paring knife. Throw in a bread knife and filet knife and there's no task that can't be done efficiently. I would certainly include a steel in the kit as well, even for those who send their knives out for sharpening.

 

If I had to choose just one it would be the no-name carbon chef's knife I inherited from my father. Day in and day out that's the one I reach for. 9 1/2 inch blade that takes an edge readily and holds it; a handle that seems custom made for my hand, and perfect balance.

 

One problem with threads like this is that they connote "good" with "expensive." Such is not the case. Friend Wife and I do a lot of 18th style cooking as part of our new jobs at a living history museum. I didn't want to leave my "good" knives there (unfortunately, there's a possibility that they'd walk off), so picked up a pair of Faberware 8" chef's knives. Paid---are you ready?---ten bucks apiece for them.

 

Sure, they needed a real edge put on them, out of the box. But so far all they've needed since was steeling to keep them up to snuff. And that includes cutting through bones when we break down chickens and scraping the edge when deboning a pork shoulder.

 

 

 

 

Swiss army knife - what up!?

 

Actually my 8" Wusthof classic chefs knife would be my choice. So versatile and it my ankle sheeth makes it just that much more valuable.. ;)