Best Knives - Page 2

The best are the ones you like and feel most comfortable to you and your hand. They need not cost an arm and a leg to be good for you. I know guys that have $1500.00 worth of knives in their kitchens ,never use them and can't boil water.. So whats the purpose ?

Kyocera makes the best ceramics. When I worked at a vegan place, the chef there only used ceramic knives because of something about metal being 'ying' and some vegetables being 'yang'... It was a macrobiotic place, don't ask.
Only problem is you have to baby it more than an expensive Japanese knife... Can't even put it in a knife roll, she had to put it in a special knife sleeve and then wrap that in a towels.

I agree with the use what works, in my roll you will find shun global whustof and i think maybe a henkel still along with my victorianox tornet knife. use what works. although i did watch a chef cutting lemongrass last week snap a new global leaving me with some questions and him with stitches ) handle broke off) besides that some of the best chefs i know have the cheapest knives and most of my best knives chill at home.. ( 10 inch shun 8 inch global chef knives and a few more... )

My knife kit consists of:
My beloved MAC 8" chef knife. I've had it for a few years now and love it. It's light, fits my hand, and keeps an edge. I have used vintage MACs and they are still very good knives.
Victorinox paring knife (you can't beat it, for $4)
F Dick offset serrated
No-name cleaver
And two Santukos, a Forschner and a Dexter, both gifts that I mostly loan out and rarely use.
Plus a regular steel and a ceramic steel for the MAC.

I dislike Wustoffs, too heavy and often don't hold an edge well.
Shuns, they just don't feel right in my hand.
I dislike the handle on Globals as well. I have used Forschner chef knives, I had one until I loaned it out to a friend. I also look forward to trying out a Kyocera ceramic chef knife, but I honestly don't have much use for one. My MAC does everything I need it to. But the best knife depends on the person, everyone has differing needs and opinions.

My favorite brands that I have in no particular order:

 

Nubatama- Pretty expensive, I think my 240mm is around $830 right now, but just a stunning knife.

Moritaka- Superb HT on the Aogami Super steel.  Great edge retention, gets extremely sharp.

Richmond- CKtG has these "Japanese" knives made in Vermont.  My Ultimatum is M390 yet "only" $250.  Edge retention is maybe 3x/4x better than the best high carbon I've ever seen while getting 95% as sharp.

Akifus- I think Ikeda makes these.  The profile of my 240 gyuto is very flat and edge retention is second only to M390 in my experience.

Kagayaki- The CN knives are great tool steel knives for not much money.

Konosuke- I've only had mine for short time but at 240mm it's still only 4.5 ounces!  Stupid thin with a very sharp edge.

Hattori- Most of their knives are kind of "entry level" in that they mostly use VG-10 (a decent steel but long in the tooth).  Still, the fit and finish is about as good as you'll find under the $1,000 full on custom range.

I agree with the people that are saying use what fits your hand right. I disagree with people who trash knives other than the ones they use. If you think a Wusthof can't hold an edge, it's certainly not the knife's fault. It's you sir. If a knife doesn't "work" it's most like the person that doesn't. I myself have knives that range from $10 to $180 and they all can be sharpened rather quickly and hold their edge. If you can't sharpen a knife correctly...ask someone for help!! Don't waste the knife by sharpening incorrectly! And learn how to use a steel. It HONES not sharpens!

In all my 50 years cooking I never went by here say which is the better knife. If its comfortable to me, does the job, holds up thats all that matters. Personally I will take a good quality Japanese clever most ot the time. Concentrate mor on food and cooking skills and not cutlery, as you could own the best in the world and still be a lousy cook. They talk a great deal about their knives for their ego and to keep up with the Jones's and to impress others ,but can they use them?

AdamBD,
To clarify, if you were in fact referring to my post in particular, which I'm not sure if you were, I wasn't trashing Wustoffs or any other brands b/c I don't use them. I was stating my own preferences. Just to affirm, I suppose, that knife preferences are certainly personal and subjective. I have had the opportunity to try many coworkers knives, some of which haven't been cared for properly, and it shows. If you treat a knife with disrespect, no matter the brand, it's rather difficult to restore the edge. Some knives hold an edge longer than others though, and some are easier to sharpen then others, which is I personally adore MACs, because they work well for me. Many people have favorites, and some of us are pretty vocal about them, while other people do just want a sharp knife that does the job. Neither way is better, although I do think it is healthy to remember that knives are tools and not status symbols.
I definitely agree about learning how to properly sharpen knives and not erroneously relying on a steel. When I didn't know how to sharpen, I asked a few people to show me how to use different stones and I think that I have become pretty good now through trial and error :-)