Thread: Kitchen knife suggestions

Hm, so looking around I can't help but wonder something and this seems as good a place to ask as any.

What are the relative benefits of the different steels? I'm referring to the High Carbon vs. Molybdenum vs. Stainless Steel. I know I like the High Carbon to shave with because the edge is more responsive to my hone and feels good to shave with, but will I like the same steel for my kitchen knives or should I look to something else? I've got a SS Kiwi that has stood me in decent stead for years now (a little light in the hand and needs a few laps on the hone (stropping rod might do just as well?) fairly frequently to attain effortless tomato slicing).

Can anybody enlighten me?

X

It's cool that this thread got restarted. My perspective has changed now, as I'm learning to make knives myself.

I never did get around to buying one, but now I'm using a 10" 440C stainless chef-style blade that I bought pre-ground and made my own handle for. The other blade I just started using was that 5" chef-style one I tried to sell earlier. Nobody bit, so I just sharpened it and put it in the knifeblock. I'm really, really liking it. It's 1080 carbon steel with a hollow-ground cutting edge.

X, I'm still learning about steels, but my impression to this point is that medium-grade stainless steels are nice because they require less care and won't develop a patina with use. Carbon steels take a better edge than the mid-range stainless steels, which is why you get guys using 10K hones on kitchen knives.

The high-grade stainless stuff can take a pretty darn good edge, maybe as good as carbon steels, I don't know, but it is harder to sharpen.

I might be way off base, since I'm mainly interested in working with good carbon steels that I can heat-treat myself. Hopefully Mike Blue or some of the other metalheads will chime in.

Josh

Originally Posted by kasperitis

I'm also in the market for a small, starter kitchen knife set. I'm going to need it soon, so I'll probably go for a basic 7-piece Henckels so I get everything I need, but not some insane list of stuff I'll never use.

You only need three knives. A chef's knife, a paring knife and a bread knife. Anything else is gravy. I bought a cleaver because I thought I'd use it, but now it's my cheese knife.

X

Originally Posted by xman

You only need three knives. A chef's knife, a paring knife and a bread knife. Anything else is gravy. I bought a cleaver because I thought I'd use it, but now it's my cheese knife.

X

For 90% of my needs, X is right on. I do, however, occasionally use my cleaver for some butchering chores (deer season). But I would add a filet knife to the list of must haves. There's nothing better for taking a chicken apart into its component pieces. I can strip a carcass in about three minutes and barely leave enough meat on the bones to make a soup stock. A chef's knife is simply not sufficiently maneuverable for that task.

cheers,
Ed

Originally Posted by ForestryProf

For 90% of my needs, X is right on. I do, however, occasionally use my cleaver for some butchering chores (deer season). But I would add a filet knife to the list of must haves. There's nothing better for taking a chicken apart into its component pieces. I can strip a carcass in about three minutes and barely leave enough meat on the bones to make a soup stock. A chef's knife is simply not sufficiently maneuverable for that task.

cheers,
Ed

+1. At work, I only use two knives. My seven-dollar Costco French knife and a Wusthof boning knife. My French knife is my bread knife and my cleaver, my boning knife is my filet and paring. Those two get everything done I could ever ask for.

Ed

I was just thinking the same thing about my boning knife I couldn't get by without it.

It and my chefs knife see the most use.

X

I'm a fan of the high carbon steel knives probably because I have never had a really good stainless one but I like the ease of sharpening. They really don't take long to maintain. I use Arkansas stones to keep mine keen and comared to razors I spend less time honing a lot more steel on my kitchen knives.

I just got back from a buddies house where we where testing some new water stones... I brought out a few straights to test on as well. Using Shapton water stones from 220 to 16k we used white #1, blue #1&2, as well as AS steel knives. I didn't have any stainless knives there so I wouldn't get a rash But took LR Harners stainless straight there to help me finnish off that bevel. We also had some Chosera stones to play with... super drool factor there. That 10k Chosera is like buddah when sliding a straight across it the edge seemed finer than the 16k GS shapton...

Japanese steel vs western styled knives have a different use pattern, so care must used when first going from western to japanese knives. My first japaese knife was almost killed off by my learning curve Now I have no problem with even the finest edges.

Cleavers are another favorite of mine Using the right cleaver for the task is a must. I have one cleaver that started out as a thin vegi cleaver... well it was thinned by more than half and is now a wicked sharp slicer that can still take a beating. My next one up is rather thick but not crazy, 6mm at the spine, and is my beater. Not much that I do will harm it, not even the concrete floor that it chipped a hole in... oops! Both these cleavers are chinese CCK's (1100 and 1200 ser.) and real affordable. Good cleavers can get expensive as well but they are worth it if you like them .

There are hounderds of different styles of knives out there, sticking to 3 types is like watching water boil or grass grow. If that floats your boat more power to ya. For me, I need to get my hands on new stuff to play with, learn new tricks, and play with my equipment. I imagin MANY here are just like me and have intrests as wide and varied. Not all of them are going to be to the same degree or even in the same direction (me and carbon steel for example ). Take these posts and glean the info you need to make your intrests grow...

Oh ya and Cutco's knives blow chunks..... Had to say it HAHA

We upgraded our cutlery after many years of junk. I looked at many offerings and finally went with (after returning 2 other sets) the Henckels Twin Cuisine:

http://www.zwilling.com/en-US/sortim...ine--3099.html

I went with a fairly basic set and added a bread knife, the boning knife and the 8" carver. Ordered from Amazon.com and got a good deal, but that was a while ago. This is very similar to the set we went with:
http://www.amazon.com/Henckels-Twin-...401565&sr=8-10
except it is cheaper now !

No regrets. The hold an excellent edge and have a very nice balance. If you are not used to a better quality knife, they may seem heavy at first. I have had a number of folks (the few I trusted to pick one up) comment that they weigh a ton (LOL) but I guess they do compared to the general wally-world sets.

Just my $.02 and as always, YMMV.....


v/r

Allen

RMS,

Gotta disagree a bit. A sack of cement is heavy; knives, they're pretty light.

Originally Posted by Bruce

RMS,

Gotta disagree a bit. A sack of cement is heavy; knives, they're pretty light.

Smart arse! I love the weight to them, but compared to the junk you find around, they have a bit more substance.

Well, not as much as..... nevermind.....