Thread: Recommend a chef's knife

For 50$ and under it is very hard to beat the Victorinox fibrox pro like MichaelPz mentioned. It is not the prettiest knife but it does get the job done. Takes a good edge and has very good steel for that price point.

When I have new guys come to the kitchen that are looking to start a set I ask them the following questions:
1. What is your goal with this knife? Are you looking to do general purpose work or is heavy duty work?
2. How large a knife are you comfortable with?
3. What do you do to maintain your current knives and do you own a honing steel?
4. Is this knife the last one you want to buy ever?
5. Do you want to be able to build a set from this?

For me, knives have a very personal aspect to them. You need to get into a decent store that has selection up and down the price spectrum. Hold some steel and see what you like. My knife roll has very little synergy to it in regards to brand or even cost. Each knife I have is a tool that is very personal and effective for me.

But I will suggest the following based on your price point and what it sounds like you are looking for. Please note that the above guys really are accurate that spending a bit more really will put you in a piece of equipment that will last a lifetime and bring you way more satisfaction.

$50ish range:
Wusthof Gourmet Line: Lots of pieces to choose from and a decent steel. The biggest downside to me is the handle and weighting. It feels lifeless in my hand but really could be a solid way to get you into nice knives without breaking your budget.

The above-mentioned Victorinox knives: These are ok but for me the blades are trash. With that said I actually keep a 110mm tomato knife in my roll but use it only like once a year.

Mika: The steel on these knives is really hard so could prove great for you and the whole line sits at about $50 or less. The handles are pretty ok and have a nice feel to them

Stubai: Depending on length these are about as much knife as you can get for 50 bucks.

With all that said I personally think jumping your budget up to $150 will yield you some knives that will make you really happy. These will have superior steels and really great expandability to sets if that is your goal. I don't necessarily use everyone one of these but I do have a set of each one of these lines.

Wusthof Epicure Line: For me, there has never been a better production knife from Wusthof. The handle design is insane and the steel is excellent. The weight is really great and the knife is easily approachable for anyone. The best part is the most expensive piece will run you about $150.

Shun Classic: At $150 you can find pieces in this line but you are better jumping to a 3 piece set here for about $400 and you will never need another knife again. The pairing, Utility, and Chef knife in these 3pc sets are the tools needed to have generations of well-equipped cooks.

If after all this you decide to jump the budget higher still start looking at the Shun Nagare, Shun Ken Onions (if you can find them), Or the Kramer by Zwilling. If those don't tip your hat your gonna have to look to custom and one-offs.

Solid info here,
I can't give much advise,

I've mostly handled Global knives and Chroma knives, but they probably won't fit the price range

Snail Forge Chef Knife, Nuff Said Tc

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

Snail Forge Chef Knife, Nuff Said Tc

I didn't know Bruno made $50 knives - I'll definitely get in touch with him!

Seriously, though, thanks for all the input.

I personally use and enjoy Mercer Cutlery Knives. They run around $35-$50 per knife very comfortable in my hand and holds a good edge. I have 3 different sets for home, work and BBQ competitions. My knife roll is all Mercer knives with the exception of 1 - 12inch AmCutCo that I use for large cuts of meat. They are worth taking a look at. Good Luck and have fun!

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I didn't know Bruno made $50 knives - I'll definitely get in touch with him!

Seriously, though, thanks for all the input.

That's news to me as well
I have started to branch out into kitchen knives but not in that price range.

Originally Posted by Bruno

That's news to me as well
I have started to branch out into kitchen knives but not in that price range.

Well if you do, I'll be first in line!

There’s a lot to consider when getting a chefs knife. I bought my wife a Misen. It’s actually a decent knife, good design. But the price had a lot to do with it. She is hard on knives. She likes to cut on glass and leave it dirty laying in the bottom of a sink. For that she gets her own knife on a limited budget. I don’t know one person that actually gets their knives sharpened. For those folks, what difference does it make what knife they get? In a month it’s useless. For those folks I typically recommend a ceramic knife. The knife typically gets light use and can be replaced when it finally dulls. And you can throw it in the dishwasher without ruining it. If you plan on keeping a knife sharp and want more horsepower than the 8” Misen, the kind of use might dictate. If you want one knife that you plan to hack through a bone and sail through some veg, I’d go with a heavy German like Wustof. If your prep mostly consists of meat and veg, you might want a thinner blade that has less wedging and slips through onions and potatoes with greater ease. But they are more fragile. I love my Miyabi 10”. It’s finished very well with rounded edges along the spine making extended use a lot more comfortable.

“Good” is as subjective here as it is anywhere else. Obviously many people have recommended chef knives around $50 or less and consider them good so it absolutely can be done. I have tried many of the suggestions here and agree with them! Great places to start at your price point. One of my favorite chef knives was an old hickory knife that I found at a yard sale for $1. It may not bring the oohs and awes that others may bring but I find most people could care less about how special my chef knives are (frankly the novelty is gone for me also) and I end up grabbing old hickory over the expensive ones most of the time. Sharp as can be and well balanced with some age. A lot like me.