Knives, a confusing conundrum

Chopper Duke said:

So I've been looking and comparing and then this morning DVOR decided for me. For those unfamiliar, DVOR is a site owned by Optics Planet that does closeout deals. Typically this involves some kind of optics for rifles or pistols (or both) and then some other stuff usually. Today they had Victorinox knives. I scored a 10" Chefs knife for $32 and a utility set (2 3" pairing and a 4" utility) for $11. I didn't see the 6" curved semi-stiff boning the first time and they only reserve and item in your cart for 15min so I rushed to get checked out as that was the only 10" they had. Opted for it since it was cheaper than the 8" on Amazon. I had a $10 credit from being there over a year and my birthday. Still debating on the 12" round tip, graton edge slicing knife.

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Well the 6" semi-stiff boning knife is a really good knife in my opinion.
Only Victornivox knives I have are the 12" scimitar and the semi-stiff boning knife, and I use both of them quite a bit for meat prep work.

I've never got myself a slicing knife, I just use my Gyuto.

Sams club has stupid sharp, high carbon, dish washer safe knifes, dirt cheap, other then my mundial those are my go to knives.

http://www.amazon.com/Dexter-Russell-8-Cooks-Knife-Blue/dp/B006XWA92I/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1390157491&sr=8-10&keywords=dexter+russell+8%22+chef

This is the same model, except I use a 10", in my kitchen. It is a great workhorse knife. The one you linked to, in theory, has a superior blade and the comfort handle. I didn't like the handle so never gave it a second look. This is not my go to knife, I have a whole slew, literally, almost three knife blocks worth of knives to use, that are far better than the Dexter Russel, but, not reasonably useful. The D-R is just a great, cheap knife.

A note about forged, versus stamped. For almost all knives that are under $100 each, the blades are never hit with a hammer. Most forged knives are stamped, then the blank is machine forged two more times, using pressure, not heat. They are only marginally better than a quality stamped knife. This is why even Henckels and Wusthof have forged knives that are entry level priced.

marubozo said:

I'll take just one very high quality chef's knife over an equally priced 10-piece set any day. My home kitchen only includes three knives that ever get used these days:

MAC Ultimate Series 9.25" chef's knife (does 90% of the work)
Shun DM0700 3.5" paring knife
Wusthof 10" serrated knife

Then sharpening stones and a MAC black ceramic honing rod.

In total, $600+ for such a small kit seems like a lot. But when you use them daily and want stuff that holds an amazing edge, feels good in the hand, and can last a lifetime, it's worth every penny.

That being said, I keep the restaurant stocked with an assortment of Victorinox and Dexter knives. I save the good stuff for home since knives get abused in a restaurant setting.

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What do you do for a boning knife? I'd have that over a 10" serrated knife myself. Because you can cut bread with a chef's knife fine--if you keep it razor sharp.

I can use my Chef's knife for boning a chicken just fine, but, I use a paring knife. It works fine as well. I have an old 5.5" Wusthof paring knife, with a re-worked edge, that is an excellent boning knife.

I have a 6 pc. set of Henckels 4 star that were given to me by a friend when I retired from the Air Force in 2002 as a retirement gift. They hold an edge well as long as I use the steel before each use.

I generally sharpen them about twice a year the old fashioned way, on a tri hone. Usually just need the medium and fine stones.

I agree with the ones who say the 8" chef's knife is the most used of the six. The little paring knife is probably the second most used.

I also have a cheap Faberware santoku from Wally World that I mainly bought to see if I want a good one... Probably not, I mainly just use it for veggies and I can do that with the chefs knife also.

My steak knives are Wustof because I found a set on sale online. They are OK but I like the Henckels better.

Buy the best you can afford and don't look back... Also, after you buy, quit shopping because you will find the same knives cheaper and just get pissed...

VR,
Harold

kevinc said:

Get the Victorinox 8" Chefs knife and the Victorinox boning knife as well.

The boning knife is razor sharp and is really useful for trimming up pork butts given the size, flexibility and sharpness of the blade.

The chefs knife relatively inexpensive, holds its edge really well and the nonslip handle is great when your hands are messy.

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Agreed. These are the knives I use as well. In my opinion, best knives to use at a decent price.

I have a full set of Wustof's and love them . I have 2 of the I think 10 inch chef , that is my go to knife the 8 is just a little small after using the 10 . The quality is outstanding slide it a couple of times across the steal and razor sharp . Look around there are different handle configurations to choose from . I preferred the Grand Prix . I have from pairing , boning , scalloped slicers , I don't care if it is a strawberry or prime rib I grab the Big Chef's . ps the best money spent

Chopper Duke said:

I'm still pulling Reserve duty at Moody (2W0X1). Thank you for your service! I really liked the Henckels I had my hands on. That will probably be what I ultimately end up with.

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No ****e... I retired from Moody. Spent my last 7 years there. Was a Pro Super in the 71st RQS and then did a little over two years as the Wing Flight Safety NCO. My Wife works on base.

VR,
Harold

Like you, I did a lot of research - including taking a knife skills class at Sur la Table so I could use several brands. I cook about every night with the weekends spent smoking on my 18.5 WSM. Here are my opinions:
- Global: very light, too light in fact. Rubber nub bed handle felt odd to me and the handle was a little small. No bolster, only matters if you like them.
- Henckels Four Star: A top quality German knife with a classic rocker blade. Just a touch heavy for my taste, but a solid choice. Full bolster with a large comfortable handle but with a larger butt.
-Victorinox: very nice knife, well balanced with the bolster as part of the handle. Lighter knife.
-Wusthof Ikon Classic: Another solid German knife with a semi-bolster, medium size handle with a stainless steel cap. Also very solid knife with good balance

I opted for the Wusthof and have been very happy with it. It holds an edge well, requiring frequent honing, but has only needed a new edge twice in 11 months. I opted for the 8" model because I was unsure of my skill level. I now wish I had gone larger as several articles suggested. Your skills will grow as you use it and the additional length is useful periodically. Be aware that the largest Wusthof Ikon Classic chef knife is 9", versus the more common 10".

Hope this helps, good luck Chopper!
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My sister worked at a small custom processing plant during school, I think every knife n the place was a Victorinox. I've still got a bunch of them with only 1/4 inch of blade left.

If you're only going to get one good knife, it needs to be a chef's knife. It is the most versatile knife. I have an 8" chef that accounts for about 90% of my knife usage.

Here's a side question to the age old knife discussion.

Recently picked up a 12'' Victorinox slicer. Problem is I really haven't found a block that can fit a 12" so I was wondering if anyone knew of a site that sells a hard case for it (as I don't trust have the knife in a drawer with a bladegaurd, I can easily see me wife dropping something heavy on the blade and it end up warping.

kevinc said:

Get the Victorinox 8" Chefs knife and the Victorinox boning knife as well.

The boning knife is razor sharp and is really useful for trimming up pork butts given the size, flexibility and sharpness of the blade.

The chefs knife relatively inexpensive, holds its edge really well and the nonslip handle is great when your hands are messy.

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I have both of these and a 10" Wusthof slicer.

The best suggestion as far as how to purchase or where is: dont buy on-line unless the price is better and you've held the knife in your hand already. You dont want to spend money on a knife then when you get it, if feels awkward to you. All handles feel different, the weights all feel different, combine the two and each knife really has its own feel in your hand. Many kitchen stores will also allow you to use the knife and chop a few vegetables before you buy. Not all Wusthofs feel the same in the hand.
And everyone has their own preference on the shape of the handles. The block squared edge handles look nice, but do you like that or a rounded handle. I dont like the size of the fibrox handles, but I like it works fine for my boning knife. I cut over 100lbs of product aday at work, I will not buy a squared handle, I dont need any more callouses. If you find a knife that fits you, then look on-line for a better price

The webstaurantstore.com currently has the 8" Victorinox Fibrox 47520 chefs knife on sale for only $24.89 !!

I have henckels love them, i did pick up the victonox boning knife, it was sharp, but certainly felt cheap in my hands. We'll see how long it holds it's edge.
My go to is the Henckles Chef Knife, I like the santoku for veggies though.

jamus34 said:

Here's a side question to the age old knife discussion.

Recently picked up a 12'' Victorinox slicer. Problem is I really haven't found a block that can fit a 12" so I was wondering if anyone knew of a site that sells a hard case for it (as I don't trust have the knife in a drawer with a bladegaurd, I can easily see me wife dropping something heavy on the blade and it end up warping.

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I made up a cardboard case, that fits the edge guard as well. But, a true knife roll is the proper way to go. Of course, those cost more than your knife did. Maybe get a magnentic knife holder and mount it on the wall.