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Knives, a confusing conundrum

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Chopper Duke

Got Wood.
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So I've decided I want, no, need at least one knife that wants purchased at the same place you can get your oil changed, pick up a pair of cheap jeans, a new TV and groceries. Yeah, you all know where I'm talking about.

So, I set myself a $50 limit, did a LOT of reading here and other place and the Victorinox seems to be a leading contender, especially for the price. I attend art school and asked a few of the culinary students what knives they use and the consensus was that most use what ever they get in their "kit" and wait until they graduate before getting anything decent it also appears the kits have changed based on whatever is cheapest for the school to get.

For usage, I smoke mostly butts and ribs (spare, St. Louis and baby back) but I also like to prepare some of my meals with fresh peppers and onions so I'd like something that can also cut through the larger peppers with ease. As far as grilling, I do chicken, burgers, steaks, hot dogs, the general grilling items as well as corn and veggies.

Then, The other day I decided to stop by Bed, Bath and Beyond the other day since it was on my way Home from school. I went to their cutlery section to put my grubby paws on some. No Victorinox, but they did have Calphalon, Wüstof and J.A. Henckels. After Handling them, I quickly ruled the Calphalon out. I really like the Henckels and as I was explaining to the nice young man who worked there, he suggested a Santoku over the 8" chefs. I gotta admit that I like the way it felt in my hand.

So, if you're still with me, based on what I stated my intended uses are I have a couple of questions:
Would a Chefs be better than a Santoku for the kind of cutting I need to do?
Is the quality and longevity of the Henckles enough to justify the price difference in comparison to the Victorinox?
 
I just got a knife set for christmas and it has one of those Sankou or whatever you call it knife in it

Its ok, but I much prefer the rocking motion of my trusty old chefs knife.
 
I have often heard that if you only have 1 single knife, the 8 inch chefs knife is the one... with that being said, I have many.
 
Santoku is an excellent all rounder, designed for that purpose, basically for the housewives of Japan.
It will do vegetables with ease and the meat jobs.
Personally I would go with a chefs 8" or 10 " myself, because it can do most anything and you will gain your skill levels with it.
HenCkels make some high end quality knives, but I don't know which level you have looked at or the price, so I don't know if you could buy better for your buck.

I will say, when it comes to knives, it is ALWAYS worth spending to get a higher quality.
It saves you money, you have a more pleasurable life and care for them and you will be passing them down .
By cheap, replace. Repeat.
 
I like my Henckels Chef knife and use it almost as much as the utility but the Granton edge on the Santoku is nice for slicing veggies. I ended up going for the drop forged models and love the edge they hold.
 
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.
 
For $50 you could get both the Victorinox chef knife and a 5" or 6" boning knife... I have both (plus a 12" cimeter) and they all serve me well. I have also noted a number of posts in "knife" threads from professional butchers about Victorinox blades and how much they like them considering how much they use them on a daily basis. :thumb:
 
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.
Click to expand...

Yeah... What kevin said while I was in the middle composing my opinion. :mrgreen:
 
I appreciate every response. I am one of those of the mindset; buy once, cry once so I don't mind spending the $$ on a Henckles but if the advantage isn't there to spend the extra, I'd rather not.
 
I have a Victornox 6" semi stiff boning knife, my most reached for is a Messiermeister 7 " santoku and a 5" utility.
 
Chopper Duke said:
I appreciate every response. I am one of those of the mindset; buy once, cry once so I don't mind spending the $$ on a Henckles but if the advantage isn't there to spend the extra, I'd rather not.
Click to expand...
Victorinox and Dexter are good quality, lower price point. Then you get into the middle of the road about 100$ henkle range. If you go nuts like me you will have a collection of Shuns $200-450
 
Chopper Duke said:
I appreciate every response. I am one of those of the mindset; buy once, cry once so I don't mind spending the $$ on a Henckles but if the advantage isn't there to spend the extra, I'd rather not.
Click to expand...

If it helps, Cooks Illustrated has done multiple tests over the years and the Victorinox always come out on top over the pricier brands.

From their most recent test:

During the past 20 years, we’ve conducted five chef’s knife evaluations. Those tests have covered dozens of blades in styles ranging from traditional, to innovative, to hybrid knives combining Western and Asian features. And at the end of every test, we’ve told the same story: One bargain knife has typically trounced the competition—including knives costing 10 times its price tag.

....

About the winner of the tests (the Victorinox Chefs knife)

Still the best—and a bargain—after 20 years, this knife’s “super-sharp” blade was “silent” and “smooth,” even as it cut through tough squash, and it retained its edge after weeks of testing. Its textured grip felt secure for a wide range of hand sizes, and thanks to its gently rounded edges and the soft, hand-polished top spine, we could comfortably choke up on the knife for “precise,” “effortless” cuts.
 
Maybe I'm missing out but I always just use the cheap white handled knives you get at Sam's. They're so cheap I just use them like they're disposable lol
 
I've become a fan of buying knives at the restaurant supply store. Better grips, nice sharp blades, and cheap. Downside is they look like they belong in a restaurant kitchen instead of a showroom. But hey, they work great.

I have some santokus and personally don't prefer them. Give me a heavy chef's knife any day as a go-to blade. For BBQ, I've bought specialty stuff--a 10" scimitar and 6" boning knife for general carving of raw meats, a 4" utility for close-in work on pockets of fat, and a 12" granton edge slicer for slicing briskets. Turns out the tools that butchers use really are the right tools for the job when it comes to cutting big hunks of meat.
 
When I am at home, I use my Japanese Shun knives. They stay in the home. When I am catering or outdoors I use the Victorinox knives with the fibrox handles. They hold a decent edge, easy to grip with messy hands and are cheap enough that if it gets dropped or banged around, I don't cringe. Just remember to properly hone the blade to keep the edge nice before each use and it will last a long time between sharpening.
 
Wustof, Henckel, Victornox, they are all good knives be careful you are getting what you think knives require a lot of research all of these company's make both stamped and
forged knives the stamped ones are 1/3 the price.
I chose Dexter Russell because they are American made.
The knife needs to be stain free carbon steel for resharpening stainless steel
cannot not be resharpened well, I like a diamond coated butcher steel to keep blades sharp Dexter also makes forged knives I have 8" chefs Connissure model for looking at I use their 9" santuko with granton edge V-lo model for my go to and a thin blade 6" boning
knife V-lo for most of my prep work they also have 12" granton edge slicer thats wonderful on brisket slicing
 
I have a Henckel set that includes a Santoku, and although it is great for chopping vegs and cheese, if I could only have one knife from the set it would be the 8" chefs knife.

My advice would be to go with the best quality Chefs knife you can afford, then when you are ready buy a decent set that includes the rest.

This is the newer version of the knife set I currently own and am quite happy with it.
http://www.costco.ca/J.A.-Henckels-10-pc.-Forged-Knife-Set.product.100026439.html

I also have a Wusthof Chef 8" Knife, and notice no difference between the Henckel, other than the Wusthof is a tad heavier.
 
I use my santuko I bet 10:1 over my chefs. Both Wustoff Classics.

FYI, Take the ability to handle dish washers into factor if you have one. Ive busted the handle on my santuko classic in there.

No matter what grade of a knife you go with, a sharp knife is always better. If your really looking at a BBQ knife, heavy usage knife, look at the victinox, F Dicks, Kershaw Filet Knives. A Shun is no good if your afraid to drop it or leave it in a tub for a month.
 
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