Knife brand selection

[cmcadams]

Go try the Shuns before you pass... roughly the same as the good Wustofs, but, for my money, the better knife. I've been building my collection... There are better knives, but not for the money, I don't think.

[SP]

For what its worth I get my knives shapened at Ambrose Bros and they sell Wustof, Global anbd Shun, the 3 top rated knives, I asked the guy what knives he likes the best. He said, Wustof are the hardest to sharpen. I said so does that mean they also are the hardest to dull. He smile and said but we also have some other wonderful knives. So basicly he like the Wustof the best and so do I. What ever you get look for a comfortable forged blade.

[Sawdustguy]

Tim,

Whichever manufacturer you decide on please consider a Santoku instead of a regular chef's knife. The serations on a Chefs knife decrease the friction and the meat making a better cut. IMHO the Santoku is a touch more versatile.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Sawdustguy

Tim,

Whichever manufacturer you decide on please consider a Santoku instead of a regular chef's knife. The serations on a Chefs knife decrease the friction and the meat making a better cut. IMHO the Santoku is a touch more versatile.

Agree. I got a 7" Santoku a few months ago and like it a lot. Nice balance. Hardly use the chef's knife anymore.

[qman]

Originally Posted by Sawdustguy

Tim,

Whichever manufacturer you decide on please consider a Santoku instead of a regular chef's knife. The serations on a Chefs knife decrease the friction and the meat making a better cut. IMHO the Santoku is a touch more versatile.

Guy, I love my Santoku's, but I still think a traditional Chef's knife has advantages. I would NEVER bang through a chicken back with my santoku, or use it to trim bony ribs. I trust my traditional chef's knives with heavier blades to do those jobs with out damage to the blade.
I think what I am saying is that I really like to use the santoku for a lot of stuff, trimming veggies, dicing and slicing, etc, but there are still jobs where a French Chef's knife does better. [aside-a really good Japanese clever will do all that stuff as well as a chef's knife-so maybe a combo of a santoku and a cleaver........

[Jeff_in_KC]

I saw a guy at Platte City this weekend who had several Japanese knives and MAN were they sharp! Felt nervous with several people next to me in case someone bumped me while i was handling it!!! Anyway, he gets his at www.japanesechefsknife.com and I am still waiting for an email with the exact type he had that I really liked most but I think it was this one:

http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/Hi...EIGHT:%20161px

As you can see, none of those knives are more than $58 AND you can have one shipped from Japan to you in three days for only $7. Great deal if you ask me. I'm going to order one soon.

He tore a page out of a magazine, dropped it from 6 feet or so and slowly swiped the knife down across the page... it fell into two pieces with an easy swipe! It was cool!

[bbqinNC]

I have a Wüsthof and have been very happy with it/them. I my wife stays away from them because she says "they are too sharp!". I have been using the Wüsthof steel and so far haven't had to sharpen my chef's knife although I haven't had it very long.

[JohnMcD348]

Originally Posted by bbqinNC

I have a Wüsthof and have been very happy with it/them. I my wife stays away from them because she says "they are too sharp!". I have been using the Wüsthof steel and so far haven't had to sharpen my chef's knife although I haven't had it very long.

Yea, my wife and mother-in-law had the same problem with my henckel's when I first got them. After they cut themselves a couple times they learned how to use them. They were so use to using the cheap $20.00 a set dull serated things that you had to throw most of your body weight into to use. It's amazing what a good sharp knoife can so without any effort at all.

[brdbbq]

So I noticed no one mentined diamond hones ? I had one but misplace din in one og my many moves.

[cmcadams]

Originally Posted by SP

For what its worth I get my knives shapened at Ambrose Bros and they sell Wustof, Global anbd Shun, the 3 top rated knives, I asked the guy what knives he likes the best. He said, Wustof are the hardest to sharpen. I said so does that mean they also are the hardest to dull. He smile and said but we also have some other wonderful knives. So basicly he like the Wustof the best and so do I. What ever you get look for a comfortable forged blade.

The rockwell rating on Shuns is several points higher than Wustofs... and they can be sharpened much sharper. The metal, however, is more flexible while still being stronger, allowing honing to be effective and sharpening to be easier. Shuns sharpen to 16 degree angles (and some are single side sharpened making twice as sharp) compared to 22 degree angles on German knives.

However, the best way to pick a knife, from what I've been told, is to go somewhere that has the knives you want to try out, get out a cutting board, and just act like you're slicing on it; pick the knife that feels the best to you.

By the way, watching Iron Chef American last night, Calphalon now has a Shun knock off for lower prices. I don't know the quality, but the metals used look very much the same. Very cool looking knives, though I'll stick with Shuns... I also like the lifetime warranty and free sharpening on them.

[cmcadams]

Originally Posted by brdbbq

So I noticed no one mentined diamond hones ? I had one but misplace din in one og my many moves.

I don't like diamond hones as they try to be part honer, part sharpener; I use a simple knife honer that does nothing more, then send in my knives every 18 months or so for professional sharpening. Diamond takes off some metal with it.

[Q_Egg]

.... a 2000 grit and 8000 grit waterstone ... but that is because all of my Japanese knives, plus many Henckels, are in very good condition. Then the process starts all over ..... the hard knives wear down the waterstones and they muxt be flattened. There are some cheapie methods (which I use) but the right way is a diamond flattening bed (only about $400.).... and the beat goes on ...

I was told to get a piece of float glass cut about 12"x12" and place a piece of 220 wet-dry paper on it (plenty of water to get it to 'suck down' on the glass). I mark pencil grid lines on the stone and then rub it on the wet-dry until the grids are all gone. Seems to work pretty well.

An earlier comment about the blade serrations is on target and some cutlery users avoid the finest grits, feeling that the polished finish is too smooth.

[Bigmista]

If you watched "Girls of the Grill" on Food Network, you saw Brent and Kim Walton that won the contest. They sell these knives and they are nice. One of our teammates bought one and used it to slice our ribs and brisket.

http://www.bbqn4u.com/html/forschner_knives.html

[Ron_L]

I'm coming into this thread a little late... Tim, I don't think you can go wrong with either Henckles or Wustoff. They are both good brands. As the others have suggested, try to find a place to try them out. I have a set of Henckles knives that we received as a wedding gift (22 years ago!) and they are still in perfect condition. Once a year they get a professional sharpening and I give them a quick honing with a steel before each use.

[cmcadams]

Originally Posted by Ron_L

I give them a quick honing with a steel before each use.

A habit that I've gotten over the last couple of years, at the suggestion of a knife rep, has worked really well:

I hone my knives as soon as I wash them, before putting them away, so that they're always ready to go when I need them.