Need a kitchen knife that works

ol' geeser said:
[NEVER EVER EVER EVER PUT YOUR GODD KNIVES IN A DISHWASHER.....HAND WASH ONLY
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Ol' Geeser is right. My wife insisted on washing our Henckel knives in the dishwasher until the handles started to crack. I finally learned to shut-up and let her ruin the knife handles just to keep the peace. Of course, once the handles started cracking, she finally got the message. I got lucky, I was using the large chef's knife one day and dropped it on the floor. The blade broke in half as if it were made of glass. I phoned the company and finally was able to speak with a nice guy in customer service. He told me to return the broken chef's knife and they would send me a new one. While I had him on the phone, I told him about the cracked handles on the other Henckel knives in our set. No worries, he told me to return them as well for an even exchange. Fortunately, since then, the wife always hand washes the new, replacement Henckels.

Regards,

Dave
 
CHASLX200 said:
I'm looking for a knife that is SHARP and something that is easy to sharpen. I don't mind spending some money on something good.

So what would you guys pick?
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Since it has not been said-......................................
Write to: Orenthal James Simpson. He's currently in a correctional facility in Nevada. I am sure he can point you in the right direction.:rolleyes:

I like my Dexter Russell knives, they are workhorses.
Other favorites which do not break the bank are Forschner knives, and of all the knives to have run into by accident, I got a Calcutta knife at a tackle store in Freeport Tx. And, what a great 6" fillet knife this has been. Probably THE best $18 knife I have ever seen. White poly rubber handle like the Dexter Russell handles. Holds an edge really well.
For other budget knives, the Old Hickory high carbon blade is as sharp as a blade can get. It's no contest as to what knife would be the best ripe tomato slicer on planet earth. The one drawback is the blade can rust, so you need to lightly oil the blade after use. Especially with tomatoes; their acid will rust these blades in a heartbeat. But Lord, they take an edge like no other. Shouldazagged is dead on.

While there are many other knives which are truly great blades, the $60-150 price tag is not worthy of the knife.
 
Once I discovered Dexter-Russell commercial grade knives back in the early 70s, I have used nothing else since. I bought one of each model they had and a Chef's Choice electric knife sharpener, and I have been a cuttin' fool ever since. The ones I have are American made, will hold an edge, and resharpen easily. You can't buy better for the money spent.
 
I have a few Chicago cutlery knives that i just can't get sharp anymore. I think my steel is worn down to the point it is usless.
 
CAN'T GET IT SHARP

loan them to some convicts. they will have an edge on them quick without any fancy sharpening kits. take them to a pro sharpener.
 
SCWOODY, Olive oil isn't a great idea. It can get rancid. What you should be using is food grade mineral oil. Make sure it's 'food grade'. Chicago cutlery even makes an applicator that looks like one of those liquid shoe polish applicators. They work fine, but you can use a sponge just as well.
 
I've had a Zwillings J. A. Henckels 4 star set for 25 years now. They get sharpened occasionally now that I have Mr. Smith around to do it. (I was never good at sharpening *any* blade and would wait for my brother to visit!) They're still going strong and look great despite a lot of use.
 
I've owned a number of Chicago Cutlery knives in the fairly distant past, and found them to be good blades. Now they seem to be steel that is lesser quality or not as well heat treated. They do make a nice bread knife, though. Picked one up last year, and I really like it.
 
PDL said:
SCWOODY, Olive oil isn't a great idea. It can get rancid. What you should be using is food grade mineral oil. Make sure it's 'food grade'. Chicago cutlery even makes an applicator that looks like one of those liquid shoe polish applicators. They work fine, but you can use a sponge just as well.
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Thanks for the info..I hadn't thought about that.
 
Sorry, couldn't resist:
gw020-ginsu_knives.jpg
 
CHASLX200 said:
I have a few Chicago cutlery knives that i just can't get sharp anymore. I think my steel is worn down to the point it is usless.
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Even when a Steel is new all it really does is straighten out the bent over thin - fine edge that occurs from use. At some point all knives require a good sharpening on a stone (I use Arkansas stones) and then the Steel will "restore" the bent edge every time you use the knife. Once that thin fine edge is broken or gone, the Steel itself won't do much to sharpen the knife.
 
I use a mix of tools depending on the job. a very nice entry level set of knives would be something along the lines of Victorinox's R.H. Forschner brand with Rosewood handles. they are very good quality cold rolled Swiss steel blades. a few notches up are the good German forged blades from Henckels and Wustof a notch higher still are the forged and laminated Japanese knives.

Victorinox Forschner Rosewood Deluxe Knife Block Set, 7-piece | cutleryandmore.com

Wusthof Classic Ikon Knife Block Set, 7-piece Oak | cutleryandmore.com

Shun Reserve Bamboo Knife Block Set, 6-piece | cutleryandmore.com
 
Shun are great, Ken Onion designed some outstanding kitchen knives for Shun that are incredibly well balanced and easy to handle, can't go wrong with Wustoff or Henckels but stay away from their economy lines. I have some old Chicago Cutlery that have great steel.
 
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Consumer Reports say's these are the best:

1. Henckels "Twin Professional S"
2. Henckels "Twin Profection"
3. Wusthoff "Classic Ikon"
4. Wusthoff "Trident Classic"
5. Ginsu "Chikara"

Believe it or not the Ginsu was rated a "Best Buy"!:eek:

I have no experience with GOOD kitchen knives other than Henckels. They stay sharp and are easy to sharpen.

As mentioned prior, proper maintenance is key. Keep them sharp and pay attention to the sharpening angle. For example, quality kitchen knives are sharpened at a different angle than most pocket knives. So buy a good sharpener if you don't have one. ;)
 
I remember growing up in the 50's when a guy with an open truck from the 30's decked all out with sharpening tools came around every week or so ringing a bell to sharpen our knives. Today the guy would get mugged or robbed every day.

The best knife I seen was used by John baluchi as the samurai warrior. Kidding.

What we find easy to sharpen doesn't hold it for long. What we find that holds the edge is harder to Sharpen. The best knives we made from the machine deburing files.
 
Some things I've learned about "Workhorse" kitchen and Chef's knives.

For the long haul, buy the best you can afford whether it be German forged,Japanese carbon or anything in between.
No one can tell you which is the correct length,composition,grip,weight or configuration for you....your hand will ultimately decide.
Stay away from block sets...waste of money,counter space and steel...you'll end up using only 1 or 2 pieces regularly and the balance will just gather dust.
Get a steel and use it ...before and after using the knife.
....all that being said, it all comes down to trial and error.


My travel case. The Nikiri and chef's are both Henckles and the Japanese cleaver is for heavy work.
Good luck.
 
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