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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S&W Model 10-8 &19-2 Combat

In my opinion, Henckel knives are really hard to beat:

J.A. HENCKELS INTERNATIONAL

Easy to sharpen, they feel great in the hand, and a lifetime warranty - what else do you want?

Regards,

Dave

I am sold on CUTCO brand knives. They are sharp, stay sharp and if it ever gets dull, they sharpen for free.

I know that some people think it is a gimmick or scam to sell Cutco, maybe it is, but the knives work great for me and my wife.

more important than the brand imo is knowing what knife to use for what job, how to use it safely, and how to sharpen it when needed. for the money imo the Dexter Russel brand with the stainless blade and dishwasher safe are hard to beat. I own & use 2 sets of Henckels and a couple of dexters. the wife FINALY got the point recently about knives. a paper plate is not a good cutting board, the 2" strip of countertop around the sink is not a stable platform for said cutting board, and a long slicer knife is not a good serrated bread knife for a hard roll. sometimes they just gotta learn the hard way.

Best kitchen knife value IMHO....



ESEE Becker for under $90.00

I was just looking at the Dexter softgrip 8" Narrow breaking knife and their Sani safe 12"diamond sharpener since i clean grouper and snapper from time to time. I lost my good filet knife i had for years as i used it to cut meat and fish.

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S&W Model 10-8 &19-2 Combat

I really like my Shun kitchen knives. I have Wustof and Henkels as well, but the Shun's are significantly better in my opinion.

I'm another fan of CUTCO brand knives, made in Olean, NY by the same company that makes Ka-bar knives. I own a set of them that my mother bought in 1961 and have added to the collection over the years.

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"Life is short, hunt hard"

I have a set of knives, I purchased at a kitchen store inside a flea market, I know I know. I don't know much about them but I think Rada is the brand. They didn't cost much and they are some of the best kitchen knives I have ever used. They arent very pretty but they work great. They came with a Rada brand sharpener it works great too. The sharpener is just a plastic base with two steel washer type things about the size of a quarter. The washers overlap one another and create a pinch point you just slide the blade back through the washer a few times to sharpen. I guess Im saying don't count out flea market knives

I still have and use my wood handled high carbon (not stainless) 6" filet knife that I bought as a kid in the early-mid sixties for fishing for app 5 $. quite possibly the sharpest and easiest to sharpen knife I own. no such thing as 1 knife to do it all. I think you could do it all with 7. a large 12" heavy chefs knife, a 10" serrated bread knife, one of the newer shaped chopping knives app 10" (very multi purpose and ergonomic), a 6-8" heavy boning knife, 2 thin flexible blade filet knives one 6" and a longer 10-12", and a small paring knife. that should cover anything. an 8th optional would be a long thin meat slicer/carver, but you could make due with one of the others. a good 2 tined heavy duty fork and sharpening steel +1. that's a set I would assemble.

I'm a big fan of Wustof knives, we have a chef's, a paring and a bread knife. They hold an edge well and stay sharp, but I hang them from a magnetic strip. Wooden blocks and drawer storage are hell on edges...

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I used to be disgusted..

We have several Henckels that I like for everyday use. I have several Henckel straight razors that is why I bought those. But my favorites for real cutting, that you can really sharpen, is the Old Hickory wood handle high carbon steel knives. I use them for all meat cutting including making jerky. Of course I use a fine whetsone, not a diamond sharpening rod for these. The handles do dry out some if washed in a dishwasher, but a little olive oil brings them back to life.Good luck in your search.

If you don't insist on stainless there are lots of good, inexpensive options in 1095 high carbon steel that takes and holds a fine edge and is super easy to re-sharpen.

I use an old set of carbon steel Sabatiers that my kids gave me over 30 years ago, and miscellaneous Old Hickory knives picked up here and there. The patina doesn't bother me at all and imparts no taste to the food, and the knives work.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Nothing actually cuts meat and veggies and even bread like a good ceramic , but I've broken all 3 I got a few months ago. One while simply spreading butter.

Regardless of the blade it should be sharp , and I simply have a good diamond coated rod hanging above the sink and give my stainless blades a quick few swipes across the wetted rod before each use. They can get dull in the sink while cleaning.

And use a cutting board. Preferrably plastic. Wood holds bacteria. I've seen people cut directly on marble countertops and wonder why their knives are always beat!

Mine are by Ed. Wusthof and by Henckels in Solingen, Gemany and one by Henckels International, made in China for Henckels. Very nice knife in their International line. They claim it's of German steel. On deep sale at Target for about $25-30. My others came from a high end specialty cutlery shop in a mall.

My less expensive sandwich and paring knives are from Victorinox, who make the real Swiss Army knives. Excellent values!

Another vote for Cutco.

100% Made in the USA and lifetime warranty.
Free sharpening for life, and warranty even covers negligence.

Shun, Japanese knives made in the same folded style as a sword. Hand crated in Japan. Hands down the best.

I use Connoisseur by Dexter-Russell. They are commercial kitchen knives and covered by lifetime warranty. You can find them in restaurant supply places and they really hold up. The Chef knives are made from a single-piece, stain-free, high-carbon steel blade. They stay sharp and being one piece, easy to sharpen.
Check 'em out, not as pricey as others like JA. I suggest starting with a 12" cooks knife, (very versatile IMHO) and a good diamond sharpener.

[NEVER EVER EVER EVER PUT YOUR GODD KNIVES IN A DISHWASHER.....HAND WASH ONLY

+1 on high carbon Sabatier. Have had them (multiple chef and carving) for 35 years and they're great. Regular use of a steel and an rare run of a stone to keep them slicing and dicing with ease. Just keep the wife, the dishwasher, and anything but a damp rag off of them and you'll be good to go I store them cutting edge up in a block.

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

I'll vote or the Dexter Russell made in USA, easy to sharpen and rugged

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.

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.

About 12 years ago I finally broke down and bought a 23 piece set of Wusthof knives. They stay RAZOR sharp and will out last us I suppose. A quick few strokes on the sharpening steel when finished keeps them perfect. They are certainly not cheap, but have proven to be well worth the money.

Wusthof Classic 23 Piece Deluxe Knife Block Set WU-8623 on Sale with Free Shipping from MetroKitchen

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.

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S&W Model 10-8 &19-2 Combat

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.

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Pete.

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.

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L'LS

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.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Thanks for the info..I hadn't thought about that.

Sorry, couldn't resist:

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

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

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

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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Even older, even crankier....

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"!

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.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Just be sure to clean off all the blood when you get them back.

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Oh well, what the hell.

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.

I'm cheap I guess. Old Hickory.

Then get a good stone and put the edge back on them.

The steel is only for quick hits during use....not meant to re-shape the edge.

My son bought me a Global knife because it was an affordable knife recommended by Anthony Bourdain in one of his books that he said was a great deal. I use nothing else. It is fantastic.

I too like Henckels. But with any expensive or really nice kitchen knife you have to take care of it. Only sharpen it with a ceramic or steel not your motorized grinder type sharpener. Also never put them in a dishwasher, this could damage the fine edge, wash and immediately dry by hand.

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Tom
NRA Pistol Inst

I use Global also but they are brittle so no dropping,cutting frozen foods or snapping bones....even chicken. Do not steel and remember the angle on that edge is a rather acute 10 to 15 degrees

Another vote for Dexter Russell

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Forum consigliere

I have a nice stone somewhere, will look for it.

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S&W Model 10-8 &19-2 Combat

Found my stone and went to work on two of my knives and it helped. I think my steel is worthless as it feels smooth as silk.

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S&W Model 10-8 &19-2 Combat

I bought a Mora Swedish military knive due to a forum discussion. It was about $15.00 on Amazon. I haven't tried it on anything else yet but it's carbon steel blade zips through a soft tomato like warm butta. Even came with a plastic scabbard.

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

The Moras offer a lot of value for little money. Must be a reason the Swedes, who make some very fine military hardware, issue a Mora knife to the troops.

If I weren't well fixed for kitchen knives, I'd be looking at the Dexter Russell line, based on the recommendations on this thread.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Hows 'bout one of these?
Flint/Obsidian Knife Kit | | Crazy Crow Trading Post
Been considering getting one to see how well it works.