Need a kitchen knife that works

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.

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.
 
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 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
 
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.

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.
 
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.
 
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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I'm cheap I guess. Old Hickory.

As posted earlier, I also prefer Old Hickory. I guess us old cops( hope old not offensive) have to watch our money. Can't afford several hundred dollars for kitchen knives. Rather spend it on a Russell or Puma hunting knife. Selfish and cheap I guess.HaHaHa
 
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I'm not an old cop, just old, and living on Social Security. No high-end Japanese or German knives for me. But I learned about Old Hickory, Russell Green River, and the old Case carbon steel kitchen knives many years ago.

One of my favorite and most used small knives is an old Case carbon steel with a blade a little over four inches and a slight slicing sweep to the edge. Paid a dollar for it at Goodwill, and you couldn't buy it from me.
 
Before the fire I had an OH that was older than I and still took an edge to rival the best. The 14" butcher makes a decent short machete, push come to shove.
 
Have several Chicago Cutlery knives we've had for more than 20 years, including a set of steak knives. Only issue is the wood handles - after that many years, even the recommended oil doesn't keep the handles looking nice. No matter, they work well and are easy to sharpen and keep sharp. My dad was a butcher workman in a John Morrell plant for more than 40 years, I have a GOOD steel, several stones, and the hard earned knowledge on how to sharpen a knife.

We also have a good set of Wusthof knives that we use occasionally, but not as often as the old CC's. :D

The key is never in the dishwasher, as has been said. We never even let them sit in the sink for long when hand washing dishes. Usually wash them one at a time and dry immediately.
 
Old Chicago Cutlery

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.

Some of mine are over 30 years old and MADE IN THE USA!!
They sharpen well... The OP needs a new steel or a stone!!

The prices on E-bay are good-excellent. And some are essentially new!

But having said that these new Japanese pattern knives with the scallops are getting my attention! They are SHARP and for slicing are fantastic. Some are dirt cheap.
 
Got my Dexter knives and steel. What a big diff a nice steel makes. After using a stone on my old knives and the new Dexter steel they are as sharp as can be.
 
Two

Howdy,
I have two "Go to" kitchen knives. One is an Old Hickory cleaver. That is the one I could not live without. I touch it up on diamond stones from time to time.
The other is an 8" Rapala fillet knife. That was my favorite up until I found how useful the cleaver can be.
The cleaver can mash and mince garlic, cut up chickens and slice things like a chef knife. It has a lot more finesse than one would think.
I think a good cleaver and cutting board are a hard combo to beat.
Good luck
Mike
 
I'm not going to get into brands because there are a lot of very good knives out there. Buy a good quality knife and a good sharpening system and you will be good to go. The best knife in the world isn't worth much if you can't keep it sharp.
 
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