Kitchen Cutlery Options

[SiCO]

My Dad enjoys getting my unique knifes for christmas and I suggested that I wouldn't mind a high quality chef knife, possibly Damascus. He visited Ambrosi and said there was quite a bit to choose from but hadn't decided on one. I don't know as much about kitchen knives as I do folders and other carry knives. He would probably either pick up a single damascus blade or get something like a wusthof set for me. Anybody knowledgable with kitchen stuff? Would a wusthof set be a good investment? I am sick of using shitty kitchen knives that don't hold an edge and are just plain poor quality. Budget would be around $500 i think.

[Prolific]

Wusthof is always a great investment. Seriously, their expensive shit is soooo nice.

[SiCO]

What is their "expensive" stuff? Looks like their 2nd cheapest set is like $600 which is fine. I would like to stay away from VG-10 softer type steel.

Maybe Ill have better luck piecing together a really nice used set? Im in Denver now so I have never been to Ambrosi.

Are there other kitchen brands that compare or beat Wusthof that I should look at??

[SiCO]

I would almost want to buy 2 knives @ $250-$300 a piece and know that I would use the crap out of them in the kitchen everyday rather than buy a 12 piece set and get a lesser quality blade on each of them then have 8-9 of them sit in the block and never get used.

[zef]

I really like ...especially the Premier and Reserve lines.

[zef]

Shun are very reasonably priced too. Great value for the $.

[ksuchewie]

I have the Cutco Ultimate set. Love it.

http://www.cutco.com/products/produc...m=ultimate-set

Forever warranty - if it breaks they replace it. Free sharpening, just ship it to them and they resharpen. Had mine for about 9 years and just sent it in for the first sharpening a month ago.

[zef]

Cutco is overpriced and performs poorly. They're not good for precision cutting, they use mediocre steel, have plastic handles.

fwiw, I used to work for Cutco (aka Vector Marketing). The company is basically a multi-level marketing / pyramid type business.

All that said, Cutco knives are not horrible - better quality than anything you can buy at your local Walmart. Cutco is definitely not worth the prices they charge.

[Hummer]

I always used Henckel 4 Stars in restaurants when I was cooking for a living. I purchaed a whole set about 12 years ago and they still work excellent and look new.

[SiCO]

I'll look into Shun, they are fantastic looking as well.

[waphill]

Originally Posted by zef

Cutco is overpriced and performs poorly. They're not good for precision cutting, they use mediocre steel, have plastic handles.

fwiw, I used to work for Cutco (aka Vector Marketing). The company is basically a multi-level marketing / pyramid type business.

All that said, Cutco knives are not horrible - better quality than anything you can buy at your local Walmart. Cutco is definitely not worth the prices they charge.

I think they're decent for what they are. I like the convenience of just tossing them in the dishwasher. I wouldn't feel comfortable tossing a $300 knife in there! Have had a set for close to 10 years, but didn't pay retail for them.

[ksuchewie]

Originally Posted by zef

Cutco is overpriced and performs poorly. They're not good for precision cutting, they use mediocre steel, have plastic handles.

fwiw, I used to work for Cutco (aka Vector Marketing). The company is basically a multi-level marketing / pyramid type business.

All that said, Cutco knives are not horrible - better quality than anything you can buy at your local Walmart. Cutco is definitely not worth the prices they charge.

I worked for Vector as well.
Calling the handles "plastic" is a bit of a downplay. It's not the same plastic you find on "cheap" knives. Even more expensive knives (i.e. Shun, which you recommended) use a similar material (resin).
I haven't had any precision cutting issues so I'm not sure what that is in reference to, but I don't cook for a living either so maybe I just don't know what to look for.
I didn't pay retail for any of my Cutco so I'm happy with what I have in terms of value vs. price. I wouldn't pay full retail price on a set (or any knife for that matter).
I just know that I never have to worry about buying a replacement knife, unless I just want a new/different style and I can pass them onto my kids as well. Can't do that with a lot of the "lifetime" warranties from other cutlery companies, as they only warranty for the original purchaser.

[silversilvia]

My nice knife is a shun and I like it.

[Ludeatic]

I'll try to chime in having worked in kitchens for the last ten years or so.

Wusthof is a great brand. They're probably one of the more popular brands out there for a reason. I've used a few different types of Wusthof (although the only one that I can remember the name of is "Grand Prix 2"). They're solid, hold an edge very well, and they're a bit heavier. I don't prefer them myself, but I have smaller hands than most of the guys I worked with who used Wusthofs, so I think that'll be something you could decide if you can get into a knife store. The other good thing is that I believe all Wusthof knives come with a lifetime warranty, so if something happens to them you can get a new knife.

I wasn't a big fan of Cutco knives, they just felt weird to me.

Shuns are ok. I think I only used a pairing knife and a 8'' Chef knife when I was travelling to different kitchens. It seemed like I had to run them over steel a bit more than I probably should've though. They might be okay for home kitchens though where you're not using them all the time.

I've never used Global, but from what I read from other Chefs you'll either love them or hate them and there's not really an in-between. A lot of people complain that the handles on Globals cause blisters depending on how you hold the knife. When I shopped for my knife at Ambrosi, they felt good to me, and they were on the lighter side. My only issue from the two or so minutes I messed with it seemed to be that the handle would get slippery. Not a big deal if you're at home, but a terrible deal if you're trying to knock out 40lbs of vegetables and whatnot.

I've heard good and bad things about Henckels. The good being that they seem to last quite a while, the bad being that they might not hold an edge as long as other brands. I've never personally used them though.

With all that said, I actually bought a Tamahagane for my first knife.



I like it because it is lighter and smaller (again, small hands). It does a good job both rocking and chopping. The handle stays pretty dry even if my palms are sweating, and it holds an edge for a long time (at least mine does). I liked it enough to where I bought the pairing knife as well.

You said you don't live in the area so you can't try the knives out, right? I wanted to suggest that maybe where you live, if they have a Sur La Table style store, you can actually go into a store like that and hold the knives to see how they feel in your hand if maybe that would help narrow it down. Most stores like that will bring out a cutting board and the knives you want to try and let you test them out.

I would also suggest, as you said, maybe buying a knife or two instead of a whole set. There are a lot more options than just the ones suggested in here. Usually the guys at Ambrosi can order more than they carry too, but they'll want to make sure someone is buying it.

I'm probably forgetting some brands here and there, so if anything comes back to me I'll try to chime in again.

I think Sickboy put in a lot of good information in a thread here. I actually think I read through that thread a few times before I started to form an opinion of what I wanted. Hopefully he can chime in as well.

Also, this isn't the most informative, but it might help you:
Knife Advice on a kitchen Reddit.

[tim_ws6]

We just got a Henckel set for Christmas. Was on sale at smoke n fire. Loving it so far.

[SiCO]

Thanks for the info. I am actually going to be in KC next week and was hoping to go to Ambrosi on the 23rd and find the stuff I want. I will look to see if there is a similar place here in Denver I can go check out before coming into town.

Originally Posted by Ludeatic

I'll try to chime in having worked in kitchens for the last ten years or so.

Wusthof is a great brand. They're probably one of the more popular brands out there for a reason. I've used a few different types of Wusthof (although the only one that I can remember the name of is "Grand Prix 2"). They're solid, hold an edge very well, and they're a bit heavier. I don't prefer them myself, but I have smaller hands than most of the guys I worked with who used Wusthofs, so I think that'll be something you could decide if you can get into a knife store. The other good thing is that I believe all Wusthof knives come with a lifetime warranty, so if something happens to them you can get a new knife.

I wasn't a big fan of Cutco knives, they just felt weird to me.

Shuns are ok. I think I only used a pairing knife and a 8'' Chef knife when I was travelling to different kitchens. It seemed like I had to run them over steel a bit more than I probably should've though. They might be okay for home kitchens though where you're not using them all the time.

I've never used Global, but from what I read from other Chefs you'll either love them or hate them and there's not really an in-between. A lot of people complain that the handles on Globals cause blisters depending on how you hold the knife. When I shopped for my knife at Ambrosi, they felt good to me, and they were on the lighter side. My only issue from the two or so minutes I messed with it seemed to be that the handle would get slippery. Not a big deal if you're at home, but a terrible deal if you're trying to knock out 40lbs of vegetables and whatnot.

I've heard good and bad things about Henckels. The good being that they seem to last quite a while, the bad being that they might not hold an edge as long as other brands. I've never personally used them though.

With all that said, I actually bought a Tamahagane for my first knife.



I like it because it is lighter and smaller (again, small hands). It does a good job both rocking and chopping. The handle stays pretty dry even if my palms are sweating, and it holds an edge for a long time (at least mine does). I liked it enough to where I bought the pairing knife as well.

You said you don't live in the area so you can't try the knives out, right? I wanted to suggest that maybe where you live, if they have a Sur La Table style store, you can actually go into a store like that and hold the knives to see how they feel in your hand if maybe that would help narrow it down. Most stores like that will bring out a cutting board and the knives you want to try and let you test them out.

I would also suggest, as you said, maybe buying a knife or two instead of a whole set. There are a lot more options than just the ones suggested in here. Usually the guys at Ambrosi can order more than they carry too, but they'll want to make sure someone is buying it.

I'm probably forgetting some brands here and there, so if anything comes back to me I'll try to chime in again.

I think Sickboy put in a lot of good information in a thread here. I actually think I read through that thread a few times before I started to form an opinion of what I wanted. Hopefully he can chime in as well.

Also, this isn't the most informative, but it might help you:
Knife Advice on a kitchen Reddit.

[phreakdna]

for most of the good brands its going to just come down to how it feels in your hand/grip.

I'll agree with the not buying a set... a good chef's and a paring do 90% of the work for me. if you're looking to add 1-2 more I would look at a bread or a long slicer... maybe something heavy if you're breaking down animals often.

[SiCO]

So I went to sur la table and ended up picking up a Wusthof paring knife, just to try it out, and its fantastic.

I also got a chance to try cutting with a Bob Kramer 8" Damascus chef's knife and that thing was a work of art. Ill see what my Dad ends up getting me and Ill probably go pick up that bob kramer after Christmas. I will probably also get a Wusthof utility knife as well.

[KUweatherman]

I'm a Wüsthof fan, so I approve.

[SloNLow]

Shun. End of thread

[Hibidi-Shibidi]

Shun or bust.

[SiCO]

So I ended up getting the 8" Wusthof chefs knife 200th anniversary edition for christmas, so it goes nicely with the pairing knife i picked up as well. I still like the idea of a Damascus set-up but I am still looking around and the increased friction has me holding off for the moment. I like the western edge as well since it is easier to rock back and forth and many of the damascus ones have a flatter edge.