Looking For A Set Of Kitchen Knives

[Sonny58]

Originally Posted by foodguy

Welcome to the forum. i agree with much of your advice (in fact, it's basically what i said 3 pages ago), but i have to disagree with both sets of recommendations. OP is obviously someone who is new to cooking. I love my misono, but i wouldn't recommend it as a beginning cook's workhorse chef's knife. it's really good at what it does, but it's not built to take the kind of abuse a noob is likely to inflict on it.
And as for Murray Carter ... well, yeah. I guess if you're interested in spending $500 to $600 for a chef's knife, then that is a good suggestion.
For OP, I hope you enjoy the Henckels. Not my choice, but I know people who use them and like them.

The knife I linked to is only $150.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by HgaleK

Have you ever actually put your kitchen knife through something that broke it?

i have. i chipped the blade on a gyuoto chopping the end off of a a chicken drumstick. another friend dropped his $200 knife out of the box and broke the tip off. those things are pretty brittle.

 

[itsstillmatt]

I snapped a 10" Wustohf chef knife in half once. Scared the hell out of me.

 

[RPMcMurphy]

I've seen many-a- Global knives just break in two before as well.

As a matter of fact, most recently I was talking to a very prominent chef, Grant Achatz about this and he had it JUST happen to him.

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by iammatt

I snapped a 10" Wustohf chef knife in half once. Scared the hell out of me.

What were you doing?

 

[XeF4]

Get the little Forschner 3.25" paring knife by Victorinox. It will run you about $5 and will probably out perform anything you own.

 

[Concordia]

Originally Posted by Thomas

What were you doing?

You remember all those "back door" threads that were current a few years ago?

 

[blackjack]

What sort of sharpening system do you recommend?



Am I doing my knives an incredible disservice when I use the following solution?

The fact that it is compact and very easy to use means I use it on all my knives just before use -not just the ones in the kitchen. If it's not as good as using a more traditional method, I can live with it. If it's ruining my knives, I may reconsider.

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by blackjack

What sort of sharpening system do you recommend?



Am I doing my knives an incredible disservice when I use the following solution?

The fact that it is compact and very easy to use means I use it on all my knives just before use -not just the ones in the kitchen. If it's not as good as using a more traditional method, I can live with it. If it's ruining my knives, I may reconsider.

Oh, dear. Where's that weeping smiley when you need one?

 

[Infrasonic]

I've had a stone for years, and am considering getting one of those ceramic steels for basic maintenance.

 

[HgaleK]

Originally Posted by foodguy

i have. i chipped the blade on a gyuoto chopping the end off of a a chicken drumstick. another friend dropped his $200 knife out of the box and broke the tip off. those things are pretty brittle.

Ouch! I actually got a free Henckles chef knife recently because the owner had snapped the tip, let it rust, and never sharpened it. A few hours on the grinder and she was good as new, though I'm not a huge fan.

blackjack: look up the Spyderco sharpmaker or lansky knife sharpening system if you want a guided sharpener that won't destroy your edges. If they're too much then get a med/fine stone from home depot and one of the $3 keychain knives to practice with.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by Thomas

What were you doing?
Cracking lobsters. I think I was about 15 into a batch of 20. Everybody looked up like "WTF!!!"

 

[blackjack]

Thanks for recommendations, HgaleK.

Thomas - I should have added the fact that my knife-crazy friend often comes by to give all my knives a proper sharpening. Throwing out the junk knives and giving me replacements. So, the little ceramic sharpener is just used in between (except for on the serrated edges or one or two of the Japanese knives that have only one edge sharpened.. not exactly sure of the details but leave it to others). As a result, no dull knives in my kitchen.

I think advice on best sharpening systems should accompany "which knives?" for any newbie.

 

[Infrasonic]

What's the general recommendation for sharpening serrated knives?

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Cracking lobsters. I think I was about 15 into a batch of 20. Everybody looked up like "WTF!!!"

I could see that being traumatic. I've never had the pleasure of cracking a lobster or watching someone else do it, but in my rube-ishness it sounds like I'd reach for a mallet and chisel.

Originally Posted by blackjack

Thanks for recommendations, HgaleK.

Thomas - I should have added the fact that my knife-crazy friend often comes by to give all my knives a proper sharpening. Throwing out the junk knives and giving me replacements. So, the little ceramic sharpener is just used in between (except for on the serrated edges or one or two of the Japanese knives that have only one edge sharpened.. not exactly sure of the details but leave it to others). As a result, no dull knives in my kitchen.

I think advice on best sharpening systems should accompany "which knives?" for any newbie.

I was just busting your chops. I use something similar when I'm at someone else's house and they ask me to do some chopping - and they have nothing handy to sharpen with. I pretty well keep my traveling sharpener in my jacket pocket around the holidays.

Originally Posted by Infrasonic

What's the general recommendation for sharpening serrated knives?

Well, I'd read about using a diamond rod for the beveled serrations and a stone for the flat side. That said I'm reluctant to buy a diamond rod if I'm going to use it once a year or less...so I think some wet-dry sandpaper on a broomstick (provided the serrations are broad enough to fit over the broomstick, as in a bread knife) should suffice in lieu of the diamond rod.