Honestly, and not a knock on anyone, many, if not most, of people using knives don’t even know what a really sharp knife feels like to use. I sharpen knives for people. Probably above 70% of the people I sharpen for call after using their knives for the first time to rave about how sharp they are. My next door neighbor told me I couldn’t get his knives any sharper than he did. After all he had been sharpening for 20 years. Next time I saw him he said… “I was wrong Phil… how do you do that?? Much sharper than when I do them.” Using electric sharpeners or rods… or even stones (unless you are really good) often just get them… well OK, let’s say serviceable, but not hair splitting (really hair splitting/hair whittling) …get close an onion and it slices itself, sharp. (well that last is a significant exaggeration…)
Using a really sharp knife is just a joy. Too bad that none of them stay that way for very long.
The trick with these is to make sure the spine of the knife hits the magnets first. Then swivel it in so the edge never hits the metal.
Rock the sharp edge away before pulling it off the mag strips.
Used one for decades with nary a nick.
One of my wife’s favorite knives is a carbon steel one that I made for her years ago.
The side that faces out from the magnetic holder has a distinctly different patina from the side that is next to the wall.
All the Best,
Jeff
Those super sets usually have redundant blades and oddball things that nobody ever uses. I mean who needs a 5, 6, 8, and 10" set of chefs knives? Even if the call them by different names - that’s what they are.
The W/H bread knife is awesome. We love it.
Is it $80 more awesome than the Victorinox? Don’t know never tried one.
All the Best,
Jeff
One of the “issues” with forged knives is the the heavy bolster at the rear.
It makes the knife hard to sharpen all the way to the rear.
And eventually will keep the blade from going flat on the board.
It hurts my soul to hit it with a grinder or belt sander - but that’s what it takes after years of use.
All the Best,
Jeff
I’ve used lots of knives over the years…high end Henkles, Kai, and walmart specials, and the ones that have been the best for us are the Forschners from Victorinox. I bought their 5" utility, bread knife, 11" slicer, 10" chef, 4" rabbit knife, a pair of shears, and also got for free a 3" paring, tomato, and 4" paring set. Best knives I’ve ever used. My wife loves them. Hold a nice edge, takes a nice edge, and sharpens easily. Way nicer than the Henkels and Kai products (tough to sharpen, doesn’t hold an edge well). I think I paid $120 for all of that back in 2009? So far these have been amazing! They get lots of use and hold up well to some abuse. Commercial kitchens and production lines (slaughterhouses, meat processors) swear by them. Handles are comfortable and non slip when my hands are slimy. I recommend any from the Forschner line.
Last year For fun, I picked up a 7" Santoku from Xinzuo (?) on AE with “German-ese” (probably fake) 1.4116 steel. So far so good. It needed resharpening rather quickly and took a nice edge, but needs extra attention to keep it sharp since it likes to roll edges (not as hard as the Victorinox). For $30 not a bad deal.
I have always used a wood block holder. It’s probably the best method besides a roll or in drawer organizer. Wood won’t hurt the edges or the finish in the knife.
I have found I tend to use 3-5 kitchen blades and 1-2 More than others.
In no particular order
10 inch filet Knife. It was hand made for me so I take real good care of it. Yes I filet 30 ish fish a year so having a good blade and one that keeps an edge is very nice and reduces the abuse on the hands when you are doing 25 or so sockeye salmon at a time. It is also nice when having to do a 60 pound Halibut or two as well.
10 inch Chefs knife.
8 inch Chefs knife. I like this size and it is my go to knife for almost everything.
Pairing knife. I use it a lot to peal vegies.
Most of my knives with the exception of the filet knife are in the $50-$80 range each and I could not tell you made them, they just work. If not, they find themselves rehommed or in the bin. I am not some god in the kitchen nor a kitchen knife snob. (EDC knife yes but that is a discussion for another time. ) I just like having good knives to work with.
I missed where you mentioned that you can sharpen to a good edge. That puts you ahead of the game.
Perhaps the best idea would be to go to a local knife shop and let your wife get the feel of several different kinds. If there is such a place near you.
I don’t think you ever said - but what is it about your current set that she does not like ?
Jeff, we don’t actually have a “set” of knives–more like an accumulation of no-name low quality knives that we’ve collected over the last 50 years. Some of them were gifted, some plucked off rummage sales–I doubt any of them cost more than 10 or 20 bucks new. I don’t think she’s looking for a new set but rather a 10 or 12 inch chef’s knife of good quality. Our price ceiling is probably around $100 give or take. The suggestions I’ve received on this thread for German and Japanese blades have us on the right path–just have to pull the trigger. Thanks for asking
what will it cost me…
i go cheap to start.
where will I look…
Craig’s List, Walmart, Amazon.
and how will I recognize a “really good kitchen knife”?
i cannot. only using it tells me if it is really good.
This is so true. Even a very good knife as to blade steel, handle, sharpness, blade style/shape may not work for everyone. But getting something that has all of those things that are positive and seem to meet your needs is a good start.
I still think the
Is worth a close look. I have two of them (but n different steels), and they are my go to knives for most purposes.
Check out the reviews on the page.
You can get a really great knife for $40-$50. Try the Fibrox line from Victorinox. The 8" chef knife is a great knife, no frills nothing fancy, just a cutting tool. If you want a heavier knife, go with something forged with a full tang handle. folded steel blades look cool mostly and don’t have many advantages over a properly heat treated quality monolithic steel.
That looks like a heck of a knife for the money.
At 63 hardness care should be taken not to chip it.
Kinda long at 12 inches. Mrs. Jeff goes for the 10 inch, then the 7 inch Santoku.
Since you can sharpen it should be easy to keep something softer killer sharp. Victorinox Fibrox 7-Inch Granton Edge Santoku Knife
All the Best,
Jeff
Yes for sure, but BD1N is pretty tough. I have a few pocket knives using it. It chips much less than something like VG10 or S30V. But if you sharpen to less then 15 degrees per side, most any steel of 63 Rc can chip… That and not carving on rocks…
I have some nice knifes, Shun, Miyabi, assorted Japanese VG-10, etc, but I actually just use various Victorinox Fibrox 99% of the time, and sharpen them when they need it. I don’t baby them, I hit bones, cut very hard squashes and I leave them dirty for days and let them air dry after washing. They sharpen back up super easy and just need a touchup on a Spyderco Tri-Angle sharpener every few months.
I also recommend a serrated Utility blade to go along with your other knifes. The Spyderco Kitchen Utility Knife 6.5" Serrated Blade - K04SBL is awsome, Spyderco does the best serrations. I have the 4.5" but should have bought the 6.5".
I think the Artifex is a great deal and might meet your wifes needs for a quality knife. If you go with VG-10 or some other nice Japanese knifes you will want to treat it right. Avoid bones, plates, glass cutting boards (yes I know people who use them), Wash and dry it right after use.
If you want something fancy looking and yet real inexpensive check out the Vosteed Kitchen Cutlery. I picked up a Hackney on sale when I bought my Reylight Rook and am impressed with its sharpness and construction.
My wife is most satisfied with the Japanese knives we have. In our main home, we have a 40 year collection of descent kitchen knifes. Heckles, Victorinox, Benchmade (I bought the set direct from the factory for my mom and they came back to me when she died - Benchmades look great but otherwise suck), Dexter, Wustoff, a couple of japanese knifes (see below) and god knows what else. The 6" wustoff chefs knife is wonderful and always used but too thick. The 6" shun is OK but the blade chips easy, the Fujiwara Kanefusa and Akifusa are amazing and we both love them.
Fujiwara Kanefusa has 800 years of sword-making history behind it. We finally bought a full knife set for our second home, it’s a Kershaw imported Kai cutlery set at the annual Kershaw sale that is crazy nice. Buy her that set and you’ll be fine. Unfortunately, I was going to provide a link and all I see is this stuff: https://housewares.kaiusa.com/knife-sets.html
Cheaper, but I doubt it’s as good. Regardless, research japanese knives on bladeforums and other online places, you’ll find something you like. Don’t cheap out. Buy once, cry once they say.
Oh Man, it’s been ages since I’ve been around that forum. I used to read all of jackknife’s little stories in the traditionals forum. I wonder what the place is like these days.
(well that last is a significant exaggeration…)
) I just like having good knives to work with.
