Knives (for cooking)

Post by **stonemaybe** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 12:59 pm

Gonna have a look for some proper knives today.

Edit ok so still not sure what I should be looking for in a GOOD knife!

Anyone any comments on these....

www.cookware.co.uk/shop/Knives/EliteSteel/d4/sd99

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:56 am

Look for comfort and weight first.

Those knives look pretty good. Forged, so they're single-piece, which means they're strong. Carbon steel can be a little brittle, but it holds the edge well, although may be slightly more work to sharpen.

For me, the most important thing is how good they feel in your hand.

--A

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:41 pm

Avatar wrote:For me, the most important thing is how good they feel in your hand.

ITA. Good cooking knives should be 'auditioned' in a shop that will allow you to do so. And I personally feel most 'sets' are rubbish. You should try out different brands and series for each type of knife you want.

To me, 'feel good in your hand' not only means a comfortable grip and weight, but also how it feels on your grip and wrist after extended use. If you're cooking a festive meal for a large gathering, and are going to be dicing 30 lbs. of say, potatoes, you do not want to feel wrist fatigue when you are done.

Then, once you know what knife you want, you can look for it online to see if you can find a better deal.

I would recommend starting off with an 8" chef's knife, and a paring knife. Maybe a santoku. For one of each of those, here in the states I could expect to spend $250-$300 total for decent quality that feels good to me. However, I could probably not need another cooking knife ever again with just those three, although they're nice to have.

Post by **stonemaybe** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:58 pm

Thanks both of you!

What's a santoku?

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:05 pm

Stonemaybe wrote:Thanks both of you!

Welcome.

Stonemaybe wrote:What's a santoku?

They've become all the rage here, since a Food Network host, Rachel Ray :::shudder:::, really hyped them up.

It's basically a Japanese chef's knife with a hollow edge. Supposedly food doesn't stick to it as you're slicing.

I really want to check out the Kershaw Shun Angle Knives by Alton Brown santoku, as well as others.

Av, I would love your opinion on this series of knives as well. I know nothing of the 'super steel' mix they're made out of...

Post by **Avatar** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 5:23 am

Hollow ground edges don't last. And regular sharpening will soon break it down into a regular arched edge anyway, which is much stronger.

Kershaw have always been a good brand (I have a couple of folders (collect knives in case I didn't mention.

) ) but ones I've seen recently (here at least) haven't been up to their old standard.

Don't know anything technical about the steel. Looks pretty good though, high carbon so they chould keep an edge.

Personally, I've never liked those handles that are angled / off-set, but that's just me.

(And yeah, all you really need is a paring knife and a chef's knife.

)

--A

Post by **stonemaybe** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:13 pm

(And yeah, all you really need is a paring knife and a chef's knife.

What are the best ones for, well, um, throwing?

Post by **Avatar** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:35 am

Personally, I favour one of these two styles: (I have a few examples of each.)

--A

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 5:11 pm

Paul has always wanted to collect knives, but so far only has this one. He got it towards the beginning of our marriage, before Beorn was born in 1993. We haven't had the funds for him to pursue the interest further yet.

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:55 am

How weird is that.

I almost bought the exact same one...many years ago.

My tastes however tend to be more toward the functional than that. (Those kind of knives are officially referred to as "Fantasy Knives.")

I think the highlights of my collection are a KGL Heavy Cavalry Sword, my bayonets, (a Lee-Enfield .303 c. WWI, an M4 carbine bayonet and a Swedish rifle bayonet c. 1890's), a Nepalese Gurkha's Kukri and a Pakistani tribal knife.

I've also got various fighting / throwing / diving / hunting knives, and at the moment I'm on a boot-knife kick.

(I've been collecting for 17 years or so.)

--A

Post by **stonemaybe** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:11 am

I'm starting to get a little worried about you, Av!

Just make sure you don't ever get arrested for anything! Your collection would probably be a tabloid newspaper's wet dream.

(Oh, and I hope you lock those knives away during your psilocybic episodes

)

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:28 am

What? Nonsense. Perfectly safe, not to mention legal in this country.

I was horrified to learn when I was in the UK that even the little pocket knife I habitually carry would be illegal.

--A

Post by **stonemaybe** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:42 am

Does your 'little pocket knife' require a sheath?

(Or perhaps scabbard?)

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:54 am

No it doesn't. But it is a lock-blade folder.

--A

Post by **stonemaybe** » Wed May 16, 2007 7:50 pm

I got knives!

Was home in Ireland at the weekend and found an absolute bargain! Spitzenklasse brand. Bought a 8" chefs knife (reduced from £66 to £20), a 5 1/4" utility knife (reduced £48 to £15) and a 3 1/2" paring knife (from £38 to £10).

Happy stonemaybe! My first prep yesterday was weird- the onions didn't all squueze out everywhere as I was cutting them! No sawing necessary! I was being very careful though - didn't want to lose a finger! (My old knife would barely have broken skin!)

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Wed May 16, 2007 9:34 pm

Woo-hoo, Stoney! I do not know the brand, but if they're high quality, and you keep them sharp (how are you sharpening them?) you should be happy with them for a long time.

Post by **Avatar** » Thu May 17, 2007 9:53 am

What a bargain.

Keep 'em sharp.

--A

Post by **bloodguard bob** » Mon May 21, 2007 7:36 am

i learned the majority of my knife skills in a kitchen run by a guy who learned his knife skills back in china and ever since ive been using the same style of knife.

the stainless steel "diamond" made in yang jiang, china, size 3. very soft so it sharpens in a flash and holds it for miles of chopping with a good steel. i don't think i can ever go back to chef knives.every time i cook at a friends house they always have a dull hinkle, wustoff or soligen so i always buy em one of these so it'll be there for me. oh yeah they're about $3.50 in the chinese bargain shops. don't buy em with wooden handles.

here's the stone i keep asking santa for. the NORTON. it's the best, hands down, and it's $350.00

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Mon May 21, 2007 10:11 am

$350.00???

I'll back off and let you and Av dicuss the pros and cons of such aspects of knife ownership...

Post by **Avatar** » Mon May 21, 2007 10:34 am

A steady hand and the cleaver can do anything you need.

Stone looks nice, but I'm stuck on my Lansky...can't beat the precise angle-guide.

--A

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Knives (for cooking)