[Ttvetjanu]

I think most men share atleast a remote interest in shiny and sharp knives. I myself am a culinary student so knives are pretty much an extension of my arm. I've also noticed that a lot of people are interested in cooking, so I think there should be some knife enthusiasts around here!

I personally decided to go for the Victorinox forged chefs knife (20cm) and their filleting knife, aswell as a mac BK-100 which I got for my birthday

I also have wusthof paring and vegetable knives, aswell as the usual peelers and so on.

Of course if I had the cash I would want to have atleast one nice japanese damascus knife, but they are so darn expensive and somewhat unpractical for professional use.

Personally I think the most important attributes to when buying a knife is quality (you want something that will last long), comfort (the knife has to be comfortable to work with, not just good looking), looks (I have to admit, its nicer to work with something that looks good), and sharpness (making sure it stays sharp).

I've noticed that the thinner and lighter japanese knives, although harder in material, bend more easily due to the thinness of the blades. Hence I use the mac knife for fast and light chopping, such as onion, and the sturdy victorinox for larger and harder things such as root vegetables or large pieces of meat.

So, what knifes do you own? For what tasks do you use your knives? What types of knives would you like to own? Unleash your fantasies!

 

[monolith]

There's already a knife-fi thread already, though that one focuses mainly on folding knives and such.

 

[jonathanjong]

^ True, so I guess this should be allowed to survive. Maybe a re-name is required, though: Kitchen Knife-Fi?

Any opinions on these ceramic knife things?

 

[Omega]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonathanjong /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ Any opinions on these ceramic knife things?

Very easy to cut off pieces of your hand with the ceramic knives

They can be scary sharp, and very thin as well.

For whatever reason, I have not yet found a ceramic knife that felt as balanced as a good steel knife. Thus, I prefer steel. A friend swears by his ceramic though. Kyocera maybe?

 

[majid]

Anthony Bourdain swears by Global, mostly because they are lightweight, and says all you need is one large chef's knife.

Japanese knives are cut at a 12 degree angle, vs 18 degrees for German knives. They are thus sharper, but require higher grades of steel to avoid fragility in the blade. The very best are made of non-stainless carbon steel, but require special care and regular sharpening.

I have a pair of Kyocera ceramic knives. They are great for cutting, paring and chopping, but you don't want to use them for anything that might cause the blade to contact bone, or anything that would require the blade to flex.

 

[darkninja67]

I own some Globals and some Kasumi kitchen knives and they are awesome. I wanted to go with a Hattori but I would not use it enough to justify the cost.

For folders I rely on Microtechs right now. I also have carried Benchmades and Emersons.

 

[my.self]

i own a butterknife and i use it for some mass murderin'. ya dig?

 

[Ttvetjanu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majid /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anthony Bourdain swears by Global, mostly because they are lightweight, and says all you need is one large chef's knife. Japanese knives are cut at a 12 degree angle, vs 18 degrees for German knives. They are thus sharper, but require higher grades of steel to avoid fragility in the blade. The very best are made of non-stainless carbon steel, but require special care and regular sharpening. I have a pair of Kyocera ceramic knives. They are great for cutting, paring and chopping, but you don't want to use them for anything that might cause the blade to contact bone, or anything that would require the blade to flex.

I've tried most of the globals but I don't like their featherweight, and the thin handle doesnt feel very comfortable either. It is true though that you can do most tasks with a nice and large chefs knife.

I sharpen my knife every time before use. A sharper knife is safer to use, believe it or not. It won't slip (and it works the way you want it to work) and the cuts are cleaner, so if you happen to cut yourself it will heal much faster than a cut from a dull knife.

I would, not at least yet, buy a ceramic knife. Too fragile to my use. The concept is very interesting though. Perhaps once technology advances they are able to manufacture some sort of ceramic knife that is also flexible, then you can count me in.

 

[Monkee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkninja67 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I own some Globals and some Kasumi kitchen knives and they are awesome.

I used to have a full set of Globals and gave them to my mother

Hiromoto Tenmi-Jyuraku AS Gyuto 270mm

Shiki Damascus Quince Burl Santoku 180mm

Shun Elite Damascus Petty 150mm

now you lot have made me have this kind of addiction to headphone stuff...the 240's just aren't going to last!

 

[Uncle Erik]

I've been partial to Wusthof's knives. They're fully forged and take well to sharpening. They don't hold an edge quite as long as Henckels' knives, but the Henckels take more effort to sharpen.

I get by with just a handful - a 3" paring, an 8" chef's, a 10" bread, and a 5" chef's. I don't know if they still make the 5" chef's, but it is my favorite. Supremely handy and will do most anything a paring or chef's will.

 

[panda]

i like the blade of wusthof classic knives the best, but the handles are awful.
messermeister handles are very nice. for balance and comfort global's rock but pricey. i use henckels though because they are good and can be bought used for cheap, they also sharpen really easily (not brittle though like the cheapies) and hold an edge well.

 

[dj_mocok]

Monkee obviously knows his kitchen knife. I too use Japanese kitchen knifes but the thing is, it has to go hand in hand with learning to use whetstones to sharpen knifes. Maybe not a good idea if you are just after something that you can abuse around.

For that I keep my Mundial.

 

[Bob_McBob]

My two main knives:

Yoshikane 240mm wa-gyuto

Kobayashi 3-1/2" dojo parer (this is discontinued, mine is re-ground from a 4-1/3")

 

[krmathis]

I have two Global knifes, with a diamond sharpener. Excellent knifes imo. Well balanced and razor sharp..

 

[Ttvetjanu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob_McBob /img/forum/go_quote.gif My two main knives:

Lovely pictures. Gotta love those blades, though I must admit that the handle of the Yoshikane 240mm wa-gyuto does not look that comfortable.

Also, why would you cut a rambutan like that?

Do those blades require a lot of maintanance?