[Ethelred]

I think that we have kinda gotten off topic here. The whole point of my assertion was that if you are buying a knife you have to look at the comfort as well as the blade material and what comes with that ie: Maintenance, Durability as well as longevity (my apprehension towards Wusthof is that the bolster will with time make the blade sit uneven because you can not sharpen that along with the rest of the blade, even though they are my favorite knives).

When choosing a knife it is and always will be about personal preference, however, there will always be some brands whose quality will be comparable to those who are more expensively priced which is where our opinions come in to play.

Personally I feel that Henckel's feel cheap, light and have thin blades, however, the are still great knives and many swear by them.

At the end of the day like music opinions matter little to personal preference.

 

[Daniel L]

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/a...s-Knives-Rated

I use a Global G2. It looks nice while performing well. However, it is for people with smaller hands and is quite lightweight for those who like a hefty feel.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ethelred /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think that we have kinda gotten off topic here.

Well maybe our arguing raised awareness on what steel alloys really are

Arguments about the physical properties of carbon aside.....all pro grade cutlery has above average carbon hardness. And keep in mind that they all have different alloys that manufacturers chose for optimal durability and performance of that blade design.

Does it mean that German stainless at .5% carbon is crap compared to another brand X that has a special alloy past 1% carbon? Train axles aren't past 1% carbon!! Wusthofs are strong and certainly last any home cook a lifetime or two if cared for. For a professional cook that sees constant use, I would think that since we're still talking years of use, it's still a good investment.

After all, I won't mention how much I have to spend on 3D hardware and software each year.....what's a few hundred for a knife that feels right?

At least we can all agree that a lot of choosing the "right" knife is more about its feel then anything else. The main thing I liked about the Wustholfs was their weight...could be another reason why they don't feel a need to get high carbon content. I noticed the Japanese knives, by and large, were much thiner and good for slicing. My personal preference is something more thick and beefy for chopping

 

[Ethelred]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does it mean that German stainless at .5% carbon is crap compared to another brand X that has a special alloy past 1% carbon? Train axles aren't past 1% carbon!! Wusthofs will certainly last any home cook a lifetime or two if cared for. For a professional cook that sees constant use, I would think that since we're still talking years of use, it's still a good investment.

That is something that I think is underrated by my experience...personally I am almost forced to buy a new chef knife every couple years (either from use or just wanting something new)...the home cook will use a knife for 20 years sharpen it maybe every so often and not really notice or care that it is dull.

Quote:

At least we can all agree that a lot of choosing the "right" knife is more about its feel then anything else. The main thing I liked about the Wustholfs was their weight...could be another reason why they don't feel a need to get high carbon content. I noticed the Japanese knives, by and large, were much thiner and good for slicing. My personal preference is something more thick and beefy for chopping

I will disagree in regards to Japanese knives with slicing, only in specifically to the santoku...I cannot imagine doing anything other than chopping with it, for accurate cuts (Brunoise, fine julienne, small dice, etc...) it would be similar to hammering a nail with a sledge hammer, it's just too for a lack of a better descriptor blunt for the job. Thus the standard french style chef knife in my opinion reigns supreme in my knife bag (whether it be 6" or 8").

If you like heavy look towards a Messermeister, very heavy handed knives.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ethelred /img/forum/go_quote.gif That is something that I think is underrated by my experience...personally I am almost forced to buy a new chef knife every couple years (either from use or just wanting something new)...the home cook will use a knife for 20 years sharpen it maybe every so often and not really notice or care that it is dull.

Well I decided to upgrade to a nicer knife then the $15 Kitchen Aid when I started really cooking and noticing I had to sharpen it every week!! "Average home cook" is relative. I can't cook at my grandmother's place because she has 30 year old, cheap kitchen knives that are duller and more blunt then my regular dinnerware knives. I'm just planning on using the classic Wusthof until
it wears out. I've got a sharpening steel and keep it clean and dry. It's just the right weight and curve to give be a strong, clean, and quick cut. I'm not going to treat it like a junk knife and cut bones either.

And as far as having to buy knives for your profession.....it could be worst, just tell yourself that!!

The main 3D program I use is $5k alone with maintenance upgrades every year

At least it's tax deductible!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ethelred /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will disagree in regards to Japanese knives with slicing, only in specifically to the santoku...I cannot imagine doing anything other than chopping with it, for accurate cuts (Brunoise, fine julienne, small dice, etc...)

Oh, I can't imagine dicing with Japanese knives either....I just meant slice like a medical surgical knife: a very thin blade that does not leave much of an imprint. For me, the curvature of a chef blade is what I want for my fine cuts: just like that back and forth motion and wouldn't know how to do that on a santoku


Quote:

Originally Posted by Ethelred /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you like heavy look towards a Messermeister, very heavy handed knives.

Yep, my boning knife is a Messermeister. I guess I'm just into German cutlery

But for all my vegetables, I am liking my 8" extra wide Wusthof classic chef's knife. Maybe at some point I'll venture into other knives.....but I do take some cooking classes at my local cooking store (which then has a wide variety of knives to try), and haven't found anything better for my own preferences

 

[Ethelred]

For the most part the most common knives on the market are going to be German Origin atleast (not necessarily manufactured there though), Benchmade makes a nice set of chef knives incidentally.

Chef knives are good to go in regards to cutting thin bones like a chicken bone or something, however, anything bigger (rib bone or the like) a cleaver or something with alot of weight will have to be used...however, who doesn't like boneless meat.

With santoku it's different, you work up and down rather than up and across...difficult to explain, however, for me it gets awkward after some time. If you really want to get good experience, see if you can do a stoge (usually used as a guide for hiring, but basically you work a supervised day at a restaurant like a regular line cook) at a local restaurant or something.

If I'm going to cook anywhere I can't stand to use other knives than my own (spoiled I guess), a 10 dollar investment into a portable knife roll or similar is never a bad thing if it means a better product.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

While the following short film (11 minutes) is an Alton Brown/Shun commercial, the information therein is mostly about how to properly select and use a knife, and is a good video for beginning cooks regardless of knife brand.

Shun School for Knives

This one (7 minutes) covers knife construction and design, but does contain a nice primer on washing and honing.

Shun Knife Construction

Now go buy a sack of produce and get practicing!