A different "knives" question...


 
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Duncan J

TVWBB Member
I've searched the archives and haven't found what I'm looking for. There are LOTS of discussions about knife manufacturers...

My question is what types of knives are most important or would be considered "required" for someone just getting started? (carving, santoku, cleaver, chef, paring, bone knife, etc)

All opinions appreciated...
 
Hey Duncan, I think to get started you will at least need a boning, chef and slicing knife. Most important though is to make sure they are good quality and very sharp!
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Windy City Smokers
 
Agreed.

Chef vs. santoku is a personal preference. I much prefer the longer blade of a chefs--it is my go-to knife--but I do use a santoku on occasion. I know many who feel the opposite way.

A good chefs can double as a slicer but for finer work (more precision) and ease of use a slicer is worthwhile.

I bone meat (especially fowl) frequently so a stiff-bladed boning knife is important to me. (I also bone, thin-slice, or skin fish so a flexible boning knife is helpful.)

Though one can do about anything with a chefs knife, for fine garnishing work or simply for peeling or hulling it's hard to beat a paring knife.
 
Duncan,

My go to's: the chef knife, boning knife, slicer and utility knife.

Kevin, are you still in favor of you edge pro (knife sharpening system)?

Q'n, Golf'n & Grill'n... too many choices!
Gary
 
My recommendation would be to start out with a good chef's knife. One that's of good quality and comfortable in your hand. Cooks Illustrated likes the Forschner (Victorinox) Fibrox, Model 40520. It's an inexpensive light knife. Wusthof and Henckels knives are real nice but expensive. I have a Mundial (inexpensive) which I've had for about 20 years now and it is still doing well.

Add other knives as you need them. If you need a carving knife, get one (I use my chef's knife to carve up cooked chickens and turkeys). If you need a boning knife, get one of those too but start with a good chef's knife. I use a boning knife to cut up raw chickens.

I have a Wusthof Satoku which is an awesome knife, but I use my chef's knife more. I haven't encountered anything the santoku could do that a chef's knife couldn't. The Wusthof Satoku feels real nice though!! It's a matter of preference.

As for cleavers, I have several. The only time I use them is when I feel guilty for not using them. Again, in my opinion, the chef's knife is better. But it depends on what you're comfortable with. My wife is from China and her parents live with us much of the time. They use a cleaver for everything. Whether it's cutting thin slices or pork for a stir fry or cutting up a huge watermelon, they use the cleaver. I have never seen them use another knife. It's what they are comfortable with.

As Tim said, make sure they are good quality and very sharp. But no knife will stay sharp so you'll need a way to sharpen them. Get a good steel to hone the knives and a sharpener to keep them sharp. If you're good with sharpening stones, they would be your best bet. I'm really bad with the stones so I ended up sending my knives out to be sharpened. I've since gotten a Chef's Choice sharpener that I can use at home which I'm very happy with.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000CSK0DM/tvwb-20

One more thing, don't buy one of those knife sets unless you get a really good deal. Buy knives individually based on need, quality and feel.

Hope this helps,

Michael
 
Not a knife, but important: a steel. Or is that debatable?

I guess I'm a maverick. I hardly ever use my chef's knife. My knife of choice is a Chinese vegetable cleaver (3" x 8" blade) and I use it for almost everything except bones and things you'd use a paring knife for; I have a heavy cleaver for bones. The cleaver also makes picking up chopped things quick and easy and it keeps an edge and steels better than my Henckels 4-star knives, which I've had since the dawn of time. It's also good to have in hand when answering the door when you don't know who is out there. A gal can't be too careful.

Rita
 
Rita,

I should introduce you to my in-laws, they love their cleaver. They keep telling me it's better than my chef's knife and that it stays sharp - never gets dull. Little do they know that I hone and sharpen their cleaver quite frequently
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Michael
 
Rita,

Remind me to call ahead before stopping by! Actually, I agree with you on the Chinese cleaver. It is my "go to" knife. The only drawback is the lack of roll due to the straighter edge. You have to lift the cleaver a little more than a chef's knife when finely chopping items like garlic. Then again, you would have to do the same thing with a santoku since the cutting edge has similar rock to the Chinese cleaver. This is a very small difference and you get used to it quickly.

The great thing with the cleaver is transferring food from the cutting board due to the large blade being able to hold a large volume of product.
 
It's not so much the blade type that makes a knife or cleaver great. One must look at blade composition as well. It sounds as if Rita's cleaver is made of good old fashioned carbon steel, the kind of steel that not only rusts but takes a sharper edge, much sharper than ANY stainless steel can provide.
 
I disagree.

While carbon steel knives are easier to sharpen (and thus one can achieve a sharp edge quicker), high quality stainless steel can be sharpened to a point just as sharp as carbon. It takes more time, but will hold its edge longer than carbon steel will in most cases. Advances in recent years (especially) of the stainless steel alloys used for knives has been significant. These knives are more expensive.

Stamped knives (such as those from Forschner) do not take to sharpening as well--nor hold their edges as well--as forged knives but some people prefer them. They are attractively priced.

No, Rita, a steel isn't debatable in my opinion. Even someone new to cooking should have (and learn to use) a steel.
 
Alas begins the great debate pitting carbon steel against even the new stainless alloys. Navigate around this Outdoorsman website and decide for yourself which alloys are better!

And please beware that the carbon steel alloy used in the newly manufactured carbon steel knives by Sabatier is poor IMHO. It's qualities can't even come close to the carbon steel alloy used in the older Sabatiers - those manufactured 20+ years ago.
 
Must-haves: 10 inch chef's, 3.5 - 4 inch paring, 6-inch boning. Then a big slicer.

I have an old carbon steel Sabatier slicer, and I must agree that it is an incredible knife. Man, is it ugly! The blade discolors badly at the least little thing as carbon steel is inclined to do, but it is indeed a wonderful knife.

The knife that I go to more than any other these days is a Mac santoku. Next is a chef's knife - a Wusthof Gran Prix 10-inch chef (15 cents on the dollar at Tuesday Morning, an excellent place for those with champagne tastes and beer budgets). Next is a boning knife - 6-inch curved flexible Forschner boning knife. Next would be a paring knife - my favorite is a toss-up between my 4-inch Forschner red-handled paring knife and a 3-inch bird-beak paring knife. In fact, for a good paring knife combo at a good price, look over at Cutlery and More at the three-piece Forschner fibrox paring knife set..

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A good chef's knife can serve as a slicer. But where's the fun in that?
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A good brisket slicer of choice is the Forschner Granton Edge Slicing Knife. Many use the 12-inch. We have a 14-inch simply because I found it on Ebay for $9 including freight, and far be it from me to turn down a bargain!
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And you need a good steel. I used a Forschner steel for a long time, until Santa brought me a F. Dick Multicut steel for Christmas last year. Hones AND sharpens, unlike most other steels. I positively love this thing. It's a little pricy, so wait until someone you love asks you what you want for Christmas or your birthday!

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I quite agree on both counts, tj. Like Keri, I have an old Sabatier CS (a chefs) that is 30+ years old. Great knife.

I've been a fan of Japanese-manufactured knives for some time as I much prefer their thinner blades and bolsterless designs. But the big deal is to get knives that feel good to you (weight, balance and handle) and then maintain them. One does not need lots of knives to function well in the kitchen--though more than a few of us have many (right Keri?!). Nothing beats a knife that you find a joy to use.
 
That price is about right, I was just looking at them and found the low end kit for around $122. The next kit up also comes with a 1200 grit ceramic hone for around $140.

Not sure how good of a vendor this is, I found them here - accuratesharp.com
 
Thank you everyone. I have a much better idea what I'm looking for now.

If I do it right, I'll make mistakes along the way that will make me seem wise.
 
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