Knives recommendations
- Thread starter DennisT
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John K BBQ
TVWBB Wizard
I can't stand using dull knives either. I use my honing stick almost every time I'm going to chop more than 1 onion. Folks that use the wrong cutting boards and dull knives...I'm surprised they have any fingers left at all.@LMichaels, how would you feel about a Balvenie 21yo Peat wood?
I'll echo all of the comments about the sharp knives. I cannot STAND working with dull knives. I cut myself across the pads on my left index and left middle fingers, took 4 stitches each to close...... and never felt the cut. A couple of years ago, my g/f spotted a Henckels (I think....) Santoko style and it's held an amazing edge. It also never sees frozen food, bones or the dishwasher. I don't pretend to have crazy sharp knives like a professional, but most people just won't be comfortable with my knives "they're too sharp!" I apologized to a buddy of mine a few years ago who was playing sous chef for a Labor Day party about having dull knives and should really touch them up.... "I'd hate to see what you call sharp!"
My general recommendations are handles that you find comfortable, and at least decent steel. Beyond that, it's pretty much spend what you want.
I'm on an irish whiskey kick at the moment. About 2/3 thru a bottle of Red Breast, and then going to get into a bottle of Kilbeggan's small batch rye whiskey.
I use have a set of Henkel's that we've had for almost 20 years. My brisket trimming (not carving) knife is a mercer. I think the curved blade helps quite a bit. I think it was < $30
Michael Richards
TVWBB Emerald Member
Ordered these off Amazon yesterday and they are already here today. I am excited to use them.
Joe Anshien
TVWBB Honor Circle
I second the Chef'sChoice 15XV. It brought back to life like a dozen knives that could not even cut paper. Now I also buy knives at the thrift store for like 75 cents, sharpen them and give them away as gifts.
BLEH. I have 2 different Chef's Choice sharpeners and I absolutely despise the "Trizor" edge. I don't know that I hate anybody enough to give them away. I greatly prefer the WorkSharp belt sharpener I have.
BFletcher
TVWBB Honor Circle
Please hate me and give it to me
On a serious note, what drives your disdain of it? Maybe I can learn something important that I'm otherwise missing about a quality edge. What is your other Chef'sChoice sharpener and your thoughts on it?
Please hate me and give it to me
On a serious note, what drives your disdain of it? Maybe I can learn something important that I'm otherwise missing about a quality edge. What is your other Chef'sChoice sharpener and your thoughts on it?
I don't remember exactly what models I have. IIRC, the stones are darned near the same material and have the same geometry. The big difference is how close you can sharpen to the hilt, i.e. blades with a bolster won't get sharpened all the way back like a stamped blade can. Recovering an edge after being sharpened by a Chef's Choice is a very long process that requires a fair amount of material removal. That may be the best way to describe the edge, if you look at the knife from the point along the edge to the hilt, it'll seem a little more bulbous, the included angle in the final facet is rather large. Personally, I've found that I probably prefer a Japanese style edge which has a very narrow edge compared to a European or American sharpened edge.
I've never managed to get a "good feeling" edge in spite of how they seemed to cut, something has always seemed a bit off. I grew up with a very small sharpening stone and the classic countertop rolling sharpener, picked up a diamond coated flat plate sharpener when I moved to Chicago (that worked pretty well, but is persnickety and tedious.) That led me to the Chef's Choice. I finally picked up the WorkSharp belt sharpener and probably won't use anything else.
Mark Silver
TVWBB Wizard
If you want a GREAT trimming knife, you can't beat a Havalon. Razor sharp and interchangeable blades.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AECFF2W/?tag=tvwb-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AECFF2W/?tag=tvwb-20
Chris in Louisiana
TVWBB All-Star
A BBQ blogger did a survey of dozens of BBQ joints around the country and posted the results.
Lots of Dexter and Victorinox, but also plenty of other choices.
Knives Used By Your Favorite BBQ Joints
Lots of Dexter and Victorinox, but also plenty of other choices.
Knives Used By Your Favorite BBQ Joints
Brian B Atlanta
TVWBB Gold Member
Michael how do you like those do you have a link. Getting tired of trying to trim ribs with my wifes crappy knives.
Timothy F. Lewis
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
This really fascinates me, raves about brand new knives and disdain when the user doesn’t know how to maintain them. Complaints about sharpening systems being junk, I don’t think I own a knife “younger” than ten years old. I use a steel almost every time I use any of them, should I get lazy and it gets “iffy”, I bite the bullet and have them sharpened by a professional. I’m not that cheap, no matter what people may say!
If a knife doesn’t feel right in my hand, I don’t use it much. Things I regularly use, are sharp unless I go visit a “friend” that insists he can make them better. Last time he sunk a low spot in a favorite (Warther 10” Chefs knife, no longer available) blade. I have not seen the guts since!
My knives are MINE, not yours to “improve” so, Bugger off!
Use what you like, learn some basics and take care of them, even knives that may not be “the best” can be perfectly serviceable.
If a knife doesn’t feel right in my hand, I don’t use it much. Things I regularly use, are sharp unless I go visit a “friend” that insists he can make them better. Last time he sunk a low spot in a favorite (Warther 10” Chefs knife, no longer available) blade. I have not seen the guts since!
My knives are MINE, not yours to “improve” so, Bugger off!
Use what you like, learn some basics and take care of them, even knives that may not be “the best” can be perfectly serviceable.
The Balvenie 14 is excellent, but a bit of a splurge.
Timothy F. Lewis
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
You splurge, I’ll visit!
Michael Richards
TVWBB Emerald Member
Brian,
Below are the two links from Amazon. I don't always have the best luck with amazon links...
I love these two knives. I have very limited experience with knives, but these two have been such a massive upgrade from the few I be using for the past 14 years. Others who have used more expensive knives may have a different take, but I use both these knives daily and feel happy everyday thinking how much I treated myself with this purchase.
Brian B Atlanta
TVWBB Gold Member
Michael do you have the wavy edge or regular edge?
I love knives, have had a big pile of them over the years, but I've come to the realization that a good knife is a sharp one, not the brand, where it's made, or it's shape.
I basically use 2 knives now for almost everything, a 9-10 " chefs knife, and a stiff 6" boning knife, that will get you through just about everything, The chef's knife I been using is a $2 dollar re-grind school knife, and the boner is a wood handled dexter, Yeah I have other, and "better" knives, but these are the ones I grab first.... and those Millennially knives are pretty darn good, I splurged and replaced the re grind with one, good steel, and razor sharp out of the box....
I basically use 2 knives now for almost everything, a 9-10 " chefs knife, and a stiff 6" boning knife, that will get you through just about everything, The chef's knife I been using is a $2 dollar re-grind school knife, and the boner is a wood handled dexter, Yeah I have other, and "better" knives, but these are the ones I grab first.... and those Millennially knives are pretty darn good, I splurged and replaced the re grind with one, good steel, and razor sharp out of the box....
Michael Richards
TVWBB Emerald Member
Regular edge!
Chad-Burnt to a T
TVWBB Super Fan
DanHoo
TVWBB Olympian
+1 and I have this model. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003IT5F14/?tag=tvwb-20
works great and has brought some "dead" knives back to life. Even my cheap ones that found their way into my camping box.