What brand of knives do you use?
I am a Wusthof fan. I have a chef knife, paring knife and the sharpening thingy. Want more!
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21 Comments:
I guess it's okay to be a fan of a particular manufacturer but my thinking is that you won't find the perfect knive for yourself, in every range of use, if you insist on staying with one brand name. Sure, having a matched set of everything looks good to your kitchen visitors but I'd much rather have my workplace suited to my hand and style. After all, to me, the product of my kitchen is far more important than its ambiance.
My favorite, go-to knife is something I ferreted out of the back room of a kitchen shop in Bangkok's chinatown. It is handmade and high carbon. It is 8" long and has a unique cresent shape that just "rocks". I could shave with it and believe me, it gets better care than most of my family members. I also have a couple of "no name" chinese cleavers (large and small) that get regular work outs too. As for paring, boning, and carving knives, I've opted for what are now probably considered antique, high carbon knives made by J. A. Henckles before they started putting stainless steel in the blades and when the handles were still riveted wood. I've had them for thirty plus years and they too are like members of the family.
czken at 4:36AM on 09/07/07
Martha Stewart. From Kmart.
K at 8:46AM on 09/07/07
I am sad to say that I don't have decent knives. My good knife is a KitchenAid 7" santoku that I got on sale at Target about 3 years ago.
However, I am now a member of the church of Global knives, and I sincerely hope that someone is getting me their 7" chef's knife for me birthday (the knife is #1 on my amazon wishlist, in case any of you want to get it for me, ha ha ha ;)
I also plan on buying myself some knives in a few months when I'm back in NYC for Thanksgiving - the Bowery Kitchen Supply has some damn good knives, and on the cheap, to boot.
charm city cupcake at 8:55AM on 09/07/07
Like Charm City Cupcake, I love my Global knives. Sharp, well balanced and easy to clean. We use knife safes to keep the edges (and our hands) protected while we keep them in the kitchen drawers.
hereandthe at 9:18AM on 09/07/07
Cutco.....buy American! They work great, and come with a lifetime guarantee.....plus they are manufactured in Olean, NY....keeping jobs here in the U.S. :-)
mepolo at 10:16AM on 09/07/07
I first started using Global, but then my brother gave me a Henckels Twin Cuisine 5" knife, and I can never go back. The heft of and fit of the handle work better than the other knives I've tried.
That's the thing about knives; what works best for me may not be the best one for you.
DaveFaris at 10:38AM on 09/07/07
czken I disagree. I have Shun knives - a santoku, cleaver, and paring knife - and I will never need anything else. They are perfection, I'm in love... seriously though, I use those knives for everything - chopping, slicing, dicing, carving, precision cuts...
Check out Shun - Williams Sonoma sells them.
Chau at 10:50AM on 09/07/07
My go-to knife is an 8" Henckels chef knife. I also have a 10" Henckel. But those are the only name brand knives I have. We have quite a few high carbon knives with wood handles that have lasted for years including paring, boning, and butcher knives.
I used to use an electric knife sharpener until I discovered that it was ruining the edge of my knives. I can highly recommend the following company for knife sharpening if you don't have someone local who can do it:
Holley Knives They will restore the edges of your knives and make minor repairs.
Library Lady at 11:06AM on 09/07/07
I too am a Global follower, I've got the 8" chef's knife, 6" veg cleaver, 6" santoku, 4" pairing knife, and 2" utility knife, I'll never buy a different kind of knife ever again save for maybe a nice chinese cleaver if i can find one.
kitchenlove at 11:29AM on 09/07/07
My fave is a 7" Henckels Santoku that I use for everything: it fits my hand perfectly and I rarely pick up my paring knife anymore.
ride&cook at 1:01PM on 09/07/07
I'm with czken - matched sets look good, but I'd rather opt for function over form. Ironically, a lot of my stuff is older Chicago Cutlery. I like the heft that their models have, and I also have an old bolster-less, hickory handled model which weighs a lot less for marathon sessions.
Globals tend to hold their edge a bit better than some of the others from what I've heard, but I don't like the tang/grip on a lot of their models. The chef knives seem a bit closer, having a larger grip (I have big hands) and an actual butt, not that tapered base. I'm curious as to how "slip resistant" those dimples actually are in a "real" environment, not just the store. Anyone with more extensive hands-on experience with these? The 10" and 11" chefs are pretty, so if they are that good, I may have to convince myself to pick one up.
corycm at 1:02PM on 09/07/07
I have a 10 inch Sabatier slicing knife that I do most of my work with at home. It has all the rocking action of a chef's knife, but is delicate enough for smaller work and flexible enough for fish cleaning and meat trimming.
In the course of making a whole meal I can get it done with just one piece.
coolname at 1:41PM on 09/07/07
I use a 10" global cooking on a line regularly with no problems of slipping. Knife brand has never mattered to me, as long as it is sharp. I have wusthofs old and new, a shun, and even some really beat up forschner (but they still take an edge alright), I just want them sharp. Wanting some new work knives, I got a really, really good deal on some Globals, they have served me really well and exceptionally for the price.
intheyearofthepig at 3:16PM on 09/07/07
Mostly Wusthofs, except for an old carbon steel Sabatier I inherited. But the one I reach for most often is my 10" Global. It took me a while to get accustomed to the light weight (and I have the scars to prove it!) but now I love it.
I have a few Kyocera ceramics too.
Cathy at 5:39PM on 09/07/07
Mixed variety, but my favorites are whustof chef's and paring knives.
dettling05 at 9:59PM on 09/07/07
I've not progressed beyond the Wustof knives that I bought nearly 30 years ago. They have proved durable and fit my hand so I feel comfortable using them. I use the 6" chef's knife more than any other. My hands are small and it's a comfortable "fit".
I added a little gem a few years back - a 5" sausage knife with a serrated blade. It's wonderful for tomatoes after they are peeled and good for cutting fruit, cheese and salami as well. It's also nice for slicing a baguette or cutting a sandwich in half without tearing it apart.
suegsf at 2:16AM on 09/08/07
Henckels Twin Pro S - I still love them to death. As much as I would like to switch to Kershaw-Shun knives, the lack of a bolster keeps me at bay.
Ultimately the best knife is the one that's most comfortable to you, and these knives have certainly fit that bill wonderfully.
digitalburro at 10:16AM on 09/09/07
I'll second the KitchenAid santoku. I just purchased one this summer (also from Target!) and I've really enjoyed using it so far. I do have more expensive knives, but nothing too high-end. I think the $20 santoku does most things well enough for me.
My other favorite is a little red knife I got from Williams-Sonoma a couple years ago. It came with a matching red cover, so it's perfect when I need to cut a nectarine for my lunch. Yes, I bring sharp knives to work--for lunch only!!! (The lone sharp knife they have in our kitchen is ALWAYS dirty!)
kmnola at 12:11PM on 09/09/07
i love my santoku shaped plastic handled knife from ikea...about $8. use to have oak handled knives but sick of rescuing them from soaking water where the family put them. i don't like wood anything anymore as i am concerned about what it soaks up. went to all steel seak knives and they don't have a seam (one piece) where two dissimilar materials join.
scruz at 12:51PM on 09/09/07
Henckles. We got our knife block for free since a family member works there.
Christina at 5:25PM on 09/09/07
I use a mixture of Henckels, wusthof and kyocera ceramics as of recently. If you want a different type of knife try ceramic and they even have a serrated knife now...
jscarpetta at 11:56AM on 09/27/07