Knives

[Troy]

Does anyone use or have used a Lansky knife sharpening kit on their kitchen knives? If so, how well does or did it work; and do you have any tips?

I have a lansky. It works, but it's a lot of work. I'm too impatient. For pocket knives, it's great. For kitchen knives, it's too much work.

[Troy]

I stumbled across some really cheap knives that get decent reviews, called Kiwi knives, but how could you trust a knife that cost only $5?

Ask a WKCer, that's how.
I have a couple stashes of Kiwi knives, one in the kitchen and one in my knife bag in the BBQ shed. No one is allowed to use them but me.
These are crazy sharp knives and hold an edge pretty well. I sharpen on a Furi Tech Edge Pro.
And hell, at $5.00 for a sharp knife, if I can't get it sharp again, I just buy some new ones!

I have a few kiwis and love them. Very sharp and they hold the edge very well.

I beat the crap out of mine. Dishwasher will eventually make the handle fall apart. Replace them every two years.

I absolutely love the veg clever from kiwi.

[Remmy700P]

I don't think quality is where you want to skimp on kitchen knives. Save up and invest in the best you can afford. I have -- and love -- Wusthof's 'Culinar' line. Expensive? Yes. Worth it. You bet. It fits my hand, keeps an edge, can be re-edged without too much trouble (that's a really important consideration by the way...) and I prefer the heft.

The knife I use the most? My 6.5" Santoku with a granton edge. http://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/pt/-culinar-santoku-knife-6-5-with-granton-edge.htm

I also use the 8" Chef's knife and the 9" Carving knife. The unfortunate thing is that Wusthof has discontinued this line, so they are slowly disappearing from retailers.

Now that I've finally gotten serious about smoking, I will be picking up a commercial slicing knife for those larger cuts, especially brisket, probably at my local Smart & Final. They have a nice 12" granton edge slicing knife with a plastic handle for like $15.

[AggieOE12]

J. A. Henckels, a little pricey but worth it!

[AJ328]

Victorinox swiss army fibrox knives always win America's test Kitchen equipment reviews and I have to say for durability, balance and steel quality they're the best knife you can find and they're relatively cheap (8" chef's under $40). These are also the most common knives in professional kitchens.

I got my first one when I was in a culinary program in High school 12 years ago, soon after for Christmas my parents bought me a complete set of Wusthof, which are great but have not held up as well over the years through the thousands of trips through the dishwasher.

Things to look for in any knife are the type of metal. Stainless steel sounds good but it's extremely hard to sharpen once it loses its edge. High carbon steel is very easy to sharpen but rusts quickly. High Carbon stainless steel is what you have to look for.

Another great reliable, rugged brand would be dexter. That's another popular brand the pros use, but they're not as well balanced.

[bwb]

I'm coming in late to this conversation. It's surprising no one has mentioned Dexter Russell brand knives.

They are the white plastic handle ones you see in a lot of commercial kitchens. I have several and love then. They are inexpensive, indestructible and hold an edge well. 

[pbe gummi bear]

I'm coming in late to this conversation. It's surprising no one has mentioned Dexter Russell brand knives.

They are the white plastic handle ones you see in a lot of commercial kitchens. I have several and love then. They are inexpensive, indestructible and hold an edge well.

Speaking of Dexter, I just made the connection between Dexter the knives and this dude:

[mike.stavlund]

This is obviously a huge question, and you've already gotten some excellent expert advice. 

I agree that the Victorinox are excellent knives, and an amazing value.  You really can't go wrong starting with them.  If I were starting from scratch, I'd start with a few of their knives, but I'd invest in a quality Japanese water stone for sharpening-- a 1000/4000 stone should be perfect.  You probably already have a 'steel' for aligning the blade periodically. 

I am a *huge* fan of the Japanese-style knives, with a single bevel.  They are light, thin, durable, and have amazing balance.  Tricky to learn how to sharpen, but definitely doable. 

No surprise to hear this from a WKCer, but it's really fun to find knives second-hand.  I've never had any luck at thrift stores, but have found some amazing German knives at estate sales for like a buck apiece.  Some of my favorite blades, because they came with a story and a history. 

Bottom line:  the single most important aspect of a knife is *sharpness*.  With that in mind, I'd recommend you start with cheaper knives (like, say, the Victorinox) and spend a bit more on a quality water stone and practice your skills there.  Then you'll have a better idea of the dream knives you'd like to have, and you'll know how to care for them when they come to you. 

[mike.stavlund]

PS.  You got off easy with Gummi.  Last time I had a conversation about knives with him, I ended up buying a brand-new Shun honesuki.  Not that I'm complaining.  ;-)

[namtrag]

Good ideas, Mike.  I am thinking of putting a few knives on my Christmas list!

[chefn58]

There is no easy answer for this question.  Knives are a personal thing.  You have to find which one feels right.  I have used all different kinds of knives from every country imaginable and I know for me, I like japanese steel best. 
I have a few globals that I use for everyday task but I like Sugimotos best.

They work for me but may not work for the next guy.  I bought a white carbon steel single edge chef knife.  It is extremely sharp.  It dulls quick because how soft the steel is but gets sharpen than say a german knife.  I also own damascus steel knives.  These knives work great as well but you pay for them because of the amount of layers that are hammered to create the knife itself. 

I like knives almost as much as I like my grills but I can't stress enough the personalness of them.  Balance and feel are the most important. 

[Troy]

This is obviously a huge question, and you've already gotten some excellent expert advice. 

I agree that the Victorinox are excellent knives, and an amazing value.  You really can't go wrong starting with them.  If I were starting from scratch, I'd start with a few of their knives, but I'd invest in a quality Japanese water stone for sharpening-- a 1000/4000 stone should be perfect.  You probably already have a 'steel' for aligning the blade periodically. 

I am a *huge* fan of the Japanese-style knives, with a single bevel.  They are light, thin, durable, and have amazing balance.  Tricky to learn how to sharpen, but definitely doable. 

No surprise to hear this from a WKCer, but it's really fun to find knives second-hand.  I've never had any luck at thrift stores, but have found some amazing German knives at estate sales for like a buck apiece.  Some of my favorite blades, because they came with a story and a history. 

Bottom line:  the single most important aspect of a knife is *sharpness*.  With that in mind, I'd recommend you start with cheaper knives (like, say, the Victorinox) and spend a bit more on a quality water stone and practice your skills there.  Then you'll have a better idea of the dream knives you'd like to have, and you'll know how to care for them when they come to you.

I love japanese blades, my favorite being the convex edged Globals.
I really like Shun too, but my wife is a Lefty and the D shaped handles of the Shun are made for right handed chefs

[namtrag]

ooh, never thought of the lefty/righty thing.  I am never sure when I step up to use a tool or knife whether I am going to use it left handed or right handed.  I am one of those weird people who does some things lefty and some right, but am not ambidextrous.

I eat, shoot guns, shoot pool and use tools left handed.  I bat, throw, kick and write right handed.  I am thinking that I use knives right handed, but will have to see next time I am trimming something lol

[rivercityjeff]

Victorinox has a restaurant line that is an excellent value.  The steel is commercial grade.  The non-slip plastic handle is ugly but, very useful.
Check them out at your local restaurant supply house or online at the link below/

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/victorinox-forschner/commercial-knives

We acquired our knives, one at at time.  Love my Henkels, Zwillings, Victorinox, Sabatier, and one old very long Chicago Cutlery that attracts rust.