Recommend your knives

[lavenderblue]

I have one of those knife sets that come in the block. The steak knives are fine, but I really want to upgrade the rest of what I have from the paring knife all the way up to the butcher knives and everything in between. I'm okay if they aren't a "set" and are different manufacturers/companies,  because what I really want to do is curate my own set of good knives. This is at the forefront on my mind right now because I host Thanksgiving and my carving knife is absolute crap, so I'll probably start there. Let's pretend that price is no object, though I'm sure that it will have some influence on what I ultimately purchase. 

[gottadobe]

Are any knife shops around you? If possible, I highly recommend you go in and hold different knives to see what you like as the grip will feel very different.
My Wusthof Santoku is my favorite - I can't recall the series off-hand.

[simpsongal]

Agree w/ gottadobe, the standard advice is to hold a knife and figure out what you like. The weight/shape and feel of a chef's knife can vary quite a bit.

Sur la table or William Sonoma might be good places to start if you don't have a specialty store nearby.

[lab7979]

I need new knives so I'm interested in hearing people's replies. We always use an electric knife to carve turkey, ham, etc during the holidays. So much easier.

[sdlaura]

DH is really into knives. He likes to cook and likes tools, so I think they go together. My Mom once asked me what I thought about him being so into knives, as if he was amassing dangerous weapons Anyway....

We don't have a knife set from one maker. We have a big knife block and different kinds/makers of knives in it. DH likes the Global brand, as well as Shun and Wusthof. We also have some Cutco knives that I mainly like because they can go in the dishwasher. If I'm cutting up some strawberries or something else relatively soft, I usually use a Cutco knife for that reason. For chopping vegetables and cooking, I usually use a Global knife. My favorite/most used knife overall is a Global 6" Chef's knife.

[eb777888]

H got me the Zwilling set from Williams Sonoma about four years ago. I love them, I use the hell out of them!

[notsopicky]

I have the Miyabi set from SLT and while I love them very much (they are lighter than Wustoff or Zwilling), I feel they get dull very fast. How long should a knife stay sharp? I use them daily (I have a mini Santoku, a regular Santoku, and a chef's knife that I use most often).

SLT will do sharpening for about $5 a knife, but often you have to leave them (occasionally I've been able to drop off and pick back up in 30 minutes).

[eb777888]

Oct 28, 2024 17:14:44 GMT -5 notsopicky said:

I have the Miyabi set from SLT and while I love them very much (they are lighter than Wustoff or Zwilling), I feel they get dull very fast. How long should a knife stay sharp? I use them daily (I have a mini Santoku, a regular Santoku, and a chef's knife that I use most often).

SLT will do sharpening for about $5 a knife, but often you have to leave them (occasionally I've been able to drop off and pick back up in 30 minutes).

I sharpen them about four times a year or when I can feel them getting dull. I had to sharpen them recently because I've been making a lot of butternut squash and cutting the thick skin off is so easy with a really sharp knife. 

[turbo]

It’s a splurge but Shun knives are the best I’ve ever owned. As in, buy a set, maintain it, and have them for your whole life. The quality is amazing.

[isabel]

Oct 28, 2024 17:53:14 GMT -5 turbo said:

It’s a splurge but Shun knives are the best I’ve ever owned. As in, buy a set, maintain it, and have them for your whole life. The quality is amazing.

I agree with going to a store that sells individual knives and trying them out. Different people prefer different things.

However, I will say that we own exclusively Shun knives. We don't have a set. Everything has been individual purchases based on our needs. We've had many of them since before we got married, so over 13 years now. They are really great knives.

We have:
An 8" chefs knife (my favorite overall)
two 6" chefs knives (different styles)
A Nakiri (wouldn't buy again, it doesn't get that much use)
A serrated utility knife (love for bread, tomatoes, things that squish easily)
A paring knife

If I had to curate a set now, I would get the 8", the utility knife, and the paring knife. Those get the most use by far. A 6" is a bonus.

[definitelyO]

We have Cutco knives.