"Knives for a pro..."

Belmit · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:10

Unfortuntely not as exciting as you think. I'm looking into getting a nice chef/cook's knife and I know there's a few people on here that have them. Those that do, what makes/models should I be looking out for considering I mainly chop vegetables and small meat portions for dishes such as stir fry and curries? My budget is probably around £50 but I can stretch further if the quality/style etc. is more attractive. I've tried doing a bit of a search on the subject but it's about as useful as if I was after a new car and Googled 'hatchbacks'.

Any advice on the matter would be top drawer.

Brum Man · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:12

Global?

Chronos-X · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:15

Poundland

benjo plz. · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:22

Victorinox tbh, one of the best, if not the best.

Droolinggimp · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:33

Phnom_Penh said:
Victorinox tbh, one of the best, if not the best.

totaly agree.. I have been a butcher for 14 years and I have used Vic knives every day at work and I have to say they are the best knives you can get.. I have tried some others but not a patch on Vic...

The 12" Steak knives we use cost around £25-£30 each..
Some idea for Vic knives here

benjo plz. · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:40

yeh, my Grandad was a butcher, he had a whole collection of them. Nothing compares and most of them are older than me.

weescott · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:43

Victorinox here. My pal who is a Chef bought me a set for £70. Entry level apparently.

Cybermyk · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:44

Stellar Sabatier area as good as any in your budget range. You can get a 5 piece set for around £80 or buy each of them when you can.

alexakasloth · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:46

Can't give you any advice on the high end ones like the globals and shuns but i've got a few Sanelli knives and they're great, the handles feel good and they are very sharp. I think my chef's knife cost around £25.

Stan_Lite · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:51

Apparently the top-of-the-range Sabatier knives are quite good.

Unfortunately I bought a bottom-of-the-range set and was disappointed

- good sharp knives and comfy grips but tended to have rust spots (poor quality stainless steel) - I can only assume the dearer ones are made from better steel.

Stan

robmiller · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:51

I think knives are a good idea. Big, ****-off shiny ones.

Droolinggimp · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:53

If you are thinking of investing in some quality knives then please buy yourself a good stone and a high quality steel..

the stone MUST have two sides.. One rough to take off the edge of the knife and give it some shape... The other side is smooth. this gives it a nice soft finish and sharper edge.. After you use the stone you have to use the steel to finalise the sharpening process.. after you do that wash the knife in very hot water with clean cloth to get rid of the remaining metal dust.. (most steels are magnetic and collect most of the dust as you steel it..) then wipe dry..

Now be carfull. if you sharpen the knife well enough you could do yourself a nasty accident.. I should know ..

Jonny69 · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:54

Don't like Global knives personally, I can't stand the metal grip and the sweaty hands they cause.

benjo plz. · 18 Feb 2006 at 22:56

Meh, get a proper knife grinder.

Droolinggimp · 18 Feb 2006 at 23:02

Phnom_Penh said:
Meh, get a proper knife grinder.

Crap tbh....

by hand is the best way..

to keep a knife sharp you have to steel it everytime you use it.. Every personhas a different angle of steeling. This angle is automaticaly used when you use the stone too, so this way you have a consistant edge on the blade..

Using a grinder has disavantages such as.
the angle it sharpens at can be altered but will never be the same angle you steel at therefore if you sharpen and steel at the same angle you have a perfect edge but if you grind then steel you will have a rounded edge and a blunt knife becaue of the two totaly different angles of sharpening...

benjo plz. · 18 Feb 2006 at 23:05

I have a sharpenset whetstone with a blade jig. Its a proper sharpener and cannot be argued with.

Belmit · 18 Feb 2006 at 23:09

Some good info here, and most of the recommended knives are cheaper than I was expecting which is always a bonus. I also hadn't considered a stone/steel so hopefully I can get the lot for my budget. Keep the recommendations coming though, I at least have a few makes to take a look at now. Victorinox seems to be quite a favourite though.

Droolinggimp · 18 Feb 2006 at 23:10

OOOOOO!!! I love to do a test with that and my stone and steel... 20mins on S&S and it WILL be sharper than the result of the blade sharpened with that thing...

Jonny69 · 18 Feb 2006 at 23:14

If you can hold the knife and feel the quality of the steel the blade is made of it helps too. Sabatier is a quality standard more than a brand so you know you are getting at least x quality steel. The mistake a lot of people make is they buy a knife that doesn't suit them.

Some people prefer a resin rivetted handle, some prefer a plastic handle etc etc.

Cybermyk · 18 Feb 2006 at 23:16

Bigstan said:
Apparently the top-of-the-range Sabatier knives are quite good.

Unfortunately I bought a bottom-of-the-range set and was disappointed - good sharp knives and comfy grips but tended to have rust spots (poor quality stainless steel) - I can only assume the dearer ones are made from better steel.

Stan

Stan, the higher quality the carbon steel blade the more likely you are to get rust spots. They can't add chromium and allow the same level of temper to the blade so it's a trade off. I would recommend brasso/duraglit to get rid of the odd rust spot and hand wash only then dry straight away to keep the knives in good condition. High maintenance I know but the knives are good

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