Kitchen Knives

Psymonkee

Psymonkee

Psymonkee

Soldato
Joined
24 Feb 2004
Posts
14,368
Location
St.Andrews
Hi,

My parents are looking to get the kitchen refitted in the near future and this will no doubt mean a complete overhaul of the cutlery and tools :)

My dad has always claimed to be very happy with his knives he uses for cooking (Tesco Value knives :rolleyes: ) but I feel like spoiling him since he spends so long in the kitchen.

What knives are regarded as good/bad? I understand Global knives are though of very highly but that is where my knowledge ends :(

Any help would be appreciated :)
 
Global knives do have a big following on here but I've never used one so can't comment. Personally I use a set of Henkel four stars (the same ones Jamie Oliver used in the original Naked Chef series) which I've had and used daily for about 7 years, they still look like new.

If you're going to buy knives for someone it might be worth talking to them to find out what they like/dislike about what they have at the moment. For example I can't chop vegetables with a small knife because I keep rapping my knuckles off the board unless the blade is deep enough.
 
Jonny69 suggested a decent set of knives a while back. I believe they were from Debenhams, but I can't remember the exact name of them though. No doubt he'll post the name if he manages to spot this thread over the nifty little 100E engine block.
 
I've always been a fan of Sabatier Knives, they have a good weight to them, and they have high quality steel blades. The last set I had was the Idealis Set and a 7" Classic Meat Cleaver, its a very nice set.
 
I have Globals and they are excellent. Nice balance, well shaped handles, stay very sharp. Plus they look gret and are easyto keep clean.

However, they're not for everyone. I would imagine if you have big hands they could be quite tricky as the handles aren't massive (I have quite small hands). Also, some people prefer non-metal handles or a two part handle/blade.

Best advice would be to go to a decent kitchen shop or a big department store and ask to see the knives. Pick a mediun sized utility knife, the one you'll probably use most often, and see how it feels. If you find one you like, buy it and then build your collection as and when you find you need a different knife. If you buy a big set you'll just end up with knives you don't need or use.

I started with an 11cm kitchen knife and have added a paring knife, vegetable chopper and large chef's knife over the last few years. I now just need a carving knife and a flexible filleting knife to finish off the collection.
 
Awesome - lots of names to research plus 2 months to save up for some nice blades :)

I definitely think I'll take him with me (more like accidental diversion on the way home from somewhere :p) to a cook shop. Just got to find a good one locally(ish)
 
Another vote for Global here! Since I bought my first Global knife I have been so impressed that my girlfriend now has one and my parents have a set.

Very good quality, excellently balanced, feels comfortable and natural in your hand, I will keep buying these!
 
SHUN SHUN SHUN SHUN

Yes, these are the rolls royce of knives, they are the dogs danglys and they look the part too. I cannot recommend a SHUN knife enough - i'm a chef by trade, and i found Globals to be uncomfortable when using for long periods of time, they blistered my hands because of the nobbly bits on the handle.

If shuns are out of your budget (they are expensive( £30odd quid for a office knife or birds beak knife)), then i recommend a trip to TK Maxx, they have good quality knives in there by the likes of Sabatier, i even saw porsche ones in there once, and the prices are very modest too :)

Shun_kershaw_classic_cutlery_DM0706.jpg
 
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