REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

Gachinto · 06-02-2009, 11:06 PM

Hey guys (who also enjoy culinary on top of cars), what are some good knifes that you've had personal experience with?

Budget would depend on the type of knife, but the first and most important one would be a decent Chef or Santuko. I'm looking at around $70-$130 for this one.

I know Henckelsis a common one. Calphalon too and then seem more expansive. I'm most interested in Shun at this point, for their Japanese edge of 17 degrees. I probably can't afford an authentic Japanese one, plus the distance means lack of warrenty and service.

Also, what are some other brands such as Cutco knifes? They are supposedly pretty good for Amercian made knifes.

Thanks!

Mancini · 06-02-2009, 11:18 PM

Well, I don't eat on top of my car with sharp knives but I'm interested in hearing the responses.

cho · 06-02-2009, 11:38 PM

im using victorinox,
cheap.
fairly durable, been using them for a year at school and now at work.

MAC is a good alternative to shun if you dont have the money for it heh

scottsman · 06-03-2009, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Also, what are some other brands such as Cutco knifes? They are supposedly pretty good for Amercian made knifes.

GTFO

freakshow · 06-03-2009, 12:14 AM

My gf likes Shun and Wusthof. Wusthof has a heavier handle, might take getting used to if you normal use a Shun.

Sandman · 06-03-2009, 12:25 AM

i heard house of knives has their own brand that they make which is decent and cheap

SpuGen · 06-03-2009, 12:37 AM

Globals, Wusthof, Shun.
All popular and well made.

I have a set of Wusthofs and a set of Shuns. I like the Wusthofs better because of the lighter blade, but they don't stay nearly as sharp as the Shuns.

Really, it all depends on the feel of the knives, then quality. You could have the best knives in the world but have trouble using it because the feel sucks.
Also depends on where you use it. At home I use the Shuns. I used the Wusthofs for work, but while the lightness was great for fatigue, the handle sucks.

You'll have better luck in the Food forum too btw.

dlu · 06-03-2009, 12:51 AM

honestly, cutco.. you have to buy it off some salesperson but they are the sharpest knives ive ever had and ive had nice henkels knives. It cuts a chicken in half like butter

124Y · 06-03-2009, 12:52 AM

I don't know much about culinary knives, but I saw some Kyocera ceramic knives for sale before. Thought it was pretty interesting.

Sp3cial_K · 06-03-2009, 01:09 AM

cutco's are good. i like the weight and feel of them.. and yes they are very sharp

Nightwalker · 06-03-2009, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlu

honestly, cutco.. you have to buy it off some salesperson but they are the sharpest knives ive ever had and ive had nice henkels knives. It cuts a chicken in half like butter

I really like the henkels I bought my mom, so searched for cutco to take a look. Looks like you could just buy them online:
http://www.cutco.ca

Gachinto · 06-03-2009, 01:47 AM

So... lighter isn't better... heavier is...? Or balanced...
I should see if I can get a feel for them at House of Knifes or something. In terms of the blade it would make sense that Japanese 17 degree is sharper than German 23 degree. But thinner maybe less durable too?

What about serrated blade?

Cutco has pretty BAD reputation it seem, about their company. Who owns Cutco and has compared with other big brands?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mancini

Well, I don't eat on top of my car with sharp knives but I'm interested in hearing the responses.

LOL

TheKingdom2000 · 06-03-2009, 02:58 AM

the only reason cutco seems to have a bad rep is because it's sort of a pyramid scheme kind of.

my family has them and they are great.
i love the knives, and they are high quality imo. easy to sharpen too.

Nightwalker · 06-03-2009, 05:01 AM

From everything I'm reading, light/heavy stuff is all subjective and neither better or worse. Just have to try the knife and see what you like.

striderblade · 06-03-2009, 05:05 AM

buying a $100+ knife will increase your stats by +10 better chef =P

Tapioca · 06-03-2009, 07:42 AM

My parents have used Cutco knives for years and they're pretty decent. However, they probably weren't the best value.

I use a set of Professional 'S' ZW Henckels knives. A lot of people knock Henckels because they've heavily promoted their 'International' or single-man brand which has degraded their name. My dad bought me a single-man Henckels set a couple of years ago as a house-warming gift and it was largely garbage. I found a good deal on a ZW Henckels set (or double-man) several weeks ago and I find them pretty good for my needs. The knives are well-balanced and the handles are fairly ergonomic.

I've also held Global knives in-store and while pretty, they're a little too light for my liking. I've never tried Shun in-store, but they seem pretty popular these days too.

SpuGen · 06-03-2009, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gachinto

So... lighter isn't better... heavier is...? Or balanced...
I should see if I can get a feel for them at House of Knifes or something. In terms of the blade it would make sense that Japanese 17 degree is sharper than German 23 degree. But thinner maybe less durable too?

What about serrated blade?

Cutco has pretty BAD reputation it seem, about their company. Who owns Cutco and has compared with other big brands?

LOL

From what I've found

Lighter blade, heavy handle = Good for use at a professional level. Less Fatigue, more agile.
Heavy blade, light handle = Less "work" needed to cut since the weight of the blade is cutting.

sonick · 06-03-2009, 08:18 AM

Global. Ming Wo sells them locally.

House of Knives sells Shuns, I believe.

Black SC2 · 06-03-2009, 08:28 AM

I've been slowly building up a collection through gifts and personal purchases of kitchen knives the past few years. Mostly Wusthof and Henkels. I find the Henkels hold their edge a little better, other than that they're both interchangeable in my mind in terms of build quality. I think one of the best things you can do in terms of being happy with your knives is to learn how to sharpen them properly though. A good few pases on a stone will make that ratty old knife at the back of your drawer into a functional tool again.

Shun Izaki · 06-03-2009, 08:37 AM

Shun + Global are usually part of my master set when I'm doing anything culinary.

Shun knives are probably some of the cheapest yet best quality i've ever owned... great for letting other people use, and instructing.

The Global ones are part of my steak knife collection... with precision like that crazy surgical steel... I can slice a steak with one slide of the knive on it's own weight...

Global if you can afford it, Shun when you still want nice and can't XD

sonick · 06-03-2009, 08:47 AM

Also, last time I went the Ming Wo at Lansdowne had all Global Knives for 25% off, don't know if that's a regular occurrence.

moomooCow · 06-03-2009, 09:24 AM

So what do you all cook that warrants the use of knives like these? Just curious..

Shun Izaki · 06-03-2009, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moomoocow

So what do you all cook that warrants the use of knives like these? Just curious..

All good culinary students/chefs would understand, having a good set of knives isn't just for the CRAZY outlandish food that some might see on tv.

Having a good set means you can prepare your food with ease, speed, and make sure the cut/style/preparation of the food is done properly and at the highest class.

Like I was saying earlier, I have global steak knives... and i don't use any force, just let the weight of the knife rest on the meat, pull back, and let the NON-serraded edge do it's job.

Knives can be used for many culinary aspects, more than what most people judge them for. It's a chef's best tool, as well as his most useful one.

That being said, I like to use my Shun knives best for preparation, and my global knives for fast/precise cuts.

Tapioca · 06-03-2009, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moomoocow

So what do you all cook that warrants the use of knives like these? Just curious..

I don't pretend to be a chef, but when you cook anything with fresh meat or produce, you need a couple of good knives to cut through food properly and to prevent injuries to yourself. Besides, for those rare times you might have a woman over, I'm sure she'd be impressed when you flash the hardware and/or when she uses the knives to cook for you.

If you're just starting to cook, you really only need 1 or 2 knives - a good chef's knife and a utility knife. I know that $150 may seem like a lot for a knife, but as long as you maintain it by sharpening and washing it properly, it should last 10+ years. That seems like a pretty good investment to me.

Shun Izaki · 06-03-2009, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tapioca

I don't pretend to be a chef, but when you cook anything with fresh meat or produce, you need a couple of good knives to cut through food properly and to prevent injuries to yourself. Besides, for those rare times you might have a woman over, I'm sure she'd be impressed when you flash the hardware and/or when she uses the knives to cook for you.

If you're just starting to cook, you really only need 1 or 2 knives - a good chef's knife and a utility knife. I know that $150 may seem like a lot for a knife, but as long as you maintain it by sharpening and washing it properly, it should last 10+ years. That seems like a pretty good investment to me.

I can tell you my shun set is 5 years old, still as shiny as new, and my global steak knives (the ones that get the most wear) are insanely new (i even throw them in the dishwasher)

For me at least, It's not about showing off. It's about excellence in what you do (cooking in this case). I've more or less given up cooking in the past year or so in terms of laziness, but I think I might go back to it after reno'ing my place XD