Chef's Knife Advice - Gift for Dad

[Laszlo]

Wüsthof for me.

[OmegaJJH]

I’ve used Global for years and cannot fault them.


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[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by dddrees

I looked at a video which spoke to how thin the blades were and imagine there are uses where this makes more sense, but I’m looking for something that would be more apt to work and serve me in a more multi purpose environment. I’m not looking for a pry bar but I really don’t want to have to worry that I’m going to ruin the knife every time I use it.

Thanks for sharing and I hope they take care of you.

By the $30 restaurant knives (like Forshner) and a decent swipe sharpner. They are dishwasher safe, sharpen easily, have non-slip rubbery handles, and are pretty durable. I use them for cutting up carcasses.

[bdex75]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

By the $30 restaurant knives (like Forshner) and a decent swipe sharpner. They are dishwasher safe, sharpen easily, have non-slip rubbery handles, and are pretty durable. I use them for cutting up carcasses.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Naples09]

Originally Posted by fkim011

Can you throw out some brands that you would trust on the site on chefknivestogo. Maybe a top 3 ranking....

I know the carbon and stainless differences...etc. Just wanting to really up my knife game.

Really depends on your price range. Lots of options - and most anything on CKTG will be a step up from the big box stores.

Masakage Yuki line for entry in the carbon world but stainless clad.
Anryu Blue #2 hammered - midpoint line with carbon edge stainless clad
Kohetsu SLD line if you want all stainless
Konosuke - if you want to move up the price ladder and can find something you like in stock. Most of these will be fully reactive. HD2 laser is very much hyped and in stock. I recently picked up the Kono MM 210 and it's killer. Well worth the money.

[Naples09]

Originally Posted by jwkunkle

Thanks so much for all the help guys. I ordered the Masakage Yuki Gyuto 240mm with overnight delivery so I hopefully get it tomorrow!

I hope you report back once you get it.

If the handle is a little rough - which sometimes they are - just sand paper it a little til smooth.

[fkim011]

Originally Posted by Naples09

Really depends on your price range. Lots of options - and most anything on CKTG will be a step up from the big box stores.

Masakage Yuki line for entry in the carbon world but stainless clad.
Anryu Blue #2 hammered - midpoint line with carbon edge stainless clad
Kohetsu SLD line if you want all stainless
Konosuke - if you want to move up the price ladder and can find something you like in stock. Most of these will be fully reactive. HD2 laser is very much hyped and in stock. I recently picked up the Kono MM 210 and it's killer. Well worth the money.

Thanks for the excellent advice.

Just ordered the Konosuke HD2 Gyuto in 240MM.

[Naples09]

Originally Posted by fkim011

Thanks for the excellent advice.

Just ordered the Konosuke HD2 Gyuto in 240MM.

Congrats Frank!

Would love to hear your thoughts. I've been thinking of picking up an HD2 myself.

[SDRider]

Originally Posted by Syed117

This seems to be the main concern with the shun knives. Tips can definitely break because the blades themselves just aren't very thick compared to the German knives. My dad also has a bunch of old henckels and Wustoffs and you can tell by the feel that they are just stronger and can take a beating.

The shun is the nice knife you take out to use and enjoy using for slightly more delicate tasks. The german knives are made for pretty much anything.

Also have that cheap Victorinox chefs knife that everyone loves and while it definitely looks and feels cheap, it's good for what it is.

I have a set of Henckels Professional S knives, most of which I've had for more than 20 years now including a 10" chef's knife. The 10" chef's knife is probably the most used blade in my set with a classic slicing knife and serrated paring knife being the next two most commonly used. Make sure your steel is in good shape and you can use these knives for decades without ever having them sharpened professionally. I've never had mine professionally sharpened and can still thinly slice a soft tomato with them after a few swipes on the steel.

I broke the tip off a non-serrated paring knife but I was doing something with it that you really should not do with a blade so it is entirely my fault.

They are heavy and have a nice feel. I'm happy with them.

[Wcdhtwn]

I know a knife specialist. He’s a medical examiner by day, hand makes knives as a part time job. Many chefs in Houston buy his knives, he has a two year wait and his knives start around $1000. This guy knows his knives. Two years ago I bought my wife new knives and asked him what brands he’d recommend. His own 2 year wait wasn’t going to work for me... not to mention the cost. He gave me three brands that range in prices but in his expert opinion offer the best blades and overall knives available over the counter. They are:

Tojiro, Kikuichi, Masamoto

They are listed least expensive to most expensive. I went middle of the road for the Kikuichi brand, which is within your budget. Not only beautiful but extremely well balanced.

I found a place online that sells all three, but don’t remember the site. They are in the US so should be easy to google and buy from them.

If I can find the business card for this knife guy I’ll add it to here. You can check his site, credentials, etc. and see he knows his stuff.


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[singe89]

Got a set set of the Shun Hiro SG2s over christmas and LOVE them.

I'm a big knife fan and advances in powdered steel over the last few years is pretty amazing. Japanese knives are thinner and slightly more delicate but use the right tool for the job. If I'm chopping a large piece of meat with bone I'm going to use my butchers knife. For 90% of my general cooking jobs I use this one and couldn't be happier. http://www.cutleryandmore.com/shun-h...-knife-p135870

I also chose the SG2 (64 rockwell) over the Miyabi MC66/ZDP-189 (66 rockwell) because I dont have a problem sharpening the SG2 but have had issues getting an edge back with the ZDP-189. I've also found SG2 to be less chippy than ZDP-189

[BNA/LION]

Global for me!

Some Good Info here: https://www.rolexforums.com/showthre...=global+knives

[Keadog]

We've had (have) lots of knives over the years. Most of the major makers and some lesser known knife makers (some $$$).
I always end up going back to the Global Chromova GF-32 (6" blade). Great balance in my hand and can handle almost anything except something like carving a big roast. Holds an edge quite well but we now have three so my wife doesn't have to get the sharpener out too often.
Right now we're working our way through all of our chefs and carving knives to sharpen all at once. I'm using an Ikon right now and really miss the GF-32 - can hardly wait to use up our (seemingly endless) supply.
But it comes down to personal preference (of course) for any blade.

[bellesdad0417]

Originally Posted by jwkunkle

Thanks so much for all the help guys. I ordered the Masakage Yuki Gyuto 240mm with overnight delivery so I hopefully get it tomorrow!

wise choice he will love it.

[JasoninDenver]

I know the OP has already made his decision but I was curious as to the generL difference between German and Asian band and what makes the Asian more delicate.

Is it just the steel or the edge angle 15 degree versus 20 degree for most Traditonal german brands?

Additionally, I hear rumor that Henckels now makes their ProS and higher lines with a 15 degree edge. In fact the last 5.5” prep knife is a touch sharper and even seems to hold an edge better than my others, which I thought was a trade off with the 15 degree edges.

The reason I ask is I am considering buying a electric sharpener that can reset the factory edges on all my knives to the 15 degrees. Just concerned whether this may lead to the chipping so many report with Asian blades on my thinner blades or whtether it is simply the steel.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by JasoninDenver

I know the OP has already made his decision but I was curious as to the generL difference between German and Asian band and what makes the Asian more delicate.

Is it just the steel or the edge angle 15 degree versus 20 degree for most Traditonal german brands?

Additionally, I hear rumor that Henckels now makes their ProS and higher lines with a 15 degree edge. In fact the last 5.5” prep knife is a touch sharper and even seems to hold an edge better than my others, which I thought was a trade off with the 15 degree edges.

The reason I ask is I am considering buying a electric sharpener that can reset the factory edges on all my knives to the 15 degrees. Just concerned whether this may lead to the chipping so many report with Asian blades on my thinner blades or whtether it is simply the steel.

Electric sharpner just gave me a bone shudder.

[JasoninDenver]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Electric sharpner just gave me a bone shudder.

I use one now and love it. I rarely hit the rough wheel and just use the honing and like the edge much better than what I was able to achieve with my Lynsky system.

But you Arkansas boys were born with a gift for the flat stones.

[subtona]

Having just gone on a kitchen knife binge that would make any wis proud, here Is my experience.


Have owned wusthof for years. They are hands down the rolex of knives.
Great knives built for hard use. Feel good in the hand and purpose built for American style chefing . A lesson I recently learned is they take an amazing edge when sharpened and can be brought back from the dead with relative ease. The ikon line does not have a bolster and gives the user better experience when sharpening and cutting.


I recently purchased a miyabi black, it is made of super steel , sharpening is a much more difficult process or perhaps I just don't have the proper stones. This knife is exceptionally sharp but will be challenging to bring back and the handle construction does not appear to be as care free as a wusthof or global. It is a beautiful knife though in notice that the finish in the blade is for lack of a better word, sticky.

A shun knife that I have had for a while has several nicks (I have no recollection of how they got there and believe it to be a product of the vg10. I have seen many knives with nicks made from this steel.) the vg10 steel is prone to this and also not the easiest to sharpen.

I have a couple of global knives. They are a bit chippy but These are also very easy to sharpen and take a fantastic edge.


Some other super steels in my collection that I find just do not take as sharp an edge. S90v is impossible to sharpen.

S30v is very difficult to sharpen.


I am using splash stones from chosera.
I can tell you that sharpening my knives has been a cathartic experience and I often get lost in the process sometimes spending hours.

Another steel I've been using is 01 tool steel, the downside is the steel will rust if not cared for properly but the upside is this steel will cut like nothing else I have seen and takes an edge from sharpening that is unbelievably amazing!!!!!


The first thing you need to decide is what do you want to cut.


Ps I recently (2 weeks ago) sent a wusthof ikon back to the company because the handle developed a crack. In my rush to send it out I neglected to put the well crafted letter in the box conveying my experience and request for replacement of my 4 year old knife. I received a brand new knife 3 days later. I guess they just captured the return address. No correspondence necessary.

[breitlings]

I like hattori. https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/hattori and hiromoto https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/hiromoto

[Naples09]

Originally Posted by subtona

Having just gone on a kitchen knife binge that would make any wis proud, here Is my experience.


Have owned wusthof for years. They are hands down the rolex of knives.
Great knives built for hard use. Feel good in the hand and purpose built for American style chefing . A lesson I recently learned is they take an amazing edge when sharpened and can be brought back from the dead with relative ease. The ikon line does not have a bolster and gives the user better experience when sharpening and cutting.


I recently purchased a miyabi black, it is made of super steel , sharpening is a much more difficult process or perhaps I just don't have the proper stones. This knife is exceptionally sharp but will be challenging to bring back and the handle construction does not appear to be as care free as a wusthof or global. It is a beautiful knife though in notice that the finish in the blade is for lack of a better word, sticky.

A shun knife that I have had for a while has several nicks (I have no recollection of how they got there and believe it to be a product of the vg10. I have seen many knives with nicks made from this steel.) the vg10 steel is prone to this and also not the easiest to sharpen.

I have a couple of global knives. These are also very easy to sharpen and take a fantastic edge.


Some other super steels in my collection that I find just do not take as sharp an edge. S90v is impossible to sharpen.

S30v is very difficult to sharpen.


I am using splash stones from chosera.
I can tell you that sharpening my knives has been a cathartic experience and I often get lost in the process sometimes spending hours.

Another steel I've been using is 01 tool steel, the downside is the steel will rust if not cared for properly but the upside is this steel will cut like nothing else I have seen and takes an edge from sharpening that is unbelievably amazing!!!!!


The first thing you need to decide is what do you want to cut.

I've read that VG10 can be hard to sharpen. I don't own any VG10 knives. I have some white and blue steel knives. They have been pretty easy to sharpen on Shapton Pro stones. I actually spent about 2 hours today on the stones with a practice knife - as I'm still not a great sharpener - but working on it!

[Naples09]

Originally Posted by JasoninDenver

I know the OP has already made his decision but I was curious as to the generL difference between German and Asian band and what makes the Asian more delicate.

Is it just the steel or the edge angle 15 degree versus 20 degree for most Traditonal german brands?

Additionally, I hear rumor that Henckels now makes their ProS and higher lines with a 15 degree edge. In fact the last 5.5” prep knife is a touch sharper and even seems to hold an edge better than my others, which I thought was a trade off with the 15 degree edges.

The reason I ask is I am considering buying a electric sharpener that can reset the factory edges on all my knives to the 15 degrees. Just concerned whether this may lead to the chipping so many report with Asian blades on my thinner blades or whtether it is simply the steel.

Jason - the German knives are usually a softer steel - which is less likely to chip. The harder the steel the more prone to chipping.

[breitlings]

Originally Posted by Naples09

I've read that VG10 can be hard to sharpen. I don't own any VG10 knives. I have some white and blue steel knives. They have been pretty easy to sharpen on Shapton Pro stones. I actually spent about 2 hours today on the stones with a practice knife - as I'm still not a great sharpener - but working on it!

I think VG10 is easy, and SV30/SV90 is hard.

[subtona]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Electric sharpner just gave me a bone shudder.

Likewise

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by Naples09

I've read that VG10 can be hard to sharpen. I don't own any VG10 knives. I have some white and blue steel knives. They have been pretty easy to sharpen on Shapton Pro stones. I actually spent about 2 hours today on the stones with a practice knife - as I'm still not a great sharpener - but working on it!

VG10 is pretty hard and pretty brittle, hence the laminated softer steels to strengthen the blade on the Shun knives. Your honing steel needs to be harder than the edge steel, so folks who buy VG10 need to pick up a different steel than they use for conventional steel blades.

I only use diamond sharpeners on my VG10 knives.

Another tip is to use a hard rubber cutting board (I wish I could remember the brand I have). It gives more than HDPE. And cleans up better than wood.

[subtona]

Epicurean cutting boards are all I use.

[James K]

Originally Posted by Wcdhtwn

in his expert opinion offer the best blades and overall knives available over the counter. They are:

Tojiro, Kikuichi, Masamoto


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There's two Masamoto productions now, Sohonten and Tsukiji. Both are equal in quality IMO, really still of the same family. I have a Masamoto Sohonten sashimi, mostly an entry level blue steel but it's still my prize knife. I had to wait a few months for a left handed one to be made for me then exported.


When not using that I have a full set of Shun classics that I've had for almost 15 years now, never sharpened any of them. I've had two tips break off but only when a guest was cutting with them and they were trying to pry something out ( that's a no no with these knives) but other than that they just feel like a work of art in your hands. The premier series has a fatter handle to grab onto with more contoured wood to hold onto. The classics still have a contour for your hand, just not as pronounced as the premier.

[JasoninDenver]

What would you guys recommend for a sharpening system?

I have a lynsky system but find it takes too damn long, although the edges hold for months.

I bought a chef’s Choice sharpener on the reviews of Cooks Illustrated and find it gives a very good edge in 1/5th the time. And it holds as well. In fact, the Chef’s Choice puts a hell of an edge on my Benchmade 940 with Sv30 in no time at all. I cannot tell that it destroys the metal any faster, but if it does, I’ll buy a new one in 10 years.

Anything else I should look at that doesn’t requir an afternoon commitment?

Thanks all.

[singe89]

Originally Posted by subtona

Having just gone on a kitchen knife binge that would make any wis proud, here Is my experience.


Have owned wusthof for years. They are hands down the rolex of knives.
Great knives built for hard use. Feel good in the hand and purpose built for American style chefing . A lesson I recently learned is they take an amazing edge when sharpened and can be brought back from the dead with relative ease. The ikon line does not have a bolster and gives the user better experience when sharpening and cutting.


I recently purchased a miyabi black, it is made of super steel , sharpening is a much more difficult process or perhaps I just don't have the proper stones. This knife is exceptionally sharp but will be challenging to bring back and the handle construction does not appear to be as care free as a wusthof or global. It is a beautiful knife though in notice that the finish in the blade is for lack of a better word, sticky.

A shun knife that I have had for a while has several nicks (I have no recollection of how they got there and believe it to be a product of the vg10. I have seen many knives with nicks made from this steel.) the vg10 steel is prone to this and also not the easiest to sharpen.

I have a couple of global knives. They are a bit chippy but These are also very easy to sharpen and take a fantastic edge.


Some other super steels in my collection that I find just do not take as sharp an edge. S90v is impossible to sharpen.

S30v is very difficult to sharpen.


I am using splash stones from chosera.
I can tell you that sharpening my knives has been a cathartic experience and I often get lost in the process sometimes spending hours.

Another steel I've been using is 01 tool steel, the downside is the steel will rust if not cared for properly but the upside is this steel will cut like nothing else I have seen and takes an edge from sharpening that is unbelievably amazing!!!!!


The first thing you need to decide is what do you want to cut.


Ps I recently (2 weeks ago) sent a wusthof ikon back to the company because the handle developed a crack. In my rush to send it out I neglected to put the well crafted letter in the box conveying my experience and request for replacement of my 4 year old knife. I received a brand new knife 3 days later. I guess they just captured the return address. No correspondence necessary.

How do you like the Miyabi Black? I debated between those and the Shun Hiros. The Blacks used the MC66/zdp-189 (66 Rockwell) and the Hiros used SG2 (64 Rockwell) I’ve had a few spiderco knives with zdp-189 and they were impossible to sharpen and chippy. I’ve found the SG2 to be more like S35Vn that holds a very long edge and is pretty easy to sharpen. I have a 10 piece Shun Hiro SG2 but I kind of feel like picking up a few Miyabi Blacks as well. Love the wood they use and the magnetic block.

[JohnMatrix]

Dexter russel conniesour set.... hard to find but they have them
Online sometimes... just do a google search. Excellent set

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

By the $30 restaurant knives (like Forshner) and a decent swipe sharpner. They are dishwasher safe, sharpen easily, have non-slip rubbery handles, and are pretty durable. I use them for cutting up carcasses.

Sounds like a bad idea to me but what do I know I’m not into carving carcasses either.