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Kitchen Knives

ArmyGolf

ArmyGolf

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Hey THP,
I want to get my wife a nice Knife set, or maybe just a really nice knife or two for Mothers Day. The problem is that I keep getting sucked down the fake Japanese damascus rabbit holes and I don't have a clue which resources to trust. It seems like the chef-knife market is flooded with knockoffs, fakes, and marketing.

As usual I have champagne taste on a PBR budget, so if any of you could direct me to a great bang-for-the-buck Knife set, or chef knife that would be awesome.
The latest site I was on is called Vertoku, but I can't find any credible reviews anywhere so I'm skeptical.
I don't really have a set budget, other than I ain't paying $2000 into the Cutco pyramid scheme.

What say you?
 
ArmyGolf said:
Hey THP,
I want to get my wife a nice Knife set, or maybe just a really nice knife or two for Mothers Day. The problem is that I keep getting sucked down the fake Japanese damascus rabbit holes and I don't have a clue which resources to trust. It seems like the chef-knife market is flooded with knockoffs, fakes, and marketing.

As usual I have champagne taste on a PBR budget, so if any of you could direct me to a great bang-for-the-buck Knife set, or chef knife that would be awesome.
The latest site I was on is called Vertoku, but I can't find any credible reviews anywhere so I'm skeptical.
I don't really have a set budget, other than I ain't paying $2000 into the Cutco pyramid scheme.

What say you?
Click to expand...

I have one solid knife that i bought. German. 8” chef knife. Run it down the sharpener ever week. It is a awesome knife. Wusthof i think the spelling is right. Not pbr. More like stella on the beer scale.


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Check out Mercer knives/sets on Amazon. I have an 8” chef’s knife I really like. Very, very sharp. And buy a knife guard. Just speaking from experience (Ouch!)
 
Wusthof and Henckels are grand old names with multiple lines with varying levels of quality. We looked at them and ultimately bought Victorinox (yeah, them) cutlery with the plastic handles. Very light with a great edge for not a lot of money compared to some of the more well-known names. Don't know your budget, but I think you can get an 8 piece set with a block for about $200 US.
 
WMF, great knives, reasonably priced. I have had them for years. the ones I have are all metal, including the handle .
 
Not the high end but the best value is Victorinox. An 8” and 6” chefs knife, a 6” deboning knife and a 4” paring knife will cover every need.
I’ve bought this set for numerous friends, I always give them with the following advice.
Always:
Keep them sharp
Keep them in a cover
Keep you fingers tucked(claw grip)
Cut toward a cutting board or away from your body.
Wash separately, dry and cover.
Never:
Place in a dishwasher
Place in a sink with other dishes
And please don’t store them in one of those counter top blocks.
 
Wusthof classic will be the last set of knives you ever buy. The gourmet line and other wusthof are not any better than the cheaper sets out there and the lines cost more than the gourmet line are overkill for just about everyone. Classic hasnt changed in decades for a reason.

store.wusthof.com

Classic

Shop WÜSTHOF's best-selling collection. The Classic series offers a versatile range of cutlery that satisfies everyone from home cooks to professional chefs.
store.wusthof.com store.wusthof.com

The sets are reasonably priced in amazon and it all depends on what you need.
 
Personally I think before you go chasing down brands or types of knives, you need to first understand if you're wanting to go with forged knives vs stamped. This will impact the amount of maintenance needed to keep an edge on them and general care. For example stamped requiring a lot more work to keep an edge on them, but you can toss them in the dishwasher without fear. Now, forged will be more expensive, but thats not to say you cant find them for reasonable prices. Just my 2 cents.
 
If it’s in your budget, can’t go wrong with either Wusthof or Henckels classic sets.
If not, probably the best bang for your buck would be Forschner/Victorinox Fibrox line. Always very highly rated by America’s Test Kitchen. They are stamped steel but hold a very nice edge.
 
Watching. Knives are one thing that I have never been happy with. It seems like anything good is crazy expensive. I'd even be happy with a decent, reliable sharpener.
 
Already mentioned, but Wusthof is up there for best value for money. I went on a similar search last year for my wife for Christmas. It was the name that came up time and time again not only on the internet, but what one or two chef friend's actually use at home.

Best tip I was given was to find a person you trust for sharpening and just make sure you get them professionally sharpened once per year or every 18 months depending on usage.
 
Mr Moke said:
Not the high end but the best value is Victorinox. An 8” and 6” chefs knife, a 6” deboning knife and a 4” paring knife will cover every need.
I’ve bought this set for numerous friends, I always give them with the following advice.
Always:
Keep them sharp
Keep them in a cover
Keep you fingers tucked(claw grip)
Cut toward a cutting board or away from your body.
Wash separately, dry and cover.
Never:
Place in a dishwasher
Place in a sink with other dishes
And please don’t store them in one of those counter top blocks.
Click to expand...

What is wrong with the counter top blocks?
 
I would say.....don't do that.

Get her something she wants.
Then also buy the knives because it is a family type gift.

Just my worthless penny. My guess is your evening might be a bit more interesting then....;)
 
DNice26 said:
I would say.....don't do that.

Get her something she wants.
Then also buy the knives because it is a family type gift.

Just my worthless penny. My guess is your evening might be a bit more interesting then....;)
Click to expand...

Unless she loves to cook and explicitly asked for knives that she wouldn't buy for herself.
 
Chef23 said:
Unless she loves to cook and explicitly asked for knives that she wouldn't buy for herself.
Click to expand...
Very key caveat there....thanks for throwing that in!
 
what's wrong with cutco? It's not like getting the knives obligates you to sell anything... plus they're made in USA and are warranted for life.

Too much like a commercial?:LOL:

I know of people that swear by Shun for Japanese knives.

Smoky Mountain Knife Works... check out their website. Lots and lots of options. All prices available(y)
 
I have Global knives and they are great. You can get them in a set of 3 that works for pretty much anything you need. You can also look at Misen knives. They are more direct to consumer so you can get them a bit cheaper but are still quality IMO.
 
Chef23 said:
Unless she loves to cook and explicitly asked for knives that she wouldn't buy for herself.
Click to expand...
This is exactly the situation. She uses knives all day and hates ours, but refuses to spend money on herself.
If I came home with flowers or jewellery she doesn't need she'd be annoyed.
 
wusthoff and don't look back. I love the chef's knife I have. it's such a workhorse.
 
I know nothing of this. I got a Cuisinart forged triple rivet block set a few years ago. Love it. Bought a set as a gift for someone else, they love it. Good balance. Not too heavy nor too light.

Bought on Newegg of all places 🤷
 
Chef23 said:
What is wrong with the counter top blocks?
Click to expand...
Hahahahaha, great question, one reason is because those block usually have other things in them besides knives, knife like things with serrated edges and scissors For me it’s a little like having a ball retriever in your golf bag. Golf clubs are Precision tools, knives are precision tools, it helps me to keep things separate.
Sorry for the chuckle, truth is I have one of those block things on my countertop. I’ve only been married for 10 months, I’ve learned to pick what battles to have with my wife, the time for this battle hasn’t come yet.
 
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Very happy with our Wusthof Classic knives. They work great, hold an edge and are easy to resharpen too.
 
Won some Global knives from a bridal registry contest a few years back and they have been great.

Also have some Wusthoff that are absolutely great, and picked up the Cutco steak knife set for the wife for Christmas. All are fantastic and I’d be happy with any of them going forward.
 
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