"G. Steuernol" > wrote in
:

> I tend to like a chef's knife with an 8 to 10 inch blade. Long knives
> are easier to work with than smaller ones. Stainless steel blade is a
> must!! A majority of kitchen tasks can be completed with a 6-inch
> utility knife and a 3 to 4-inch paring knife.
> You also might want to consider a serrated knife for cutting breads
> and fruits and a honing steel to keep your knives nice and sharp.


Can't add much to what the posters above had said - comfort is key! My ten
inch Oxford Hall chef knife is now 25 years old (and the company no longer
exists) and when cooking it feels as natural as the softest pair of broken-
in jeans. My richer friends laugh that none of my kitchen knifes match - a
Henckel here, a Wüsthof there - but I find my knives to be perfect for the
job.

I would no sooner buy a knife I haven't tried than I would buy a car I
haven't test driven.