I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
Thanks,
als

in article , A. L. Shaw at
wrote on 1/5/05 7:19 PM:

> I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
> Thanks,
> als

Consumer Reports likes Wusthof. I took their recommendation and got some
Classic ones. I am quite please with them.

One thing I found out is that they are not very sharp out of the box. If you
want sharp, sharpen them more.

Bill

in article , A. L. Shaw at
wrote on 1/5/05 7:19 PM:

> I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
> Thanks,
> als

Consumer Reports likes Wusthof. I took their recommendation and got some
Classic ones. I am quite please with them.

One thing I found out is that they are not very sharp out of the box. If you
want sharp, sharpen them more.

Bill

On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 03:19:59 GMT, A. L. Shaw >
wrote:

>I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
>of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
>Thanks,
>als
I'm not a big fan of knife sets. For most cooks, there are a few
knives that are used very often. Though I have an absurdly large
collection of kitchen cutlery, I get through most meals with just a
paring knife and a chef's knife. A knife set will probably include
knives that you use very seldom.

Furthermore, my favorite knives are not all the same brand. I
generally handle the knives in a store to gauge balance and determine
whether I like the handles. I usually purchase one knife of a
particular brand and use it a while to see how I like it in practice.

That having been said, here are some of the brands that I own and
particularly like.

Wusthof - good German steel; take and hold an edge well; good weight
and balance; like most German knives, chef's knife is a bit heftier
than the French-style knives; come in a variety of handles, Grand Prix
being my personal favorite.

Henckels - I prefer Wusthof

Messermeister - One of my favorite knives is a Chinese chef's knife
made by Messermeister. The one I have is made in Germany, but I have
seen some recently made in Korea. I'd pass on the Korean version, but
some of Messermeister's German knives are good values. I do use a
Chinese chef's knife for a lot of tasks more traditionally done with a
regular chef's knife.

Global - Japanese knives of mostly Western style with integral
stainless steel handles. Thinner blades than the German knives
(Wusthof, for example). This makes for a somewhat lighter knife; not
as good for chopping to me, but great for slicing; beautifully made;
some people don't like the stainless handles, I do.

Shun Classic - a relative newcomer in terms of widespread
distribution; quickly becoming available everywhere (just appeared in
the Williams-Sonoma catalog). Japanese knives of
Western styles with central core of stainless with additional layers
of stainless applied to the outside; thinner than the German blades;
more like the French-style knives is shape and heft; best edge I have
found on any knife "out of the box." The "Damascus" finish is quite
striking. I've had a couple of these knives about a month. At this
point, I'm very impressed.

If I were "forced" to buy a set of knives right now, I'd probably
choose Shun, Wusthof, and Global in that order.

It's a tough choice, as there are quite a few excellent choices
available.

Cheers,

Leonard

"A. L. Shaw" > wrote in message
...
>I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
> Thanks,
> als

I have a set of Wustof knives that we bought 30+ years ago (in Paris on our
honeymoon - sigh!) and have been using since, but I will send this "deal" on
to you and the newsgroup. J. C. Penny's (Jacque Pen-nay) had a great sale
on two knives a couple of weeks ago that I ordered on-line for a 3-1/2"
parer and 7" santoku knife. Double forged, taper ground stainless steel
blades with bakelite handles. Imported from China. Catalog Number:
IC781-1033B.

I received them a few days ago and really recommend them. I wouldn't have
bought these sight unseen, but my husband decided I should try them because
there was a discount number on them, so we got them even cheaper. Even at
no discount, they are worth the money to me.

http://www2.jcpenney.com/jcp/Product...alog_item.y=10

Dee




COOKS STARTER ST
$14.99 2-pc. cutlery set includes 3 ½" parer and 7" santoku knife.
Double forged, taper ground stainless steel blades with bakelite handles.
Dishwasher safe. Imported from China.


Catalog Number: IC781-1033B

"A. L. Shaw" > wrote in message
...
>I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
> Thanks,
> als

I have a set of Wustof knives that we bought 30+ years ago (in Paris on our
honeymoon - sigh!) and have been using since, but I will send this "deal" on
to you and the newsgroup. J. C. Penny's (Jacque Pen-nay) had a great sale
on two knives a couple of weeks ago that I ordered on-line for a 3-1/2"
parer and 7" santoku knife. Double forged, taper ground stainless steel
blades with bakelite handles. Imported from China. Catalog Number:
IC781-1033B.

I received them a few days ago and really recommend them. I wouldn't have
bought these sight unseen, but my husband decided I should try them because
there was a discount number on them, so we got them even cheaper. Even at
no discount, they are worth the money to me.

http://www2.jcpenney.com/jcp/Product...alog_item.y=10

Dee




COOKS STARTER ST
$14.99 2-pc. cutlery set includes 3 ½" parer and 7" santoku knife.
Double forged, taper ground stainless steel blades with bakelite handles.
Dishwasher safe. Imported from China.


Catalog Number: IC781-1033B

A. L. Shaw wrote:
> I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
> Thanks,
> als

Whatever feels good in your hand. Go to a store that will let you
handle the different knives and see which ones you like the feel of
better. Some prefer Wusthof, others brand "y", others brand "z". My
preference is Henckles Professional S. Yours may not be.



--
Steve

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.
Autograph your work with excellence.

A. L. Shaw wrote:

> I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
> Thanks,
> als

I have a mixed set of knives that I selected from a retired locksmith's
collection. I was able to pick out the ones that felt best to me. IIRC,
9 knives cost me ~$30, though that was more than a few weeks ago.

Call around to your local locksmiths. You might find some real bargains.

Matthew

--
Thermodynamics and/or Golf for dummies: There is a game
You can't win
You can't break even
You can't get out of the game

"A. L. Shaw" > wrote in message
...
> I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
> Thanks,
> als

There are several high end lines that are essentially equivalent in terms of
blade quality but differ in blade and handle shape. For example, Henckles,
Wusthoff, Thiers-Issard, Global. Choose based on how the shape fits your
hand and style of cutting.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

"A. L. Shaw" > wrote in message
...
> I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
> Thanks,
> als

There are several high end lines that are essentially equivalent in terms of
blade quality but differ in blade and handle shape. For example, Henckles,
Wusthoff, Thiers-Issard, Global. Choose based on how the shape fits your
hand and style of cutting.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

"Leonard Lehew" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 03:19:59 GMT, A. L. Shaw >
> wrote:
>
> >I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> >of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
> >Thanks,
> >als
> I'm not a big fan of knife sets. For most cooks, there are a few
> knives that are used very often. Though I have an absurdly large
> collection of kitchen cutlery, I get through most meals with just a
> paring knife and a chef's knife. A knife set will probably include
> knives that you use very seldom.
>

Excellent advice. I have enough knives to equip a small army but 95% of my
cutting is done with a Henckle's 8" chef's knife and a paring knife.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

Peter Aitken wrote:
> "Leonard Lehew" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 03:19:59 GMT, A. L. Shaw >
>>wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
>>>of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
>>>Thanks,
>>>als
>>
>>I'm not a big fan of knife sets. For most cooks, there are a few
>>knives that are used very often. Though I have an absurdly large
>>collection of kitchen cutlery, I get through most meals with just a
>>paring knife and a chef's knife. A knife set will probably include
>>knives that you use very seldom.
>>
>
>
> Excellent advice. I have enough knives to equip a small army but 95% of my
> cutting is done with a Henckle's 8" chef's knife and a paring knife.
>
>
I agree. Those are the two that I use the most as well. It's very rare
that I reach for the 10" but on occasion. The boner is nice if you cut
your own chickens, turkeys, etc into parts but not absolutely necessary.

--
Steve

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.
Autograph your work with excellence.

"A. L. Shaw" > wrote:
>I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> of knives. Opinions about the best brands?

Another brand no one has mentioned yet is LamsonSharp (Lamson & Goodnow,
www.lamsonsharp.com). Made in the USA. You probably won't find them in many
stores though, so you'd have to buy them mail order, like I did. I bought
one to try out and was impressed with it, so bought a couple more.

Most of my knives are Sabatier or Thiers-Issard carbon steel, but I'm not
going to recommend that route to everyone... see, they rust if you don't
take care of them. Personally I like them because they are easy to sharpen
and I prefer the "French" shape (blade and bolster).

Another Made in the USA brand that you do not hear much about is
Chef'sChoice, of knife sharpener fame. It is the only brand I have
bought that was shaving sharp when new.

Steve
Sharpening Made Easy: A Primer on Sharpening Knives and Other Edged
Tools by Steve Bottorff
Copyright January 2002 Knife World Publications
www.sharpeningmadeeasy.com

Another Made in the USA brand that you do not hear much about is
Chef'sChoice, of knife sharpener fame. It is the only brand I have
bought that was shaving sharp when new.

Steve
Sharpening Made Easy: A Primer on Sharpening Knives and Other Edged
Tools by Steve Bottorff
Copyright January 2002 Knife World Publications
www.sharpeningmadeeasy.com

A. L. Shaw wrote:
> I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
> Thanks,
> als
Get thee to a cooking store where you can handle the knives. Find ones
that you like in your hand. Start with:

Chef's knife - often 8", so people like a 10"
paring knife - 2-3"
steel
serrated bread knife

After those, pick the more specialized knives for what you like to do,
e.g., boning, fillet, cleaver, long slicer (maybe with a Granton edge), etc.

--

================================================== =============
Regards

Louis Cohen

"Yes, yes, I will desalinate you, you grande morue!"

Émile Zola, Assommoir 1877

This question gets posted every so often, and is usually answered the
same way - Wusthof. I personally have a number of them and they are
undoubtedly my favorite and most often used kitchen tools. However, I
also have some French-pattern, narrower bladed Sabatiers, in carbon
steel in fact. I still think the French pattern is a bit more agile in
some uses, and, though they won't hold the edge that a stainless blade
will, they can be VERY sharp.
Another excellent choice would be Friedrich Dick knives. Dick has long
produced the finest honing steels around, and supplied a good many
professional cooks over the years. They are a bit harder than either
the Wusthof or the Henckels (another good blade, though I prefer single
piece construction), but will hold an edge longer with proper steeling.
If you use your knives a lot, an occasional real sharpening with
frequent steeling can save a lot of time in the long run.
Highly touted as the Japanese Global knives are, I just can't get used
to a single bevel, nor can get comfortable with the Santoku style of
blade, though the knife companies have saturated the cooking shows with
their "latest shape."
Your best bet remains to be willing to spend the money, find knives
that feel comfortable in your hand, and learn to keep them sharp.
As for specifics, I use an 8" cook's knife, a three inch parer, and a
six" utility knife for 90% of everything I do.

Have fun!!
Mike Acord

A. L. Shaw wrote:
> I am rebuilding my kitchen equipment. I intend to purchase a new set
> of knives. Opinions about the best brands?
> Thanks,
> als

"Peter Aitken" > wrote in message
m...
>
> Excellent advice. I have enough knives to equip a small army but 95% of my
> cutting is done with a Henckle's 8" chef's knife and a paring knife.
>

A few extra knives come in very handy when I help my wife prepare food and
we're both cutting at the same time. Also, there's less need for cleaning
the knives in the middle of food prep.

SteveO