# ISO on advice/info on knives



## kenny1999 (Apr 11, 2019)

I hanged around a shopping mall last week and happened to find that there are many many many different brands and shapes of knife. And the price range was very large too.

In general what is the major difference between a cheaper knife and a more expensive one? 

I need one for home and I know that different knives are designed for different purposes. What kind or shape of knife is the best for all purposes? I am not cooking as a professional and I don't often cook at home so we don't want to buy too many different knives which is bad for money, storage and maintenance.


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## roadfix (Apr 11, 2019)

I'm not into knives either so I have a cheap set that does the job for daily general food preparation.

I have something very similar to this set but I know I paid a lot less than that.
https://www.amazon.com/15-Piece-Kit...&s=gateway&sprefix=kitchen+kni,aps,209&sr=8-6


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## GotGarlic (Apr 11, 2019)

A couple of differences are the quality of the steel and the length of the blade. The knife will last longer if it's full tang, meaning the blade runs the entire length of the knife, into the handle, attached with rivets. And higher quality steel will maintain a sharp edge longer than cheap steel.

The most important quality, though, is that it's comfortable in your hand. I like a 7-inch Santoku knife, but my husband prefers a 9-inch chef's knife. I think it's also important to have a serrated bread knife and a 3-5-inch paring knife for smaller items. It's safer to use a smaller knife than to try to trim small items with a big chef's knife.

So go back to the mall and handle a few knives to see what's comfortable for you.


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## pepperhead212 (Apr 11, 2019)

You'll have to figure out what is best for you, as far as how you cook, and what you cook. Cheaper knives, as a rule, won't sharpen up as well, and the edge won't stay sharp for as long, though I can say from experience, some expensive knives don't do well in these categories, either! A chefs knife and some paring knives are a good start, but you have to think about what you will be doing.  Would you need a bread knife?  A boning knife is an essential to me, but would you be using it?  This is why it's probably best to buy knives piece by piece, rather than sets - there are usually dust collectors, in things like that.


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## Aunt Bea (Apr 11, 2019)

I would experiment with a couple of inexpensive Dexter Russell knives and invest my money in a good knife sharpener.

https://www.restaurantsupply.com/dexter-russell-chefs-knives

I have an 8" chefs knife, a 3.5"paring knife, and an 8" slicing knife that I bought years ago at Kmart.  Those three knives are all I've ever needed to put a meal on the table.

My knife sharpener is a Chef's Choice that I bought in a thrift shop for $6.00.

Good luck!


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## taxlady (Apr 11, 2019)

If you don't cook often, I would consider this set sort of thing. We have some really nice Henckel knives, but we also have a set of these self-sharpening knives. It's actually a built in sharpener in the sheath.

Wiltshire Staysharp 3-Piece Knife Set


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## Kayelle (Apr 11, 2019)

The one knife I wouldn't want to do without is my *Santoku knife* as I use it for nearly everything. This is a very good review on them.
https://www.seriouseats.com/2018/08/best-santoku-knives.html


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## Andy M. (Apr 11, 2019)

Check out this brand of knives: https://www.cutleryandmore.com/forschner_knives.htm

It's considered by many as the best quality/low cost option. They offer a wide range of sizes and shapes at reasonable prices.


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## roadfix (Apr 11, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> The one knife I wouldn't want to do without is my *Santoku knife* as I use it for nearly everything. This is a very good review on them.
> https://www.seriouseats.com/2018/08/best-santoku-knives.html




Aside from the set of cheap knives I have I also have a cheap Santoku knife that I picked up at Costco some years back.  I think I paid under $10 for it.   It is, by far, my most used knife.


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## caseydog (Apr 11, 2019)

Another knife thread. 

It's like asking "What is the best color?" 

Knives really are very personal. Granted, a ten dollar "Made in Whoknoswhere" knife is not likely to last a long time. But, once you reach a decent level of quality, it comes down to what works for you. 

My current chef's knife, which I use the most, is a Victoronox 8-incher that I paid about 40-bucks for. I love it. It works for me, and it feels good in my hand. It is lightweight. My previous chef's knife was considerably heavier (and more expensive). Some people like that, but a lightweight knife just feels better in my hand. 

Now, I do have a heavy cleaver for when I need to go Neanderthal on something with bones, but for 95-percent of my knife use, I like my lightweight chef's knife.

Would I like to own a super expensive custom hand made just for me knife someday? Sure. I'd like to own a Ferrari someday, too. 

CD


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## Vinylhanger (May 5, 2019)

I have knifes that vary from a couple bucks to around 200 or so.  My favorites are a couple 30 dollar utility knives I picked up on Amazon for like 10 bucks on Black Friday.  My next favorite is a toss up between an 8 inch chef's knife from Wolgang Puck and an old 10 inch Chefs knife from Artifex.  Neither have much of a pedigree.

Those were used.  So it really is up to you as to what you like.  If you have any decent thrift stores, I would go and see what they have.  

I have found everything from MAC to Heinkels and Wustoffs at the thrifts, and not the cheapie versions either, though those aren't bad as a starter knife either.

Funny about the Santukos, they used to be my favorite.  I have a couple nice Wustofs, but rarely pull them out any more.  I've gone to a lighter weight chefs knife for most things.

I do want a nice custom sushi knife.  Someday...


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## Rascal (May 5, 2019)

First proper chefs knife bought in Harrods 20 years ago. £80 then so quite expensive, German brand but my most used knife was $ 10. A cheapie bought here.

Russ


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## Addie (May 5, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> The one knife I wouldn't want to do without is my *Santoku knife* as I use it for nearly everything. This is a very good review on them.
> https://www.seriouseats.com/2018/08/best-santoku-knives.html



KL, I have had my Santoku knife for many years. I use it all the time. But I have one problem with it.

It was my understanding that when you are slicing food with it, due to the indentations along the blade, the food is supposed to fall out of the way. Instead, for me the dang food sticks to the blade. So it slows down the slicing. What am I doing wrong? 

I love the feel of the knife, the handle fits in my hand perfectly and it keeps a sharp blade. It was given to me as a gift. (Be careful what you wish for and who you let know about it.) I swear that person put a curse on that knife.


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## pepperhead212 (May 6, 2019)

It's not your fault, Addie.  I have one of those knives, too, and only some things fall away from it - about the same things that fall away from a regular chef's knife.  Onions, and other wet foods still stick.  

One advantage I found of the cutouts was the reduced friction, when cutting through something like a butternut, or those logs of frozen cookie dough - best knife for those, and I've tried them all, believe me!


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## Addie (May 6, 2019)

pepperhead212 said:


> It's not your fault, Addie.  I have one of those knives, too, and only some things fall away from it - about the same things that fall away from a regular chef's knife.  Onions, and other wet foods still stick.
> 
> One advantage I found of the cutouts was the reduced friction, when cutting through something like a butternut, or those logs of frozen cookie dough - best knife for those, and I've tried them all, believe me!



Thanks for the reply. I was told it was the "be all, end all" of knives. So I think I will do a little experimenting. The next time (tonight) I have to slice a mess of onions up, I will wipe off the knife frequently and see if that helps. Then after when I slice the potatoes, I will keep dipping the knife in warm water. See which gives me the best results I am seeking. I am just tired of stopping after every slice to remove the food from the blade. 

Will get back to you.


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