Best Kitchen Knives Under $100

B

Brew-Jitsu

Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
1,764
Good morning/evening, everyone:

I'm looking for input on best knives (sold as kitchen knives) under $100. They can be any style, manufacturer, custom/non-custom. A bunch of family members have already indicated that they want new cutlery for upcoming birthdays, as well as Christmas, but I only have experience with a few, and I typically use some of my folders and customs in the kitchen, which is not what the recipients have in mind.

I've heard there are a number of true values out there, so please leave them below! Thanks.
 
If you can find them, the ESEE/Becker Signature Cooking Knives were an outstanding value at $49.95. They listed at $149.00 MSRP, sold by many at about $90.00, but Knifeworks had them at $49.95 all year long. They are discontinued now, but a cursory search of the web revealed they're still available at a number of web retailers.
 
I have a Spyderco kitchen knife that is my favorite. Holds an edge really well and has a thin blade that cuts like a laser.

I have two of the Furi knives that are great as well. A full size Santoku and a mini Santoku They have a very comfortable and grippy handle. They hold an edge well but take some work to resharpen. They cut really well, but have a significantly thicker blade and do not cut as well as the Spyderco once the edge begins to dull. They do not seem to respond the steel as well either, and require sharpening more often. The rubber handles have started degrading after about 8 years of use. I did a a paracord wrap on the smaller knife and its still going strong. The handle on the larger knife is hanging on by a prayer and will probably get the same treatment before too much longer.

I also have a KitchenAid knife that is significantly less expensive than my other knives, but holds its own when it comes to performance. It takes a very sharp edge but it does not hold it as well as my others. Where it shines is how quick and easy it touches up and gets shaving sharp again. A few strokes on an Arkansas stone and its back in business. I was skeptical of its $20 price tag, but have had it several years now and it has proven itself a reliable performer. If your family member doesn't use a quality cutting board and is likely to run their knife through the dishwasher this is the knife I would buy them. Hard to buy someone a $80+ knife that is not going to take care of it.

If I had to pick one it would definitely be the Spyderco. Had it 10+ years now and its still going strong and still has a lot of metal behind the edge. I only sharpen it 2-3 times a year as it maintains its edge easily with a few light strokes on a smooth steel after each use.

All of my kitchen knives are a Santoku profile. I am not a super fast chopper and prefer that shape to the traditional chef's knife. If fast, rocking cuts are desired a chef's knife is a better shape.
 
high carbon you could look at old hickory knives by ontario knife company ....i have a couple and really happy with them .

http://www.ontario-knife-store.com/old-hickory-knives/

the 7 inch butcher knife has been known to double as a camp knife/ survival knife (in a pinch ) .

stainless steel you might want to take a look at Mac knives of japan

i have the original series vg10 i think ? super light flexible , rounded tips and hole punched in end for hanging ! great knives !
if i had to choose from all my kitchen knives i'd keep these ones .

http://www.macknife.com/kitchen/products-by-series/original-series.html
 
The whole line of Victorinox cooking knives is great. I have a couple pieces and due to the thin thin stock they chop veggies like crazy. I have one of those ceramic rods (from IKEA, mind you) I use for touching up the edge and works fine. And they are cheap! The biggest one is like 23€.
 
Alnamvet68 said:
If you can find them, the ESEE/Becker Signature Cooking Knives were an outstanding value at $49.95. They listed at $149.00 MSRP, sold by many at about $90.00, but Knifeworks had them at $49.95 all year long. They are discontinued now, but a cursory search of the web revealed they're still available at a number of web retailers.
Click to expand...

I have these and for the $60 I paid they fantastic.
 
With out a doubt I would say the Misono Molybdenum Petty knife is up there in values. I purchased one for around $70 and it has been amazing. It has a asymmetrical bevel but it's very easy to sharpen and the fit and finish is outstanding.

91295009_1_1000x700_japonski-noz-kuchenny-misono-molybdenum-petty-130-goleniow.jpg
 
The Tramontina Damascus 5-piece set used to be a good deal (under $100), but they've almost doubled in price. Still, I found a set on the big auction site for just over $100. If I had the scratch, that's what I'd get. Where else are you going to find damascus VG-10 for that cheap? And I've had some Tramontina cutlery (the cheap stuff) for years, and it's done a fine job.
 
Victorinox Fibrox 8" Chef's knife - $35. Cook's Illustrated rated it better than some $300 knives. I picked one up and have been quite impressed. Handles really well and comes screaming sharp. Haven't had it long enough to really comment on edge retention, but it's holding up well so far. To me, this is like the Ontario Rat of the Kitchen knife world.

Make sure you get the "regular" and not "classic" version if you go with this. They noted the handle was not as comfy on the classic. Good video review also:

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment_reviews/1433-chefs-knives

51gBuYljgfL._SL1400_.jpg
 
I like the Tojiro DP series in VG10. They are excellent knives at a good price.
 
I own the Victorinox fibrox 8in chef (as shown above), as well as the Victorinox fibrox 7in santoku (the one with the other handle design, the "classic"). I've also purchased my parents the ESEE/Becker kitchen collaboration knife set that has been mentioned, so I've used a number of the ones mentioned in the thread.

When I first got my Victorinox kitchen knives, they were around $25-30 each, the prices have fluctuated though, and I've seen them going for almost twice that as recently as a month or so ago. The ESEE/Becker kitchen knives have also really fluctuated in prices. When I got my parents their set, it cost ~$48. Now I'm seeing it go for twice that (although I didn't check around much just now). But if you can get the ESEE becker knives for $50-70, they are far and away better. They are the sharpest knives I've ever used (out of the box). In my mind, the Victorinox knives are decent, but nowhere near the level of the ESEE. Also, for what its worth, I reach for the "classic" handled santoku more than I do the "regular" handled chefs knife. I actually find it more comfortable to hold, so your mileage may vary.

Also worth checking out are the Opinel classic line of kitchen knives. They tend to run ~$40 per knife, and are opinels, so they "should" slice well (I haven't used them personally yet, but do use a #6 pretty regularly around the office). I got my sister the paring knives a month or two ago, and she loves them (actually said "I can see how this could get addicting, I never knew that knives could cut like this before, and I can now understand why you were frustrated cooking with us when you were here").

This is the one I'm talking about, and its the one I think I might try next (thinking of gifting my Victorinox Chefs knife to a friend, and using this instead).

8311429005_4a5a565874_z.jpg
 
ocnLogan said:
8311429005_4a5a565874_z.jpg
Click to expand...

This one has been recommended to me also, and I've been this close to pulling the trigger on it numerous times. 42blades swears by this one as a camp knife, and I can see how it would fill that role nicely. I personally prefer the synthetic handles in kitchen knives, only because my wife is hard on knives, and wood usually doesn't hold up as well in our house. But the handle on this one looks like it could be real comfy, with a bit of shaping.
 
I was in the cutlery store the other day and the owner swore by the KIKUICHI knives. Its a Japanese knife maker with a 700 year history. I got the budget line 5" petty for around $70. It is a very sharp, thin slicer and I like it a lot so far.
The knife I got is not stainless so more care is required.

kikuichi-elite-carbon-gyuto-240mm-22.jpg

Most of their budget knives are $130-$200 so maybe a little higher than asked for
 

Attachments

  • Kikuichi_Carbon_Knife_Header.jpg
    Kikuichi_Carbon_Knife_Header.jpg
    33.2 KB · Views: 35
Last edited:
So, the reasons I'm interested in the Opinel vs the victorinox are pretty simple.

The Opinel "should" be made out of sandvic (12cr27 if its "inox" like all the others are), which I believe is better than what Victorinox uses in their knives. (X50CrMoV15 ?). Also, I believe the Vics are stamped, and hardened to around 55-56, while Opinel clearly has a plunge line on that chefs knife, and usually runs its inox at ~59. So I am thinking that the Opinel should be a bit thinner behind the edge, and have a bit better edge holding, but I haven't had a chance to test that theory yet.

And sadly, there isn't much information on this knife out there, even on Opinels web site. Its worth noting they make a few other knives in this line as well, like a santoku, slicer, and of course the paring knives. And from what I read, the handles are stabilized beech, and "should" be fine in the dishwasher, even though its not recommended.
 
Oh boy, this thread is making me really rethink what I have in the kitchen. :(
I have a couple of J.A. Henckels, and a handful of junk knives that I cannot remember where they came from.
 
I would also recommend the Vic Fibrox knives. They do require touch-ups but are easy to maintain and have a decent profile and grind. All of my daily use kitchen knives are either custom or Japanese but the Vic chef knife still picks up some use especially when my daughter is over. I'm a little cautious handing her a knife that is over $250 when the Vic works great.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top