Chef Steel

Captain Spaulding

Captain Spaulding

Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
1,140
Hey guys...haven't been on for a while (like 4 months later and my @$#% forge is only half built because a 2 yr old won't let me finish, the 2 pieces I have ready for heat treat keep staring vindictively at me) and finally needed some council from those more experienced than I.

I recently got a job as an assistant chef and I have only ever owned piecemeal knives in the kitchen because my wife and others beat the christ out of them. Now that I have the new gig I am in the market for a well balanced, tough as nails workhorse that will hold an edge. I have been eying Global's G-33 8" chef's knife as well as it's counter parts in the Shun and Henckel Myabi (sp) lines.

I was hoping some of you might have some thoughts on the proper steel for the job as well as some brand name/model suggestions...I could go chef or santoku as I have both styles at home and am comfortable with both...the non-square handle of a Global is more my speed or the octagonal handles I have seen elsewhere. The square handled knives jack up my hands when I use them over extended periods.

I am willing to spend a few bucks as I expect that with proper care and no theft I will be using this piece for 10-20 years, either at home or at work.

Thanks for the read.
 
I don't know how good they are, but I am working up the nerve to buy a Shun 7 piece clasic set for home
 
They do look nice, and from what I hear are very nice...but I have to drive 300 miles to Albuquerque or Denver to feel a quality knife in my hand...thus I am relegated to the words of others on a board such as this...could be worse...could be posting this on the Dancing with the Stars forum.
 
I was hoping some of you might have some thoughts on the proper steel for the job as well as some brand name/model suggestions...I could go chef or santoku as I have both styles at home and am comfortable with both...the non-square handle of a Global is more my speed or the octagonal handles I have seen elsewhere. The square handled knives jack up my hands when I use them over extended periods.

I am willing to spend a few bucks as I expect that with proper care and no theft I will be using this piece for 10-20 years, either at home or at work.

Thanks for the read.
Click to expand...

Captain, I just received two knives made in Seki City Japan by the "Yaxell" company. It is not well known here in the states, they don't have the name recognition of Shun, (which happens to be owned by Kershaw).

It's made with a core of VG-10 steel and clad with 33 layers of "Damascus" steel, which really is a misnomer because no one really knows the true composition of the legendary swords, it's really just a general term for layered steel.

The layered steel does give the blades a nice wavy grained appearance, and does allow the blade to slip through food with less resistance.

They aren't forged from a single block of steel, however, they are extremely well made, and the edge incredibly sharp. Japanese style knives tend to be lighter weight than a traditional chef's knife, depending on your POV, this can be a good quality. The bolster transitions seamlessly to the blade and Micarta handle, so it would be a very easy to keep clean.(no gaps where food and bacteria could reside)

There is only one place you can find them that I know of, and a Google search will point you right at them. With the discount they are about 1/2 the price of the similar knives by Global and Shun.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Interesting...I will be checking them out. Thanks for the new direction!

Can you point me to where you ordered them...there is no order or pricing info on their site.
 
Last edited:
The road of becoming a chef is a long, expensive and abused one. (I am a proud drop-out from the California Culinary Academy)

Don't use knives that are meant for homeowners, use knives that are meant to be abused as you peel that mountain of potatoes and de-bone that thousandth chicken carcass. Your hands will thank you for it.

Get affordable (cheap) comfortable knives with rounded soft handles and easy to sharpen blades. Tools also get stolen easily. You can always add or upgrade to better knives as you go.

Take a look at Forschner knives. http://forschnerknives.net/ Also ask your Chef what will be good since the cuisine you are learning may determine what knives you will need.
 
Sure no problem. Hint: It's a BIG store and it begins with "A". (we're not supposed to divulge specific web sites here, but you get the hint) Search the site for "YAXELL KNIVES" and you should see them.

I hope you don't think I'm a shill for the company, I just got them a few weeks ago and was very stoked at the quality/value for these.
 
He advised me to get a high quality comfortable 8-10" chef knife. I don't want to reinvent the wheel...all aesthetic things being equal what is your suggestion for longevity, quality, and durability.
 
Amaranth said:
Sure no problem. Hint: It's a BIG store and it begins with "A". (we're not supposed to divulge specific web sites here, but you get the hint) Search the site for "YAXELL KNIVES" and you should see them.

I hope you don't think I'm a shill for the company, I just got them a few weeks ago and was very stoked at the quality/value for these.
Click to expand...

Nope...just want to get the info and saw nothing on google for yaxell, or hell...even nothing on Ebay.

Looks like they have very reasonable prices but nothing above 6 1/2". :(
 
CWL said:
The road of becoming a chef is a long, expensive and abused one. (I am a proud drop-out from the California Culinary Academy)

Don't use knives that are meant for homeowners, use knives that are meant to be abused as you peel that mountain of potatoes and de-bone that thousandth chicken carcass. Your hands will thank you for it.

Get affordable (cheap) comfortable knives with rounded soft handles and easy to sharpen blades. Tools also get stolen easily. You can always add or upgrade to better knives as you go.

Take a look at Forschner knives. http://forschnerknives.net/ Also ask your Chef what will be good since the cuisine you are learning may determine what knives you will need.
Click to expand...

+1 for Forschners as good working chef knives. Not too expensive. To get better performance you'd have to pay three times the price.

We've had several members who were working chefs. They have had good things to say about Forschners. They also echoed CWL's comment about not getting super premium knives for commercial chef work.
 
Forschners have been the go-to knives of cooks and chefs for a long time. They must think fairly highly of them. Might be worth looking into.
FWIW, they are best sellers here at my local restaurant supply house.
 
I am not discounting Forschner at all...as a matter of fact we get them at a discount at work...but I also have access to many other brands at steep discounts as well...My point was to get an opinion on steel, workmanship, etc...I am not concerned about price.
 
If that's the case, then CWL had a good suggestion, Forschner. Also Wusthof and the higher-end Schenckels. Because you're using them commercially, I think you're going to have to spend close to $100 to get enough of a quality knife. A "Forged" blade is going to be a necessity, rather than stamped.

As far as the steel, sometimes it'll just say it's made of High-Carbon Stainless Steel, other times they'll be more specific (like VG-10). Price is a good guide to how good the steel is.

"Wusthof Classic Chef's Knife" runs right at $99 for an 8" one.
 
Last edited:
I have several chef's and kitchen knives in VG-10 and they are like cutting with a laser and hold that razor edge very well. But, I'm a home cook, so I can't speculate on how they would hold up in a fast paced restaurant kitchen.
In general, the Japanese kitchen cutlery I've handled has been top shelf. Well balanced and well executed. That other knife forum has a kitchen knife forum. It would behoove you to check'em out. Those guys can point you in the right direction and many of them are working chefs/cooks.
Hope that helps ya some. :)
 
misque said:
Forschners have been the go-to knives of cooks and chefs for a long time. They must think fairly highly of them. Might be worth looking into.
FWIW, they are best sellers here at my local restaurant supply house.
Click to expand...

They are made by the same company that makes the Swiss Army Knife - Victorinox.
 
Excellent. Like I said...I am not trying to spend a ton, I just want to buy one time and put the most comfortable and highest quality tool in my hand...

Any thoughts on Kershaw's Shun line? The Ken Onion series?
F. Dick?

Japanese vs German?
 
The major difference between between the two is that Japanese-style knives are going to be lighter and thinner than a similarly priced German brand. Not sure how familiar you are with knives, but a "traditional" chef's knife has a full, thick bolster, which adds a lot of weight. Japanese knives don't have a full bolster, it stops at the handle.
As far as the Shun Brand, I thought they were pricey. I am sure they are very high quality, but I don't see them as a great value.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top