Chef's Knife - Should I go Custom?

J

Jameson

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
Messages
294
Hello All,

I have been a member here what seems like forever but I rarely post anymore and rarely even come in to check. However I am sort of "getting back" into knives and just purchased a Henckels 8" stainless chefs knife for around $40 and it has sparked my curiosity. Of course upon making my purchase I immediately thought of checking in with Bladeforums members and soliciting advice on upcoming purchases. Who better than to ask than the enthusiast crowd that deplores wasting money on inferior product!

For my next purchase I was looking at items in the $100-150 range and wondering if I could get a SIMPLE knife from a custom maker in the same price-range. I would prefer a HIGH carbon - non stainless blade if possible in this price range. I probably cant spend more right now, but I would like to hear stuff in higher price ranges if compared to a blade in the "reasonable" range as I am speaking of above.

I figure this would be much better than the Victorinox and/or Shun, MAC blades I was looking at. Really only interested in 8" chefs knives, my performance is much quicker and cleaner with an 8" than a 10". 6" blades FOR me, always seem a little handle heavy and more suited for doing fine slicing, which I can perform just handily with a properly sharpened 8". I have ZERO experience with "scalloped" blades, but I am interested in their benefits and would of course consider one. Iactually have always wanted one but PERFORMANCE is what I am interested in, as well as "long life" so if the scalloped edge is gonna HURT me in ten years by means of material lost from the edge, maybe they are a no-go?


Look forward to hearing some of your responses, seeing some photos, and what I should be looking at STEEL wise (among other attributes) whether you suggest a FACTORY blade or a CUSTOM blade.

Thanks so much all.

Glad to see these forums are BOOMING!

JC

PS: If you need more info regarding the tasks of the knife, it basically is used for nearly all my kitchen duties. I peel with a peeler, but this is used for all vegetable & fruit chopping, apples for pies, plums e.t.c. I am using perhaps 4-6 times per week, steeling every time before/during/after. I sharpen maybe a few passes a month on fine sharpmaker stone - which keeps it shaving sharp - and bring them to a local guy to get a nice edge once a year. My OLD chefs knives are French stainless, and they are thinning from too many sharpenings. The new knife I have used twice and it is still shaving sharp after some careful passes on my steel (not a sharpening steel a normal hard - finely ridged wusthof steel) still shaves hair. I maintain edges well so I get long life out of them as well as using plastic cutting boards, or a soft wood one. The drawback is the cutting board-life for me is only a couple months before I must toss due to their beat-up look. I dont uy expensive ones!

Thanks again all sorry if I ran on----
 
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You might check out Takeda, although the price will be a little higher than your target. The steel is Aogami Super Blue that is run at about 64 HRc. The blades are very thin and the knife is very light. The blade is usually left rough, which helps prevent food from sticking. It doesn't have the same fit and finish of custom/production Western knives, but it's nice to use.

Here's a link to a 210 mm Takeda Gyuto, which is a bit over 8 inches. It's $235.

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagyas21.html
 
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I use a custom Japanese santoku now, carbon steel. They rust very easily...very. I would go stainless unless you like spending time after every cutting session oiling down the blade.
 
My dad used high carbon knives for my childhood. It's not that hard to take care of carbon steel. Dry it well and it should be OK. Now that I have an infinite supply of alcohol pads, I use them to clean off knives. They work great. Lots of ways to keep carbon steel clean and rust free, just use your imagination.

I use stainless. I probably buy the majority of my knives from Ross Dress for Less. They have forged knives of middling quality for ten dollars or less all day long. Frankly, I don't think my turkey jerky could be any better if I spent ten or twenty times that amount on any knife. Today I would have loved to have a fillet knife, but I scraped by, and my turkey jerky is going to taste great anyway.

For kitchen stuff, I prefer to budget for ingredients rather than equipment. It's not that I don't like nice equipment, it's that I like to cook because I like to eat, not because I like to use tools.

If you were thinking about buying a $250 knife, consider buying a $20 knife, a $100 Spyderco setup with the diamond hones, three kick ass cookbooks, and a couple of NY Strips or a nice Alaskan salmon side.

Nothing against the expensive knives, but how much better is your food going to taste with a $200 chef's knife compared to a $20 chef's knife? Are you going to save that much on ingredients due to being able to get closer to the bone or something like that?

Maybe you like artwork, that's a perfectly legit reason to spend more on your knives.
 
I already have a sharpmaker as well as am informed/educated as to how $20-50 knives (more importantly their steel composition) perform. I can put a shaving sharp edge on my blades, as well as a "micro tooth" edge and everything in between. I am not NEW to knives, I am NEW to Chef-Knives and am interested in balance form/function and edge retention, I prefer not to sharpen my knives each month/week as I use somewhat frequently and just dont have the time.

If what I wanted was available in stamped out sheet metal for $20-40, i have already found it in victorinox brand, but prefer something more well made/balanced and built for longer life.

I do appreciate the responses, but please dont tell me to spend $20 on a piece of junk knife and that I am gonna be happy. Been there, Done that, that is why I am asking you fellas!

JC
 
oldschool45 said:
Check this its still available http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=806344 ats-34 which I really like but I agree don't even think of touching my carbon steel kitchen knives!
Click to expand...

This is the thread I was going to point you too as well. The $100-150 price range is going to hurt you if you're dead set on a custom. The link provided above is probably the best priced custom kitchen knife I've seen here for a long time. You might want to contact the maker and see what he can do for you.
 
As a professional chef for 12+ years... a knife is very important. Stainless is low maintenance on the steel but high maintenance on the edge. Carbon is the opposite. I prefer carbon (Japanese Blue Steel to be exact). AMAZING edge... but really likes to oxidize between products... meaning a case of lemons to a case of tomatoes level. I personally love and respect www.watanabeblade.com He has any level knife you can think of. His knives are build to Japanese standards though. Traditional Western style chopping can murder the super fine razors edge. If you do not chop with form and finesse...learn it before buying a true Japanese blade. Before my love of Japanese blade I stood by the Kershaw Shun series... still do on a budget. For about $150 you can get a quality VG-10 blade with a Western style construction and a life time guarantee. Kershaw's are fun to customize the handles as well. As for the Hollow Ground blades... they do compromise after about 4 years of professional use. The edge will eventually sharpen into the grindings. The edge still looks, but makes you want to buy a new knife. It's biggest attribute was less sticking to thick dense product... potato. I personally do not like the German forged blades due to the large heal that over times (1 year) causes your edge to lose contact with the cutting board. If you have any other questions, ask me.
 
Thanks for all the advice especially from the above post. I am going to read that post you directed me to.

SO looks like I am going to have to go with a decent factory blade, now where to look?

THe MAC product intrigues me more now? I would prefer not stainless if available, I am familiar with the upkeep necessary, and would like to stay in that $100-150 range if still possible.

I think that range can get a good quality kitchen knife that will last me a couple years until i get the itch for a new one. The thing is, I only want to make one purchase I dont want a bunch of knives that are gonna sit around. Thinking 8" chefs knife first, then a veggie style chopping knife a few months down the road...

Please guide me to the promised land..

As I have been reading, I think the 8" SHUN knife, though it seems extremely popular (which isnt always good) for $120-30 seems like a value. Can I do better for the same or close money on the Japanesechefknives.com site? The layout confuses me though I did find some nice blades close to my price range...

Thanks for all the help in advance...

JC

JC
 
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A little late to the game, but...

100_2636.JPG


Blue Super - $187

http://www.cartercutlery.com/japanese-knives/new-products/50-sun-stainless-fukugozai-wabocho-riveted-handle
 
Please break the 8" Henckels Santuko that we got as a wedding gift 12 years ago. I want to replace if with a really good one but I don't have the heart to retire this one from the MagBlock. Somber that was cruel...
Jameson, there is also a ZDP-189 Santuko around in your price range might be on japaneseknives.com
 
How is the ZDP-189 steel? I heard it was over priced and brittle. The 7" Santuko is also a great universal knife for a little less bank.
 
Jim Rodebaugh made me a 10" old school french curve out of l-6 and I love it. Price---above what you are looking for. But I love the knife and don't worry about oxidizing.
 
86 Knives said:
How is the ZDP-189 steel? I heard it was over priced and brittle. The 7" Santuko is also a great universal knife for a little less bank.
Click to expand...
I've used 2 different gyutos(chef's knife) in the kitchen, both ZDP-189 steel, neither was brittle for their designated kitchen use.
If you try to chop bones with it, well then no, that's not the steel and knife of choice :)
Details - ZDP-189 steel kitchen knives reviews.
 
Greatly appreciate all the responses, I am still looking so please toss in any ideas. I am still in the 100-150 range, and now looking more into 6-8" santokus, ut dont know what size is really ideal?

Any help?

JC
 
Jameson, handle them if you can. It will give you a feel for what blade size, weight & handle profile fits you best. I probably put 50 knives in my wife's hands before settling on a Henckels TwinStar 6" Santuko for her. Personally I like D handles but the wife can't stand them. If I could only have 2 knives in the kitchen they would be a 8" Santuko & a boning knife.
 
From my experience, Santuko's are usually odd sized compared to Chef Knives. I prefer the 7 inch. Works as a chef knife and is also within the realm of a utility knife.
 
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