Chef knife recommendations please

S

Srjs28

Joined
Aug 17, 2022
Messages
38
I have recently been looking into an 8 - 10” chef knife and clever and/or a set (w/ paring, slicer, approx 7” utility or smaller chef, boning and bread) the basics. I have 10 years of restaurant experience starting in early 90’s, so I have experience with cutting in the kitchen. The knives used during that time were either Forschner Victorinox, the cheaper lines obviously. In 04 I, or “we”, received a decent set of Henckels as a wedding gift. At first I loved that block set as I compared it to all the cheaper restaurant knives I had been used to using, but as time went on I became continuously disappointed in the steel. I noticed lots of “chipping” on the edge and the ability to actually keep a good edge, especially on the paring and chef knife. Yes they were sharpened correctly, always by hand, consistent angle, proper sharpening stones and the set was always taken care of. I had to add that last sentence to hopefully eliminate any future comments with regards to those being my issue.
Just a couple of weeks ago I came across a 9 piece set of Schimdt Brothers for what I considered a good price compared to what I have seen them selling for previously, so I bought them. Turns out they’re just ok, good enough to keep around for the rest of the family to use but not so bad that I feel the need to return them (for the price anyway). So looking for recommendations for at least a chef and clever. I haven’t decided on Japanese, German, stainless or non or even which steel(s). There’s so many options out there now. This being my influencer to ask for recommendations. But i would like the chef knife’s blade to have a taller heel with slight rocking and the clever to be very well balanced and on the heavier side and I like having wood handles. I enjoy sharpening knives so keeping up on that part isn’t a big deal, (another but) still want a HRC of at least 58.
Any and all suggestions / recommendations will be greatly appreciated, whether you have had personal use experiences or not. THX - Joe
 
You might want to look in the Exchange section here at kitchen knives that have sold from the makers here to see what matches your wants/needs. There are several talented makers and their products use better materials and heat treats than you'll get on mass marketed knives. And many will work with you to customize a knife to get exactly what you want.
 
In my opinion 58 is WAY too low for kitchen knives.

I'm new, so I'm definitely not going to recommend Me, but I'm running my kitchen knives 63-64 depending on the steel

I agree with checking out Other makers here, on the exchange
 
If you have a whetstone
warthercutlery or pungchundo
Or you can recommend kuro saki
vg10 - sg2 - sld Good steel will be waiting
 
The hybrid or bastardized versions of the 8" chef have become extremely popular. Thin, hard blades, sharp all the way to the heel, with substantial knuckle clearance. Modern, ergonomic handles, featuring bullet-proof construction without adding too much weight. A happy blend of the best features of Asian and Euro/Western cutlery. The Miyabi Koh is one example. They typically go on sale around late November-December. The thin, hard blade, sharpened at about 15 degrees per side, will chip if it gets too close to bones or frozen food, or gets misused. They do cut like a laser, though, for a reasonable price when on sale. Stainless.

If your current blades are getting chipped, you might lean toward a more robust blade, thicker in the German style. Chipping usually happens because a blade is used for something it shouldn't be used for, or given too much lateral stress. I had a set of Burgvogels, a German brand from the '80's or '90's that were heavy and clunky, but stronger than garden tools. You couldn't damage them. Those knives have served other family members over the years, and gotten hard use. The thick blades stand up to the hardest wear. I'm not sure what might be a modern alternative, I think Burgvogel is out of business.
 
Buying a kitchen knife is very personal, so best way is to handle some before you buy. If you have Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table nearby, that would give you a decent foundation. For cleavers, the CCK family of Chinese Vegetable cleavers give you a broad range of alternative--all with round barrel handles. I did some comparisons, and ended up with a Shibazi F208-2 that you could check out at Amazon and Youtube for user experiences. You can often find both of these at a Chinese grocery store.
 
There are lots of good knives, but consider an MSicard Custom in magnacut (only because he has one on sale now on his instagram). Great steel, great grind, stainless, maximized for performance, and good value. I have one similar and love it. He can probably make you a cleaver too.

There are a lot of good makers (including BlankBlank and Troopah Knives), but it isn't always easy to find a custom readily available. Steelport makes some cool carbon steel knives, which are another option if you like carbon steel. Meglio does some production knives, too.
 
Although even manufacurers use the term "Asian knives", they are in fact Japanese knives. All throughout Asia itself they are called Japanese knives.

If one is accustomed to a Western (German, French) style of Chef's Knife and want a belly, Zwillings Miyabi line and Kai's Shun line, both made in Seki Japan
offer that style.
If one wants the more flatter to the board proflle, there are literally hundreds of Gyutos made by Japanese manufactiers, both artisans and factories.
In both cases above, you will be dealing with Japanese steels which in geneal are harder than German/French ones which all usesome 4116 variant. Characterized by high toughness, high corrosion reistance and a lower HRC. These blades tend to roll rather than chip in most cases.
The Japanese knives tend to all be higher HRC, less toughness but in the case of powder steels noticably longer edge retention.
 
I have kitchen knives from America, Europe, Japan, and China in price ranges from a few dollars to $350. I have more Japanese knives than any other, but many of them have been made with Western collaborators. The challenge is to fit the knife to the tasks in my home kitchen, and the rewards to an enthusiast like me is to have fun doing it. I'd encourage you to explore in the same way--but do it slowly--one knife at a time--as you're already planning. Given the tradeoffs between hardness, sharpness, and edge retention, I'd try to stay in the range of HRC 58-61, and stick with stainless blades for easiest maintenance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top