Steak Knife Set Recommendations?

R

rmcook1314

Joined
Sep 15, 2015
Messages
24
Hello,

My Fiance and I are adding gift ideas to our wedding registry, and of course I have completely taken over of the cutlery department. I am looking for a quality 4 or 6 piece steak knife set but have not been able to find anything that stands out. I'm hoping to find a reasonably high quality set for under 80$ but am beginning to think it's impossible. I have looked at Henckels and Whustof in this price range but have been turned off by bad reviews. Shun and Global steak knives look awesome but they are on the pricey side. I am hoping for some solid recommendations and what to look for in a quality steak knife. I am also in need of recommendations for bread knives.

The chef's knife I decided on is the Global GF-33 8 1/4 inch. Anybody own one? If so what do you think?

Thanks!
 
Well I see you arn't getting any response so I'll toss in my thought's which I'm sure a lot will disagree with. As for steak knives I wouldn't spend a lot of money on them. Steak knives live a tough life getting used on all sorts of nasty materials like glass, ceramic, and all other manner of nasty hard stuff. I'd just find a nice set that works and when they get dull toss them and get new ones. At the moment I have a set with mico serrations and I hate all serrated knives (except bread knives of course) but they do the job, I didn't spend much on them, they will live there life and get replaced when needed.
 
Go to the Rada website, they have a good selection of quality kitchen knives & won't break the bank.
 
It would be hard to beat the Shun sets, but of course they are a bit spendy as you have noticed.

I also like Cutco for steak and bread knives; and I have some that have served the purpose well - the 9" carving knife makes a great bread slicer and can be used for other carving needs as well.

Many on this forum poo-poo the Cutco products, and they are not cheap by any stretch of imagination; while searching for you I found that a set of Cutco table knives are as expensive as a lower-end Shun set.

Buck makes some nice 440c Steak Knives but I could not find a set of 4 available, they seem to only be available in the large block sets. That might be a good choice, as you can get 20% off if you register on the Buck web site and then you can get a nice block set with good quality Buck knives along with 6 nice paperstone steak knives. I bought my son and daughter in law a nice Buck paperstone set and they are very pleased with the knives; for most people that aren't on this board, the Buck set is as high end as it gets as it is a recognizable name and they feel like a quality knife.

You can also find some interesting vintage steak knife sets if you search on the bay.

Finally - you can find Kai Pure Komachi steak knives for a very reasonable cost if you search, and coming from Kai they would be useable although I have no hands on experience with the knives.

best

mqqn
 
I think you got some good recommendations for the steak knives. As for the Chef's Knife, that really depends on personal preferences for the steel, the handle and how you like to use it.

Global is sort of in their own place. They are certainly not European, nor or they designs that follow Japanese patterns like a Gyuto. I have a couple of Globals, and they aren't my favs at this point. I'm a fan of Carbon steels, but I understand many people's preference for Stainless for everyday Kitchen knives. Some brands I think might offer excellent value for the same price as that Global are MAC, Richmond--your choice of Stainless or Carbon, Misono--though the UX10 Stainless version is a few bucks more than the Global, depending on where you buy it, Kohetsu--again, you have steel choices, and one more that really compares nicely with the Global--and that is Masamoto VG Gyuto. The VG is a stainless alloy that should really perform well. You'd be looking at a 210 mm version of one of these, to keep is the same size as the Global.

That being said, if you get the chance to get into a Kitchen Store that has a nice knife selection, it would be great to handle a few and see what you like. All of the brands, including the Global, will get the job done for you. Much of it is about how it works for you, and there's no substitute for having that knife in hand to find out. One thing about the Globals, they are fairly hard for a stainless knife. How are you planning to keep your new knife sharp? Much of my love of Carbon steel knives comes from the fact that I can get them scary sharp fairly easily at this point. And if I don't let them get too far out, I can get them back to that level of sharpness quickly.
 
Tramontina make a restaurant quality steak knife that is the wider style, they call them the porterhouse steak knife. looks like a set of nine with a block hits your budget on the big river almost dead on. They have a few different styles, pointed or rounded, and I know I've seen the almost round spatula shaped ones.

Try to find an 8 set at least, since you will want a set to match your dinner set.
 
Wow, thanks for all the great recommendations! I apologize that it took me so long to write a response. I know that steak knives live a hard life and will be used on less than ideal surfaces such as ceramic plates, so I definitely don't want to go overboard on the spending. However, buying really cheap knives goes against my morals. I really can't stand cutting anything with a POS knife. As for serrations I am against them unless it is a special purpose knife (bread or steak) but all of my other knives are plain edge. I will definitely check out Cutco and Buck, those are two that I did not consider so I appreciate the recommendation.

Thanks for the info on chef's knives. I agree that it is really a matter of personal preference. Unfortunately there are no reputable knife stores around where I live so I can't go put try out different chef's knives to see how they feel. That being said, I have read a lot of good reviews about the globals. I also prefer carbon steel which is one drawback with Global as they only offer stainless. I will definitely check out the Masamoto VG Gyuto. I have only heard good things about Masamoto. One problem I have ran into with traditional Japanese knives is that they are designed specifically for right handed use (single bevel). Is the Masamoto VG Gyuto ambidextrous?

Thanks again for all the great responses, I really appreciate it!
 
Last edited:
ElBee said:
I think you got some good recommendations for the steak knives. As for the Chef's Knife, that really depends on personal preferences for the steel, the handle and how you like to use it.

Global is sort of in their own place. They are certainly not European, nor or they designs that follow Japanese patterns like a Gyuto. I have a couple of Globals, and they aren't my favs at this point. I'm a fan of Carbon steels, but I understand many people's preference for Stainless for everyday Kitchen knives. Some brands I think might offer excellent value for the same price as that Global are MAC, Richmond--your choice of Stainless or Carbon, Misono--though the UX10 Stainless version is a few bucks more than the Global, depending on where you buy it, Kohetsu--again, you have steel choices, and one more that really compares nicely with the Global--and that is Masamoto VG Gyuto. The VG is a stainless alloy that should really perform well. You'd be looking at a 210 mm version of one of these, to keep is the same size as the Global.

That being said, if you get the chance to get into a Kitchen Store that has a nice knife selection, it would be great to handle a few and see what you like. All of the brands, including the Global, will get the job done for you. Much of it is about how it works for you, and there's no substitute for having that knife in hand to find out. One thing about the Globals, they are fairly hard for a stainless knife. How are you planning to keep your new knife sharp? Much of my love of Carbon steel knives comes from the fact that I can get them scary sharp fairly easily at this point. And if I don't let them get too far out, I can get them back to that level of sharpness quickly.
Click to expand...

Good to know that the Globals are hard for a stainless. I plan on sharpening with whetstones, which is a skill I have yet to perfect. I do love how quickly I can sharpen my carbon steel blades and they do take a scary sharp edge.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top