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Sidearms & Scatterguns Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

C

ceylonc

Eberlestock Dealer
Commercial Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 26, 2006
3,475
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Memphis, TN
Guys,

I apologize if I'm starting this thread in the wrong area (sorry mods) but I'm wanting to see what you guys are using in the kitchen. While I'm no culinary master, I do like to throw a hunk of meat on the grill (or in the smoker) and having one or a couple of knives is a must.

Back when I got married (2002, geez that was a long time ago!), my wife & I received some German made Henckels (steak knives and a bread knife). They have held up VERY well, and will probably be in the kitchen drawer for many years to come. I have added (all German Henckels) a 5.5" Mikado, a 5.5" Santoku, and a 8" Carving knife. Back in 1999 I bought a Global G-4 7" Chef knife (made in Japan) and it has seen a LOT of use, chopping anything from squash to pork shoulder.

I'd like to know what you guys are using in your kitchen. Which brands, sizes/models, etc. Which do you find the most useful and high quality? While I like my selection of kitchen knives, I'm constantly wandering the aisles when I hit a department store (or a couple of wholesale catalogs from Blue Ridge Knives) to see what is missing, what I might like to add, etc. Also, what do you think of some of the other German, Swiss & Japanese brands out there. I have been checking out some offerings from Kanetsune, Al Mar and Yamahide (all Japanese) and I like their simplicity & quality. I know there are many other brands out there that I haven't mentioned, but these are just a few I have seen.

So, what are you using & what to you want to add...

Thanks for reading...
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

I've using some Cutco's here lately and I have been impressed. I like them better than the Henkels.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

I actually ordered a set of Ka bar kitchen knives, they sucked. Blades were really thin and chipped easily. I came across some people on ebay that make Damascus kitchen knives and other kinds. I payed about $20 apiece I think. Putting the first edge on it takes a while but it lasts. I like them better than any of the brand name ones
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

Phil Wilson Chef Knife and Fillet Knife.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

I use 6" and a 7" or 8" Chicago cutlery for most of my meat processing prior to cooking. I have cut up close to two dozen deer with them now and countless ribeye, sirloin and NY strip slabs. Then cheap throw aways when dull for dining, LOL...
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

I have been using Shun Elite series, which uses SG-2 steel and supposedly has a Rockwell hardness of 64HRC. For a while, I was using a custom Takeda Gyuto for my chef's and a Banno Petit for my utility knife. They are made of Aogami Super Steel, which is a carbon steel. I could get it super sharp and it held a blade well, but maintenance was a bitch. Even cutting tomatoes, it would rust while I used it.

Eventually, I went back to my Shuns. There is something to be said for stainless in cooking knives. The Shuns will get plenty sharp and will hold a blade pretty well. Sharpening is kind of a bitch, though. The steel is so hard, it takes a while to restore the edge. But once you have it, it will pull the hairs right off of your arm if you just wave the blade above your skin.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

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here's one of the ones I got. $23
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

BTW... almost everything I do in the kitchen is with an 8" chef's, a utility knife, a paring knife, a bread knife, and a long carving knife. I rarely use my 10" chef as it is too long for most kitchen chores. It is reserved for cutting watermelon or any other task that needs an extra long knife.

I have a Santoku, a deba knife, and some other more exotic knives, but the ones above are what I use. And I could probably get by without my utility knife as most tasks that I reserve for the utility could be done either with the paring or the chef's.

I could probably get by without the carving knife, but no self-respecting man doesn't own a carving knife for steaks and Thanksgiving Turkey. You can have your electric carving knife. I prefer an ultra sharp carving knife.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

Plain old Wusthof Classic. Sets go on sale all the time, and if I want to add to it in 20 years I know they'll still have them everywhere.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jhnmdahl</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Plain old Wusthof Classic. Sets go on sale all the time, and if I want to add to it in 20 years I know they'll still have them everywhere. </div></div>

+1 on the Wushof classic. When its sharpened it is great to work with.

The only complain I have with it is that I have to sharpen it fairly often (every 2 weeks or so, Yes that is often because I'm lazy). I was told that it is because the german steel sharpens to a very fine point, but it is a little softer and dulls quicker.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

We have Cutco. I supplemented the basic sales kit from when I was 18 with another 8 pieces recently.

I hated that job, but the knives are fantastic.

My wife and I both like to cook and she's a big fan of good knives. When she started using my knives in the kitchen she was immediately sold on why I was willing to pay what I did for them.

About 95% of what we do is covered by:

8" chef
4" paring
5-1/2" 'double D edge' {cutco's version of serrated} slicing knife called a "trimmer"

I also have a cheese knife, vegetable slicer, 9-1/2" chef, steak knives, serrated edge spreader, 9" slicer, 2-3/4" paring, and a couple others that I am having hard time remembering.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

I am retarded about kitchen knives. Love my german Henkel 8" chef knife, but Shun is my go to for just about everything. With proper blade maintenance, I can go 3 months without sharpening (I butcher my own game, so they get heavy use). I have been impressed with Wusthof and would interchange them with the Henkel. Globals have unbelievable steel, but they just don't have enough heft for my preference.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

I like and own several Shun's but they are not on par with my Phil Wilson's. But the Shun's are a lot easier to get your hands on.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

I use the laminated/damascus Japanese-pattern stuff , but the ceramics are worth trying . While I'm not big on imports , Harbor Freight has a few basic ceramic kitchen knives as a sampler ...
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

My Global chef's knife has been up great. No need to try anything else.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

J. A. Henckels and a Chicago utility, I just like the feel of that simple utility knife for boning and such.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

I am a huge fan of the Kyocera Ceramic blades. I have some of their revolution knives with the black blades. I cant say enough about them. Only down side is that you have to have something else in the kitchen too. You cant use a ceramic blade on something that has bones, etc, in them because ceramic will chip.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

I use a set of Wustof Classic Ikons at work. They are amazing, hold an edge very well, and I usually have cooks twice my age preferring to use them.

The 8" Chef's knife alone feels amazing in your hand with the full tang blade and heavy handle. I bought a great set off ebay for about $350 shipped after doing some shopping around.

I'm known in the kitchen for being a huge stickler when it comes to my knives sharpness, and I worked in a dorm hall where we prepping/cooking for 3000+ freshman 3 times a day, these knives saw hell and back and worked great.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

I love when people say works for me ect ect.... No need to try anything else.

Imagine if you never tried a car, because the horse always worked. Or never tried indoor plumbing because the outhouse always worked. Or never tried e-mail beacuse the post office always worked.

I am always trying new things some workout and some become distant memories.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dragbag</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I love when people say works for me ect ect.... No need to try anything else.

Imagine if you never tried a car, because the horse always worked. Or never tried indoor plumbing because the outhouse always worked. Or never tried e-mail beacuse the post office always worked.

I am always trying new things some workout and some become distant memories. </div></div>

People cant give opinions on stuff that they havent used. Not all of us have money to blow on shit that may or may not work.

So all we can do is share the experiences, positive and negative, with the things we have.

The other thing is that you dont know what that individual has or hasnt tried. It could be that they have used 30 brands of knives and are simply expressing that they have settled on one and are telling the OP that the others arent worth trying.

Criticizing the fact that others views are based on personal experience of what has worked for them is not only impractical and poorly thought out, it also comes off as quite high-handed.
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Oddball-Six</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dragbag</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I love when people say works for me ect ect.... No need to try anything else.

Imagine if you never tried a car, because the horse always worked. Or never tried indoor plumbing because the outhouse always worked. Or never tried e-mail beacuse the post office always worked.

I am always trying new things some workout and some become distant memories. </div></div>

People cant give opinions on stuff that they havent used. Not all of us have money to blow on shit that may or may not work.

So all we can do is share the experiences, positive and negative, with the things we have.

The other thing is that you dont know what that individual has or hasnt tried. It could be that they have used 30 brands of knives and are simply expressing that they have settled on one and are telling the OP that the others arent worth trying.

Criticizing the fact that others views are based on personal experience of what has worked for them is not only impractical and poorly thought out, it also comes off as quite high-handed. </div></div>

Nice try spinning it. When you learn to read you'll figure out where you went wrong. Here I will help you out a little, No need to try anything else!
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

+1 For Cutco... they actually make Kabar. Based out of NY. <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: h4everything</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've using some Cutco's here lately and I have been impressed. I like them better than the Henkels.</div></div>
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jhnmdahl</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Plain old Wusthof Classic. Sets go on sale all the time, and if I want to add to it in 20 years I know they'll still have them everywhere. </div></div>

+1
 
Re: Not exactly K-Bars, but KITCHEN knives...

The wife uses Wustof Classic Ikon, we've had them for about two years. They hold an edge pretty well. Any of the major brands will be a huge step up. We looked at Shun, Wustof, and Henckels. The wife has small hands and the Ikons fit her the best. As with anything, fit is important. The one using the tool should at least handle the different brands in a store before deciding on a purchase.
 
I make my Own knives, and do use almost all mentioned above. I like cutco too and the older Sabotier kitchen knives, ceramics, well, they are pretty much all the same and can be easily sharpened on diamond stones.

San Mai damascus is a way to make a pretty kitchen knife, though you still have to oil the carbon steel edge
 
My family and I are big Wustof and Shun fans.

I use the Wustof Ikon Blackwood knives because I love the fit and feel in my hand, and the blades are easy to keep sharp. Only reason we went with Blackwoods over Ikon Classics is because my wife loved the wood handles. This leads to more precise care but they really do look good on the counter.

My parents have a set of Wustof Grand Prix II's that have equally nice blades to my Ikons with an easier to care for composite handle. The blades are a little thinner than the Ikons but still nice.

My brother uses a mix of Shun Classics and Ken Onion Series, the blades on both are incredible but definitely take extra work to maintain a super sharp edge as mentioned above. From an ergonomic standpoint, the Ken Onions have a great feel but they can be a little imposing when sitting on the counter.

It also sounds like I share a little bit of that Cutco college work force experience that others have mentioned. For me I was already a blade nut when I started with them and couldn't get over some of the advertising lingo that was force fed to the training group. The serrated knives are pretty good but I never felt that the larger blades were substantial enough for me.

And that is my expose on kitchen knives...
 
So,

I use the wustof ikon series.

Bought a 15 piece set...three plus years and going strong...

My gf had some classics and I think the ikons hold thier edge better and longer...

B
 
I have a set of Shun kitchen knives which are wonderful but are extremely high maintenance do to the degree of edge they have to be sharpened all the time. I have one Global and it's very good with less maintenance.
 
30+ years on a full Cutco set. Glad this thread came up, time to send in for sharpening, free, and handle replacement.
 
I gots me a set of Al Mar kitchen knives that were made before his death. I am proud every time I cook with them. I think they still make em. HIgh quality, folded, japanese steel.
 
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