Recommendations for a knife set

[Redmanss]

I use USA Made Warther Knives and have been very happy with them. I bought a set about six years ago, tend to the edges with a ceramic rod every change of the season, and strop on the cardboard backside of a paper pad to a razor edge. S35VN hardened to R58-60, they're high quality knives without blowing the budget, with a good set in the $600 range. Family owned company, run for a century and made knives for the guys heading over to kill Nazis back in the day, as history and American craftsmanship matters to me and I put my money where my mouth is.

On the blades, they're fairly thin and great for the majority of work in the kitchen. Handles are birch, full tang and riveted, and six years on are a tight as the day they arrived. They never see a dishwasher, probably the worst thing you can do to an edged knife short of using it as a pry-bar or screwdriver.

On the subject of American made goodness for the kitchen, my flatware is Liberty Tabletop and absolutely recommend them as well. Fuck that China made bullshit Onida.

 

[Doctorwho1138]

Shun....mic drop.

I have had a couple of Shun knives as I like the look but their steel is very brittle and chips easy. Esthetically they look the part.

 

[Rthur]

Y'all's woman folk must be a lot better at not fucking up good knives.
Like chucking them in the dishwasher, chopping crazy shit and general fuckery.
Bought her a cuisenart set to try and destroy.
Not bad for generic and easy to sharpen if I want her to cut herself.

R

 

[Gregor.Samsa]

Finally a thread I can provide author active advice on! I’m a chef, done his my whole life, work for a group with two 3 star Michelin restaurants blah a blah blah.
For basic durable knives for most home purposes, Wisthofg, Henckels etc. are perfectly fine. For precision knife work, Japanese knives are the best. Reasonably priced knife brands include Misono, Matsumoto, Suisun etc. I personally use carbon steel knives as I can get them razor sharp quickly and easily but for home you will be far better suited with stainless. Stick with the a western style and shaped knives. Traditional Japanese are awesome bu way out of place for home cooking and require knowledge and maintenance to use correctly. I also highly recommend MAC knives. I know the owners. They are good dudes based out of Sacramento and the knives are made in Japan. Stay away from fake bullshit Damascus blades and fancy frivolous bullshit. Also don’t forget quality whetsones: Shapton makes great stones, suggest getting 2000, 4000, 6000 and optionally 8000 grits plus a stone fixer.
Korin in New York is a great place to purchase knives but can put a dent in your wallet.

Japanese Chef Knives, Tableware, Kitchenware and Restaurant Supplies | Korin

Korin, Inc is your source for professional quality Japanese knives, tableware, kitchen appliances, kitchen tools, and barware. Choose from a wide selection of imported Japanese knives, sharpening stones, glassware, grilling items and more. We ship worldwide.

www.korin.com

MAC Knife

www.macknife.com

 

[paulwardd]

I've worked as head chef for a small restaurant for awhile now and have cooked all my life; I use nothing but wusthof classics and some shun knives. I would absolutely recommend the Wutshof, great knife for the money and they have limitless options, and a great go-around knife that can take a beating. I love Shun knives too but they are pricier and definitely more specialized

 

[thejeep]

Geezus cripes people. Its a fucking kitchen knife, not a straight razor for shaving your nuts.

Pribbling, dizzy-eyed apple-johns.

No reason it can’t be both.

 

[zeroz]

Someone did get us a MAC a few years ago. Thing is a razor for sure. It is some Japanese design and is a chopping machine. For some reason I don't go to it as much as I should but it is a hell of a knife.

 

[Gregor.Samsa]

Someone did get us a MAC a few years ago. Thing is a razor for sure. It is some Japanese design and is a chopping machine. For some reason I don't go to it as much as I should but it is a hell of a knife.

They are super good guys.

 

[Redfisher60]

Victorinox Fibrox, not fancy but good quality/price. I collect Japanese Kitchen knives (NOT Shun), Check out Chef's knives to go https://www.chefknivestogo.com/, or The Epicurean Edge https://www.epicedge.com/, or if you are in Denver the Carbon Knife Company. A great quality starter Japanese Brand is Tojiro https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tojiro3pcset.html. Here are just a few of mine.

 

[Leftie]

Oh man, how deep are you willing to go into knives, cutlery, sharpening, and metallurgy... I promise you that your sanity is probably not worth the plunge:

For those who have gone down the road of the knife-nerd, feel free to chip in and critique my personal opinion, but it really sounds like @Gregor.Samsa is an expert here:

Most people who cook won't ever even really scratch the surface of performance when it comes to the level of craftsmanship of most "custom" kitchen knives, and even then, many professional chefs won't ever take the plunge into knife-obsession down to tracking down natural Japanese water stones and orienting the primary edge in a uniform fashion based on the specific type of cut that you will be performing using the knife.

I would say that, in my experience in the kitchen, I agree with @Bmghunter: a good 7-9" Chef's knife, and a decent pairing knife (both made of a quality stainless steel and properly sharpened/maintained) will accomplish 90% of what you're looking to do just fine. Short of specialty knives for filleting fish, cutting bread, or chopping through thick meat, tendon, and bone, these two knives will give you all you need.

If you want to deal with upkeep, oiling, and mild OCD, by all means, look at carbon steel knives, but for everyone who isn't knife-obsessed, a good, forged stainless steel knife will be much more than adequate.

Learning how to properly sharpen knives (and then practicing a lot!) is likely going to pay more dividends to you than choosing the knife with the best "specs", and made of some wunder-steel. Learn how to use the tools that you acquire, and also learn their limitations. If you want to spend hours learning about freehand knife sharpening, the Murray Carter videos on basic and advanced knife-sharpening are really good. If you don't want to freehand sharpen, or care about degrees-per-side (DPS), then there are a number of great (and expensive) tools such as the Apex Edge Pro and Wicked Edge devices that will help you dial in an angle.

Also, go somewhere and try out a bunch of different knives with different blade styles, geometries etc. and figure out what you like as it relates to how you initiate and perform cuts. Just because everyone says that a knife is "the best" doesn't mean that it is "the best" for your needs.

Years ago when I didn't know what I didn't know, if you had told me that I would be reprofiling the grind on my German knives to one that I didn't bother to measure but cut like a razor, I would have laughed and rifled off why a certain DPS was superior... Now I know much better, and my knives are well-maintained and sharp enough to shave with. Sometimes people over-complicate things unnecessarily.

 

[Bigfatcock]

Dexter Russel or GTFO.

 

[Gregor.Samsa]

Knives are analogous to firearms. Choose the correct knife for the application and your base quality level. It’d be amazing to have a TacOps rifle topped with a tangent theta scope but for most of us something between that and a Savage will suffice.

 

[LuvDog]

I use USA Made Warther Knives and have been very happy with them. I bought a set about six years ago, tend to the edges with a ceramic rod every change of the season, and strop on the cardboard backside of a paper pad to a razor edge. S35VN hardened to R58-60, they're high quality knives without blowing the budget, with a good set in the $600 range. Family owned company, run for a century and made knives for the guys heading over to kill Nazis back in the day, as history and American craftsmanship matters to me and I put my money where my mouth is.

On the blades, they're fairly thin and great for the majority of work in the kitchen. Handles are birch, full tang and riveted, and six years on are a tight as the day they arrived. They never see a dishwasher, probably the worst thing you can do to an edged knife short of using it as a pry-bar or screwdriver.

On the subject of American made goodness for the kitchen, my flatware is Liberty Tabletop and absolutely recommend them as well. Fuck that China made bullshit Onida.

Have you been to the Warther museum? I have some of their knives from 30 years ago... my wife’s family is from the same town.

As for knives, don’t get a set. It’s a waste of money. Get the 3 or 4 knives that you need.

Im a fan of Japanese blades over the Germans. I’ve had henckels and wustof in the past and they’re good work horses, but I prefer the thinner Japanese geometry

Globals are nice, but i find them delicate.

Now I have a bunch of carbon blades From small forges. Don’t go down that rabbit hole though unless you want to spend all your spare money and not have any left for shooting.

 

[Rocky MTN]

Have a set of Global kitchen knifes that have been holding up well for 15+ years. Well balanced and sharp.

 

[J McGriddle]

Y'all's woman folk must be a lot better at not fucking up good knives.
Like chucking them in the dishwasher, chopping crazy shit and general fuckery.
Bought her a cuisenart set to try and destroy.
Not bad for generic and easy to sharpen if I want her to cut herself.

R

My wife won't touch my custom. I told her she could use it, but she knows it's a test.

 

[Mooseknuckles]

Most of mine are custom knives from a guy in Astoria Oregon. Damn shape and life time sharpening.
My big chopper !

 

[mtrmn]

Case

Case 10249 9-Piece Household Cutlery Block Set, Solid Walnut Handle

Case 10249 9-Piece Household Cutlery Block Set, Solid Walnut Handle

knifeworks.com

Case 31725 9-Piece Household Cutlery Block Set, Black Synthetic Handle

Case 31725 9-Piece Household Cutlery Block Set, Black Synthetic Handle

knifeworks.com

 

[Mike Casselton]

Kitchen, Steak & Fillet Knives | Mysite

www.skybladeknives.com

Shameless plug for a friend of mine, he makes pretty much all the knives I use besides my folders. Are they expensive? Yes. But they are Made in the USA and will shave the hair off your arm. Also, all are one of a kind. Plus this is Snipers Hide and people here appreciate the finer things made by Americans who don't fuck around. I actually couldn't think of a better thing to spend a little money on and use the rest of your life, especially if you cook a lot.

Here is a set of his steak knives:
View attachment 7568907

Wow!
I want one of those in a sheath for a hunting knife.

 

[Mike Casselton]

No reason it can’t be both.

Mick does it.

 

[Major Wader]

I'm in the high end combo camp.

Japanese for some tasks, USA custom made from bandsaw steel for others. My "set" is a mixup, but they all see use.

Yoshikane Hammer Finished is a solid choice on the Japanese side, and PB&J Handmade is one of my favorite USA options.

Edited to add - When I got my first Japanese knife, I sold my high end Henckels set to help finance the rest of my current lineup. Sort of like the first time I looked through a Schmidt-Bender or Swarovski scope. Don't remember which was first (I'm a hunter, not a serious target shooter), but suddenly, the other scopes I owned sucked. I didn't know what I was missing.

 

[Not a Sniper]

One more opinion. I think most everything was covered already (no matter what you choose, get stones to touch up and good cutting boards as well).

For me, the Shuns were best-it was crazy how well they cut and hold an edge and they fit my meat hooks perfectly (I am a blade pincher and the balance was spot on). They are 95% the answer for my uses.

I did throw in a small and large Henckel cleaver - the thinner Japanese stuff I didn't trust with going through bones. That said, I have run my current set for 10 years without chipping - if your boards and cutting technique are solid - they shouldn't chip.

Keep them sharp as possible - then drop them with a pro to sharpen up at some regular interval (yearly-whatever).

If you can try these out before buying do so-once I found the right set, it was night and day. I also agree-buy them separately for your needs, a full block can get expensive right out the gate. 4 knives would cover most needs I'd think.

 

[Snowflake38]

I use USA Made Warther Knives and have been very happy with them. I bought a set about six years ago, tend to the edges with a ceramic rod every change of the season, and strop on the cardboard backside of a paper pad to a razor edge. S35VN hardened to R58-60, they're high quality knives without blowing the budget, with a good set in the $600 range. Family owned company, run for a century and made knives for the guys heading over to kill Nazis back in the day, as history and American craftsmanship matters to me and I put my money where my mouth is.

On the blades, they're fairly thin and great for the majority of work in the kitchen. Handles are birch, full tang and riveted, and six years on are a tight as the day they arrived. They never see a dishwasher, probably the worst thing you can do to an edged knife short of using it as a pry-bar or screwdriver.

On the subject of American made goodness for the kitchen, my flatware is Liberty Tabletop and absolutely recommend them as well. Fuck that China made bullshit Onida.

A+ I was waiting for someone to mention the negative effects of the dishwasher . Doesn’t matter how nice a knife is a dishwasher will wreck it out every time . Wives get in a hurry cleaning up after dinner and throw everything in there. Happens all the time

 

[Doctorwho1138]

One more opinion. I think most everything was covered already (no matter what you choose, get stones to touch up and good cutting boards as well).

For me, the Shuns were best-it was crazy how well they cut and hold an edge and they fit my meat hooks perfectly (I am a blade pincher and the balance was spot on). They are 95% the answer for my uses.

I did throw in a small and large Henckel cleaver - the thinner Japanese stuff I didn't trust with going through bones. That said, I have run my current set for 10 years without chipping - if your boards and cutting technique are solid - they shouldn't chip.

Keep them sharp as possible - then drop them with a pro to sharpen up at some regular interval (yearly-whatever).

If you can try these out before buying do so-once I found the right set, it was night and day. I also agree-buy them separately for your needs, a full block can get expensive right out the gate. 4 knives would cover most needs I'd think.

Agreed on the stones but if a commercially available cutting board damages the edge of your knives then that’s a heat treat issue. Shuns are known for chipping. I have friends that have them and they all chip. Shun does have a nice warranty and they will fix them but kitchen knives shouldn’t chip as easy as they do. Tons of stories out there on them. If I had to do it all over again, I would just get custom knives with the geometry that I prefer. I use my Yoshihiro deba and yanagi white steel knives more than anything else now. Great knives for the money but they still aren’t custom knives. YMMV

 

[thejeep]

There’s no reason it can’t be both.

Mick does it.

View attachment 7569902

 

[shields shtr]

Wow!
I want one of those in a sheath for a hunting knife.

Order one up. It's funny, my main hunting knife actually looks just like the steak knives. On average, I go through about 2 elk, maybe a deer, and 5-6 hogs every year and it never needs sharpening. I take it to him to resharpen every year and am good to go.

 

[Not a Sniper]

Agreed on the stones but if a commercially available cutting board damages the edge of your knives then that’s a heat treat issue. Shuns are known for chipping. I have friends that have them and they all chip. Shun does have a nice warranty and they will fix them but kitchen knives shouldn’t chip as easy as they do. Tons of stories out there on them. If I had to do it all over again, I would just get custom knives with the geometry that I prefer. I use my Yoshihiro deba and yanagi white steel knives more than anything else now. Great knives for the money but they still aren’t custom knives. YMMV

I understand what you are saying. I guess I was trying to say, things like what you cut on and your slicing technique likely adds to chips on these thinner, more brittle Japanese blades. Shun's use harder steels and edge is like 16* compared to 20* or more for European blades (slicer/not chopper I reckon). I'd guess folks would want to consider those things when setting up-took me a bunch of reading and trial and error to get here. Good blades do get expensive, so just offering another opinion for folks to consider.

Shun will definitely honor their warranty. My GF had a blade tip break (her stoner sister aimlessly hacking at shit), they replaced it with new-no questions asked. I use a dude locally for serious edge restoration and I try to keep a honed edge at all times in between.

If I knew of a bladesmith, locally, with those custom skills-I'd likely look into custom as well now that I know what I know. But it'll be awhile before I need to upgrade on what I have in the block. I'm not a pro, I just like to cook. But once you find some good ones-it changes shit for sure.

 

[Gregor.Samsa]

Korin is running a 20% off on all their knives. Use promo code: KSALE20

Korin is a great little shop in New York that my wife literaly stumbled across when walking to the Trade Tower Memorial.

View attachment 7570172

We have purchased several knives from them. Very sharp and durable. If you get a knife from them, also check out their Hi-Soft cutting boards for protecting the edge of your knifes.

You might also take a look at their break-resistant glasses, which are also on sale. But you do have to order 12 glasses at a time. My wife and I ordered the Chardonay, Sena long drink and double rocks glasses. We then made small gift sets of the extras for friends and relatives.

Yes! also make sure you watch their knife sharpening tutorial videos. The Japanese knives are particular in how they need to be sharpened.

 

[wkelly]

We’ve had this Damas Stainless Serbian Knife set for years now, they’re still going strong and sharpen up again well even, the scissors have been brilliant. From memory they where around $179.
I looked at a lot of knives here before I made my purchase. Cost vs Quality…. Damas is the way to go.