298614 Mon Sep 27 12:37:32 -0700 2004 13 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1651720 I saw the very end of a presentation on the Today Show featuring an article on various types and brands of knives that had been critiqued by Cooking Light. Because I am researching the purchase of a Santoku 7", Christopher Kimball--I think the name is correct--explained his number one selection would be the Mac knife, which I had never heard of before. while on Newbury Street yesterday I stopped at the Gourmet Kitchen shop and was about to ask when someone else had asked the same question before I had a chance to and that somebody was Lydia Shire...so, I completely became unglued and decided to do a little more research. (I guess I really missed an opportunity!) Any thoughts, suggestions or opinions for me? Thanks so much. Mon Sep 27 12:37:32 -0700 2004 0 Linda from Boston 1 1651724 Have you checked with Stoddard's? They are usually on top of everything in the world of knives.... Mon Sep 27 13:21:16 -0700 2004 1651720 0 Karl S. 2 1651728 There's a stoddard's on west street, downtown, as well as one at the Chestnut Hill Mall. The same mall has a sur la table, and they might carry the line or know something about it. Mon Sep 27 14:10:09 -0700 2004 1651724 0 emdb 3 1651737 Stoddard's is also in the Copley Place mall in Back Bay. Mon Sep 27 15:28:45 -0700 2004 1651728 0 Karl S. 2 1651839 I have a chef's knife which I really like. It is a Fisker's brand, like the scissors and shears people, and feels and cuts good. It was really cheap at a kitchen store, but I have never seen one again. None of the normal kitchen places can tell me anything about them, in fact most deny that any such exists. Do they still make them, are they available anywhere in US? Tue Sep 28 11:23:01 -0700 2004 1651724 0 Bill 1 1651733 I have used the MAC and like them, but I prefer my Kyocera Black Blade, it is insanely sharp, and perfectly balanced, I should also note that it is a ceramic blade. Mon Sep 27 15:07:00 -0700 2004 1651720 0 Sthitch 1 1651739 [Christopher Kimball….explained his number one selection would be the Mac knife, which I had never heard of before.] He’s the editor of Cooks Illustrated Magazine. His rec is based on a test the magazine did for the Jul-Aug issue on 10 santokus. You should try to get a hold of the article. It’s also available on their website, but you have to be an online subscriber to get access. What I like about the test is that they also compared the santokus to a standard 8” chef’s knife (a Forschner), which I think provides a helpful frame of reference for people unfamiliar with the santoku. I will point out that the test sample of 10 knives exclude the really high-end stuff (not necessarily in terms of price) that’s available (e.g., Masahiro, Ittosai Kotetsu, Hattori, Ryusen). I guess Cook’s Ill was trying to stick to knives that were reasonably easy to find. Mac is a well-known Japanese knife company that sells low-end ($35) to upper mid-level lines ($200). (For those paying attention, Jamie Oliver used a Mac on his show Oliver’s Twist until this past season.) You can check out the Mac that finished 1st in the test by going to cookswares.com. The homepage has a picture of one, so just click it. Also, attached below is a link to a kitchen knife discussion board thread which addresses some pluses and minuses of santokus. The participants in this thread are rather, errr……fanatical WRT kitchen knives, but there are some interesting perspectives there. Link: http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=Kitchen&Number=444246&Forum=,f79,&Words=why%20use%20santoku&Searchpage=1&Limit=25&Main=443899&Search=true&where=sub&Name=&daterange=1&newerval=4&newertype=m&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post444246 Mon Sep 27 15:32:30 -0700 2004 1651720 0 jo 1 1651781 I recently bought a "Santoku" knife from www.japanwoodworker.com for $112. I absolutely love it. Mon Sep 27 18:21:41 -0700 2004 1651720 0 Nina W. 2 1651847 The MAC knives are half of that or less depending on where you buy them. They are incredibly sharp and well balanced. I picked up my MAC santoku after seeing the review in Cooks Illustrated in which it was more highly lauded than knives that cost 2 - 3 times as much. Ten knives were compared ... it beat out the Shun, Kershaw, Wusthof, and others. The "superior" series knives are stamped if that makes a difference to you. Some people seem to think that all stamped knives are garbage - many (most?) are - and only forged knives are worth owning - some are, some aren't. I highly recommend MAC knives ... I have a paring knife as well. The "superior" series seems to be their best quality to price ratio. They tout that their knives are used/endorsed by Nobu, Charlie Trotter, Keller, etc. Guess that's more resounding than my humble endorsement. rien Tue Sep 28 11:48:12 -0700 2004 1651781 0 rien 1 1651797 I'm quite fond of Mac knives. I think they're superior to(and largely cheaper than) any of the easily obtainable brands. Mon Sep 27 19:46:11 -0700 2004 1651720 0 Caviar 1 1651805 Try below. Link: http://www.happycookers.com/wc.dll/products/divulge/1-14523.html Image: http://www.happycookers.com/images/1-14523.jpg Mon Sep 27 22:33:45 -0700 2004 1651720 0 Phil 1 1651851 Thanks to all for the wealth of information on knives--I learn so much at this site. I will read the featured article in the magazine, consider all your thoughts and words of wisdom, and make a selection. Thanks for responding with your opinions. Tue Sep 28 11:59:39 -0700 2004 1651720 0 Linda from Boston 1 1651874 Mac is great! They are also very easy to maintain unlike other Japanese knives. They sell an all-in-one knife sharpener (the Rollsharp)which keeps the knives very sharp -- does the beveling and finishing at the same time. Tue Sep 28 14:02:09 -0700 2004 1651720 0 cornflower 1 1652071 If you want to go a step further, consider going to a custom knife show in your area. Good, hand-made kitchen knives are not as expensive as you might imagine, are generally functionally superior to factory made knives, and can be quite beautiful. Wed Sep 29 16:47:26 -0700 2004 1651720 0 David Kahn