I need to replace my chef's knife. Brand suggestions?

[dianne0712]

My hubby used my Henkle knife to pry something open and snapped the tip off, not to mention the other unorthadox tool uses he put it through. It is now crap despite sharpening. Should I buy the same brand or try another? Reasonable price a bonus.

[elkahani]

www.newwestknifeworks.com

american but the steel is incredible he could use it as a tool and still not muck it up, steel wool doesn't sratch it. the 2.0 that is. well worth the $ as it's the last you ever need.

this is a opion though. truth i learned cheep normaly = well cheep

the real best advice is get the best you can really aford he'think twice about useing a $200+ knife as a screwdriver.

[latindancer]

I would consider two things when purchasing a new knife.

First of all....knives are an investment. Hopefully, with the right maintenance and care, you'll have them a long, long time. So price is a consideration but certainly not the end all when you're thinking about how long you'll have it.

Secondly, you must try out the knife before you use it. My knives are Global and I love the construction and how it fits in my hand. I think I could use them all day without wearing my hand out.
I hope you find what you're looking for and, by all means, keep it locked away from you husband :).

[bbqJohn]

I have Victorinox/Forschner knives and use Dexter Russell knives at work...They are both serviceable but not always ideal.

Probably to save money.. the same sized plastic handle is used on all their knives of the same plastic handle line (Fibrox line I think).

The issue is with the 8 inch Chef's knives and for those who use a Pinch Grip (which most pros I know do).

The plastic finger guard is too big and gets in the way causing ones fingers to hit the cutting board when chopping. The 10 inch Chef's has a bigger blade width at the handle and does not suffer the same issue (unless the user has very large hands).

The issue does not exist with the Victorinox/Forschner Rosewood handle version of the knife because the finger guard if any is smaller.

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Eiron I wish you success in your endeavor.. if you wish to make steady income out of it you may want to eventually add food service clientele. At least one sharpener I met owns many knives and kitchens I believe just rent from him. He exchanges knives around once a month with his food service clients.

----

"Secondly, you must try out the knife before you use it." I have to (personally) disagree ... when using a pinch grip the handle and how it feels is less important ... as the knife kind of becomes an extension of your hand.

---
There are many opinions on which knife or knife style to buy... Chad Wards's book is a good one to start with. His online article is here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/26036-knife-maintenance-and-sharpening/

An ideal Chef's knife for me has no finger guard and little or no bolster. This allows a more comfortable pinch grip and that bolster doesn't get in the way of stone sharpening. Most Japanese style Gyuto/Chef's knives fall in this category. Right now if I get a new knife it may in the KAI 4000ST series.
http://www.chefsresource.com/kai-4000...

I think a last point often not stated.. is that a sharpening/maintenance strategy should be considered otherwise it doesn't matter much what knife to buy.. a cheap dull knife is about as good as a expensive dull knife.

[Chemicalkinetics]

<The plastic finger guard is too big and gets in the way causing ones fingers to hit the cutting board when chopping. >

That is an excellent point. I have never thought about it, but now that looking at the photo. The Victorinox Chef's knife does have a fairly large size plastic finger guard or whatever we want to call that, which can cause one finger (probably middle finger) to hit the cutting board -- possibly.

I do agree that a "no bolster" or "reduced bolster" is preferable.

[al b. darned]

I've got hands of ham and mine don't hit the cutting board with the 8" Victorinox.

[Brandon Nelson]

It is a tool that needs to operate like it is an extension of your hand. Go to a few places that stock a lot of cutlery and find something that feels like it belongs in your hand.

[dianne0712]

This is why I'm thinking of getting another Henkle. It just feels so right in my hand. Not too big, not too small, not too long not too flat etc.

[tim irvine]

Not all Henckels are the same, of course. I have had two 8" Henkels chefs over the years, one was carbon steel, made in Brazil. It was very similar to a Thiers Issard. I also had an SS I got in 1976, when they first came out with molded handles. It was a good bit more Germanic, thick spine, great rocking motion, hefty. my 10" carbon steel from France remains my favorite. I have tried Globals and liked them. They feel more like a French knife to me, light, nice point, nimble.

[al b. darned]

I just scored this Victorinox from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008...
Should be here middle of next week. 4.5/5 stars and over 800 reviews.

When your new knife comes, just give the old man the one he ruined and tell him to, "Keep his mitts off your new knife!"

[wabi]

That Victorinox is an awesome knife for the price. At that price you could use it till it dulls and buy another one.

[Chemicalkinetics]

This may be obvious, but.... if you are going to buy a new good knife, then you cannot use it to pry anything. If you are going to use it to pry, then you will be better off by buying a cheap one.

I would suggest something if anything just to experience something different. If you want the least change, then try Wusthof or Messerimester.

You can get decent inexpensive Chef knife with the brands of Victorinox/Forschner, as suggested by others, as well as Dexter-Russell, and I mean the stamped knives, not their forged knives.

If you want something closer to Japanese knives, then of course you can test drive Shun and Global at your local stores.

[dianne0712]

Trust me, it was not me that did it! My mother bought me that knife for my 15th birthday. She brought it back from Germany. Hubby did not grow up with nice things at all and does NOT know how to handle them or even why it's such a big deal. He broke my Victorian chair by sliding down the back as he sat, washed my antler handled carving set in water, etc. When I get upset he says"what's the big deal?" and replaced my knife with a whole new set - from the dollar store. It would never occur to him that knives could cost more than $10

[sunshine842]

I'm guessing that the idea of using him as knife storage has crossed your mind....

[Chemicalkinetics]

I understand your situation. So I think what knife you want for replacement should depend on the future circumstance. If you think your knife will only be used as a knife, then you can spend good money to get a nice one. If you think your circumstance will remain the same, then a broken $30 knife will cost less heartache than a broke $300 knife.

[sunshine842]

and I'm a Wusthof fan. They just fit my hand better than Henkle.

I broke the tip of my Wusthof when I dropped it on the tile floor -- took to be sharpened, and they rehoned it and ground a new tip.

[Eiron]

I agree with the Forschner suggestion. I like the Rosewood line.

You might also consider having your Henckels knife repaired rather than simply sharpened. Someone like Knifesaver (Jim) or myself could easily restore the tip & put a completely new edge on it for a reasonable price. Just look for recommendations in your area, wherever that is.

[knifesavers]

I'll see your tip repair and raise you a few bolster reductions. ;)

A broken tip can be reshaped into a useful tool but nothing can be put back on just optimizing what is left

Jim

[Eiron]

LOL, okay, here ya go...

A chef at a local Food Bank had a 10" Mercer with a full bolster that she absolutely hated. But she loved her 8" Shun Classic.

I took the Mercer & matched the profile of the Shun, taking off 2" in length (required thinning the new end), & made it a half bolster.

It was fun to watch her reaction when I brought it back! :-D

[Chemicalkinetics]

Wow. This is awesome. How did you reduce/remove the bolster? It looks so nicely done.

[Eiron]

Thanks Chem! I certainly appreciate the encouragement! :-)

I used my belt grinder & worked slow. Re-e-e-e-eal slo-o-o-ow...
If I sculpted, I might equate the process to sculpting. (I don't sculpt, so any sculpters out there please forgive my gross comparison.) Basically, I removed a little of the bolster at a time, working my way into the heel of the blade. I was limited by the width of the belt, so I had to make my transitions fit that width. Getting a nice taper to the remaining lower portion of the bolster was the most challenging.

[Chemicalkinetics]

Man, I could tell you really put a lot of love or at least a lot of attention to the process. So how far are you now in term of setting up your own shop and becoming a knife maker or a knife sharpener or whatever?

If you ever start making a new knife, please let us know and may be pass it around. I certainly would like to be one of your first buyers. Although I must say it pays way better as an actor. So I guess you have some decision to make. :)

[Eiron]

I've done a couple of sharpening jobs & one repair (removing & more securely reinstalling the handle of a Chinese cleaver). But my outlook is that I won't charge somebody for something I'm doing for the first time. So that means the cleaver repair was free. I've also handed out several "reworked" knives to friends for free. Oh, & I donated 6 or 8 repaired/reworked knives to the Food Bank for their cooking classes.

I also just finished my new business' logo & will advertise for the first time at a local choir concert in the middle of Oct. (Yes, I'm singing in the choir!) I'm still working on my big knife grinder. Obviously, I missed getting it done this past Spring. I hope to make a little more progress on it this weekend.

My plan is to order some steel in the next month & start fabricating. We'll see. My early attempts will definitely be pass-around versions. I can certainly use all of the feedback I can get!

I think an actor's life would be awesome! But I harbor no delusions that I'd ever become successful enough to support myself. The 'average' full-time actor's salary is around $50k/yr, & that takes into account the multi-million dollar stars.

I think I might have a better chance with knives... :-)

[Chemicalkinetics]

Sounds like you are gaining a lot of experience by helping others. You are awesome.

<The 'average' full-time actor's salary is around $50k/yr>

Man, that is rough.

[knifesavers]

Damn! OK you win. ;)

That must have been quite the job to do.

[Eiron]

"Win"? LOL, I thought we were just sharing experiences? :-) Thanks though, I always appreciate the support of a fellow knife-worker. That Henkels you reshaped looks awesome, so I know that you know how long these projects take.

Yes, this was quite the job! She was ready to throw the knife away, so she told me to take it & use it for practice. That took away all of the concern of ruining the knife, & I could experiment a little. It turned out pretty good for a first try. I gave it back to her to see if she liked it any better, but I haven't contacted her since then. When I brought it back I noticed that she had a 2nd 10" Mercer there as well. With all of that work fresh in my mind, I did NOT offer to rework the 2nd knife!
:-D

[JavaBean]

<It turned out pretty good for a first try.>
Way better than pretty good!!!!!

[Eiron]

Thanks JavaBean! I won't point out the flaws I see... ;-)

[knifesavers]

"That Henkels you reshaped looks awesome, so I know that you know how long these projects take."

That one didn't take as long as some I have done. Get a jacked Bone cleaver or hatchet and that is some grinding. I usually put a belt surcharge on those as they will eat a 40 grit belt.

The Henkels didn't stand a chance against a 36 grit ceramic belt.

Jim

[pedalfaster]

As a short woman with small hands...I just have to say "wow".
May favorite knives have always been of the 8" variety.
Nice work!

[Eiron]

Thanks pedalfaster! I think this knife's handle is too bulky if you like smaller knives. I don't have small hands, but I tend to prefer smaller diameter handles because I find them more maneuverable on the cutting board.

Does your name mean you bicycle, or that you're always behind? :-)

[dianne0712]

BTDT
The knife seems even worse.

[Eiron]

Perhaps your repair person didn't do it correctly?

Anyway, it was just a thought.

At least now you can keep the old knife in its usual place as a 'decoy' for your husband to use, & hide the new one in a safe spot for yourself. ;-)

[CDouglas]

For under $30 you can get a Forschner Victorinox chef's knife which CI rated nearly as high as knives costing well over $100. It rates 4.5 stars on Amazon from 804 total reviews.
http://kk.org/cooltools/archives/4030

Also, if your husband uses it to pry open a paint can or clean his grill you won't be out $100 or more to replace it.

[Kagemusha]

Agree. Buy him some crap tools from the dollar store for his toy box. Buy yourself a Forschner Victorinox chef's knife. They're very good value.

[dianne0712]

The stupid thing is he HAS tools, lots of them, but mine are always where they should be and the kitchen is sooooooo convenient. His tools are always misplaced, broken or lost. It's much easier for him to grab something out of the house or one of my tools than spend an hour looking for his. I cannot cure him.
I will look for this knife. It sounds like a good deal.

[wekick]

I bought one with a red plastic handle and sheath for travel and it migrated to the kitchen.

[Puffin3]

Sounds like you need to replace the old man first.LOL
I have some Henkles but if I could have only one knife in my kitchen my choice would be the one I've had for about forty years:

[dianne0712]

No kidding! I feel like marking everything in the kitchen with a THIS IS NOT A TOOL label.

[GH1618]

I would try another brand. You should first consider size and type, then brand and price. I like Cutlery and More for good deals. Here's a link to their clearance page:

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/cutlery-clearance

If you want an 8-inch stainless German knife, this one is reasonable:

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/wmf-spi...

[dianne0712]

American site - too much trouble and duty, but thanks. I'll have to try and find the brands here in Canada.

[GH1618]

A Canadian website for knives:

http://www.paulsfinest.com/

Look at the featured Misono.

By the way, the Misonos are sharpened asymmetrically for right-handed use.

[grampart]

I've been replacing my Henkle's, one by one, with Globals. I haven't bought the chef's knife yet, but I definitely will (maybe a Christmas present).