Knives & Knife sharpening

[~Spyne~]

You all seem very knowledgeable about kitchen knives. Care to provide some advice?

What would be a good (but still reasonably-priced) kitchen knife set? Would like to get something to replace the rubbish set we have now. Is it possible to get such a set for around $150?

Just want something that works well and will last. Ideally it would come with around 6 knives and a block to hold them.

Will you actually use all six knives? It might be a better choice to buy just 2 very good knives, supplimented by a sharpening system...
In saying that, I was in a similar boat to you a few years ago when I moved out on my own. I ended up buying this Mundial set for around $160 (on sale, down from $350 at the time).
Now it's great value and the knives have been excellent, but I find I only use the 15cm utility and 20cm chef's knives these days. The steel is used regularly and does a fine job of 'sharpening' the edges and the shears get used for general duties so could have easily been replaced with a cheapo pair from the supermarket. The carving knife has never been used, the bread knife has been used, literally, a handful of times in the last 3 years and the paring knife hasn't been used in the last 18 months - the 15cm utility will do the exact same job and is just as capable with the smaller/fiddlier stuff.

 

[Pjotr]

Good point Pjotr. Depending on what Mr626 already has in the knife draw a good sharpening by himself, or at the local butchers for $15 may be all that is needed.

Well exactly, and it's no use buying better knives if you don't sharpen the ones you've got. I think you can get a really good cutting edge on just about any standard kitchen knife.

 

[Pjotr]

.........I find I only use the 15cm utility and 20cm chef's knives these days.............

That's a very familiar story. I could happily live with two knives. My wife uses just one (very average) utility knife for everything. And she cuts on plastic boards. And she's an amazing cook. What can you do!

 

[eggbert]

I could happily live with two knives.

Me three. I have the other ones, but in the last two weeks I think I have used

1. 240mm gyuto
2. Kiwi brand potato peeler
3. teaspoon for peeling ginger

 

[mr626]

Whoa, lots of responses! Thanks.

-I would prefer a matching set, more for the aesthetics if nothing else.
-I do sharpen myself (using a whetstone or pocket sharpener, depending on the knife)
-I'm not sure about how many knives we actually need- I was just going by how many are in our current set.

To give more background- the current set is a very basic, used and abused Wiltshire set.

 

[Pjotr]

Me three. I have the other ones, but in the last two weeks I think I have used

1. 240mm gyuto
2. Kiwi brand potato peeler
3. teaspoon for peeling ginger

So, you're eating a lot of potato and ginger salads or something. Sounds yum.....what's the recipe?

 

[~Spyne~]

If you want to spend some coin and don't mind being a bit meticulous with their care, I'd recommend the Tojiro Flash or Hattori HD knives.
For something a bit cheaper; Sabatier-K, Swibo, Scanpan, Mundial.
There's some good info over in this thread on stereonet (plus a good few on ocau too)

 

[Pjotr]

Here's the board. Just oiled it (orange oil, made in WA, lovely stuff!) so there are a few shiney patches. Particularly on the glue joins where it doesn't sink in of course. Jarrah and sycamore. It pains me to have cut a lovely length of sycamore down to 40mm segments but I've had it hanging around for years so it finally found a purpose. The board's 15 by 11 by 1 1/2 inches or 400 by 300 by 40mm in metric.

 

[Mark1966]

Whoa, lots of responses! Thanks.

-I would prefer a matching set, more for the aesthetics if nothing else.
-I do sharpen myself (using a whetstone or pocket sharpener, depending on the knife)
-I'm not sure about how many knives we actually need- I was just going by how many are in our current set.

To give more background- the current set is a very basic, used and abused Wiltshire set.

I'm with you. I'm a consumer not a pro and I want a nice looking block on the bench. I have the Mundial linked to above and use all the knives. The 15cm Utility Knife and teh 20cm Cook's Knife get the most use but the shears are very handy, the Paring Knife does get used a lot during summer with fruit, the bread knife weekly with a fresh crusty loaf on the weekends if not during the week and the carving knife and fork when we have a roast.

That set plus my edgefaux and I think I'm set now!

 

[Pjotr]

You all seem very knowledgeable about kitchen knives. Care to provide some advice?

What would be a good (but still reasonably-priced) kitchen knife set? Would like to get something to replace the rubbish set we have now. Is it possible to get such a set for around $150?

Just want something that works well and will last. Ideally it would come with around 6 knives and a block to hold them.

From experience stay clear of Scan Pan. They do great pans but I'm convinced they use left over steel for their blades. Furi's pretty average but not as bad as it's made out to be. I've always really liked ICEL in the affordable stainless kitchen knife range. Have got a 180mm ICEL granton Santuko and one of their choppers. Other than that I can't help you. I've always had a distrust of stainless so I've never bought anything in the expensive range such as Wusthof or Shun or whatever. But as just one of those will blow your entire budget that's not what you're after anyhow. Mundial's got a pretty good name in the affordable range too. Good luck with that. It's fun walking in to knife shops. I always feel a bit conspiritorial walking in to one of them. Like some guilty little secret. Always have a look around me before I sneak in.

 

[JayDee]

Just pulled the trigger on a Faux (one of the sites Mark recommended). I've got some nice knives that really need some lovin' . Actually, a couple of nice Victorinox knives and most of the others are Arcosteel or from Ikea.... All are blunt. Shit, even my Swiss Army knife won't cut the rubber band off the Sunday paper anymore :wacko:

Might have a wander into Peters of Kensington next week when I'm back at work and grab one of those $15 Opinel pocketknives.

 

[Pjotr]

Just pulled the trigger on a Faux (one of the sites Mark recommended). I've got some nice knives that really need some lovin' . Actually, a couple of nice Victorinox knives and most of the others are Arcosteel or from Ikea.... All are blunt. Shit, even my Swiss Army knife won't cut the rubber band off the Sunday paper anymore :wacko:

Might have a wander into Peters of Kensington next week when I'm back at work and grab one of those $15 Opinel pocketknives.

Good man! Giving your knives the once over is a great feeling. It's like having a new set of knives every time.

 

[Nick the Knife]

Just got back a while ago from our annual stay with the inlaws in SW Sydney. We used to live next to Cabramatta (which hasn't deserved its poor reputation for atleast 10yrs) hence made quite a few trips there to stock up on some shopping.

On the sharpies front I snagged quite a few lil cheapies and a few nice cleavers:



In no particular order they are:

• Top black handle: seems a 'slicer' style knife, plastic handle is unusual for the Kiwi brand. ~$3.50.
• Curved/pointed tip wooden handle: ~$3.50, Asian style knife, interesting profile so thought it might be fun to use.
• WOoden handled knife below: ~$3.50 again! SImilar style to the Jap vege knives, Nagira(?) again seemed good to try.
• Cleaver below: Carbon steel, single bevel/edged slicing cleaver - lovely cleaver - definitely on par with the highly regarded CCK ones that folks spend $50+ on. WIll clean up and seal the handle. Is for slicing NOT heavy work. ~$23.
• Cleaver below: Bone cleaver, again carbon steel - but this is normal double edged tip. VERY hefty - an absolute steal at $22.
• Small black handled knife on left: On first glance appears a cheapie steak knife but I got it as a specialist 'tomato knife' as it's the sharpest serrated knife I've EVER come across! Is like a bloody laser. $1.20!
• Yellow handled knife: Kiwi Fruit knife, all the F&V sellers at Cabra use these, great little knife for cutting up apples etc on your lounge while you watch tele.
• SMall wooden handled knife on left: Liked the profile so grabbed one, dunno what it will be good for. ~$2.50.
• Plastic handled thing at bottom/left: Is an Asian style peeler/slicer - unlike the western style pivoting ones this one is RAZOR sharp. Had to try! $~1.50

Everything but the cleavers is low end steel and not something I anticipate keeping for decades.....but I'll sharpen them up on the EF and am sure they'll give fun service. FWIW all the Kiwi branded knives come razor sharp.....much moreso than your average western knife.

Now need to figure out how to store them all. Perhaps a couple of magnetic racks or a large rectangular container filled with something like white rice/plastic beads etc that I can place blade down into. :-/

 

[eggbert]

WOoden handled knife below: ~$3.50 again! SImilar style to the Jap vege knives, Nagira(?) again seemed good to try.

Thats the one my other half generally uses. Or should I say used, until she discovered my jap knife at the weekend.

and for less than $4 thats a great price. Yes they are soft metal, but they sharpen up so easily.

 

[Pjotr]

Nice haul. Would love a decent market here in WA.

 

[eggbert]

Nice haul. Would love a decent market here in WA.

If you buy that type of thing at my local market you have to claim them at customs when you arrive from Denpasar.

 

[eggbert]

So, you're eating a lot of potato and ginger salads or something. Sounds yum.....what's the recipe?

My wife to be is Asian. I think the last time I used those ingredients was for some bizarre dessert with sweet potato, ginger, coconut milk and tapioca for her. It really wasn't my cup of tea.

 

[Pjotr]

Wouldn't be my cup of tea either. In general I'm not quite sure about Asian desserts. Most seem a bit goopy.

 

[eggbert]

Had one the last time we were back in her home town that had both sweet corn and kidney beans in it. I took one look and told her she could have it all.
The best part about that it's she thought I was being romantic about about it.

 

[Nick the Knife]

Good one Egg!

Yes, I have to concur....as much as my wife and I LOVE Thai and other Asian cuisines if we're eating out and get to dessert we'll always head to the nearest Italian, French or German place instead....Asian desserts just aren't their forte and thats putting it mildly.