Knives (2 Viewers)

[theism]

i want a nice cleaver,
and use it as a chefs knife like martin yan

YouTube - Martin Yan carves chicken in 18 secs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT9lKA5_bPI

 

[Stoogey]

I (and the rest of the family) use Furi knives, been using them for a while and they are excellent, they fit in my hands perfectly, are also light as well which is much easier on the hands. There is a set of Victorinox knives as backup.

For outdoor knives, i am currently using a S&W CK5TBS (Not really liking the 440C SS atm). Am planning to purchase a CRKT M16-02Z as backup (Should be alot better with the Aus4 SS).

Next 2 knives on the list is an SOG Seal Pup for outdoor/survival use and an SOG Spec-Elite I (if i can find one in Aus that is...)

...yes...i am hardcore

 

[theism]

i think my next knife will be a cleaver from Solingen Germany.

maybe a wusthof!

 

[^CoSMic DoRiS^^]

The ones in the cutlery drawer

Yeah me too

We have a set of...something fancy...that we never use, idk

 

[Uncle]

There is a reason why kitchen knives and proper survival knives are not toothed along the back of the blade.
It gets lodged in flesh.

 

[chefman21]

Hmmm... good question.

I love my F. Dick Premier Plus chef's knife. Great balance, holds a good edge and has a nice weight for my hands. I've got a Shun. Used to be my favourite, but it's only really good for fine knife work on fruit and vegetables. The blade is too fine for heavy duty work which is what my F. Dick is for. Best handle of any knife though. Got it for $175. Love trade discount! I've used a Victorinox chef knife in the past, but it wasn't suited to my hand. Didn't like the blade or balance much though. I used a Zwilling 4 Star chef's knife for years. Great knife but it get's a little heavy for all day use (which is what my job entailed - being a chef and all! lol!) Dropped it and snapped the tip off it. I hate Globals and Furi's. I don't like metal handled knives, they get very slippery when using fatty foods such as bacon or pork fat. Especially if you get water on them. Global's handles are also really narrow, and I felt I was overgripping when I used them. At home, I have a set of Mundials, which are a really good standard set of knives for home use. I wouldn't use them at work, but for home use they are quite good.

 

[theism]

Hmmm... good question.

I love my F. Dick Premier Plus chef's knife. Great balance, holds a good edge and has a nice weight for my hands. I've got a Shun. Used to be my favourite, but it's only really good for fine knife work on fruit and vegetables. The blade is too fine for heavy duty work which is what my F. Dick is for. Best handle of any knife though. Got it for $175. Love trade discount! I've used a Victorinox chef knife in the past, but it wasn't suited to my hand. Didn't like the blade or balance much though. I used a Zwilling 4 Star chef's knife for years. Great knife but it get's a little heavy for all day use (which is what my job entailed - being a chef and all! lol!) Dropped it and snapped the tip off it. I hate Globals and Furi's. I don't like metal handled knives, they get very slippery when using fatty foods such as bacon or pork fat. Especially if you get water on them. Global's handles are also really narrow, and I felt I was overgripping when I used them. At home, I have a set of Mundials, which are a really good standard set of knives for home use. I wouldn't use them at work, but for home use they are quite good.

great points.

i know what you mean by the slippery handles on the globals.
you really can't beat global though in terms of quality vs. price

globals are after all 'japanese style' so they won't really suit western methods of cookery, or 'western hands'

 

[chefman21]

great points.

i know what you mean by the slippery handles on the globals.
you really can't beat global though in terms of quality vs. price

globals are after all 'japanese style' so they won't really suit western methods of cookery, or 'western hands'

Yep, Global are quality knives and are a really good price. Just not suited to me.


Here's the process I go for when I pick a new knife. Hope it helps some people in the future...

* Firstly, go to a reputable dealer. Stay away from King of Knives and find a hospitality store. Something to remember, is that this is an investment not an expense. A well picked knife will last the average home cook a lifetime or a professional chef 5-10 years.
* Take a look at all the knives and pick them up. Feel the weight in your hands and how it feels in your hand. Be critical. As I said before it is an investment. Don't pick it because it looks good or the 18 year old sales chickie with the huge knockers who hasn't ever used a knife let alone made toast says it's good. Stay away from the Japanese style knives. They look fantastic and are outstanding knives, but the blades are so fine they chip easily and only pros will get the best out of them.
* Walk away. Take a look around and clear your mind. Maybe have a look at the steels and stones or go ask to try on the chef uniforms. Be a little Gordon Ramsay for a moment.
* Come back and pick them all up again. Find the ones that stand out again and be critical. Is it too heavy or light, does my grip feel strange, is it too big or too small (bigger, in this case, is better), is the knife itself in good condition.
* Pick the one that is the best for you. Every knife is different as every person is different. If you have the money, buy a stone and steel. I prefer wet stones and diamond steels all the way.

 

[theism]

i'm a big fan of japanese knives
it's not very fair you are discounting them, although i do see your point.

maybe buy a global and a decent meat cleaver for the heavier bone work

 

[chefman21]

i'm a big fan of japanese knives
it's not very fair you are discounting them, although i do see your point.

maybe buy a global and a decent meat cleaver for the heavier bone work

I'm just going of my own experience, and the experiences of my peers. The only chef's I know that have Japanese knives are first year apprentices who have convinced mummy and daddy that's the best knife to get because they saw Jamie using them. Some of them even get the one's with the lacquered wooden handle. Most of the chef's I know who have more than 10 years experience stay away from them, at least for every day use. I'm not discounting them, I'm just saying you might be very disappointed with a Shun or the like when it get's a chip in it. Just be careful I say... It's a big outlay for a knife, despite it being an investment, that will only really get used once a day to chop a few veges for stir fry or a roast.

 

[scarybunny]

We use some hand-me-downs. My bf's dad bought some new knives and gave us the old ones.


Oohh he bought these Tojiro knives and suddenly everything I cut was butter.

Carrots= butter
Pumpkin= butter
Pineapple= butter

Soooo good.

 

[theism]

I'm just going of my own experience, and the experiences of my peers. The only chef's I know that have Japanese knives are first year apprentices who have convinced mummy and daddy that's the best knife to get because they saw Jamie using them. Some of them even get the one's with the lacquered wooden handle. Most of the chef's I know who have more than 10 years experience stay away from them, at least for every day use. I'm not discounting them, I'm just saying you might be very disappointed with a Shun or the like when it get's a chip in it. Just be careful I say... It's a big outlay for a knife, despite it being an investment, that will only really get used once a day to chop a few veges for stir fry or a roast.

shuns are indeed too expensive.
it's something a soccer mom would buy.
what is it? folded 17 times?

what're your thoughts on wusthof?

 

[chefman21]

Wusthof make excellent knives, worthy of any kitchen. One I don't like is Icel. Poor quality steel which don't hold their edge at all.

 

[Kwayera]

I'm just going of my own experience, and the experiences of my peers. The only chef's I know that have Japanese knives are first year apprentices who have convinced mummy and daddy that's the best knife to get because they saw Jamie using them. Some of them even get the one's with the lacquered wooden handle. Most of the chef's I know who have more than 10 years experience stay away from them, at least for every day use. I'm not discounting them, I'm just saying you might be very disappointed with a Shun or the like when it get's a chip in it. Just be careful I say... It's a big outlay for a knife, despite it being an investment, that will only really get used once a day to chop a few veges for stir fry or a roast.

What are you doing with your knives to chip them, man? What surface do you cut on?

 

[chefman21]

I bumped the edge of my work bench with my Shun. I've seen other chef's chip the edge the same way, or on bone or even a pumpkin.

 

[Kwayera]

Well I suppose the extra folding introduces a bit of brittleness - trade-off for holding its edge. Personally, I treat my knives like they are precious crystal, and cut only on wooden surfaces.

 

[chefman21]

So do I. Was under the pump at work and needed to score 10kg of squid and slice a 15kg bag of onions in an hour for a function for 300 front of house forgot to tell us about. Down to a third of a bag of onions with about 10 minutes to go and bumped it. Swore a lot after that.