kitchen knives...

Tom, I'm curious... these days it seems like there's Henckel, then there's Henckel. Since they've become so popular, I've encountered some crap knives bearing the Henckel stamp; the steel just isn't the same as on my mom's set. Have they branched into offering both mass-market and high-quality knives?

Agreed though, good Henckel knives (if still available) are very good.

Jay

Indeed Henckel do a nice knife, I would say for someone who does not use them daily however that they may feel a bit heavy, plus I felt that they did not have the best balance.

A lighter touch would of course be the Global range of knives, but these are expensive.

I also rate the Lion Sabatier knife range from Le Cruseat (sorry thats spelt wrong) these knives are particuarly good and a lovely balance.

Anyhoo, take a visit too www.nisbets.co.uk they have a really good range of knives.

One thing is for certain, any knife that comes in a case, or with 6 free steak knives if a bunch of crap, do not be fooled, I would say for a set of six knives you want to be spending at least £150, unless you want a really poor catering experience on a daily basis!

Global knives.

No knife will stay sharp forever.

To keep the edge on a knife, use a "steel" which doesn't use grooves or ceramic, but uses a diamond coated surface. This way you get a finer finish and it doesn't rip the edge.

If you haven't got one, invest in an end grain maple chopping board. This is how you keep the edge of your knife sharp.

Global is my opinion, the rest is fact.

Tom,

Matthew will be annoyed that your answer wasn't long enough or helpful enough.

Jayed, Henckel, like sabatier and Wilton carpets is simply a brand name, which yes have sold out down the line, its a shame but thats business.

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So?

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Exactly.

Ken, I'm not sure what brands are available in your area but I've owned both Henckels and Wusthof which are popular, reasonably priced brands of kitchen knives in the US (from Germany).

With Henckels, I owned the now discontinued Four Star series (replaced by Five Star, which uses a very similar design). These used a molded handle:

I didn't like this style because when wet it was slippery, as a result of the synthetic material used in the handle, the lack of rivets, and the back end of the handle and how it all fit in my hands. I sold my set on eBay.

I now own the Classic set from Wusthof. These knives use a classic riveted handle:

Wusthof also offers a molded handle series, similar to the Henckels Four Star. Similarly, Henckels also offer a riveted handle series. I like the riveted handle since it provides a solid grip. I recommend that you visit a shop and grip a few knives from various brands to see what fits best for you.

I've also found the Wusthof knives to hold a better edge after sharpening. I once borrowed a fancy, high horsepower motorized sharpener from a friend, but I feared honing my knives down to a nub. Now I use a cheap ($30?) manual sharpener:


The motorized unit and this one were both from Chef's Choice, who claim that due to the angles of the stones in their sharpeners and the 2-stage process, sharp edges hold longer (the resulting edge is double-angled(?)). I find this to be true. Another option is to not buy a sharpener and bring your knives to a shop that sells knives to caterers and professional chefs- they typically offer a sharpening service.

Finally, I use a good sharpening steel after each use of each knife, to realign the "bent" edge- this minimizes the frequency of sharpening needed.

We have a set of Victorinox, the company who makes the Swiss Army knife.

The blade is solid forged and the tang runs the full length of the handle.

They are expensive but will last a lifetime.

Regards

Mick

Yes Mick they are also a good knife, but I fear this thread will turn into look how big my penis is, and there for traditional wooden handled knifes may fall on deaf ears.

Does anyone have views or experance of using ceramic knives? every now and then these tools creep into the Sunday lifestyle supplements and I wondered if real people used them at all. I tend to use Sabatir (purchased in the earlt 70's when the name ment something) with a good steel and wood block but now I'm looking for something new.

Any ideas??

Roy


Roy

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I use a good sharpening steel after each use of each knife

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Yikes!

I know nothing of your knives, but a good knife really doesn't need to be sharpened that much. It always makes me laugh when I see chefs on tv impersonating D'Artagnan before cutting.

A chef showed me a way to test the sharpness of a knife; if you can slice a tomato easily without squashing it, it's sharp enough. Of course it all depends on the ripeness, but it works for me.

Garyi, check your PT's please.

Gary said:

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Yes Mick they are also a good knife, but I fear this thread will turn into look how big my penis is

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Mick said:

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The blade is solid forged and the tang runs the full length

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I don't think Mrs Mick will have any complaints.

Count.d,

Relax. Steels do nothing but realign the edge. It doesn't remove steel from the blade like a lathe spewing curly chips everywhere.

I could be wrong in which case I'll dearly miss my rather extravagant routine.

many thanks guys. quite a lot of information there. i will visit each of the websites mentioned and hopefully will obtain enough information to make a choice.

enjoy

ken

Henckel are good and Sabatier less so, but courtesy of Santa I can state that Global leaves both well and truly in the shade. Think hot knife through butter with any food produce and you get the picture. The balance is perfect and they look cooler than a very cool thing. Believe me these things scare the hell out of you. The Shinkansen water sharpener dooda is also very sexy and designed for use only with Global. http://www.kitchenknivesdirect.co.uk/ are fantastic for this stuff

A little terminology research, and I found that I own Wusthof's "honing steel" (daily use) as opposed to a "diamond sharpening steel" (less frequent use).

So, Ken, be aware of that difference (as I was not).

EDIT: I just ordered a 10" diamond sharpening steel. Exciting, I know.

[This message was edited by Ludwig on SUNDAY 11 January 2004 at 21:26.]

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Originally posted by count.d:
Global knives.

No knife will stay sharp forever.

Global is my opinion, the rest is fact.


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Looks like we agree on the choice of one kind of kitchen appliance.

Yes Global, but make sure you get their stone with it.

I do use a steel that takes less time but not recommended by the manufacturer.

Peter Gordon, a London based Kiwi celebrity chef swears by them too.

And dont cut yourself, they are bloody sharp (funny that)

Another votes for Global but, if I can indulge in some shameless name-dropping, when my wife was talking to Komin Yamada (the designer) he said don't bother with the stone as it's over-priced! We use a steel too. They don't need sharpening very often.

duncan

Email: djcritchley at hotmail.com

If both Jonathon Hales and myself agree on a kitchen appliance, there really is no other choice.

djc said "They don't need sharpening very often."

I only have to sharpen mine, with the Global diamond steel, about once a month at the most and this is on one of my knives I use daily.

Right,

Lets raise the bar!

Who makes the best pots and pans?

I vote Aga for best skillet and WMF for pots.

Both pricey, both brilliant.

I`ve used a few over the years, though none surpasses our 25 year old Victorinox for "feel" and staying sharp...I agree with Mick here

We also use Fissler pots and pans, & reckon they`re great

Laurie S

Reading this thread has made me think that my old (wooden handled) Victorinox might be coming up for relacement.

Anyone know who stocks them/where the best place to get them?

Laurie S

Henckel Professional S - pricy, but truly the best knives I've ever used. True, I only own an 8" Cooks Knife and the small veg knife, but they are IMHO second to none...

John

TC '..'
"Sun went down in honey. Moon came up in wine. Stars were spinnin' dizzy, Lord, the band kept us so busy we forgot about the time."

Most knives now seem to be Stainless steel which will not hold an edge for very long. It is still possible to get a carbon steel knife which will discolour and look dull and knackered (which is why poncy useless stainless has come in of course - because it looks nice!!). Get a carbon steel knife if you can find one. An everyday 10" knife will probably cost £70-90, but will last a lifetime. Don't immerse the handles in washing up water though, or the steel will rust and force that handle sides off the rivetts eventually. My wife lost my 8" carbon steel knife by taking it to a kids party to cut the cake!!!!!!(can you believe it??). It never came home. I replaced it with a £60 stainless steel knife, and I can't use it. Absolute rubbish. It has to be carbon steel. I'm still bloody angry about it two years later..
My wife doesn't cook. She warms things up in the oven.

Many husbands are attacked with them in UK (usually on drunken Sunday afternoons) quite a few are fatal, innit.

Fritz Von Replicakitchenkniveswhy