# Kitchen Knives of TLF



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

We have a Blades of TLF thread, but I want to focus in on kitchen knives here...

I currently have some stamped Wusthof and Chinese Henckels. I also have some inexpensive Victorinox specialty knives like a 6-inch flexible boning knife and a 12-inch slicer.

I would like to step up my kitchen knife game - even if it's just a one at a time, but I also don't want to spend a fortune.

*What are your go-to kitchen knives? Do you standardize with one brand, or mix and match? Do you focus on quality over quantity? Or do you just buy cheap sets on sale and replace as needed?*


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## avionics12 (Jul 2, 2018)

I'm currently using a set of  Calphalon knives that work well for my daily needs. I had a set of Henkels that were amazing however I lost those in a stock split (d-i-v-o-r-c-e) a few years ago.



One thing that I have finally become accustomed to and somewhat proficient at is using the Steel for sharpening. I'm not at a pro chef level where they throw the Steel around with blinding speed yet, I get good results.

The tutorial I used to learn is: Steeling

Within the last year I have found an affinity for kitchen shears.



Ir makes the 'detail" work such as cutting fat or tendons much easier and I'm less likely to harm myself in frustration from using a knife.

One last thing I learned using this particular set is the value of using Santoku blades; my previous knife sets did not have these. Santoku

I have a recipe for "slap yo mama" sliced potatoes that benefits from very thinly sliced potatoes. I used to struggle with this, however the Santoku is helpful to get razor thin slices without the slices sticking to the blade surface.

I like to keep a standardized set, negating my OCD tendencies for order in my world...


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

Without a doubt the best bang for the buck chef's knife is this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B008M5U1C2/ref=sxin_1_osp1-fa62b0b2_cov?ascsubtag=fa62b0b2-6edc-434b-90c8-11efdac5e347&creativeASIN=B008M5U1C2&cv_ct_cx=victorinox+chef+knife&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osp.fa62b0b2-6edc-434b-90c8-11efdac5e347&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_wn=osp-search&keywords=victorinox+chef+knife&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B008M5U1C2&pd_rd_r=fc0bd0cc-7a9f-4556-88c5-384ab5b82809&pd_rd_w=wS1VG&pd_rd_wg=D9SgB&pf_rd_p=140a205b-f67a-4c02-ac82-821d6da2ec96&pf_rd_r=8W5SE321CH7S0MQJEV1W&qid=1579717383&sprefix=victorinix+chef&sr=1-1-615b83a6-f89c-4634-9273-840b7b69692d&tag=popularscience_os-20

I have it and I love it. The handle is so-so but is comfortable and it just is a joy to use. It holds an edge well and the blade of the knife is a great thickness to be solid and still slice right through tomatoes worth ease.

Highly recommended.


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## Kicker (Apr 5, 2018)

We have a small block of Wusthof Classic (Came with a 10" chefs knife, pairing knife, bread slicer, and shears.)

I've since added: a classic 7" nakiri, a gourmet 12" slicer, an additional classic 3" pairing knife, a classic 6 or 7" cleaver, a classic carving knife & fork, and most recently a classic butcher knife

Of these my primary go-to's are the Nakiri, butcher knife, and pairing knife.

I've had most of these for several years and am looking at good methods to sharpen them. I have a  Minosharp 3 knife sharpener, a  wusthof 2 stage sharpener, and a small diamond plate kit for my pocket knives.

None of these methods really give me a satisfying edge for my kitchen knives. I've started to look into wet stones as a method to getting the edge back to as close to factory.

Does anyone have or use wetstones and have a recomendation for stones, holder, methods, etc.???


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

I've used several and always come back to the old cheapies:

https://www.amazon.com/Smiths-PP1-Pocket-Multifunction-Sharpener/dp/B000O8OTNC/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?keywords=knife+sharpener&qid=1579723030&sprefix=knife+sh&sr=8-17


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Kicker said:


> Does anyone have or use wetstones and have a recomendation for stones, holder, methods, etc.???


I have a Wicked Edge sharpener. They're not cheap, but it's an almost foolproof method for maintaining proper angles.


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

Ware said:


> I would like to step up my kitchen knife game - even if it's just a one at a time, but I also don't want to spend a fortune.


I would personally buy the best thin, carbon steel, 8" chefs knife you can afford. No need to have a complete set if the 8" will do just about everything if you have the skillset.

Bob Kramer has some of the best knives you can buy. However, I rather buys stocks with my money. So, I would suggest looking at something like this which might be the next knife for the wife.


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## Kicker (Apr 5, 2018)

Ware said:


> Kicker said:
> 
> 
> > Does anyone have or use wetstones and have a recomendation for stones, holder, methods, etc.???
> ...


  You said "not cheap"... I certainly wasn't expecting that.. oof.

I've recently heard of DALSTRONG knives. I don't know a lot about them but they have a lot of choices and seem to be decent quality.


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

I have a standard set of Wusthof knives that are used daily. Being a knife nut I have a couple of Spyderco kitchen knives that I use as well. My favorites are the Funayuki and the Corian Cook's knife.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

TulsaFan said:


> However, I rather buys stocks with my money.


Now you're talkin'.


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## daniel3507 (Jul 31, 2018)

Ware said:


> Kicker said:
> 
> 
> > Does anyone have or use wetstones and have a recomendation for stones, holder, methods, etc.???
> ...


Wow. That looks like a really nice setup and they seem damn proud of it. Another option for people could be a Lansky system for around $40.


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## SWB (Sep 22, 2018)

Henckels twin cermax line.....great knives. 
I have a local sharpening company I take them to that keeps them razor sharp for me.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I'm a fan of the Shun knifes. I like the shape of the handle.

My suggestion is to go to William Sonoma or Sur la Table store. They have a wide selection of knifes, cutting boards and carrots for you to try and get a feel for what you like.

For sharpening, I use a 1000 / 6000 whetstone.


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## dacoyne (May 27, 2018)

g-man said:


> I'm a fan of the Shun knifes. I like the shape of the handle.
> 
> My suggestion is to go to William Sonoma or Sur la Table store. They have a wide selection of knifes, cutting boards and carrots for you to try and get a feel for what you like.
> 
> For sharpening, I use a 1000 / 6000 whetstone.


We are also a Shun only house.


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## Kicker (Apr 5, 2018)

g-man said:


> I'm a fan of the Shun knifes. I like the shape of the handle.
> 
> My suggestion is to go to William Sonoma or Sur la Table store. They have a wide selection of knifes, cutting boards and carrots for you to try and get a feel for what you like.
> 
> For sharpening, I use a 1000 / 6000 whetstone.


@g-man  What stones do you use? do you have a link?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Something like this will work.

KING KW65 1000/6000 Grit Combination Whetstone with Plastic Base https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DT1X9O/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_oQIkEbG2A2RQD

There are multiple YouTube videos that show how to use it. This is one from Alex.
https://youtu.be/PC5mWYgiNlg


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## testwerke (Apr 4, 2019)

Wusthof Ikon


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

I only paid $19.95 (as seen on TV) for my Ginsu knives . . .


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## mtroo (Jul 31, 2018)

Three years ago, my wife and I were in Tokyo visiting our oldest son. We went to a small knife shop in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture. The shop was established in 1842 and the current proprietor of the shop is the 11th Machiya Kan-emon of the Machikan knife shop. These knives are hand made on site. The artisan gets the blade unbelievably sharp. This is by far my favorite knife, but not necessarily my most expensive knife. Part of it is sentimental I suppose, but part of it is undeniable workmanship. It is a thing of beauty. This knife is the bottom knife in picture.

I have 2 Bob Kramer knives when he collaborated with Shun. These are a 6 and 8 inch chef knives. Quite nice, Damascus steel, But just not the same as the Machikan knife. At some point, someone in the house used one of these to pry something open. Argh.

The one I use most is a Chinese vegetable cleaver. Unbelievably useful in the kitchen. Smash garlic, tenderize meat (don't cleave meat/bones with it), use it as a scoop. Scary sharp. If you have not used a Chinese veggie cleaver, you really ought to at least explore them. A different concept than a western chef knife, but very useful. The top knife is a Shun Kaji Vegetable Cleaver.

I also use a Wicked Edge sharpener. Expensive, but I have tried several other systems including the Edge Pro, and this is by far my favorite one to use.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

TulsaFan said:


> ...Bob Kramer has some of the best knives you can buy. However, I rather buys stocks with my money. So, I would suggest looking at something like this which might be the next knife for the wife.


Interesting story about where he got his start...


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

Ware said:


> TulsaFan said:
> 
> 
> > ...Bob Kramer has some of the best knives you can buy. However, I rather buys stocks with my money. So, I would suggest looking at something like this which might be the next knife for the wife.
> ...


Very interesting. I googled knife schools in Arkansas and was surprised how many hits came up. :shock:


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

TulsaFan said:


> I would personally buy the best thin, carbon steel, 8" chefs knife you can afford. No need to have a complete set if the 8" will do just about everything if you have the skillset.
> 
> Bob Kramer has some of the best knives you can buy. However, I rather buys stocks with my money. So, I would suggest looking at something like this *which might be the next knife for the wife.*


All Kramer by Zwilling is 20% off through this Wednesday at Cutlery and More. :thumbup:


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

Ware said:


> All Kramer by Zwilling is 20% off through this Wednesday at Cutlery and More. :thumbup:


Thanks for the tip! It should be here on Wednesday! :thumbup:

Lets just hope it's worth $61 plus (2) pairs of John Deere transport wheels. :shock:


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

Never even knew this thread existed 😳. I started my journey for real knives a few months ago as I had a mixed bag of junk. Found a Reddit forum that was helpful and was a good place to explore.

I couldn't bring myself to just order a knife online just based on a suggestion so I went down to a few local places (Bed Bath and Beyond, Sur La Table). This way I was able to put my hands on western and Japanese handles. Right out the gate I like the feel of the Miyabi handles.

Bought my first two knives at SLT (one on sale the other normal price) and they gave me a 10% veteran discount on both! After searching online I found that BB&B sold the Miyabi line online only. So I went into a local BB&B and asked if I ordered could I use the 20% coupons they offer? I was shocked when they said yes...

From that point on I ordered the remainder of the knives I wanted when they went on sale and also applied 20% coupons. Long story short I believe I have some quality knives at a great price thru research and patience... Here they are with my cheap Walmart cutting board 🤣


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

ctrav said:


>


Very nice collection!!! :thumbup:


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

TulsaFan said:


> ctrav said:
> 
> 
> >
> ...


Thanks...game changers!


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

I use Tramontina knives in the kitchen, and my wife really likes them. Dishwasher safe, easy to sharpen.

If I spend serious money on knives, it is for fishing, camping, landscaping, and personal defense uses.


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## jprez (Oct 25, 2019)

If you really want to up your knife game from wusthof and shun, go to chefknivestogo.com. That were you are going to find really good knives, from hand made work horses to collectibles and art pieces. My favorite it's the Gihei blue #2 240mm gyuto. The house brand, Kohetsu are good too. Do spend some time searching there are bargains and hidden gems to be found. I warn you that's a rabbit hole


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## Kallgren (Nov 10, 2018)

> I warn you that's a rabbit hole


I'm sure it is. I added this to my set over the holidays. The other knives are Wustof classic which we've had about fourteen years.



There is a so called zwilling-Henkel outlet not too far, spendy but 50% off "list" price.


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## rob13psu (May 20, 2018)

I use my Henckels 10" carbon steel knife pretty much everyday. The Victorinox slicer is also a great knife for a great price.


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## BobLovesGrass (Jun 13, 2020)

We have a set of Cutco which we bought as charity from a friend's daughter who was selling one summer.
Have a few Wustof.
Have a 10" Shun chefs knife for large slicing tasks. Is the dimpled damascus version, won't spend that much on a knife again. Is very nice but i don't feel worth the price, and the cringe when the wife mistreats it.

Have the proper steel for the Shun, and a Ken Onion worksharp. I don't feel i have mastered using it but it is a nice piece of equipment.


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## BadDogPSD (Jul 9, 2020)

We have a Wustof Classic collection that has accumulated over the past few decades. I was using a Spyderco Sharpmaker, but recently switched to the Ken Onion Worksharp. Would like to try one of the Wicked Edge (or something similar), but have a hard time justifying the cost!


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

BadDogPSD said:


> ...Would like to try one of the Wicked Edge (or something similar), but have a hard time justifying the cost!


I really like my Wicked Edge, but they are pricey.

I wish I had time to sit in the garage and put mirror finishes on my blades while listening to Tom Gresham on the radio, but with small children life is just been too busy for that.

That's where I think something like the Ken Onion Work Sharp would really shine - a nice utility edge, with minimal effort, in a reasonable amount of time.


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## Huff (Oct 22, 2018)

Gilley11 said:


> Without a doubt the best bang for the buck chef's knife is this one:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B008M5U1C2/ref=sxin_1_osp1-fa62b0b2_cov?ascsubtag=fa62b0b2-6edc-434b-90c8-11efdac5e347&creativeASIN=B008M5U1C2&cv_ct_cx=victorinox+chef+knife&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osp.fa62b0b2-6edc-434b-90c8-11efdac5e347&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_wn=osp-search&keywords=victorinox+chef+knife&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B008M5U1C2&pd_rd_r=fc0bd0cc-7a9f-4556-88c5-384ab5b82809&pd_rd_w=wS1VG&pd_rd_wg=D9SgB&pf_rd_p=140a205b-f67a-4c02-ac82-821d6da2ec96&pf_rd_r=8W5SE321CH7S0MQJEV1W&qid=1579717383&sprefix=victorinix+chef&sr=1-1-615b83a6-f89c-4634-9273-840b7b69692d&tag=popularscience_os-20
> 
> ...


Without a doubt, a great knife for the money. I was so impressed by the quality for the cost, I've since picked up the fibrox bread knife, 10" slicer, boning knife, filet knife, serrated slicer and a set of steak knives. The Granton blade slicer is the ticket for thin slicing brisket, ham, turkey breast, etc.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

It's been my go to kitchen knife ever since I got it. It doesn't have a fancy handle but it's a joy to use.


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