Cutlery questions

[canned smoke]

As mentioned in a previous thread I normally have done nothing but a little trimming on spares and such before smoking them. This weekend I decided to learn how to cut spares St. Louis style. Well, these old kitchen knives from the 70's just ain't cuttin it no more.

I want to get a decent set but not one that would require a second mortgage. What brands do you use, and what blades (cleaver, boning, etc) should be a part of the set. I have looked at a few brands like Chicago Cutlery and Faberware but not sure what holds an edge and are of decent quality.

Any and all posts are welcome. Thanks

 

[geek with fire]

I can't stear you towards fine cutlery as I'm too cheap to buy any. Though, if I had a nice stash, I'd probably buy Wusthof or Shun. But honestly, if you have any mechanical ability, I think a decent sharpener is worth its weight in gold. I could shave with a $10 chef from walmart. Fine steel will sharpen easier and hold it's edge longer. But any steel can be sharp if you know what you are doing. The key is to get a sharpener that has a jig to hold the perfect angle. I got mine from Lowes for about $25. I sharpen my chef (lightly) about every 2 weeks and every thing else about every 2-3 months.

 

[ashman]

I have a mix of Henckels and Wusthof, a boning knife, 8" chefs, 5" utility, 7" Santoku. I too am interested in thoughts on what types of cutlery are recommended. I am considering a good clever also and but not sure if I really need it.

 

[bbqhead]

I like FORSCHINER knifes, I mainly use the boning knife all around. the slicing knife is nice too. there are others that are more expensive,others that are less, but a good quality knife is a long time investment.

 

[tn_bbq]

Keep a sharp edge on whatever your budget allows.

I have a set of Henckel's 4-stars that I use exclusively in my kitchen and am pleased with them (just had them resharpened). You can get a good deal on them if you buy them in a set (6 or 8 knives for <$200).

What I find myself using rather frequently around the BBQ smoker is a Black & Decker electric and an el-cheapo cleaver and boning knife. The key is to keep them sharp.

I saw what looked like a nice set of knives (and dirt cheap) at Sam's club. If didn't already have a bunch of knives I would have snatched them up (I think they were Wolfgang Puck brand).

 

[albeesmokin]

Hey folks. I too have a very old set of Henckels that I'm not sure can be saved.
#1) what's the best method of telling if these are past their prime.
#2) I'm knife sharpening stupid. I have tried the sharpener that came with the set..but don't know what i'm doing. I tried a handheld sharpener too..no luck.

#3) anybody try the ceramic knives.

My wife and I were at one of those outlet mall type places (hey there's a bass pro there) Anyhow they had a kitchen supply/gadget store there. They had several top brand name knives and knife sets for 1/2 what a regular retailer sells them for. Try one of those places if you have one near.
There's one of those outlets in Terrell, TX, several around Dallas and Austin. The one I am speaking of is in Shreveport, LA. Anyhow, that's my 2Cents.

 

[bluefrog]

Bryan, most likely if you take your knives to your local grocery store's meat dept. they will sharpen your knives for you at no charge. If not , find another grocery store!

Scott

 

[jirodriguez]

The most important thing about a knife is how does it feel in your hand. You could drop big bucks on a brand name and find out you can't stand to work with it. Go to a store that carries lots of brands and styles and check the heft, feel, grip, ect. till you find what you like. If the knives are all locked in cases ask for assistance and explain to them what you are needing to do.

I personaly have been using an old Gerber 8" chef, and some OXO Pro series. The Gerber has great steel, its a $%^# to sharpen, but once you get a good edge on it, it will hold that edge for a looong time. The OXO's are cheaper, but I love the grips on them - very slip resistant. I am right handed and am missing my pinki on my right hand, so I have lost about 20-30% of my gripping streangth. But the OXO's feel great and give me that extra sense of comfort and grip that I need.

 

[tn_bbq]

I have a $15 clever and use it all the time to hack chickens and ribs.


The "sharpener" that comes in most sets is NOT a sharpener (does it look like a fencing sword?). That is a honing steel and does not sharpen the knife. It merely "straightens" it.

Sharpening a knife isn't rocket science...especially once you get the hang of it. FWIW, I'd "invest" in one of those Lansky kits that keeps everything at the proper angle.

I'm fortunate that the local knife shop www.smkw.com sharpens knives for next to nothing ($1 per knife...whereas typical charge is closer to $1 per inch). The suggestion about checking with the butcher is a GREAT idea that I hadn't thought of.

 

[meandmytwodogs]

My specialty knives are Forschiner. They are inexpensive to buy as far as quality knives goes. My 7" boner (chuckle) was only $15 with a Microban anti microbial blade and my Chef's knife w/ the same blade was only $20 or $25. I get them at a restaurant supply store in Omaha. I was first turned on to these knives by a friend of mine who spent several years in the meat packing houses around Nebraska and Iowa. He used the boning knife to dismantle an entire cow's leg in 1 minute all day long, literaly. I figured he was as good a source as any to take a recomendation from.

Dave

 

[meat hunter]

There was a similar thread about knives not long ago. I use Henckels in the kitchen. If you do not want to buy an entire set of knives but still want quality, check out the salvation army or goodwill stores. You can find some very expensive FORGED knives there. Granted, they will be used, and you most likely will not find a matching set, but a good forged knife is the way to go. Plus, you can get them for only a dollar or two.
Also, like mentioned here, a quality knife sharpener is paramount. Lanksy makes a great one, I use mine all the time, and gatco makes a great one. Both can be had I believe for around 20-25 bucks and will last you a lifetime.

 

[mballi3011]

I have several very good knifes 3 henkals 2 8" chef and a 6" boning and they are scarey sharp and nobody but me uses or cleans them. Thaay are that sharp. I also have a 6" ceramic knife that is very handy for smaller jobs. I also have a 12" cutco that is pretty good to.

 

[rickw]

I have a set of Boker knifes that weren't to awful much and are decent knives. I also have a Forschiner 8" chefs knife, steak knives and their bread knife.

Let me tell you this; the Bokers hardly ever get used now. The Forschiners are heads and shoulders above them. I can without reservations recommend the Forschiners knifes.

 

[hemi]

My ''do everything'' knife is a used 8'' gerber kitchen knife I got off Ebay for 10.00 and a bit of shiping. A bit tough to sharpen but with a bit of care it will shave your arm about any time U pick it up. with a little care U can do alright on ebay but sometimes the folks use shipping charges for
part of their profit margin. Shipping has to be watched or all of a sudden
U ain't saving any money. Hemi..

 

[zeeker]

My favorite is my 8.25 Kershaw Kai Shun. Just love it...

 

[grampyskids]

I have Heinkels and Wusthoffs, but the knives I use most often are my Forschner's. I decided to order some off of Amazon after they were recommended by AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN. For about $25, I got an 8" chef's knife plus a paring knife. Last month I picked up a 7" flexible filet knife for $12. In over a year's worth of everyday use (even having my kitchen challenged wife use them when I am not looking), I have never sharpened them! A few quick strokes across the steel and they are very sharp.

 

[jirodriguez]

Glad to see I'm not the only one with one of the old gerber chef knives. Once gerber got bought by Henkle, Henkle downgraded the quality of steel in the gerber cooking knives.

 

[hemi]

I read yer post but got carried away and forgot to mention it... sorry..

Hemi

 

[oldschoolbbq]

I don't put a lot of money into my cutlery. I have a Chef,a boneing, a paring and an oyster knife(s). They all come from a Rest. supplier. Sam's and Wally World would have good knives too. I also have a Chinese Cleaver(cheap) and keep them all sharp with a cheap 'Smiths' sharpening system. Every week or two, I get away to myself and put a little edge on them, I have a good edge whenever I need it and make my prep. easier.
A little preventative maintenence saves a lot of Scratch!
Just sayin'
have fun and,
SMOKE HAPPY
Stan aka Old School

 

[scubadoo97]

I agree that maintaining a knife is more important than the knife itself. Even the best hand forged Japanese knife will become dull at some point. If you don't sharpen it, it will not cut well. I suggest RBH get a good sharpener. The best quide system is the EdgePro. Maybe a little pricy but it's one of the best quide system sharpeners on the market. I know people who after getting the EdgePro have sharpened everything with and edge in their house. Even the butter knives are shaving sharp.