On the back of the recent Global knives thread I feel the need to upgrade my kitchen knives.
Budget up to about £500 so apart from Global what should I consider and where should I buy.
Only really need 3 knives as half the ones in my current block don't get used
Nice stuff but they are US based, would prefer a UK dealer.
Zwilling 4 Star
Had ours years
https://www.zwilling.com/us/en/serie...four_star.html
Ian
I use Wusthof Classic knives and can't fault them. Had them for years now. Iirc I bought a part set or was able to swap out options from the block so I only bought what I thought would be used and this have proven to be the case. I have a 20cm and a 14cm cooks knife, bread knife, carving knife and fork, two vegetable/paring knives and a steel. I later picked up some scissors to round out the block. The best knife by far for all round use is the 20cm cooks knife. The Classic is a big range of knives and you can get them in loads of stores so you can go and handle them and make sure you actually like the feel in hand which is an important part of picking a set.
Have a look here.
http://www.japaneseknifecompany.com/
got some zwilling 4 star that have done me years I also have a set of Yaxell Ran that are rather sharp, but I am expecting more of a drama keeping them sharp as the angles are all different on this sort.
A company called steamer trading often have some sort of deal on these btw
definately not a fan of Global- can't get on with the handle design on those,for some reason
Make you sure get the appropriate sharpening equipment to go along with it. Lots of people seem to spend huge amounts of kitchen knives and then use cheap horrible sharpening equipment. Its primary purpose is to be sharp but I see some of my friends and family letting their £500 knives run blunt and then poorly sharpening them to a level where they might as well have just spent £50 on the set and had the same result.
What do you recommend?Originally Posted by Complex
They're based in Japan. You will pay a large premium to buy the same in the UK.
I would recommend you get a 240mm gyuto.
Last edited by ernestrome; 6th March 2018 at 13:25.
Kai Shun are my go to knives in the house. We have Global as well but I’ll always reach for a Kai given the choice.
I have knives from the Japanese Knife Co. They used to be on Blandford St and are now on the corner of Baker St. I think the model may have changed a bit, but I have a small paring knife and nakiri similar to this http://www.japaneseknifecompany.com/...ers-collection. I'm getting a gyuto next.
Think was asked a couple of weeks ago. I rate Wustof classic. I think I mentioned in the other thread I was advised to go for Western made knives as they're more suited to our food (harder veg etc), the Japanese made knives are thinner generally and more suited to their food stuffs ( generally softer).
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I’m looking at knives too but my budget is slightly less than yours OP.
Maybe going for style over substance but I’m
considering these Porsche Design ones.
https://www.millyskitchenstore.co.uk...uct-18241.html
That's laughable!
Fair enough. Makes sense to me. Thinner blade with a more acute chopping angle loses it edge faster chopping harder foods than a thicker blase with more obtuse angle.
I’ve heard the same.....
Japanese knives sharpen at a more acute 20 degrees than European ones -the Japanese ones are therefore far more fragile yet keener- best suited to finer work like sushimi and stuff like that.
The Henkels take a great edge but being ice hardened also tend to notch more easily if sharpened carelessly
Obsessive? Maybe, but when you’re looking at an outlay such as the OP has in mind, you’ll want to be informed.
Might be slightly thinner and yes have a different angle but I’ve used Kai Shun knives for the last 10 years and can assure you the cope with anything you can throw at them. I give them a quick sharpen with a Chefs Choice sharpener every 2/3 months
https://richmondcookshop.co.uk/produ...iABEgL_1vD_BwE
https://richmondcookshop.co.uk/index...ath=23_477_284
What does James Martin et al use on TV? They always seem to do a quick and easy looking job (yes, I know he's a professional chef)
When I bought my Wusthof set I looked at the Globals as they were quite new and trendy then. I recall being told they lost their edge quicker due to the angle and you needed a "proper" sharpener for them. Also that they were more fragile and if dropped might break. Tbh I didn't really take to the handles so either way I did not get them.
Like a lot of them he lends his name to a range called Stellar so maybe those?
I'm pretty sure ranges like Victrinox used to win the Which awards any on a price/performance basis.
Jesus, I couldn't tell you if I know anyone who's spent £500 on kitchen knives. I certainly never expected any of my friends and family coming round and inspecting the sharpness of my kitchen knives. I feel terribly ashamed.
James Martin has a lovely looking blue handle knife which has appeared on various shows over the years. I’ve never been able to find anything similar online, no doubt it’s serious money.
I’d say 90 - 95% of the time the DM-0702 is what I’ll use.
Spending 500€ on kitchen knives
BEFORE buying them do your research on sharpening high end knives and be sure you know what you are doing
You mean he doesn’t use is own range thats in tkmax?!
very good advice
I sharpen with Whetstones up to 8000 which is IMHO enough for a very nice edge but takes time to master and worth practising on cheapies 1st very theraputic
I have a few Kin knives, great value for money, this one is one of my favourites, it's carbon steel so needs looking after not as big as it looks and is super sharp
https://www.kinknives.com/kobe-knive...-165mm-59.aspx
main site here
https://www.kinknives.com/
The good lady wife sent me on a knife skills course at the michel Roux Jr cookery school at the cactus kitchens (where they film saturday kitchen), all the knives used there were Global, great course if
you want to know how to use your knife!
Steve B
- - - Updated - - -
Do you go to London much Ben?
There is a cookware shop just outside borough market with a good knife selection AND a bag of carrots etc so you can actually try them out.
Borough Kitchen Cook Shop
16 Borough High St, London SE1 9QG
020 3302 4260
https://goo.gl/maps/2w2UfuvT8GJ2
Don't be out of the global though, I used to be a professional chef and my globals are 25 years old and still going strong in daily use. They are the most comfortable knives I have owned. I also have big heavy German stuff but never use it. Japanese all the way.
All you need is a decent santouku and a small veg knife.
Last edited by jmitch; 6th March 2018 at 21:05.
Or you could get just one knife from will catcheside, if your budget stretches that far.
It’s something like this https://www.kinknives.com/itou-knive...180mm-130.aspx
I’d love to see a set of 6 for £20 in TKMax
Now that sharpener looks interesting. Will research that, nothing has made the globals as sharp as box fresh.
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Have a look at Flint and Flame. Had a pair for a couple years and very good, hold their edge nicely
Over time I am probably approaching this sort of money on knives and stones, although some of the knives I made myself.
You should be able to get a very good gyuto or chef's knife for 60-150 pounds, sigh you can spend much more. If buying Japanese most people find the lightness means they can tolerate a longer knife than if you buy a European style knife. My wife will happy use the 9 inch/240mm gyuto we have, and we had a 260ish knife for a while.
A smaller knife is handy, either a 5 or 6 inch parer or boning knife style, or some will prefer a very small parer in the 3-4 inch range. A bread knife would be my third knife, the victorinox bread/pastry knife is very good and pretty enough in rosewood, buy the longer one.
For sharpening, either one of the mino sharp type ceramic wheel gadgets or a set of waterstones are good. I would start with a 500 or 700 grit Bester and then a 2000 grit naniwa chosera or similar, followed by a 6000 or 8000 grit finishing stone. I have 800, 4000, 6000, 12000 progression which I built up over time and a ezelap coarse/fine diamond plate. Chosera ceramic stones are great but not cheap. Buy the big wide stones, rather than narrower, they are more expensive but easier to use. When you are competent buy an extra coarse diamond plate, it is very beneficial for speed but can do a lot of damage. Definitely practice on an old knife first.
Thanks guys, you have given me a lot of pointers and options but I do feel that being able to handle knives before I buy would be beneficial and given my location that’s not easy but am heading up to London in the summer that that may help.
Global are available nearly everywhere so these can be tried and I have not ruled these out.
As for sharpening I would be taking the easy option of a Minosharp, quick,easy and with little room for error is very appealing.
I do like the look of the Flint and Flame range of knives and look to be a good buy from the few reviews I have read. I would love to kit myself out with a few from Will Catchside but in reality they would be a waste on me.
I think the best off the shelf knife I have is a Tojiru santoku style knife with a Damascus blade. Its superbly weighty, easy to sharpen (with a stone or rather two stones) and perfect for heavy duty work like a butternut squash or similar.
However, the very best kitchen knife I have was custom made for me by these guys - http://tkknives.com/cs - it is on their portfolio as Etriel and it looks more or less like this:
It is a large, general purpose chef's knife with a wonderfully slim blade, that sharpens like a dream and and handles perfectly. Dealing with them and working out the detailed specifications for my knife was a real pleasure and I highly recommend them.
I'd build a set around the MAC Pro line, specifically the MTH-80 or MBK-95 depending on which size Chef's knife fits your preference.
https://www.macknife.com/collections...dimples-mth-80
And I'd add in a Victorinox Fibrox handled slicing knife, and bread knife, instead of the fancy MAC ones. They are really good at these tasks.
https://www.swissarmy.com/us/en/Prod...fe/p/5.4723.30
https://www.swissarmy.com/us/en/Prod...fe/p/5.2533.21
despite recognising that the French know a thing or two about food..........
I just cannot get to grips with Sabattier knives. The small, thin handles seem at odds with the size of the blades and most peoples' hands.
Really don't enjoy using them!
Anyone like them?
A few years ago a friend bought me a ceramic bladed knife as a Christmas present; similar to THIS one. I think you would be hard pressed to get anything sharper.
Sabatier are made by different companies on a franchise basis - some are good and some are shit. Personally I would avoid them.
For a truly amazing cheap knife look at Kuhn Rikon - they don’t have the weight you need for a full on chef’s knife but they are otherwise brilliant for the money.
Having done a load of reading these appeal to me for various reasons
https://www.togknives.com/
Anyone have real world experience of these?
I like the fact that the firm is local and the founder has spent a lot of time developing and testing the knives in the real world to get them right.
My daughter is a professional cook, and she says that Victorinox is very good value for money.
Last edited by johant; 12th March 2018 at 23:51.
Some very attractive and seemingly useful designs there!
I have a set of his steak knives, they are very nice.
I have a pair too, lovely things.
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