Good general purpose knife

phelixoflaherty

What would be a good general purpose knifefor kitchen, chopping etc? sick of sharpening. dont mind paying over the odds for it

Minder

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055228995

gothwalk

Peculiarly, the best knife I own (so far) is one I picked up in a street market in Crete about 10 years ago for, at the time, pennies. There's no brand, no maker's mark; it's just a bit of sharpened steel with a wooden handle riveted on, and yet it cuts like no other knife I own. When I picked it up, I was invited by the stall-holder to try it on a lemon, and I couldn't believe the way it sank through it.

This isn't a lot of help in recommending a knife, of course, but I would say it points out that there's value in trying before you buy.

Swampy

I use global.

A good chefs knife will get you through most jobs.

bonkey

phelixoflaherty wrote: »

What would be a good general purpose knifefor kitchen, chopping etc? sick of sharpening.

Sharpening goes hand-in-hand with good knives, tbh....although if you have any sort of decent knife, and any sort of decent sharpening technique, that should mean a short, light steeling, frequently....with serious stoning needed infrequently.

Miaireland

I like the Global Chef Knife with the 16inch blade. I find it very easy to work with and it does most jobs.

Sparks

For general purpose, just-grab-anything-it's-only-a-small-task, I'll reach for a no-name santuko I got in TK maxx if it's for food. If it's for cutting the plastic ring on the top of the milk carton before throwing it out, opening packets, or any one of the hundred-odd little tasks in the kitchen (or the office or wherever) that don't involve cutting food, I reach for a small pocketknife (a gerber ripstop in case it's of interest).

dh0661

Victorinox is the best brand of knife to buy IMO - from little to large and in between, they cater for all requirements.

Seaneh

Miaireland wrote: »

I like the Global Chef Knife with the 16inch blade. I find it very easy to work with and it does most jobs.

16" blade easy to work with? Not unless you are butchering a whole cow!

WTF?

Get yourself a 9" to 12" victorinox (sp) cooks knife from any catering supplier, will cost around 20 quid and if you look after it will last atleast 5 years, Obe kitchen I worked in had house blades that have been there since they open and they are still perfect 12 years later, if a little shallower than they once were.

Why people pay the price they do for average blades like globals is beyond me, every pro I know who owns globals hates them.

Sparks

Seaneh wrote: »

Why people pay the price they do for average blades like globals is beyond me, every pro I know who owns globals hates them.

Because they look cool. Which is neat for an amateur until the first time one breaks on you...

phelixoflaherty

Ta for replies. Got a Sabatatier 9". Off for a shave now. 40 big ones

Seaneh

What shape?

Just a standard cooks knife?

If it's a proper Sabatier and you look after it you will get great use out of it.

The Cheap ones howecer, have a a habbit of er, well, this...

phelixoflaherty

It looks suspiciously like the one in the photo

Mr.David

Can anyone recommend a good steel for sharpening? Not sure how much I have to spend, but have seen some for €100 - surely thats a bit much?!

kylith

I've been considering investing in some ceramic knives. I've heard that they can be brittle, but they don't rust or stain, and apparently never need sharpening.

I have a ceramic veg peeler at the moment and can vouch for that being bloody sharp.

Seaneh

kylith wrote: »

I've been considering investing in some ceramic knives. I've heard that they can be brittle, but they don't rust or stain, and apparently never need sharpening.

I have a ceramic veg peeler at the moment and can vouch for that being bloody sharp.

They do need to be sharpened.

They are very brittle. I have seen 4 of them snap, every time I've seen a chef bring one to work myself and another chef I worked with burst our holes laughing and warned the person who owned it, told them what would happen and they ignored us, but 5 - 6 weeks later, like we told them, SNAP, knife broke, usually leaving a nasty cut behind after it.

kylith

Seaneh wrote: »

They do need to be sharpened.

They are very brittle. I have seen 4 of them snap, every time I've seen a chef bring one to work myself and another chef I worked with burst our holes laughing and warned the person who owned it, told them what would happen and they ignored us, but 5 - 6 weeks later, like we told them, SNAP, knife broke, usually leaving a nasty cut behind after it.

Cheers for that, you may have saved me from making a costly mistake. Guess I'll just have to get a sharpener.

Seaneh

You can get really decant Tokyo Style "Nakiri Bocho" knives in TKMAXXX for 7.99 right now, perfect for chopping veg, they do a set of 3 with a sashimi knife and another knife, can't remember what the last one is, but the set is 15 eyro and if you look after it, they are cracking little knives.

The Nakiri isn't suitable for cutting through boned thought so I'd recommend buying a victorinox 12" cooks knife too, should be around 20-25 from any catering suppliers and they are very long lasting blades.

The Sweeper

Sparks wrote: »

Because they look cool. Which is neat for an amateur until the first time one breaks on you...

This is quite funny. Global used to be the dogs, but then it became massively popular and now a lot of people piss all over them as being crap.

There are a few things you need to know about them:

• They ARE overpriced.
• Buying them online isn't a way around the price - there are so many forgeries out there it'd make your head spin.
• Anyone who uses Global knives ends up with the Global callus - a spot of hard skin at the base of your index finger where the handle rubs.

I've got a set I bought a few years ago, and I know it's not a fake, but I bought it in Australia, while on a holiday here, and it was £1=$2.50 at the time, AND they were on sale... so I got a six knife set for less than £130 I think, including block.

I like the weight and balance of them, because I'm used to them now; they also hold an edge well. The attraction of them is definitely the matching set part of it though - I use the cooks knife and the santoku the most. Everything else, I could have bought knives in TK Maxx and been happy with them (and indeed, I had a collection of knives from TK Maxx that I used happily before I got the deal on the Global block.)

I've never had one break on me though - but they WILL rust in spots. I wonder if, when they became popular, the quality of manufacturing plummeted as they went for churning out lots of knives - because the cooks knife that I've had for seven years seems to be weathering better than one I got as a gift three years ago...

Seaneh

The Sweeper wrote: »

• Anyone who uses Global knives ends up with the Global callus - a spot of hard skin at the base of your index finger where the handle rubs.

This is true. the first week or so your use one in a professional environment is painful!

And I don't think globals are actually a bad knife, the blades are decant, and they do hold an edge extremely well, I just hate the handle and the feel of them and I find the balance feels off. But my biggest problem with them is the cost, they just are not, in any way, worth what you have to pay for them.

That said, your 6piece + block for 130, I'd be more than happy to pay that, bargin of the century for you my good man.

wobzilla1

Seaneh wrote: »

You can get really decant Tokyo Style "Nakiri Bocho" knives in TKMAXXX for 7.99 right now

I was in TK Maxx today and found a Good set of Knives for €20 (Said RRP of €75). When I got up to the checkout they wouldn't give them to me because You have to be 18 (I'm 22 and look older, haven't been asked for ID since I was about 16). Unfortunately I had no ID with my DOB on it (I had my blood donor card and tried to explain that I had to be 18 to give blood). I wouldn't have minded if I had just went up with the Knives, but I had over €150 worth of other stuff too. They also refused to give me a chef's torch I had found.
I ended up paying €28 for one santoku knife in Tesco (Where I was allowed walk unhindered through the self service checkout.)

gerbo

I bought this Zwilling(Henckel) set of knives about a month ago from Amazon.de.

I thought it was a bargain to be honest. Quality is great and they are razor sharp.

Seaneh

gerbo wrote: »

I bought this Zwilling(Henckel) set of knives about a month ago from Amazon.de.

I thought it was a bargain to be honest. Quality is great and they are razor sharp.

They look fierce like the old Wusthof Gourmet range?!?!

If they are in any way the same, serious quality.

Deise Musashi

Generally my most used knives are a 9 or 12 inch German or French style Chef's knife, a Japanese Nakiri, Japanese Gyuto or a Japanese Petty.

Western knives are generally softer tempered steels, even if the steel used could take higher hardness. As such, it doesn't matter if it's Victorinox or Henckels, you will be touching up the edge with a steel just as often. It's really down to feel and looks what you go for.

Things like the Kershaw Shun range and Globals are Western takes on Japanese knives.

Japanese knives are usually thinner and harder than Western knives. I like white paper steel in these, carbon steel so it will rust. Given the thin profile, high hardness and overall profile these knives cut very well but can be brittle and prone to chip if used on poly cutting boards or sharpened on coarse ridged "steels".

For all kitchen knives I like smooth ceramic steels, leather mounted on wood with some abrasive compound for polishing my edges, and an end grain wooden cutting board. Treat the board with mineral oil and beeswax and your set forever.

Find a knife or knives you like and use them. Softer knives can benefit from being convexed to leave more steel supporting your edge. Mora do a flexible craft knife which is my new favourite paring/boning knife and for small money!

Japanesechefknifedirect or chefknivestogo are good for J Knives, as is Watanabeblade for his own kuro uchi finish blades, very nice but tend to need a micro-bevel to prevent chipping.

Good luck in your search for the good stuff!