New chef's knife

[gotsmack]

Mercer 9" chef's knife, because that's what they gave me at culinary school and I'm going to keep it until it's no longer serviceable. My dad uses a no name Chinese cleaver to chop everything.

 

[xSauronx]

Mercer 9" chef's knife, because that's what they gave me at culinary school and I'm going to keep it until it's no longer serviceable. My dad uses a no name Chinese cleaver to chop everything.

i love my cleaver, i dont use it for everything but its handy and i sharpened it pretty well. i think howard here suggested it to me. its cheapish @ $45

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/cckcleaver2.html

i also have a forged sabatier 8" chef knife i got several years ago as part of a set, i like it pretty well. i wanted something larger and the cleaver fit the bill pretty nicely.

 

[MrSquished]

forget the German stuff like Wusthof and Henckles (sp?) or Messermeister - the Japanese are the best at knives. They use harder steel on the Rockwell scale which means they are sharper and hold an edge longer. Also they are made with a single bevel vs a double bevel like the Germans do. The single bevel Japanese knives are mostly made for right-handers and those will not cut for a left handed user - so if you are left handed you pay a little extra.

Great place to shop for Japanese steel is http://korin.com/site/home.html

some are very pricey. i went with togiharu as it was more affordable.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Nice knife!

Having spent countless hours researching and emptying my wallet for high-end cutlery, I think I'll go middle-of-the-road from now on.

Provided, I've been spending my money on collectibles, outdoors / bushcraft knives, and general tools rather than chef's knives, but I've come to the realization that a decently well-made knife with decent steel and a decent heat treatment will do 99% as well as something that's quadruple the price. I absolutely love my Bark River Classic Drop Point Hunter in A2, but a Buck in 420HC will do the job just as well and cost a whole lot less.

So, when it's time to buy kitchen cutlery, I'll be looking for the best decent bargain.

 

[phucheneh]

It looks like your knife fell in the garbage disposal. LOL, what possible reason can the manufacturer give for those ragged gouges in the blade? Other than 'dude it's totally a Samurai chef's knife'?

Even in that regard...they're doing it wrong.

 

[Kaido]

FWIW, my kitchen pile is nearly complete. When you're getting down to thinking of buying a Thermapen and Anova sous-vide device, it's probably a sign. :whiste:

Other than computers, kitchen gadgets is my other hobby. I'm like a hoarder of unitasking appliances; Alton Brown would keel over if he ever visited my place :biggrin: Not including actual food appliances, here are some great kitchen tools to check out:

CleanCUT - touchless paper towel dispenser (cuts custom widths to save paper!)

EyeVac - replaces your dustpan

Gojo foaming soap dispenser - 2,000 doses per cartridge, with moisturizer!

Lysol no-touch dishsoap dispenser

Cascade ActionPacs - dishwasher detergent pellets, with rinse aid

Saf-T-Wrap Station - slide cutter for aluminum foil, parchment paper, saran wrap, etc.

Saf-T-Knife Station - wall-mounted transparent multi-knife holder

13.2-gallon touchless trash can - great especially when you have raw chicken or something on your hands

Glad Force-Flex trash bags - much more tear-resistant & includes tie-wrap handles built into the bag (skip the Odor Shield version, they smell funky)

Ziploc Slider freezer bags - easy zipper instead of the stupid push-to-seal bags, freezer-safe, various sizes (sandwich, quart, gallon)

Grocery bag dispenser - I recycle those bags for everything from quick toolbags to small trash can liners for the bathroom

Magic broom stand - uses rubberized balls & gravity to "grab" broom & mop handles to hang on the wall, out of the way

Rubbermaid Reveal microfiber spray mop - washable sponge & DIY cleaning detergent (vs. the packaged kind with the single-use diaper sponges that suck up money)

Lysol all-purpose spray cleaner - countertops, appliances, windows, whatever, does everything - one cleaner to rule them all!

Philips dimmable LED bulbs - my favorite energy-saving bulbs, various equivalencies (60w, 75w, 100w, etc.)

Nest Protect - wave your hand to turn off the smoke alarm (also talks to your smartphone & wireless networks to other Nest Protect detectors)

HP Slate 21 - makes an amazing kitchen computer (21" touchscreen running Android - shopping lists, Pandora background music, timer apps, cookbooks & recipe sites, Evernote for your favorite recipes)

Delta touch faucet - tap it anywhere to start or stop the water flow & the head is also the sprayer nozzle, just pull it out!

And some other interesting stuff:

Smartspin - all of the container tops are the same size, no Tupperware lid matching nightmare! 3 container sizes (some other brand now)
DIY TV Dinner Trays - make homemade TV dinners (2-compartment & 3-compartment sizes; dishwasher/freezer/microwave-safe, also available in oven-safe models)
Oxo - manufacturer of zillions of amazing kitchen tools
Batter spoons - measuring scoops with a spatula built-in for mixes
Baker's Edge pan - all-edge brownie pan (also see their lasagna pan & cookie-cup pan!)
Disposable dinnerware caddy - paper plates, napkins plastic knives/spoons/forks (great for on top of the microwave)
Non-skid TV dinner trays - don't drop that Hot Pocket on your foot!
Portable induction cooktop - heats up wicked fast (needs induction-ready cookware, such as cast aluminum enabled iron/steel, stainless steel with a magnetic bottom, and cast iron)
Gamma seal lids - hand-removable lids for food storage (vs. using the stupid wrench)
Cuisinart Combo Steam and Convection Oven - plump chickens r us
FoodSaver - vacuum sealer (cheaper industrial vacuum bags available on eBay)
Bluestar cooktops - 22,000 BTU burners for high-temperature cooking
Cook-n-Dine cooktop - just like burger & hibachi places use
Scotsman nugget ice machine - same as what they use at Sonic's for that amazing ice
Islandsky water cooler - water from thin air! dehumidifer with heavy-duty filter & water dispenser, up to 5 gallons a day!
XO Water bottleless water cooler - standalone water filter & dispenser
iStorm Hand Dryer - similar to those new Dyson fans, completely touchless

Don't even get me started on the actual cooking appliances

 

[Kaido]

It looks like your knife fell in the garbage disposal. LOL, what possible reason can the manufacturer give for those ragged gouges in the blade? Other than 'dude it's totally a Samurai chef's knife'?

Even in that regard...they're doing it wrong.

On the ones with the vertical cuts, they have the gouges to prevent food from sticking as you're slicing or mincing. Stuff like onions have a large surface area on thin slices and stick on the blade sometimes, so the air pockets help them fall off.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

The key is to find knives that work for you. You also need to be able to easily sharpen the blades. I use both top end Henckels and cheap costco blades on a daily basis in a commercial kitchen. Buying a decent sharpening stone is as important as buying a decent knife.

Yep. I have a good steel and I know how to use it. And I have cheaper knives that I use when rougher work is required (bone cleaving, chopping frozen food, etc.). As for sharpening, Shun has a really nice program where they will sharpen your shun cutlery for free. All you have to do is pay shipping and send them to the factory in Oregon. Takes about 2-3 weeks, but the knives come back razor sharp. And its hard to beat the price.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

It looks like your knife fell in the garbage disposal. LOL, what possible reason can the manufacturer give for those ragged gouges in the blade? Other than 'dude it's totally a Samurai chef's knife'?

Even in that regard...they're doing it wrong.

The pics really don't do the knife justice. There are no gouges in the knife. What your seeing is layers of copper folded in layers of stainless steel. Shun knives (like many Japanese knives) are made using very old techniques, where the metal is repeatedly folded. The folding increases the hardness of the metal, which enables the knive to take a very sharp edge and retain it longer than forged blades or blades made with other, softer metals.

Sure, the copper is there purely for aesthetics. But I like it, and I got the knife on a ridiculously good sale. Paid ~$25 more than what I would have paid for a replacement shun classic.

That said, you are entitled to your opinion and it really does not matter to me. I like the knife. Which is good, because I will be the one using it.

 

[phucheneh]

That said, you are entitled to your opinion and it really does not matter to me. I like the knife. Which is good, because I will be the one using it.

....'sho nuff.

The sword thing was mostly at the very edge of the blade, though. It's definitely not a strength thing in the case of this knife...modern materials are to thank for that. Well, and a lack of blacksmiths, prolly.

But now that you mention that it's copper, maybe it does have some purpose? I'm not sure what...just seems like if you're gonna go through the trouble of folding copper into knife steel, there must be a reason.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

....'sho nuff.

The sword thing was mostly at the very edge of the blade, though. It's definitely not a strength thing in the case of this knife...modern materials are to thank for that. Well, and a lack of blacksmiths, prolly.

But now that you mention that it's copper, maybe it does have some purpose? I'm not sure what...just seems like if you're gonna go through the trouble of folding copper into knife steel, there must be a reason.

I can't think of another reason except aesthetics. If anything the copper probably weakens the knife a bit. But as long as I am not trying to chop through medieval armor I should be fine.

 

[Kaido]

....'sho nuff.

The sword thing was mostly at the very edge of the blade, though. It's definitely not a strength thing in the case of this knife...modern materials are to thank for that. Well, and a lack of blacksmiths, prolly.

But now that you mention that it's copper, maybe it does have some purpose? I'm not sure what...just seems like if you're gonna go through the trouble of folding copper into knife steel, there must be a reason.

It's decorative:

http://shun.kaiusaltd.com/knives/knife/classic-limited-edition-10th-anniversary-knife

 

[Kaido]

as long as I am not trying to chop through medieval armor I should be fine.

You know, you say that now, but there will come a day...:biggrin:

 

[Sho'Nuff]

You know, you say that now, but there will come a day...:biggrin:

It should do well in a zombie apocalypse at least

 

[ponyo]

I bought a Global few months ago. I love it.

http://www.amazon.com/Global-G-2-inc...s=global+knife

I've never had any other good knives but for a rookie home cook it does everything I want.

Wife and I love that Global chef knife. It is our favorite knife. We use it for everything and I bought another one couple months back as backup. We have more expensive Shun and Henckels chef knives but we always pick up and use the Global. Global chef knife just feels right in our hands.

 

[notposting]

Bwahahaha!
Let me know when you're ready to buy a walk - in for the house.

Okay, fine, I admit I was on Craigslist today looking for a Hobart mixer, and may have thought about clicking on some of the walkins for sale...but I didn't. This time.

Other than computers, kitchen gadgets is my other hobby. I'm like a hoarder of unitasking appliances; Alton Brown would keel over if he ever visited my place :biggrin: Not including actual food appliances, here are some great kitchen tools to check out:

*snip*

Don't even get me started on the actual cooking appliances

This is great! Going to show my wife, so she realizes I may be crazy, but at least I'm not *that* crazy

 

[Apex]

Shun makes very nice knives, just expensive. You're paying a lot extra for the name.

To be fair, knives based on the steels that Shun uses (SG-2, VG10, VG2, etc) tend to be right around that price range anyways.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I bought a Global few months ago. I love it.

http://www.amazon.com/Global-G-2-inc...s=global+knife

I've never had any other good knives but for a rookie home cook it does everything I want.

We went to a store and tried out a bunch of different knives. The person there was basically explaining it's all about what works best with your hands.

This was for our registry to tell people: BUY THESE FOR US! We ended up going with Global. They weren't my favorite - but they weren't my last place by far. Incredibly light, very sharp. However, they weren't my favorite, so our main set will be Global, while the one I liked - Wüsthof Epicure - will be a few side knives.