Kitchen knives

Shun Classic is what most of my kitchen knives are.
I also have a couple of the Kanso line now (boning/fillet and brisket knives). Those are made with AUS10a steel.

My first Shun (Classic 8" chef) went about 18 years before I needed to actually sharpen it. That's with using it pretty much daily. I used the steel to keep the edge in shape as often as possible (at least every couple of times I used it) and have been using a thick butcher block cutting board just as long. If you don't have a solid wood cutting board, get one. If you use plastic (or god forbid, glass) for the majority... STOP IT! I know someone who's wife cuts on stainless and then wonders why she ruins the knives (she wonders, he doesn't). They buy cheap blades because of that.

BTW, I also use the Wicked Edge Pro Pack 1 to sharpen everything now. Love that thing. ;)

I do have the Shun Classic Santuko as well as 4" paring and 6" utility. Picked up one of their Kaji line slicers (Shun Kaji 9" Hollow-Ground Slicer) ages ago (beyond great knife). I have a Henkel slicer still, but it doesn't get used.

I have heard great things about Shun knives and they may be on my list

I did ask for the following for Christmas:


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Not top of the line by any means but a good entry point for Japanese Carbon Steel Knife
 
I've previously posted about my Misen utility knife. As I replace others, I will definitely pick Misen for paring, Santuko, chef, and short chef knives.

They're made of AUS-10 and have a 15 degree edge.

 
lamsonproducts.com has discounts online all the time - their factory moved to Westfield but the shop (where great seconds can often be had) is still in Shelburne Falls.
 
Rumrunner, if you don't mind me asking how do you sharpen your knives? Do you use a sharpening system, or do you use free hand stones?

So sometimes I use free hand stones, as I do with my non kitchen knives. But I also have a pull sharpener that is set with the correct angle for Henckels. It works pretty good as long as I keep up with then and don't let them get out of control.
 
So sometimes I use free hand stones, as I do with my non kitchen knives. But I also have a pull sharpener that is set with the correct angle for Henckels. It works pretty good as long as I keep up with then and don't let them get out of control.
I used to bring my knives to a woman named Patti that has a traveling knife sharpening business.
She would travel to local farmers markets and farm stands, but I'm not sure if she's still doing that now during covid times. She does a really great job, but after a while I decided to just buy an edge pro system and start doing them myself. It took a little bit of practice but eventually I was able to get a hair shaving edge on my knives.
 
If you’re looking to replace your santoku, grab another santoku. They’re a bit more general purpose than a nakiri (vegetable knife). Korin is great and they offer initial sharpening, but you gots to pay. I bought a Masanobu VG-10 petty from Korin and it’s the only blade I’ve ever purchased that came out of the box scary sharp.

You stated that want a blade that holds an edge longer so you should be looking at harder steels which typically means Japanese. Thinner, harder steels that are a bit more difficult to sharpen and maintain than their “softer” but more robust Western cousins. There are of course exceptions, so do your research.
Knives are tools like any other. A good chefs knife (gyuto is simply the Japanese take on a classic Western chef’s knife) should be able to do most everything. The axis powers countries dominate what is now two combined collections (cooks in many kitchens have their own knives, so when I left the kitchen, our home knife count doubled) but I’m a sucker for a project knife so I’ve been known to buy rusty cleavers from thrift/resale stores as well as crappy knives from TJMaxx which sometimes has a rare German lad tucked in the back.

Think of it as an investment, much like an optic. A cheap one will get the job done, but many times, you get what you pay for.

Quick side note, the granton edge shouldn’t hinder sharpening or use, even once you start sharpening the dimples themselves.
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The belly has all but been sharpened off, so it’s basically a nakiri now. I could reprofile it, but who’s got the time? He’s been shaving sharp since the year 2000, so, not a bad run.
 
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I've previously posted about my Misen utility knife. As I replace others, I will definitely pick Misen for paring, Santuko, chef, and short chef knives.

They're made of AUS-10 and have a 15 degree edge.

I replaced one of my 20+ year old Henkels with a Missen. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it holds an edge. I think they had a 20% off code at the time too. I've also been looking at the made-in knives.
 
I received this as a gift and I enjoy the fit and finish very much. I would recommend this brand based upon my limited experience with this knife. My “regular” kitchen knives are Calphalon brand are adequate. However, I think the balance and feel of this knife is superior.C181BF18-BCD9-41D7-8D18-589E968F55B9.jpeg
 
I know this wasn't your question, but unless you're going with some small specialty knife maker you should check out Bed Bath & Beyond to see if they have whatever you end up wanting. With a coupon they've been much, much lower than any other options I've been able to find for kitchen knives. I've built up a Global set over the years and have found all of them at BBB for good prices.
BB&B is where I buy my kitchen knives... Coupons are great.
 
I'm not a butcher, and I only have a couple of (former) butcher shop blades, but the right curve for the job definitely makes a difference.

I can slice up any store-bought meat using the knives I already have, but when it comes to a big roast and I pull out that one knife I don't know how to describe, it's an amazingly easy stroke. It's not magically sharp, it just works magically.

I wound up with a variety of knives that are marked "Property of 'XYZ', Never Sold". That's okay, I didn't buy them. After XYZ got dumped as our supplier (because their sharpening rep stopped showing up), they then neglected to pick up their "XYZ Property".

My boss asked me to pick up all knives that weren't from the new knife service. I did so. And the box was in my way for over two years in my office. I asked about it, and he said, "Yeah... just give them away or take them home."

So, I have some nice knives for special purposes. I didn't keep any bread knives, because those are absolutely worthless for everything, including bread.
 
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Based on recommendations of this thread, I ordered 2 new knives last week. I went with Victorinox. 8" and 10" chef. Out of the box, 10" was sharp enough to use, but could have been a little sharper. 8" was unusable. I was using it on vegetables and was having trouble getting thru peppers and tomatoes. Broke out the sharpener this evening and went thru my whole block.
Here is to the new ones to serve me well!

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Got a Lamson, it's very nice, proud I bought local.
Got a Cutco, served me well for many years.
Based on another thread here, bought a SHUN last year, it's insane, friggen razor blade, would not put it to heavy / daily use since its so sharp. great for pairing fat off of any meat on a regular basis though.
I have some Henkls for steak knifes, they are great, but the Shun smokes them for sharpness.
Japan > Germany IMHO
 
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