New Chef's Knife!

HNKD!

My wife chipped a notch out of the blade of my Henckels chef knife.
We had a set of Wiltshire's that came with the holders that have a sharpener built in. She threw away the holders because they were icky.

I curse and swear every time I need to use a knife in the kitchen.

So, I stay out of the kitchen.

Depending on how big the chip is, you could always have a pro knife sharpener reprofile the blade to eliminate the chip
 
Depending on how big the chip is, you could always have a pro knife sharpener reprofile the blade to eliminate the chip
Yeah, nope..

IMG_3912.JPG
 
I could dress that up with a good stone.
What's left of the edge works fairly well. That half inch notch is a pain in the ass though.

Reshaping it to a smaller depth would be nice, but then it's not much of a chef's knife then. Right?
 
I'm researching carving knives, getting ready to host our first thanksgiving.
I use use a chef's knife, but I don't slice it right from the bird.
I cut the whole breast off and then slice like a loaf of bread. Slices are nice and thick and juicy.
 
my bro bought me a set of Old Hickory's for my birthday a few years back like these


First introduced in 1924, the Old Hickory knives are the most venerable product line still in active production. The Old Hickory knives feature a hardwood handle secured with brass compression rivets to high carbon steel blades that are both very sharp and capable of retaining an edge better than most stainless knives. Proudly manufactured with artisan processes for over 90 years, Old Hickory has stood the test of time and is proven to be the best carbon steel kitchen cutlery sold today.

7180-old-hickory-5-pc-set.jpg
 
Pertinent thread is pertinent.

I've got a nice set of knives but the big knives in it are a santoku and a utility knife which are fine for just about everything (except my fiance who uses the pairing knife for every single job!!!) but I do want a nice chef's knife and have been looking at them for after the wedding.

Anything to keep in mind or look out for?
 
Pertinent thread is pertinent.

I've got a nice set of knives but the big knives in it are a santoku and a utility knife which are fine for just about everything (except my fiance who uses the pairing knife for every single job!!!) but I do want a nice chef's knife and have been looking at them for after the wedding.

Anything to keep in mind or look out for?


Your first choice is whether you want a Japanese or Euro style knife. Japanese-style knives are generally made of a harder steel, are thinner, and have a wicked sharp edge at a lower grind angle, but need more maintenance on a stone and need sharpened at least monthly. FWIW, I have to sharpen mine every other week, but it's used hours every day. Euro-style have softer steel, are thicker, can't get quite as sharp but will hold their edge far longer, and need less maintenance. With regular home use and a honing steel you can easily get six months to a year of use out of it before needing to sharpen, but I do mine every three months.

A pic of my work knife roll:

17190757_10202909049642737_2164255372347006996_n.jpg


Left is a Tojiro DP guyto... it's a 9" blade Japanese style chef knife, with a western handle. It had a really knife pointed tip, but it broke at work last week and I need to reshape it.
Next is a Tojiro DP nakiri, or vegetable cleaver. Honestly, this is my favourite knife at work since I work the cold line and prep a lot of veg.
Next is a Wusthof Classic paring knife. Holds an edge, it's not razor sharp, but it'll last a lifetime of use and get the job done.
Next is an ICEL serrated paring knife. It doesn't get much use, but I'll pop it out for crostini or the occasional tomato.
Finally is the Tojiro Big Almight... a 13" blade designed pretty much for watermelon and squash. It's absurd and almost has to be used like one of those handled paper cutters you have in school, but it was $11 on Amazon and I couldn't resist. :embarrassed:

Tojiro DP is an affordable intro to Japanese knives, and since they have the western handle, it feels familiar. You can pick a gyuto off Amazon for around $60. If the maintenance on it sounds like too much, buy a Messermeister chef's knife (I prefer 9-10" over 8", but for home use 8" is probably fine) and get it sharpened... they're cheap enough that when it needs resharpened you can either buy a new one, or go get a a Wusthof Classic for about $80-100. I don't know exchange rates for you guys, so pricing may vary. I also recommend checking out http://www.chefknivestogo.com/ if you're even a little interested in Japanese blades. They have some nice starter rolls for $124-150 that are designed for kitchen use, so they'd be fine at home.
 
Pertinent thread is pertinent.

I've got a nice set of knives but the big knives in it are a santoku and a utility knife which are fine for just about everything (except my fiance who uses the pairing knife for every single job!!!) but I do want a nice chef's knife and have been looking at them for after the wedding.

Anything to keep in mind or look out for?

If you have knives that you're thinking about replacing, they are perfect for learning how to effectively sharpen your knives if you don't already know how. Once your sharpening game is on point, your going to be able to get the most out of any decent knife you purchase (which will lose it's factory edge in time with frequent use, not matter what unless you wind up with a ceramic knife but I don't really see the point of that in chefs knife). After that it's all about budget, style, steel, etc.
 
If you have knives that you're thinking about replacing, they are perfect for learning how to effectively sharpen your knives if you don't already know how. Once your sharpening game is on point, your going to be able to get the most out of any decent knife you purchase (which will lose it's factory edge in time with frequent use, not matter what unless you wind up with a ceramic knife but I don't really see the point of that in chefs knife). After that it's all about budget, style, steel, etc.

I love the knives I have, I just fancy a chef's knife to go along with the santoku.

As for sharpening - I've got something like this: Sabatier--Stellar-DiamondCeramic-Knife-Sharpener-10771_hires.jpg and I just run them through it a couple of times every time after I wash them... :shrug:
 
I'm not a Global fan. I don't find the handles comfortable and when wet they become exceptionally slippery. There is better steel out there for similar price too.

Also, ditch that sharpener ASAP. Every time you use it your taking five years off your edge. Those things remove more metal than needed.

If you can find one at a sale price, a Shun Chef's knife would be great. I wouldn't have purchased one myself, it I received it as a gift and it really is a great knife, just overpriced at normal selling point. Also has free lifetime sharpening, just pay shipping.


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