good kitchen knife

are these good?, or do we just think they are since rachel ray uses them

http://cgi.ebay.com/FURI-Rachael-Ra...ryZ20639QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Haven't used those. My preference are toward the Kershaw-Shun line. They take a nice edge and hold well.

I'm posting this site as a reference for models:
http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/shun/

Ok, now don't laugh... A while ago I bought a set of 'Distinkt' Knives at Ikea. These are very cheap Japanese styled knives. I bought them just to have something I could use for a few weeks while looking for a decent chefs knife after my old one became unuseable. Well, months later, I'm still using them. Only sharpened them once and give them an occasional touch up, so they hold an edge pretty well.
Yes, they look cheap, but feel quite sturdy. Sure, it's no wusthof or shun, but this set is impossible to beat for the money. And at less than $20 for 3 knives, you aren't out much if you don't like them...
The biggest downside is thea they are not dishwasher safe...


http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30100418

I'm not a steel snob, and I'm mostly against the steel-of-the-week, but the Furi knives are not acceptable, at least the one I have.

I can't get it to hold any kind of edge. I've tried sharpening it in several different ways, including my Edge-Pro, and I can't get a good edge on it.

Caveat: It could be a problem with my sample, but the reviews I've read haven't been glowing.

I'd suggest, for a good low cost kitchen knife, the Forschner/Victorinox knives. Low cost and work well.

--dan

I've had no such problems with mine. After a year of daily use I've only had to steel mine. It holds an edge very nicely for stainless steel.
I think the allow might be a little more prone to corrosion than other stainless steel knives I own, but it's really not a problem - just wipe it off before you put it back in the block. Also, I have the model that is just metal - no rubber grip. This seemed a better choice for me for durability, sanitation, and blisters. Highly recommended!

dano said:

I'd suggest, for a good low cost kitchen knife, the Forschner/Victorinox knives. Low cost and work well.

Click to expand...

+1 to Victorinox. I've never seen a Furi in person, but those Victorinox knives are hard to beat for the money. They are very good knives.

+1 on the KAI Shun

I have the Wide Santuko and it is amazingly sharp and beautiful on the eyes. For more everyday chores I prefer Henkels and Global

MayCooper said:

Ok, now don't laugh... A while ago I bought a set of 'Distinkt' Knives at Ikea. These are very cheap Japanese styled knives. I bought them just to have something I could use for a few weeks while looking for a decent chefs knife after my old one became unuseable. Well, months later, I'm still using them. Only sharpened them once and give them an occasional touch up, so they hold an edge pretty well.
Yes, they look cheap, but feel quite sturdy. Sure, it's no WUSTHOF or shun, but this set is impossible to beat for the money. And at less than $20 for 3 knives, you aren't out much if you don't like them...
The biggest downside is thea they are not dishwasher safe...


http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30100418

Click to expand...

I have a WUSTHOF boning knife. Main knife I use in the kitchen. Fit is excellent. The handle on my old boning knife (bought for a few bucks in a Supermarket) has a tendency to loosen at the handle slabs. However, it holds an edge well and can be sharpened to a high degree.... Wish I could say the same about my WUSTHOF model! Perhaps it was just poorly heat-treated. All I know for sure is that it dulls far too quickly!

If I had to do it over again, I would have just bought another knife from the Supermarket for about 1/4 what I paid for my WUSTHOF. :thumbsdow

I only have two knives in the kitchen, a couple of old four star Henckels. A six inch chef's (narrow blade), and a four inch paring knife. Between the two of them I get everything done. I'm not the greatest cook though.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=200

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=192

Cutco (pricey, but quite exceptional in every other respect)

RA40 said:

Haven't used those. My preference are toward the Kershaw-Shun line. They take a nice edge and hold well.

I'm posting this site as a reference for models:
http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/shun/

Click to expand...

My gf wants a good set of sharp kitchen knives for Christmas... so I started doing some research. (At Bladeforums) Well, I think I've narrowed it down to the Shun Classics... (a Chef's knife, and a paring knife to start her out) but I have a couple quick questions. 1, where is the best place to buy them... and 2, do you sharpen your own? Or send them back for sharpening? I've read that since they're an unusual 16-degree's per side, you can't use a Sharpmaker. (Which is what I was counting on.)

I think I paid about $85 for the Santuko and $45 for the paring. I picked ours up at Macy's with a 10% off coupon. Most the local shops have competitive pricing and I didn't check mail order/on-line.

As for sharpening, I use a sharpening jig on the Burr King that is set to about 18-19 degrees. The edge tapers nicely so it's pretty thin, changing the bevel angle isn't hard. I'd go ahead and use your Sharpmaker when the knives need it.

I use a Spyderco Yang in my kitchen. Light and easy to maneuver, great ergos and with my favorite steel -- VG-10. Think I paid around $45.

dano said:

I'd suggest, for a good low cost kitchen knife, the Forschner/Victorinox knives. Low cost and work well.

Click to expand...

That's what I used to cut the Thanksgiving turkey.

This is probably taboo to the purists... but I havnt used a kitchen knife in 20 years. I use 'regular 'knives'. Pocket knives, smaller fixed blades up to the full size hunting knives.

RA40 said:

I think I paid about $85 for the Santuko and $45 for the paring. I picked ours up at Macy's with a 10% off coupon. Most the local shops have competitive pricing and I didn't check mail order/on-line.

As for sharpening, I use a sharpening jig on the Burr King that is set to about 18-19 degrees. The edge tapers nicely so it's pretty thin, changing the bevel angle isn't hard. I'd go ahead and use your Sharpmaker when the knives need it.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info!

Since I'm going to be "starting" my gf's knife set for her with individual knives, instead of purchasing a big pre-packaged knife-set... I decided to go with a magnetic strip mounted on the wall to store them. I came across this site, based on a recommendation from a guy at BladeForums, and thought you guys might find this concept interesting as well!

http://www.benchcrafted.com/

They take all types of woods, and put strong magnets inside them. So your knives rest nicely against wood rather than having metal on metal.

Old Hickory knives have 0 snob appeal, but are great knives at an almost embarassingly low price.

are these good? they are expensive though

http://www.chefdepot.net/kasumi.htm

My favorite in the kitchen is a Santuko shape from Chicago Cutlery. Their Insignia Santoku/Parer set is great for around $30 and they're easy to keep sharp with a ceramic file.