Pocket steak knife?

Well we all know the steak knife supplied by restaurants doesn't cut worth crap, and our pocket knife is much sharper. But ceramic plate is bad news for steel and most knives with curved belly will be blunted quick.

Does anyone have good experience with pocket knives that works well as steak knife? Preferably under $60 and plain edge. I'm thinking it'll have to be wharncliffe or tanto point, so there's only one small part of blade contact the plate, to serve as sacrificial point and preserve the rest of the edge.

I have used my Opinel for that purpose. I have also seen a folding Sabatier / Laguiole, but it was junk at Winners.
Perhaps a real Laguiole would get the job done with class.

Joe

Bah, if you need a sharp knife to cut your steak, you need to find a better steakhouse.

Planterz said:

Bah, if you need a sharp knife to cut your steak, you need to find a better steakhouse.

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I agree

Donny Dont said:

I have used my Opinel for that purpose. I have also seen a folding Sabatier / Laguiole, but it was junk at Winners.
Perhaps a real Laguiole would get the job done with class.

Joe

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Still the same problem thou, the curved belly will get dulled when hitting ceramic plate. And real languiole are usually over $200.

dd61999 said:

I agree

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Well, thank you for your on topic and helpful opinion.

I guess most people don't mind the dull knives supplied by restaurants. :shrug:

There is a site that I like, KevinKellyCoolTools that has reviews on many good products [although I don't think they have the flashlight thing down the way CPF does]. One product they reviewed is a small plastic backpacking cutting board. It rolls up small and if you wanted to take a beautifully SHARP knife to a restaurant, this may be the way to do it without needing a specialized 'cut on a plate' knife.

I literally just spent 90 minutes sharpening four kitchen knives and two pocket knives today while watching the Mets game. I love using sharp edges -it's a real joy to cut things with them, both in the kitchen and in the shop. I cringe whenever I'm at someones house and see them cutting things on a plate. Arrgh...

jzmtl said:

Well, thank you for your on topic and helpful opinion.

I guess most people don't mind the dull knives supplied by restaurants. :shrug:

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jzmtl

I did not mean to offend you. I guess I am just a food snob and spoiled by the restaurant scene here in NYC.

I find most steakhouses are really subpar. I rather spend the extra money for a awesome steak. Good steakhouses that properly age their steaks the correct way do not need sharp knives. As mater of fact Some of the top steakhouses do not even supply steak knives in NYC they use butter knives to show their confidence in their meats.

Anything less than that I rather go to the butcher and buy a decent steak to make at home.

If you are complaining about the cutlery at the steakhouse, I can only imagine what the steak is like.

I also hate to use the poor quality knives most often found. I carry a Chicago Cutlery rosewood handled folder. A very slim but stiff blade, razor sharp. The blade is curved, but I find the sharpness to help in not having to push the blade into the plate. Have been using it for years and it has such graceful lines that it's never stood out as out of place.

Well made tools are a pleasure to use...

I find that a Spyderco's spyder edge holds up well against a plate and shreds a steak with 0 effort. Also fits well into my pocket!

dd61999 said:

jzmtl

Good steakhouses that properly age their steaks the correct way do not need sharp knives. As mater of fact Some of the top steakhouses do not even supply steak knives in NYC they use butter knives to show their confidence in their meats.

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With a sharp blade I find it easier to control the cuts and seldom find myself pushing hard into the plate. Also a nice clean cut is hard to do even on the best steak with the typical serrated butter knives provided at many restaurants. If I want shredded beef I'll go to a BBQ joint.

I recently gave one of these shun folding steak knives as a present and had an opportunity to try it out. It's very nice and looks to be easy to keep sharp. I'll probably be getting one for myself in the near future.

-LT

jzmtl said:

Still the same problem thou, the curved belly will get dulled when hitting ceramic plate. And real languiole are usually over $200.


Well, thank you for your on topic and helpful opinion.

I guess most people don't mind the dull knives supplied by restaurants. :shrug:

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The laguiole name sure doesn't guarantee quality. That Kershaw Shun looks pretty good, but probably hits close to the $200 in Canada.

I also hate the poor quality stemware supplied by even the most expensive steak houses. So I have my own to tote along.
Nothing ruins a fine wine like a restaurant supply glass with a tiny bowl and a rolled rim. But that is off topic.

Joe

dd61999 said:

jzmtl

I did not mean to offend you. I guess I am just a food snob and spoiled by the restaurant scene here in NYC.

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Oh no, I wasn't offended.

I've never been in any NYC restaurant, but no place I've been to have knives as sharp as my pocket knife. I really can't imagine any place that does, because the way most people use steak knives, anything will go dull after one meal, and I don't see restaurant hire people spend 5 minutes to sharpen them after each time a knife is used.

The shun looks interesting, but for close to $200 I think i'll pass. Maybe I'll get a stainless opinel that I won't mind getting banged up occasionally.

Donny Dont said:

That Kershaw Shun looks pretty good, but probably hits close to the $200 in Canada.

Joe

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I'm not as familiar with exchange rates but when I run US$99 through a exchange converter I get ~$98 Canadian.

-LT

It's not the exchange rate, we just have to pay extra for the same thing north of border, plus we pay more tax (twice more?). After everything we are looking at 50%~100% over american price.

dd61999 said:

jzmtl

I did not mean to offend you. I guess I am just a food snob and spoiled by the restaurant scene here in NYC.

I find most steakhouses are really subpar. I rather spend the extra money for a awesome steak. Good steakhouses that properly age their steaks the correct way do not need sharp knives. As mater of fact Some of the top steakhouses do not even supply steak knives in NYC they use butter knives to show their confidence in their meats.

Anything less than that I rather go to the butcher and buy a decent steak to make at home.

If you are complaining about the cutlery at the steakhouse, I can only imagine what the steak is like.

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Are you sure that the knives are not provided, because of litigatious, or legislative reason ?

jzmtl said:

It's not the exchange rate, we just have to pay extra for the same thing north of border, plus we pay more tax (twice more?). After everything we are looking at 50%~100% over american price.

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Wow, sorry to hear about that. Just for grins I ran a Toronto address through Cooking.com and got CAD$ 147.92 for the knife, shipping and tax/duty. Surely someone up there carries these. Maybe Nella Cucina, The Cook's Place or some places like that.

-LT

If time and skill permit, get a decent four-inch high-car. slicer, add your own serrations, with a small chain-saw file. Keep it in a slip-cover scabbard. The serrations points will take the brunt of the plate, and barring a bad choice of blade, should keep an un-godly decent edge. Its good to know how to cut serrations, anyway. I've washed enough dishes in various restarants to know the lack of care that the house cutlery receives.

Lunal_Tic said:

Wow, sorry to hear about that. Just for grins I ran a Toronto address through Cooking.com and got CAD$ 147.92 for the knife, shipping and tax/duty. Surely someone up there carries these. Maybe Nella Cucina, The Cook's Place or some places like that.

-LT

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Oh no that doesn't include tax/duty, that's something we have to pay when we pick up the package if we get nailed by customs. Just for fun I added tax/duty/brokerage fee, and it comes out to be $175 if they ship USPS. Or $210 if they ship with UPS. :duh2:

Must have additional tax/duty when you receive it then because that site did insert a "tax/duty" line in the receipt based on location. They have a whole page on shipping to Canada with a tax rate chart and other info.

Any way you slice it it's a raw deal.

-LT

Some merchants will collect taxes and duties at time of purchase, acting as broker, which speeds up the process. UPS is always to be avoided because of their high brokerage fees. And heaven help you if you need to return it. Items sent by USPS often have the taxes collected by the mail carrier, at a modest fee of $8. I am sure glad my coffee shop doesn't charge me $8 to collect the sales tax!

Joe