Hi guys, first post from a first timer. Hope you're good.
Sniffing around for some advice if I could. I was thinking about buying myself an early bday present and realised the thing I used most day to day was my chef's knife (10"). Course, its a £10 jobbie so no amount of steeling will help. So why not splash out? To answer the questionnaire:
LOCATION - UK
KNIFE TYPE - interested in a right handed 9 or 10" cook's/chef knife, circa £50, give or take £20. Open to either handles, but currently use a Wusthof type of knife. Not experienced enough to know about stainless.
I have gone and tried a few knives - Wusthof Classics I like but is a bit heavy and had a sharp bolster. Wusthof GPII is under consideration but inly becomes a deal if I buy a set (and everyone says DON'T buy a set!). Globals were nice but a bit light. Best knife by far I tried (and is reflected in the price) was the Kai Shun Premier.
KNIFE USE - Home environment, slicing/chopping/mincing veges. Slicing and trimming meat.
I'm replacing my Kitchen craft cooks's knife, which I hold in hammer grip and normally Push-Cut, Rock , Slice, Draw & Chop. Ease of use and edge retention are my main things, but if it looks nice!
KNIFE MAINTENANCE - I usually use a wood or synthetic board. I sharpen with a steel, but am only a beginner. Keen to learn how to whetstone though.
So anyway, I've been doing a bit of surfing, learning about types of steel and so forth, and looking at a few knives that fit my budget and narrowed it down to these three (note I did consider the Victorinox chef's knife that quite a few people recommend, but in the UK it's not as cheap as the US, sitting around the £35/40 mark. For a few pounds more I can move up to the below, so thought why not? And I can practice my sharpening on my old knife)
http://www.millyskitchenstore.co.uk/TamahaganeBambooKnives24cmChefsKnifeTK-1104-Product-16005.html
Top end of my budget. Good brand, unsure how the steel compares. I've tried the handle on this and it was pretty comfy. I haven't found too many reviews though...
http://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/pt/-four-star-cook-s-knife-9.htm
Well known, good quality brand name. Bolster does slightly put me off.
http://www.millyskitchenstore.co.uk/RobertWelchSignatureCooksKnife25cm-Product-20758.html
I can get this about £10 cheaper at my local store. Seemed like a decent knife...wasn't totally crazy about the handle but was comfortable enough.
http://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/pt/-eden-quality-classic-damast-chef-s-knife-20-cm.htm
This is probably the most intriguing of the bunch and I'm quite interested in this. VG10 steel, pretty hard steel, no name brand and probably made in China or similar. There's the voice in my right ear saying 'caveat emptor' but there's some good reviews on the site and in blogger's posts (plus a knife forum tried it out with good feedback) and there's the 14 day return policy.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Sniffing around for some advice if I could. I was thinking about buying myself an early bday present and realised the thing I used most day to day was my chef's knife (10"). Course, its a £10 jobbie so no amount of steeling will help. So why not splash out? To answer the questionnaire:
LOCATION - UK
KNIFE TYPE - interested in a right handed 9 or 10" cook's/chef knife, circa £50, give or take £20. Open to either handles, but currently use a Wusthof type of knife. Not experienced enough to know about stainless.
I have gone and tried a few knives - Wusthof Classics I like but is a bit heavy and had a sharp bolster. Wusthof GPII is under consideration but inly becomes a deal if I buy a set (and everyone says DON'T buy a set!). Globals were nice but a bit light. Best knife by far I tried (and is reflected in the price) was the Kai Shun Premier.
KNIFE USE - Home environment, slicing/chopping/mincing veges. Slicing and trimming meat.
I'm replacing my Kitchen craft cooks's knife, which I hold in hammer grip and normally Push-Cut, Rock , Slice, Draw & Chop. Ease of use and edge retention are my main things, but if it looks nice!
KNIFE MAINTENANCE - I usually use a wood or synthetic board. I sharpen with a steel, but am only a beginner. Keen to learn how to whetstone though.
So anyway, I've been doing a bit of surfing, learning about types of steel and so forth, and looking at a few knives that fit my budget and narrowed it down to these three (note I did consider the Victorinox chef's knife that quite a few people recommend, but in the UK it's not as cheap as the US, sitting around the £35/40 mark. For a few pounds more I can move up to the below, so thought why not? And I can practice my sharpening on my old knife)
http://www.millyskitchenstore.co.uk/TamahaganeBambooKnives24cmChefsKnifeTK-1104-Product-16005.html
Top end of my budget. Good brand, unsure how the steel compares. I've tried the handle on this and it was pretty comfy. I haven't found too many reviews though...
http://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/pt/-four-star-cook-s-knife-9.htm
Well known, good quality brand name. Bolster does slightly put me off.
http://www.millyskitchenstore.co.uk/RobertWelchSignatureCooksKnife25cm-Product-20758.html
I can get this about £10 cheaper at my local store. Seemed like a decent knife...wasn't totally crazy about the handle but was comfortable enough.
http://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/pt/-eden-quality-classic-damast-chef-s-knife-20-cm.htm
This is probably the most intriguing of the bunch and I'm quite interested in this. VG10 steel, pretty hard steel, no name brand and probably made in China or similar. There's the voice in my right ear saying 'caveat emptor' but there's some good reviews on the site and in blogger's posts (plus a knife forum tried it out with good feedback) and there's the 14 day return policy.
Any thoughts appreciated.
