Knife recommendations for non-aficionados

[alterwisser]

I often get asked by friends which knives they should buy. Of course I always ask the usual, how much they want to spend, preferences and so on.

The chef Knife that I recommend most (and give as a gift sometimes) is a Tanaka Ginsan. I think it’s a great entry level knife and visually a bit more appealing than a standard western knife or a Global.

Yesterday I was again asked what I recommend as a “set” including a bread knife.

what would your general recommendation be, given these requirements?

- stainless/semi stainless
- 300€/$350 max
- Chef knife + bread + Parer + Party

 

[ian]

What’s a knife?

 

[timebard]

Tanaka Ginsan gyuto and 150 petty, vnox or Wusthof parer, Tojiro bread knife. Should come to just under budget. Sadly the petty is only available in blue 2 from KNS right now--maybe switch it out for a Takamura? Might push the budget just over the $350 mark.

If they want a matching set (at least similar handles and finish) that makes for a harder set of choices...

 

[spaceconvoy]

How are they planning to sharpen them? Because that changes everything

 

[Staystrapped]

They aren’t lol

 

[rickbern]

I always tell people to buy Mac Professionals if they don't know much about maintenance.

Everyone seems to like that 8" granton edge chef's knife of theirs. I also think their Nakiri is a great little knife for a "normal" knife user.

https://www.cutleryandmore.com/mac/...MIhNjHkqLL7AIVLwiICR0SSQPBEAQYASABEgI82PD_BwE
I think they're better than Shuns, but I'm not a real expert at that part of the market.

 

[riba]

What’s a knife?

Stainless petty for cocktails

 

[IsoJ]

I want a party knife too

 

[alterwisser]

How are they planning to sharpen them? Because that changes everything

It’s a general inquiry, not a specific one. So that question I can’t answer. I would always ask that on a case by case base...

 

[M1k3]

What’s a knife?

A knife that's here for a good time

 

[Staystrapped]

Perhaps one that cuts limes well...

 

[ian]

I got nothin but this.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife_Party

 

[GorillaGrunt]

+1 Mac. You can sharpen them however you want and they’re damn near bulletproof

 

[juice]

A knife that's here for a good time

But not a long time? Soft stainless?

 

[panda]

togiharu moly

 

[YumYumSauce]

+1 on Mac knives. I think they make great solid no fuss knives for people who want something good and unfussy. Much better value than those gaudy shuns and miyabi's. And for a set of chef, bread , pairing, petty, should come out to well under $350 and save the rest for a party knife.

 

[Qapla']

+1 on Mac knives. I think they make great solid no fuss knives for people who want something good and unfussy. Much better value than those gaudy shuns and miyabi's. And for a set of chef, bread , pairing, petty, should come out to well under $350 and save the rest for a party knife.

I think they're saying that the MAC Pro petty/utility knife is suitable as a party knife.

 

[alterwisser]

Lol, i didn’t even realize that I wrote party.

i was like: *** are these dudes talking about?!

PARTY ON!

 

[YumYumSauce]

Reasons why this is the Ultimate Party Knife:
1. Great conversation piece. Look woke.
2. Cut lemon&limes for drinks,
3. Use it to grate parm for pizza
4. If things get out of control use it to stab a m'fer

 

[M1k3]

Party knife

 

[alterwisser]

Reasons why this is the Ultimate Party Knife:
1. Great conversation piece. Look woke.
2. Cut lemon&limes for drinks,
3. Use it to grate parm for pizza
4. If things get out of control use it to stab a m'fer

wouldn’t that surface create too much friction when stabbing someone? Asking for a friend ...

 

[YumYumSauce]

wouldn’t that surface create too much friction when stabbing someone? Asking for a friend ...

Hey this is a knife party, not a stabbing party. If you gotta stab someone, might as well do it with style

 

[McMan]

Party knife

Stunt pizza

 

[Benuser]

In my country the MAC Pros are far too expensive. In similar cases I suggest a Misono 440, but only if one lets me get rid of the factory edge.

 

[alterwisser]

For a long time the Tojiro DP was recommended a lot, no? No more love for it?

 

[tchan001]

The Tojiro DP western deba would be a great party knife. You wouldn't worry about it getting much damage at all.

 

[M1k3]

For a long time the Tojiro DP was recommended a lot, no? No more love for it?

The quality didn't change, but, the price went up.

 

[Benuser]

The Tojiro DP western deba would be a great party knife. You wouldn't worry about it getting much damage at all.

If you're sure about damage going to occur, consider a carbon yo-deba instead. Repair is so much easier.

 

[SeattleBen]

Nothing carbon for the casual user, that just seems to be a recipe for disaster. I've come around to not trying to make people super happy with a "fancy" damascus knife and just really tend to offer the Mac and Misono as durable knives that can take some abuse. If the price point is too much for those then it's right to Victorinox.

Also at least at one point the Mac knives were the house knives at Keller's restaurants, which lends a certain cachet to them for someone who thinks they aren't pretty enough.

 

[LUWerner]

I thought that no one here at KKF ever recommended a knife set, but always the most useful 2-3-4 knives to the person asking .