[MDixon]

We have a mishmash of all kinds of stuff, much of it without a brand name. We have two Henckels Zwilling Twin Grip knives which were closeouts and have very thin blades.

My wife was using the chef's knife about a month ago and while cutting green onion caught the corner of her left index finger cutting through the nail and the skin and the pulp and essentially amputated a cleanly cut chunk out of the corner of her finger. Since there was no blood supply to reattach the excised piece and no flap to stitch we had to go get the angled edge chemically cauterized to stop the bleeding. As far as knives go, I'm thinking on which will shear through the nail and pulp and skin on a finger is good for everyday cooking tasks  

Here's my dream knives:
http://www.kramerknives.com/

[denny]

Within 5 min. of opening the aforementioned Forschner chef's knife, I'd taken off the end of my left thumb with virtually no pressure on the knife.  I'd never had a knife that sharp before.

[weithman5]

Never heard of rostfrel - is that super duper high end?

I don't know if it is high end or not. I like them better than the wusthof the kids have brought.  they are not stainless, just very sharp steel but they need good care since they are not stainless.  I have never seen them in the USA and if not for our solingen guests would not have them.

[hopfenundmalz]

Rostfrei literaly translates to "Rust Free".  It is stainless steel.
So if it will rust, it could be a low grade of stainless, or a special blade from a company that is named Rostfrei.
Is it this company?  I was not familiar with that one.  Wife has Henkels Profi S.  
http://www.rsg-solingen.de/d/index.php

[weithman5]

the knives are made by robert herder in solingen.  it must be a rust free version of their thin carbon steel blade. who knows, but they are sharp and stay that way.

[hopfenundmalz]

So looking around I see that this company does make carbon steel knives.  High carbon steel can be very sharp and will hold the edge.  Can rust like you say.
http://www.herdermes.be/en/enkk01.htm

[gordonstrong]

I use a MAC Professional Series 9.5" Chef's Knife for serious work. It's shaped like a French chef's knife, but has a thinner Japanese-style blade ground to a lower angle (15 vs 20). I like it when I have a lot of work to do since it has a longer blade, is wicked sharp, and is lighter than the German knifes I ordinarily use. If it's good enough for Thomas Keller, Eric Ripert, Hubert Keller and Gordon Ramsay, it's good enough for me.

I have a full set of Wusthof Classics; not sure what came in it and what I've added over the years. But I mainly use the 8" Chef's Knife for day to day stuff. Sometimes I'll grab one of the longer paring knives as well; I think it's 3.5 or 4"  Several specialty knives I only use for single purposes (flexible fish filleting knife, boning knife, bread knife, small curved paring knife, cleaver, carving set). I store them in the large Wusthof knife block. My wife uses the 6" Chef's Knife and the Santoku.

Random old Chicago Cutlery knife I use to open packages. Obscure cheese knifes that were a gift. Chinese chef's knife.

Chef's Choice 120 knife sharpener, F. Dick diamond steel, special sharpener for the MAC knife. Large rectangular BOOS cutting board, large round bamboo cutting board.

[denny]

Gordon, I've been thinking of getting a Boos board, but when I look at reviews on the web I find quite a few people who are dissatisfied with them due to splitting.  How old is yours and have you had any trouble with it?  How do you care for it?

[Pawtucket Patriot]

What do you have? How about an ideal knife/brand? One that you'd leave to your kids in the will...

Winner of ATK tests and what their chefs use....Forschner/Victorinox Fibrox 8" Chef's knife.  It's only $25 and it ROCKS!  Same thing with their $6 6 inch paring knife!

I don't doubt it at all.  In Anthony Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential, he says most serious chefs don't spend a lot on knives.  The celebrity chefs might, but your average workhorse chefs/line cooks use inexpensive (but not necessarily "cheap") ones.  That said, I have a Wüstoff Classic 8-pc set with an additional Wüstoff santoku chef's knife, and a Chicago Cutlery cheese knife.   

[gordonstrong]

It's a Boos block, 15x20x1.25, maple.  I've had it about 5 or 6 years; I got it when I got the MAC knife.  I needed a larger board to safely work with the larger knife.  It's not safe to have a knife that's bigger than your board; it can get knocked off easily.  

I wipe it down after I use it, wash it if it needs it, and oil it occasionally with butcher block oil. I store it on its side so it can dry. I have a big butcher block island in the kitchen where I use it. I lay the board flat, usually with a damp kitchen towel underneath it to keep it from sliding around.

I see no signs of splitting. I'd associate that with being in a very dry environment, or stressing it somehow. I oil my boards every few months, I guess. It's a big honkin' piece of wood.  I think you'd have to be hitting it awfully hard (splitting coconuts or chopping up beef shanks) or have it spanning a gap when using it to have it split. Even then, the force would be applied across the grain not with it. Are the people with problems using them to practice Chuck Norris roundhouse kicks or something?

If it did split, I'd just take it to the shop, saw off the split, joint it, reglue it, and clamp it. Properly glued joints are stronger than wood. Anyone with basic woodworking skills could do that or probably make something very similar from scratch.

[gordonstrong]

I don't doubt it at all.  In Anthony Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential, he says most serious chefs don't spend a lot on knives.  The celebrity chefs might, but your average workhorse chefs/line cooks use inexpensive (but not necessarily "cheap") ones. 

I seem to remember quote was in the context of something like "get one of these and you're halfway to making that fuzzy-headed Emeril your b****."  Probably my favorite line in the book.

Didn't he say that he liked Global knives?  Light and surgically sharp.  I tried them but hated the handles.  Slippery and surgically sharp is almost as bad a combination as bourbon barrels and sulfur sticks.  He was against the German knives primarily due to weight, certainly a problem for people who will be using them all day, every day.  I see the difference using the MAC knife; it's much less fatigue-inducing over the long haul.

Line cooks don't get paid much so they're also less likely to have expensive gear.

[denny]

I don't doubt it at all.  In Anthony Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential, he says most serious chefs don't spend a lot on knives.  The celebrity chefs might, but your average workhorse chefs/line cooks use inexpensive (but not necessarily "cheap") ones.

When I bought my last Forschner/Victorinox, the guy at the knife shop said "You and every cook in town"!

Gordon, thanks for the info on the Boos block.  Makes me feel more comfortable spending the $$ they ask for them!

[Pawtucket Patriot]

I don't doubt it at all.  In Anthony Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential, he says most serious chefs don't spend a lot on knives.  The celebrity chefs might, but your average workhorse chefs/line cooks use inexpensive (but not necessarily "cheap") ones. 

I seem to remember quote was in the context of something like "get one of these and you're halfway to making that fuzzy-headed Emeril your b****."  Probably my favorite line in the book.

Didn't he say that he liked Global knives?  Light and surgically sharp.  I tried them but hated the handles.  Slippery and surgically sharp is almost as bad a combination as bourbon barrels and sulfur sticks.  He was against the German knives primarily due to weight, certainly a problem for people who will be using them all day, every day.  I see the difference using the MAC knife; it's much less fatigue-inducing over the long haul.

Line cooks don't get paid much so they're also less likely to have expensive gear.

Yep, he recommended Global.  Although, even they've gotten a bit pricey in the last few years.

[Pawtucket Patriot]

FWIW, my mother-in-law's Boos block rocks!  She's had it for a couple of years now and it's ultra handy and so durable.  I can't imagine it splitting.

[k4df4l]

Within 5 min. of opening the aforementioned Forschner chef's knife, I'd taken off the end of my left thumb with virtually no pressure on the knife.  I'd never had a knife that sharp before.

LOL..about a week after I got my set, I wound up plunging one into my arm (reached for something past the drying rack where the knife was sitting blade up, I didn't see it).  While the ER doctor was threading a few stitches, she mentioned I was lucky that the knife was so sharp; it did no damage beyond the actual incision.



The gadget/gear lust in me occasionally considers getting some fancy knives but then I use these and they just work so well that it squashes the urge.