Best chef knife ....

no clue -
starting to think I bit off more than I can chew . Maybe I’ll just get him some whiskey and a drift trike and tell
Him to go nuts haha

 

The knife thing is the same as the watch thing,really. An Apple Watch does as good a job if. It better than whatever Rolex has Dave K’s nuts in an uproar this week. I have four main chef knives that I use, plus a couple others that my wife likes and that are backups. My most used is an 8” chefs that I think is from Shun’s top line, and is in line with your Mac cost wise. I don’t need anything better, but I wouldn’t say no to a Brooklyn Cut, a custom Carter or, if money was no object, a Kramer. For the record my favorite butchering knife is a cheap rubber handle 6” boning knife from Kershaw. It probably cost $25, but damn can it break down a pig.
As far as sharpening, also subjective. Of the chefs I know, it is about a 50/50 split between having the, sharpened and doing it themselves.

 

I warned you. From the last chef knife thread, there were sushi knives that were approaching a grand.

 

Not a pro who can argue what the best is, but finally picked up a nice Wusthof set and am pretty happy with it and amazed at the difference between the old cheap sets I used to use. Also have a set of Shun, just because they were shiny, and yeah.

 

For sure. All the Production and whole animal butchers I know typically use relatively low-cost stamped knives (kershaw, dick, forschner, dexter, whatever) and they just plain get the job done. I think I forgot about looking at Kramers (smart move). Those do look sweet, but I already have more knives than I need, and I should be saving for a good Santa Maria grill (or maybe one of those new Franklin smokers).

If anything approaching consensus has emerged from this thread is that kitchen/cooking/butchering knives are personal, and no one-size-fits-all works.

 

I had to stop reading Cigar Aficionado Because I always felt so damn poor by page 3, if this quarantine keeps up I fear I am headed down the same road with this place.

I use a a ~$200 Kitchenaid set that my wife picked out because the block went with our kitchen. I’m no chef but I run them through a Work Sharp when they get dull and they do all that I ask them too. Maybe ignorance is bliss but I sure hope I never cut anything with a knife that has a comma in the price.

 

I really dig Shun knives by Kershaw Ltd. We have a small set. Pretty sure all the Shun lineup is USA made which is a big plus.

 

Japan.

 

its always a bad idea to buy someone a gift in their profession as its their profession and you know nothing about it. Its very specific plus they can probably get one hell of a deal on whatever it is. Just my .02

 

giving a knife in the superstitious world can mean, "cutting a friendship". if he is any friend at all, and understands tradition, watch to see if he returns the favor, by giving you a coin. (was mentioned earlier in the thread but, probably over looked by many). otherwise it "Could be seen" as an ending, not a beginning, including marriage. Ski
here:
Gift a Knife: Include a Penny
For reasons historians have not reached a consensus on, somewhere along the line – way back in the line, hundreds (maybe thousands) of years ago – people came to believe that giving a knife as a gift meant bad luck for the relationship.

In another words, the knife would metaphorically “cut” the ties that bind two people. This affect is even worse if the recipient is your significant other – some believe the love will soon end after the knife is given as a gift or that a knife as a wedding gift will severe the bonds of marriage.

No one wants a gift like that!

That’s why, long before rationality and science started replacing superstition, a tradition began in which those who gift a knife also attach a coin to the blade or include it with the gift. Even a penny will do. The receiver of the knife then gives the penny to the gift-giver, thus “paying” them for the knife and keeping the relationship intact.

Sound weird? That’s because it is. But so is throwing salt over your shoulder, not walking under ladders and expecting seven years bad luck when you break a mirror.

The Origin of the Coin Tradition
As with most superstitions, the exact reason – if ever there was one – is lost in the sands of time. But a simple Google search indicates the topic still comes up often, with many knife sellers saying customers frequently ask them about including a penny or other coin with their gift.

The general consensus remains that since a knife has a blade, it can symbolize cutting something. And in more modern times, a penny has always been considered good luck.

Before the penny existed, finding any kind of metal seemed good fortune, like a gift from the gods. So including any kind of coin did the trick with a knife gift.

So in addition to providing the recipient a chance to symbolically buy the blade with a coin, the coin provides good luck to cancel out the bad luck of the knife.

The superstition remains so well known to this day that Masakage, the Japanese knife-maker, includes a five-yen coin in knife boxes.

So should you include a penny or other coin with your knife gift? Well, it is 2016, after all, and a true fan knows that a quality knife is an absolutely fantastic present. A knife gift is not bad luck, it’s just a really good gift to the right person.

Still, if you know the recipient has a superstitious streak – or you just want an opportunity to tell the coin-with-knife story – than go ahead and include one.

It could make your already excellent gift that much more memorable.

 

Explain this coin custom?

 

see my post again, fixerated it for the non traditional people. when toasting with drinks, do you not tap the glass on the table, before you drink? (look that up too). Ski

 

I'm most definitely not a knife snob, so I got a set of Hampton Forge at Costco for like 50$ about 20 years ago. Of course they don't stay sharp forever, but I have a good fiamond coated sharpening tool and I maintain them well. They certainly do the job, but of course are totally inapropriate for a pro.

 

https://gourmet-delights.com/shun-premier-chefs-knife-8inch.html



I don't have one...

 

My suggestion is to stay away from stainless if you're looking for something unique and something he's unlikely to have or want to return. It'll also perform better than the stainless stuff.

Maybe a razor sharp, single bevel, japanese sushi knife? Japanese knifes are also a rabbit hole, but they're obscure enough that comparisons won't be immediately be made. They're also singular and I doubt your friend would have one of his own unless he's a sushi chef which also means he's less likely to return it.

A yanagiba would be my recommendation. Link provided as an example, but there are a lot of craftsmen out there making these knives so they get as personal and $$$ as you'd want to get.
https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/yanagiba
https://www.handmadeknifejapan.com/items/yanagi/

Also, there are many types of Japanese steel. This link has a nice table for quick comparisons.
https://www.japanny.com/pages/japanese-knife-blade-steels

 

Shun are very nice. One of my best friends is a chef and he loves his. I've used them a couple times and they are super balanced. The top shelf Henkels or Wusthof stuff is very nice too. The shit you get at the mall not so much. I have a couple of these that i got on closeout last year for a steal and they are pretty sweet. They come in wood boxes and sometimes with a display stand. Not Shun fancy but not Shun expensive either.

https://kamikoto.com/

 

I like the Wusthof classic line (full tang, handle shape, blah blah blah). Like hand tools I don't make my living via my knives but these work well for me and I sure would work if I was a pro. I'm sure there are other brands and types of knives I'd like more but no need to try.

I also have some old german made knives and some custom knives my Dad had. Neat and better in some ways then my Wustofs but I prefer the Ws because you like what you like.

 

I have the Wusthofs as well. Good balance, hold an edge well and just work.

If I had more money I would probably have a set of the Shun Kaji's just because I like how they look.

 

+1

Got a set of Shuns for a wedding gift, they are impressive.

Have a set of Henkel knives for daily use. Happy with them but there are lower and higher grade Henkel knives.

Bought a Ferum Forge 6″ Chef knife a year ago. Absolutely LOVE it.

 

I like Aaron Franklin, and following some of his techniques has improved my brisket, but I'm not sure I buy the hype about the smokers. For the price point there is a lot of other heavy weight cookers I can invest in at a bigger size. And I am still not sure it will do anything markedly better than my BGE. I really need to figure out what I'm going to do about my smokehouse. I wasn't using it all the time and critters have destroyed it. Time to knock it down and start over I think, but can't decide if I want to go full masonry or just convert a stainless warming box to do what I need.

And don't look into Kramer. You'll sprain your wallet. Last time I checked, if you could get into one of the lotteries to get onto the wait list, pricing started at well north of $500/inch. Some of his stuff is coming in at $1500/inch.