Knives

[floydmeddler]

Right... my knives are horrendous. I have 2 blunt knives in my kitchen - that's it. What's good? I want something that will last but not ridiculously expensive...

Cheers!

[AnthonyUK]

I can't recommend any particular knife but this sharpener made all of our kitchen knives are now lethally sharp after using it - http://www.amazon.co.uk/AnySharp-Global ... B001DXVL6K

Combine this with a diamond steel to keep your knife sharp as the above sharpener does remove quite a lot of material if used too often.

[Pinto]

I personally find that the knife matters less than the sharpener and also how its used....

Most sets sold in supermarkets, etc are fine for everyday use but you need to keep on top of the sharpening - 99% of them are some grade of stainless, which takes but won't hold a decent edge for long. Carbon steel blades are much better, but require careful husbandry as they rust easily.

Get one of these :

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/AnySharp-GARDEN ... nav=SEARCH

Two quick swipes every other time you draw the knife for use will keep a keen edge.

Lastly, and most importantly.... Use a timber or polymer chopping board !! Soooo many people wonder why chopping on the worktop or god forbid, a glass board leads to insta-blunt blades.....

[Mr. Dripping]

Do you use your local butcher??
That's who I got my last knives from.....they are Victorinox, good quality but not ridiculously expensive.

[floydmeddler]

Cheers lads. Few leads to follow up on now.

[floydmeddler]

Do you use your local butcher??
That's who I got my last knives from.....they are Victorinox, good quality but not ridiculously expensive.

Just bought one. Cheers!

[Aleman]

Procook are actually not bad for knives, their X50 range are reasonable, although if I was buying a set again I woudl probably go for their X100 Damascus range . . .very nice for mass produced Japanese steel.

Although If you really want to look at Knives of beauty then smoething like the Masakage Kumo Range are just incredible, and with a VG100 core will hold an edge like you wouldn't believe. I've got my eye on the Santuko from that range, just trying to justify it to myself that I really 'need' another knife

As for sharpening a range of stones . . . 240 /800 / 2000 grit and a 10,000 grit ceramic steel are by far the best way to put an edge on a knife.

[AnthonyUK]

Procook are actually not bad for knives, their X50 range are reasonable, although if I was buying a set again I woudl probably go for their X100 Damascus range . . .very nice for mass produced Japanese steel.

Although If you really want to look at Knives of beauty then smoething like the Masakage Kumo Range are just incredible, and with a VG100 core will hold an edge like you wouldn't believe. I've got my eye on the Santuko from that range, just trying to justify it to myself that I really 'need' another knife

As for sharpening a range of stones . . . 240 /800 / 2000 grit and a 10,000 grit ceramic steel are by far the best way to put an edge on a knife.

I was speaking to a couple of chefs and they spend a ridiculous amount of time sharpening their knives which I understand if you rely on them for your career.
Whilst I agree that these expensive knives keep sharp longer, unless you are using it all day long in a professional environment, I agree with Pinto that most decent stainless knives will be more than adequate if kept sharp. I have a western hollow edge nakiri that I had just sharpened on the Anysharp and took a 2mm tip of a finger off
I'm totally with you on the Japanese craftsmanship though. They are truly things of beauty.

If you need a knife to stay sharper for long the price of ceramic knifes is on par with steel but you will probably need another sharpener.

[BarnsleyBrewer]

I can't recommend any particular knife but this sharpener made all of our kitchen knives are now lethally sharp after using it - http://www.amazon.co.uk/AnySharp-Global ... B001DXVL6K

Combine this with a diamond steel to keep your knife sharp as the above sharpener does remove quite a lot of material if used too often.

Good sharpener...........

[boingy]

Even budget stainless knives are fine if you get into the habit of giving them a quick swipe in a sharpener each time you use them. It's almost automatic for me now.

If it passes the tomato test it's sharp enough...

[Aleman]

Fold a piece of A4 lengthwise and stand it on your choppping block. now try and cut it with your knife. If it does it like this . . . Then your knife is sharp enough



Although slicing a bit of a squidgy tomato and standing it on your chopping block and then slicing thin bits off it horizontally without holding the tomato is also a pretty good test