I have two sets, my NapaStyle 3", 5", and 7" all Santoku style I've had the longest, and they were cheap knives at the time (the whole set was $60).  They hold a good edge and are attractive, but can be a bitch to get sharp.

My new set is the Calphalon Katana series, 6" chef, 7" Santoku, and 8" chef.  These knives so far have been awesome, and for the price ($40-$65 each after 20% BB&B coupon) they have awesome.



My next knife will be a Shun classic.

Just like guns, it's a personal preference.  Personally, all my knives are Global with the exception of one.  A cheap (and one I'd highly recommend) off-set serrated.  It has a multitude of uses and is cheap enought that when it dulls, toss it and buy another!

Global:


Off-set Serrated:

I've enjoyed and regularly use this knife that was made for me by Godrilla47



If you can find someone to make a chef's knife to your specifications, you will enjoy working with it a lot more, at least that's what I found.

I just purchased a set (I'll justify it later) from Cutco. I went into this with the thoughts of purchasing one by one starting with the 8' chef's or a Santoku from Shun following the recommendations here. I went a stray for a few reasons.

First, I'm a touch lazy. I want to be able to throw my knives in the dishwasher if I have to. I always clean them right after I use them by hand, but every now an then I want to have them washed in the machine to be clean.

Second, I like this manufacturer mainly for two reasons. The knives are made in the USA and made about an hour from my house in Olean , NY. It felt good knowing that I was doing a little bit to try and help a local business.

Third, I bought the set because I got to pick my own knives. The set came with knives that I knew I would not use. The dealer stated that I could switch out any knife for any other knife for the difference. This is what put it over the edge for purchasing the entire set and not one by one. I could say I was going to take my time and buy them one at a time but who was I kidding? I would of bought all of them over a few months and spent more then I did for the set. I knew I want a full set one day, why wait?

Lastly, the knives are guaranteed sharp for life. If they dull I can call my dealer to sharpened them or drive to the factory and have them sharpen them. I don't have to be with out my knives!

I have to take pictures still for the post and I'll give a brief review description later.

I can say that I have had them since Christmas and I have used every single one of them at least twice so far.

I finally bought a couple Shun's...they are awesome.  The Katana series have worked well as beater knives, and the Shun's are my babies.

I only need a couple of knives in the kitchen - in the field is a different story.  for meats, i like to use a yanagi, my personal choice are shun knives.  I have a shun classic and its an incredible knife, requires a little maintenance but it's a joy to use for practically all meats - fish obviously - slicing and preparing.

Wusthoff Classic line.  Chef's knife, Santoku, two pairing knives, and a bread knive/long carving knife.

The Henckels I had were too thin at the spine and over time they developed a warp (I suspect the wife played a part in this).  They are my wife's knives now since I don't care if she abuses them (dishwasher, cutting boxes, general tomfoolery).


The Wusthoff classics were purchased indvidually online and at a small restaurant supply store.  They fit my hand well, take a good edge, and I like the heft.  Barring anything crazy, they should last me a lifetime.

I use the white handled NSF Santoko and chef's knives that are sold at Costco, Sams, Smart and Final, and restaurant supply stores.  They end up costing about $8 each and really hold an edge well.  

Yeah, I like the feel of high end knives, but it sucks when one ends up in the dishwasher and part of the handle disappears.  Read the fine print when you buy.  Many are not dishwasher safe.  You may never do it, but the wife/friend/kid may fuck up your high roller knife.

My personal set consist of  shun: They area extremely sharp and if taken care of they work fantastic for life I use them daily and never had a issue with them.
5 1/2" santoku
8" Chef knife
6" utility
4" paring
12" carver

and a pair of dexter butcher knives

My employees use Victorinox Forschner unless they bring there own... they aren't as sharp as the shuns but take a ton ton more abuse

Clint

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Zwilling's licensed stainless damascus version of Bob Kramer's chef's knife. I love the shape, balance, and the handle.

Just pulled the trigger on a Mac pro. Now I play the waiting game.

Here are mine, the 5 on the left are Custom Cutlery and Ironworks. I like them because of the ergonomics, and because they touch up so easily and seem to get so darn sharp. A Queens Cutlery knife I like but not as easily sharpened and does not get as sharp it just happens to be the right size a lot of the time. The one on the right is a no name carbon steel knife that belonged to my grandfather who cut meat as a supplement income to farming. It likely won't have much trouble lasting my life time and going on to it's 4th generation of owner. Not bad for something likely hammered out in a local blacksmith shop.

I've got two of these, a chefs and a Santoku, got them as gifts, they're good knives for the price. There is a problem with the butchers knives, though, in that the edges seem to crack on some. I think its b/c they're tempered too hard and the steel is too brittle. Haven't seem that problem on the Santoku. I may send the chefs knife back and get a replacement, but I do like that it takes a nice edge, even if there is a crack or two.

I have thousands of dollars in knives.  Wustof, Cutco, Henkel, Victorinox, etc.

My favorite knife I own is a Dorco I bought at a Korean market in Queens for 9 bucks.

Knives are a touchy subject as there are a lot of things that go into a purchase decision.  

Fit (how it feels in your hand)
Materials - Metal type/hardness,handle materials
Ability to hold an edge is often related to the materials used.

I had a block of Chicago Cutlery for the longest time, always hand washed, and ran over a hone before and after every use.  They were still quite sharp and did their job over the years.  Never sharpened them.  That being said, I branched out and bought a Shun Fuji 10" chef knife which was a world above the old ones.  It cut things so much easier and the handle fit my had even better.  Long cutting sessions did not leave my arm sore due to the balance of the knife.  I would say my knife hobby has been thriving lately.

One thing I have learned is that there are some very good knife makers out there and if you are going to spend the few hundred dollars on (MAC, Shun, Global, Whustof, etc) you can often get something that will be hands down more useful and a better purchase in the long run.  

There are a few of my go to knives, some duplicates (have twin boys who I plan on handing a few down to)  From top to bottom:
240 Del Ealy Carbon Gyuto
Del Ealy Damascus Paring knife
HHH Nakiri
Del Ealy Stainless Pairing knife
HHH 240 Production Line Gyuto (not a handmade one)
Del Ealy mini nakiri
HHH 180mm Damascus Feather Gyuto
HHH san mai petty knife
HHH san mai pairing knife
Pierre Rodrigue 240 gyuto - this guy is thin thin thin.
Del Ealy mini nakiri

Damn, Randy must love hearing from you.



My one HHH..

Oh my goodness!  That is beautiful!  I love the nakiri and use it all the time.   The feather pattern is gorgeous.   Just got the San mai set and feel like the petty is going to quickly move to one of the most used blades.  

Randy is a stand up guy And his work is amazing.

 
I'm loving this knife. The balance is fantastic and the thing is like a lightsaber, out of the box. Its drawn blood a couple of times. Nowhere near as forgiving to any mistakes in handling it as knives I've used before. Recommended.

Nice. Where did you get it?

Nothing?

judging from the link he left, i'd start here:

congrats, btw

Necroposting, but oh well. The Mes has been my workhorse knife, but I found a scorching deal on a Wusthof Classic nakiri knife after my wife & I did a class at Sur La Table. She discovered she likes a thinner blade than the other German chef's knives I have at home. With one class, she went from "whatever I can throw in the dishwasher" to wanting a Shun, Miyabi, or something priced north of those. That will come, AFTER the knife skills class for some basics like "don't throw it in the dishwasher" and "don't cut yourself."

Williams-Sonoma, SLT, and a few other places are blowing these out for $50. I got it for $40. It's a great little knife at that price point.

resurrecting a basically dead thread but what the hell. so I cook professionally and carrying my knives to and from work everyday all that I carry with me is what I know I will need. so to me the idea of having a big "collection" is kind of dumb, but thats just me. so lets go through whats in my knife roll.

chef knife: shun 10in classic.

this is my workhorse at the restaurant. yes it's a 10in as opposed to an 8in, some just prefer a slightly longer knife, I'm one of them. I love the lightweight, the balance, how razor sharp I can get this blade and how easily I can keep it that sharp, it fits my hand and my cutting style perfectly. as for shun as a brand I feel they hit just the right balance of very high quality while also keeping price reasonable. btw if you think shuns are expensive go take a look at what other japanese made blades cost.

chef knife #2: victorinox 10in rosewood handle

this was the first chef knife I bought specifically for work and now serves as my beater knife, if there's a task that I know is going to trash and edge, such as say cuting lobsters down the middle ll grab this knife as opposed to my shun.  while it doesn't hold and candle to the shun as far as sharpness and dexterity this is still and excellent knife. I prefer the feel of the wood grip over the fibrox handle, but thats just my personal preference. for a western style blade these knives come VERY sharp and I have found that these blades are extremely durable and hold an edge extremely well. dollar for dollar victorinox is the most knife you'll get for the money. for a cook looking for quality on a budget victorinox should be your first stop.

utility knife. shun sora 6in

for me a utility knife is basically an oversized paring knife, and I've been known to just use my utility knife as a paring knife, (much to the chagrin of the sous chef) anyhow my go to is the 6in shun sora. the sora line is the more low priced, entry level shun line, as opposed to he resin impregnated wood grips found on the classic line the sora line has textured plastic grips. in this case I like the feel of the more slender grip on the sora as opposed to the classic line.

paring knife: j a. henckels 4in paring knife.

well, it was on sale, it fit my hand nicely and it holdd an edge well. this little knife has actually exceeded my expectations as I have found myself underwhelmed by henckels knives in the past but it's held up well, holds a very good edge and I personally prefer 4in as opposed to a 3in paring knife.

bread knife: victorinox 8in w/ offset handle

really I'm not picky when it comes to bread knives, I treat them as a disposable item, serrated blades are a bitch to get sharpened or to sharpen yourself so I just use a cheap one, generally I get a year and half out of them then then I'll give the old one away and grab a new one. the only thing I'm particular about if that I like and offset grip with a break knife so my knuckels don't hit the cutting board as I cut through the loaf.

so thats whats in my day to day knife roll. I have a second knife roll some some speciality knives. which I know I'll need on certain days and contains:
- victorinox flexible boning knife
- victorinox stiff boing knife
- ontario knife company cleaver
- victorinox 12in granton
- shun classic 10.5in yanagiba.

On a recent trip, I came up short with my Henckels 6" Chef not making it home.  I bought a 6" Mercer and used it for the first time last night.  It is one sweet cutter!!!   I already had a Mercer granton edge slicer in stock.  

Dishwasher safe and a nice grippy handle.

It is funny how similar my collection is to Zhukov's.  I will try to get a picture soon.

I like my Wusthof Classic Ikons.

They come sharp, stay sharp, are well balanced and pretty.

interesting holder

Been a few years since I posted in here. I have managed to pick up a couple more Shuns that I am loving even more than my original "set". 




Great knife. Quickly becoming my favorite for slicing veggies. Razor sharp. Just bumped the corner/tip of the blade near the hilt while trying to nudge it out of the way. Bleeding like a stuck pig. 
Ergos are a bit better than the full SS knives I have. The stone wash finish on the blade isn't as pretty as other styles, but it appears to hold up well.





Decent all around blade. I like to call it the sandwich knife. Cut/spread all in one blade profile. Does well as a stand in bread knife as well. I mainly bought it as a general purpose knife shortly before I sent the remainder of my collection back to Shun for sharpening. Served me well the week it was my only kitchen knife. 

I've got lots of knives, both pocket, sheath, and kitchen. I lose pocket knives, so I stick to Gerber, Buck, and Kershaw. Kershaw has great customer service. CS is the reason I stay away from Old Timer/Shrade and Camillus.

Kitchen knives - Wustof, Henkel, or any German made is good to go.

henckels never impressed me that much. the paring knife I have of theirs works well enough but it's nothing special. frankly once I started using japanese blades western blades took a back seat.

I like expensive knives and I like cheap knives that work, are easy to sharpen/touch up and hold a good edge.

The ABSOLUTE BEST low-mid range affordable, damned near indestructible knives that can stand up to a lot of abuse?  See below:

ICEL Knives.  Made in Portugal

Example

You can poke around on Amazon and find them in the US.  I have a slicer (which took a large chunk off the end of my thumb, including the nail, just by accidentally brushing across it), a boning knife, a paring knife, a chefs knife and maybe a couple of others stuffed in the drawer.

I have my favorites and forget these are in a block I ignore normally.  I am a Shun user and fan.  Favorite knife is an ancient Forschner boning knife for 60% of what I need.  Ocassionally what I need is dirty or not handy then I remember the ICEL's in the block and grab one.  They are fantastic!

The slicer that took a good part of my thumb is 15 years old, never been sharpened and is as sharp as the day somebody gave it to me.

Check them out.  Buy one.  See how you like them.  I think they are the best deal/ highest value to cost knife you can buy.  I toss em in the dishwasher and don't worry about them because they are so cheap.

I picked up a 6" Mercer chef's knife.  It is a really solid and sharp knife.  I like it better than my Henckels.  I haven't touched any other knives since I bought it.  I think I am gonna put some of the surplus in my camping gear.  

bump

I scored a mega-set of Ontario  Old Hickory knives for about 70% off list. They're ultra-basic 1095 carbon with beech handles. I got a cleaver, 14" butcher, 8" butcher, beef skinner, two paring knives, 8" fillet, 10" chef, 6 and 8" utility knives, a 12" slicer and two real oddballs- a grape vine tender's knife, and a cotton sampler. I have no idea what do with them, but I got them and that makes me the winner. I paid $100 for all, delivered. Grabbed a wooden knife block at a thrift  store for $4. Added a Chicago Cutlery break-through carver ($18) and a vintage F Dick butcher's steel ($30). I appreciate good cutlery, but the ex-GF has all mine now, and I was tired of muddling along with just a santoku and a paring knife.

I'll admit to having a soft spot for riveted wood handles and basic carbon steel. I like the Forschner line, and that would have been an excellent, economical way to go, but... nah. Couldn't  do it. These knives do the job well and scratch my "vintage" itch, so I'm happy.

If you know how to take care of them, they are pretty good knives.
You may have to reprofile a few of the blades, but that's normal and easy.

Where are you buying these?

Thanks! I'm in the market for a couple of knives.

I have a hodgepodge of knives in my kitchen.  Pretty much, I keep two sets: one semi-cheap set for my wife, and one for myself. This prevents me from going into a homicidal rage because one of my good knives got stuck in the dishwasher or something.

I have a first-gen Shun knife my mom gave me for Christmas one year. It’s a fantastic piece of work. Gets sharp, stays sharp, nice heft... sadly it just never felt good in my hand. I don’t use it that much.

I have two cleavers, a heavy, 1970s vintage (?) Chicago cutlery. I freakin love that knife. You can chop shallots or manhandle a quarter of a hog with it. It’s a softer steel, and requires maintenance to stay razor sharp, but it gets very very sharp.  I have a smaller, Asian style cleaver from Forschner. It’s a great prep knife. It’s got a chunky feel, but actually does delicate stuff well. I have a third cleaver-like knife ... something between a small cleaver and a santoku-style from Gutman. It’s not an expensive knife, and I think the company went under, but it feels great in my hand and does a little bit of everything.

I have two boning knives, one from forschner, and one from Henkels. Both are excellent. The forschner is lighter, and gets sharper, the Henkels holds an edge longer. I use both when breaking down things like deer.

There are a couple of traditional “chef’s knife” blades in the drawer; they’re great knives, but I don’t use them very often.

The rest are miscellaneous blades, paring knives (something German), a bread knife, etc.

I had always planned on using my father’s chef knives (yeah, he did the whole culinary school thing before running off to kill commies in Southeast Asia), but when he died his girlfriend gave away all the kitchen stuff. It broke my heart (she had no clue how much some of that stuff was worth), but she was so helpful going through his metric fuckton of crap that I couldn’t really hold it against her. He had some knives that he purchased in France that were simply amazing. Not only were they extremely high quality, but held great sentimental value as well. Somebody is probably chopping potatoes with his single-bevel, handmade sushi knife from Japan as well.  I try not to think about it too much.  To her, it was all just “kitchen stuff”... sigh.

Anyway, I love the sharpness I get with carbon steel blades, even if they require more upkeep.  For me, two things are important- sharpness and hand feel. The latter is highly subjective.

What are some decent/good steak knives, or are these knives even worth getting into?  I bought a set of Henkels forged premio but, I am wanting to get some better knives.  I am by no means a knife snob.  I am pulling the trigger on a Shun 8 in. chef knife and one of their boning knives here pretty soon.

Good question. I have always avoided the whole idea of decent steak knives because they are always cutting against china; but tired of using crap.

Appreciate it.

Probably lower end, but I've had good luck with my Rada knives. Sadly, they don't make a kitchen scissors/shears. Any recommendations?

I have an older pair of Henkel scissors that have been awesome. Going on almost 20 years. I wash and dry them by hand so that may help their longevity.

As far as knives go, I have had Wustof, Henkel, Globals, Chicago Cutlery, Victorinox, etc. I finally broke down and got a full set of Shun Classics. No comparison to any other kitchen knife I've owned. They are the absolute best in quality and purpose. Buy once, cry once deal.

Wife loves this thin Henckels, I don't like them so much:


Mercer, stiff thin blade with nice shape and balance, grip is soft and easy to hold with wet hands, I have a 6 and 8 inch.  These are good quality and very affordable:



I really like these cheap Henckels paring knives.  They were always dirty in the sink or dishwasher, so I just bought a stack of them.  The edge holds nicely and is easy to clean up on a 2000 grit diamond stone:

Cheap paring knives make the best steak knives.