Anyone with tips on the best knives in the over $120 price point would be appreciated. I am taking the plunge and starting Culinary school in Jan., so I will need to buy the most durable knives possible.
Thank for any info!!
-CP

"Best" is subjective. I assume you're looking for a set for $120 or higher? For my .02, I'd recommend something middle of the road for culinary school. Once you graduate, and are gainfully employed, then step up to something of higher quality if needed. By then, your needs and skills most likely will have changed. You might look over the Forschner line as many have recommended them and they are inexpensive. Also, consult with your school for recommendations. They may have local options with connections with the academy that offer a discount.

Good luck at culinary school!

To add; I have a variety of brands that serve me well; not a single brand and I see no problem in assembling a group of mismatched knives for school. I'd recommend physically handling the knife before purchasing to see how it feels, the weight and comfort. I think different manufacturers excel in different models for different tasks. As far as other brands; Messermeister is a solid German line of which I own several models, there's also Wustof and Henckels. The Japanese (Mac, Global, Shun etc) make fantastic knives and there's no limit to what you can spend. I really think the issue for you is matching the proper tool to task at hand which at this point is culinary school.

Paul

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Paul K,

I totally agree with Paul on the Forschners.

I have more expensive knives that do not get used often since the purchase of several Forschners......ALOT of BANG for your buck and they're very durable and hold a great edge.

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Wolfe:
I totally agree with Paul on the Forschners.

Yes. Have 3. Like them.

I'm sure you will get a different answer from everyone..

I purchased a new chef's knife in the last 2 years. The advice I read at the time said basically that a) higher end knives are all pretty awesome today and b) just go try some out and see what you like. I already owned to Henckels knives (wedding presents) and figured I'd get a Henckels chef's knife. I tried out several knives and, to my surprise, ended up liking the Shun 7" santoku the best. I have been VERY happy with that knife. Fits my hand really well.

I recently purchased a few more Shun blades when Amazon had a sale on them. They are nice and like them as well. I still have the Henckels blades (each knife is a different type) and use those happily as well.

I'm guessing my experience with Shun is not in any way special. I'm sure those with other brands also love their knives and have great things to say about them. However, if I had to do it again, I'd buy the same knife. I like it!

-Matt

quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Piercy:
Anyone with tips on the best knives in the over $120 price point would be appreciated. I am taking the plunge and starting Culinary school in Jan., so I will need to buy the most durable knives possible.
Thank for any info!!
-CP

Hi,

I agree with the recommendation for the $30 Forschner chefs knife since durable and $120 don't seem to fit your need for the "best".

$120 will allow you to buy three Forschner knives and a Mousetrap steel to keep it sharp. That is the best way to go....

The best knife does not exist since there are always trade-offs in performance. The very best knives are never durable and usually run about $120 per inch.

Tim

Tim

I have a mix of Wusthof, Henckels and Forschner knives -- and a Lamson Chinese-style vegetable cleaver that I love, it's like a big honkin' santoku -- and I like them all for different reasons. Some cost more than $120, some cost less. I've tried some seriously high-end knives -- ceramics and the like -- and they tend to be either awesome performers or overbuilt and extremely durable. Very few are both.

I agree with those who are saying wait 'til you get to school and see a) what they recommend, b) what they can get for you at a discount, and c) what the cool kids are using.

Chuck,
Ask for recommendations form the school? They may have a preffered set that you could get at a reduced price.

I agree with everyone regaerding the Forschner knives. Also you don't need to buy a "set". Just buy the knives you will use.

Tom

Only you can tell us what the best knives are....for you. There are a lot of mediocre knives out there, but also many very good ones. Selecting between the good ones involves a lot of personal preference.

If you don't have well defined preferences yet then you might consider getting the standard culinary school issue knives (the above-mentioned Forschner being typical.) They're not so expensive that you will mind getting a pricier piece or two later after you have a better idea what you like and don't like.

For what it's worth, THIS GUY offers pretty good advice on specific brands.

what about cutco? medium priced with incredible performance

I have a 5-year old set of Henckels 5-Star which are very good, and one Global that's closer to 8 years old and it's fantastic. If I were buying another full set I'd probably go with Global or Shun.

The 'best' is subjective, as already noted upthread.

I am not a Forschner fan - at all - finding the knives annoyingly flimsy and the steel too soft. "The very best knives are never durable"...? Nonsense. High quality steel will last. I've had a few of my Globals since they were first introduced to the U.S. And I am very hard on knives.

For me, the best are by Japanese manufacturers. I like (and have) knives from Global, Shun, Tojiro, Glestain, Misono, MAC, Tosagata Hocho, and a few others.

I don't recommend a set either; instead, buy individual knives from a few different makers. And get used to (and learn to appreciate and use well) an 8" or 10" chefs knife. A santoku can have a place in your arsenal (I have a couple I use sometimes) but they are not the standard go-to knives for most professionals.

I agree with most folks here - buy separate knives rather than a set. This place has a great catalog with knives from all over the woirld and write-ups about the different types of knives and their advantages. Go to The Knife Merchant. Their catalog is a good educational magazine and I have found them to be a quality and service oriented organization.

Goos luck at culinary school.

Ray

Turns out that Macys is running a huge sale on Wusthof this weekend so I picked up a few in the Ikon series. They fit my hand well, are lightweight for their design (forged and double bolstered), and look good to my eye.

Thanks to everyone for all the knowledge.
-CP

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Chuck Piercy,

I "a couple months ago" was given a butcher block and several hand forged knives from the 50s. It all was used at a small family grocery in the boonies. The place reminded me of the store on the old Waltons TV show. I cant tell you how well the knives fit in my hand and i cant believe they gave me all of it.

So to stay on topic, if it doesnt feel good in your hand, it doesnt matter who made it. Dont buy it.

While tyhe most important thing is that the knife have the perfect feel for *you*, many consider MAC fromjapan to be among the best.

MAC Knives

quote:

So to stay on topic, if it doesnt feel good in your hand, it doesnt matter who made it. Dont buy it.

That's good advice, and one of those preference issues mentioned above. Globals, for example: some love them and some hate them.

Chuck, the Wusthoff Ikon is a very nice knife. Definitely not your father's Wusthoff, it's one of the new breed of knife from traditional European manufacturers designed to compete better with the Japanese. You'll probably like it.

quote:

Originally posted by Matthew Appler:

I'm guessing my experience with Shun is not in any way special. I'm sure those with other brands also love their knives and have great things to say about them. However, if I had to do it again, I'd buy the same knife. I like it!

-Matt

The Shun is a hybrid knife, in that it uses a Japanese steel (VG-10) while retaining western style geometry. The angle of 15 degrees is pretty acute, compared to softer knives, but can be taken higher. Might be something you may not even want to look at, but I suspect if you take the Shun down further, you'll begin to love the knife.

I started to learn how to hand sharpen but fell off on my practice the last few months. I do use a different VG10 that looks identical to the shun classic save for the handle, and a Shun chinese cleaver.

Japanese knives are a different beast, but are wonderful to cut with as long as you know its requirements and limitations.

I have some old buthcher shop knives (Keen Kutter and nameless high carbon blades)that are excellent if you have the ability to sharpen and maintain the the high carbon blades. I used and then purchased a global 10" cheff 5 years ago.the handle was strange at first, but became familiar quickly with use.It is the sharpest and best holding edge I have owned.