Knife Questions

[CookinOkie]

I have decided to get some good knives. Never had any what I would call good knives so it's about time. I have looked on line at Forschner and Henckels. I know most of you guys have some very good ones and would like some advice as to which ones you would buy if you were in the market and any sources for them. Too much snow, ice and sleet to do any cookin in my part of the world.:-(

CookinOkie Ron

[Freedbaby]

I use Henckels for everything except for my 14 inch brisket slicers and for that I use Connoisseur Knives which are made by Dexter. I am sure there is better, but I am happy with them.

For Poulty shears I have found that the Chicago Cutlery are the best. I have the Henckels too but not happy with them so I put them out to pasture (garage). Their job in the garage is to maybe cut some electrical tape or yard twine.

Good luck and stay warm

Jay

[Texana]

I have decided to get some good knives. Never had any what I would call good knives so it's about time. I have looked on line at Forschner and Henckels. I know most of you guys have some very good ones and would like some advice as to which ones you would buy if you were in the market and any sources for them. Too much snow, ice and sleet to do any cookin in my part of the world.:-(

CookinOkie Ron

I have used both ... and the winner is .....

:texana: Forschner :texana:

Good luck deciding ....

[Zilla]

Hi Okie, I have been reading about knives lately. The Fibrox line by Victorinox/Forschner got a great review as the Best Buy in cutlery. They sell them individually so you can get exactly the knives you need. The prices are really good too. Here is one website to look at. Shop around for the best price of go to your local restaurant supply house and get them and skip the shipping costs. :spam:

http://www.cookswares.com/listbyline.asp?manuf=Victorinox&mline=Fibrox

[Grumpy Gator]

Just got the latest edition of Cooks Illustrated today:

#1 Rated Chef's knife: Forschner!! Again!!

Quote: "This is exactly what a knife is supposed to be."

The knives tested included knives like the Shun, Henkels, Wusthof, Furi, and Mac etc...

There was actually one knife they said was better. It was some handmade knife made by Master Bladesmikth Bob Kramer of Olympia, WA. They didn't include it in the tests, but they said it was better. It is made from carbon steel without chromium, so it will rust and discolor if not kept clean and dry. It was also $475.

The winning Forschner was $22.95.

[Mic]

My choice is Forcshner! Great knifes at a great price! Check em out here:

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/prodlist.asp?BrandID=6&LineID=18

Mic

[PhotoKirk]

Forschner user here.

If you've even owned a Victorinox Swiss Army knife, you are familiar with the quality of steel that Victorinox/Forschner uses. You can put a scary-sharp edge on a Victorinox blade.

[DaHorns]

I bought a monster brisket slicer made by Victorinox/Forschner and LOVE it. I also have some Calphalon knives I use for prep that are out of this world as well.

[CookinOkie]

Hey wow: What a good response and it seems that Forschner is the choice of most. Thanks to each and every one of you. For the info and sites to check out. Maybe by the time I find what I want the weather will be so that I can do a little Q'n .
CookinOkie Ron

[Barry]

As an old timer I still say you can't get the qualty knives today as you could when they still maid them out of carbon steel. after saying that I have a couple Henckles and Victorinox that work well but don't keep a edge like the old carbon steel blads used to in my opinion.
Barry

[david brace]

My choice is Forcshner! Great knifes at a great price! Check em out here:

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/prodlist.asp?BrandID=6&LineID=18
Thanks Mic...good reference link.

DB

[DaddyDett]

I have a mixed bag of Henkels acquired piecemeal over the years.
They span 3 grades, and have served me well.
I recently shopped and drooled myself into a set of Calphalon Katanas.
They are wonderful in hand, and wicked sharp.

DaddyDett

[TexLaw]

I have a set of Henckels, and I really do like them. However, if I ever add to the set or replace anything, I'll look to Forschner/Victorinox. The are world class knives at a fantastic value.

I also read that Cooks Illustrated article, and I agreed with their assesment. I trust those folks, too.


TL

[peps]

someone gave me a Forchner when i first started cooking back in the 80's, I still have, still love it.
my wife got me a new one to add to my now two good knife collection for christmas. and she did buy a Forschner.
so for me, Im a Forschner guy.

[Pork-Q-Pine]

My grandfather was a butcher all his life and he always used Forschner knives. He gave his apprentice most of his knives when he retired but he kept a few that I got when he passed on. They are over 50 years old and still keep a sharp edge.

[Hankerin Bar-B-Q]

I went thru this knife selection process, last spring. I was on a strict budget, so I did my research and even went to local stores that carry the knives i was looking for, so that I could handle them, and finally price them. It was pretty over whelming when I saw how many brands and types of knives are out there. I got a lot of great input, here, about brands and types of knives that work well in our BBQ application.
Long story short, I chose Forschner for their quality, their fibrox handle, and their price. I was able to get 6 items and still had some budget left over (most bang for my buck). I fell in love with them the first time I got to use them, and have been very happy with Forschner.

Hank

[mykidsdad]

Your will always get lots of sage advise from these folks...OK ...most of the time.

Seriously. The single most important factor in selecting a knife is how it feels to YOU. Certainly high quality steel and proper manufacting is all critcal. But, if the knife does not feel comfortable in YOU hand doing the kink of cutting YOU will be doing, it will sit neglected in a drawer. I have used lot of very fine knives in the past and their steel was terrific and qaulity sublime but they just did not feel right to me.

Blade design will depend upon your usage. Slicer for slicing and so forth. Seems like graton or scalloped edges offer a lot to hole slicing brisket and such.

Chefs knives are a different critter all together.

Head off to the fancy stores and lay hands on the hardware. Try out friends cuttlery where you can. Then hit the internet to find a deal.

All in all it is a personal choice and a costly decission at that. You might also find that a less expensive arsenal of knives might be a good idea when on the road as they ahve been known to mysteriously dissappear at cook offs and other road adventures.

Lastly. Take good care of your knives. A dull knife is one of the most dangerous things in the kitchen. keep a hone and steel you knife before each use and during use if doing lots of work. Learn to do it righ and your blades will last generations. Send them out to a pro periodically for a good once over. Call around to a few good chefs and they can direct you to a local sharpener.

[Michiana Mark]

My choice is Forcshner! Great knifes at a great price! Check em out here:

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/prodlist.asp?BrandID=6&LineID=18

Mic
Mic, great minds think alike. This is where I get all my Forschner knives. Great price and quick service.

[Michiana Mark]

OK, for ribs get a 12 in. Cimitar. I bought one about 3 mos. ago and can't believe the effectiveness. Forschner has a great one.

[bigwheel]

Forschner/Victornox is the only knives fittin for use in my book. Try this link
They treated me very right. Great service. Good shipping..free in fact when you break either a hundred or 50 bucks worth of goods..not sure the policy nowadays. Get a steel and a paring knife whilst your at it.

http://www.justknives101.com

bigwheel

[Rookie]

Henckels is the only knives fittin for use in my book. Try this link
They treated me very right. Great service. Good shipping..free in fact when you break either a hundred or 50 bucks worth of goods..not sure the policy nowadays. Get a steel and a paring knife whilst your at it.

http://www.justknives101.com

bigwheel


That's twice I had to fix your post!!! Seriously, I own Forschner (curved boning knife) and Henckels (complete set) and I've found that I'm partial to certain styles over brand. If I had it to do over again, I would have bought a santoku, curved boning knife, butcher knife, and saved my money on all the others that sit unused in my knife block.

As far as brands, I can't tell you that the Henckels are better than the Forschner, but they are a lot more expensive. If I had it to do over, I would not have bought Henckels. Compare Santokus - $25 for Forschner or $75 for Henckels. Is Henckels three times better? Nope.

Here is another link - don't know if they are cheaper, but it's another link...

http://www.knifeoutlet.com/shop/10browse.asp?category=Forschner%20Kitchen%20Cutler y

[CookinOkie]

I can't thank all you guys enough. All the info is priceless. After slobbering over all the good looking knives and your recommendations I have decided I need to drive over to Tulsa, just about 20 minutes away. There are 4 restaurant supply houses there but it has been too icey, snowy and just to cold for this old fart to get out much. :-) It looks like maybe I can get over there this week and spend some time looking and getting the feel for some of them. I am thinking about getting three knives to start with. Wish I could get more but I can get by with that.

Thanks again guys
CookinOkie Ron

[TexLaw]

Shoot, Ron, you can definitely get by with three knives. All I need is a chef's knife, a slicer, and something along the lines of a paring knife. Everything else is nice, but just luxury. Really, I can even get by without the slicer (and did for a while), but just barely.


TL