Kitchen

[Sooner]

Wusthof, Global, lots of the Asian knives are good. Williams-Sonoma usually has some great choices on sale, and they have a lot of reviews as well. If a person won't take care of a good knife, get them a cheap one they can throw away often.

[Cats3000]

I have LamsonSharp knives. Made by Lamson and Goodnow in Shelburne Falls, MA. Have had them for years. Absolutely love them.

[Little Way]

On 3/4/2015 LoopyLoo said:

On 3/4/2015 KYToby said:

It depends upon budget, how they will be used, and how often they will be used.

Cutco is good for people who are unable or unwilling to maintain knives. They are not very good for serious knife work, but for most home cooking, they probably will be just fine. A plus is that Cutco will sharpen then for you and little maintenance is required.

For more serious cooks, something like Wustoff. The Wustoff has the largest open stock selection on the market, and they are good knives, but they must be maintained which requires regular use of a steel and professional sharpening once a year or so. Wustoff is great for those desiring a German blade profile. Sabatier-K and Elephant Sabatier are both great for those preferring a French profile (my preference).

Finally, Japanese knives are great. I like Shun which are the sharpest out of the box. Shun will also resharpen then for fee, but they must be sent in.

A wee bit presumptuous, are we?

I don't get this, really - what is "presumptuous" about this post? KYToby gave a nice summary of different knife types. Anyway, I know knife sets look nice on the countertop but experience has shown me that I like different knives from different brands for different tasks. I now have a Wusthof block and I have Cutco, Messermeister, Henkel, and Wusthof knives. My favorite little knife is an inexpensive "tomato knife" from Messermeister. Less than $10. It is a mini serrated knife and I use it for so many different foods.

[Poodlepet2]

A number of people who had children in culinary school recommended Victoronix knifes. I bought them in a block ( they offer different configurations, or you can buy a la carte). These are the best knives I have ever used and I have owned other well known brands: they don't compare to Victoronix-they make cutting and chopping-and deboning an absolute breeze. Poodlepet2

[Mominohio]

I had never heard of Cutco until people posted on here some time back about them. I have since had the chance to run across some in the second hand market, and I have to say, I'm not really impressed. I have yet to see anything recent of theirs, though.

I have a set of Henckles, but they are only maybe 6 years old, and they are just ok. They seem to need sharpened a lot.

My suggestion may not be well received here, but thrift stores often have huge tubs of knives to choose from. Usually the people who work there don't know knives, and you will find some really nice brands, and some really good older knives, often in good condition. Many people buy sets of knives, only using a couple of their favorite, and the rest get donated years later, in like new condition. Of course you might not put together a nice looking, matching set this way, but as others have stated, a really useful knife set is put together piece by piece with different brands and types according to the cooks needs. My most used and best feeling knives have been found this way.

The choice of a knife, is to me, like a handbag for women. It has to feel just right in the hand, it has to 'fit' just right, have the right weight etc. Perhaps if he is at all into cooking, take him when you buy, so he can try them in the hand.

[LooPY]

On 3/5/2015 Dilemma Meringue said:

On 3/4/2015 LoopyLoo said:

On 3/4/2015 KYToby said:

It depends upon budget, how they will be used, and how often they will be used.

Cutco is good for people who are unable or unwilling to maintain knives. They are not very good for serious knife work, but for most home cooking, they probably will be just fine. A plus is that Cutco will sharpen then for you and little maintenance is required.

For more serious cooks, something like Wustoff. The Wustoff has the largest open stock selection on the market, and they are good knives, but they must be maintained which requires regular use of a steel and professional sharpening once a year or so. Wustoff is great for those desiring a German blade profile. Sabatier-K and Elephant Sabatier are both great for those preferring a French profile (my preference).

Finally, Japanese knives are great. I like Shun which are the sharpest out of the box. Shun will also resharpen then for fee, but they must be sent in.

A wee bit presumptuous, are we?

I don't get this, really - what is "presumptuous" about this post? KYToby gave a nice summary of different knife types. Anyway, I know knife sets look nice on the countertop but experience has shown me that I like different knives from different brands for different tasks. I now have a Wusthof block and I have Cutco, Messermeister, Henkel, and Wusthof knives. My favorite little knife is an inexpensive "tomato knife" from Messermeister. Less than $10. It is a mini serrated knife and I use it for so many different foods.

And I appreciate the summary of different knives. The presumption that certain tools are for non-'serious' cooks who are incapable or unwilling to maintain knives--not so much. I would beg to differ. I have no vested interest in Cutco, but I've been a 'serious cook' for 48 years.

[KatieB]

Wusthof brand is about the best, but America's Test Kitchens says that the Victorinox brand is the best chef's knife... I think you can find sets for each of these brands.....

KatieB

[debic]

My advice would be to make sure they're full tang (the metal of the blade goes through the handle) I know how the handle fits in one's hand makes a difference also.

My brother has an amazing Cutco chef knife, and it's all he needs/wants. Maybe just a couple good knives and an electric sharpener? Make your own set. The fine honing part of chefs choice is wonderful to maintain the edge of your knife.

While I have 4-5 brands I've collected over the years I mostly use 5 types. None of these are the same brand but all have similar handles that fit in my hand.

Chefs knife

filet

Santoku

Bread

paring

[ID2]

Cutco!

[PhatCat]

I like Cutco but there's a catch. Although they are sharpened and replaced if need be for free, they would not fix mine. My son sold them back in the day and used some of my knives for his presentation (cut a penny, cut a rope). When I sent them out, Cutco says they were "misused" and would not honor their policy. Heck, this was a selling point for how sharp they are! Not that you will be cutting pennies and rope, still food for thought.