dr_gonz said:

what should one expect to pay there?

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Depends on the brand and knife. A good 10" chef's knife which could tackle 90% of your kitchen needs, around $125-$200 for the most common major brands. 8" chef knives will run a bit cheaper, but may be as good for some slicing tasks, depends on your cutting style. A 8" will still be suitable for most needs.

I'm not sure if it has been mentioned before in this thread, but definitely do not purchase a knife until youve had a chance to hold it in your hand. People like to say this brand is better than that brand and so forth, when really it all depends on how it feels for the user.

Some knives are made for smaller hands like Global, some for bigger hands like the Wustof. Just go for whatever feels comfortable and balanced in your hand, as that is priority, out of the box sharpness is secondary, as you can always get the blade resharpened, and you will need to do that eventually, and normally only costs around $10 per knife.

I'd recommend Japanese knives for their harder steel, or German knives made with steel similar to japanese steel, like Wustof Classic Ikon series. They are negligibly harder to sharpen, but take a sharper edge and hold it for much longer.

I'm a chef currently out of the industry, but have worked with many knives, and for most I'd recommend Shun for average sized hands, Wustof Classic Ikon for larger hands and Global for smaller sized hands. All are reasonably priced for professional level knives, and most chefs I know use one of those brands, or MAC, though I cant recommend those for most people as they are quite brittle comparatively. Just dont get your mind set on a particular knife or brand until youve held it, and ideally used it. Which some places might let you if you ask nice.


EDIT: Also, a good tip for longevity, avoid buying knives with this style of bolster/finger guard, as after years of use and repeated sharpening this wide part will extend down past the blade, and make full cuts difficult, as you will get left with very thinly attached cuts as the blade no longer makes perfect contact with your cutting board.

dr_gonz said:

I want some good knives. Where should I buy them?

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mick said:

dr_gonz said:

I want some good knives. Where should I buy them?

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Good knives are awesome. As some have said on here it is better to have like 1 or 2 really good ones or go-tos. My go-to right now is ceramic. I use it for everything. Cost me $7 on ebay and cuts like a razor. I also use a set of messerstahls, that are really good.

I really recommend ceramic, they are very cheap and effective. I think their edge is sharper than almost all knives except those that are regularly sharpened.

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