Wusthof

 

Henkel .. for about 8 years
Last set of knives I'll ever have to buy
Lifetime warranty

 

i use heckle pro s for everyday use. i have some hand pounded japanese stuff that i use for fish and other intricate work.

 

Cutco

 

Whatever you end up purchasing, keep a few things in mind;
- There is nothing more dangerous than a dull knife. Keep them sharp and take care of them. Always hand wash them and place them face up in the rack to dry, or better yet hand dry them and replace immediately into your knife block.
- You really only need a few knives. a) 6" hollow ground Santoku b) 9" chef's knife c) small pairing knife d) bread knife (the only serrated knife worth having.
- Use the honing steel on them regularly and have them professionally sharpened at least once per year.
- Buy quality over quantity. Those Wustof/Henkel sets at Costco are full of knives you don;t really need.

Hope that helps.

 

do you really like the honing steel? i have a quickie japanese ceramic V sharpener for everyday and a whetstone for more intense sharpening.

 

Great point Kram. I use my steel before and after every use, and my ceramic V sharpener about once a week. I took a knife skills class in Napa and learned to use a stone there, a learned you really need to know how to use a stone or you can mess up your knives using one incorrectly. Unless someone is taught the proper use of a stone, its best to leave the serious sharpening to the pro's

 

true. i was taught by a couple (real) sushi chefs from japan. i figured that they knew what they were talking about. LOL.

 

^I bet they did!!! Do you have any single edge japanese blades? I don't own any and have been thinking about picking one up. Nothing too crazy, but of decent quality. If you have any reco's for size, brand, etc around $100-150 (or less) that would be much appreciated.

 

Henkel and Wusthof! There might be others at their level but they have been making knives for 100's of years and they are the standard that all other brands try to achieve.

For what to buy....BigE is correct, you only need a couple.

For me the list is...
10-12" Chefs
3-4" Pairing
6" Fish boning knife.

Size is just a matter of how you hold it and use it. I started with a 10" and then got a 12" as a gift and now that is my go to knife for 80% of what I do.

Knife skills are important. Look at how this guy holds his knife and rolls his fingers on the hand that is holding the food, guide the knife through the food (slicing not chopping) by allowing it to ride down your fingers of your off hand. He has some other good suggestions too. As a user points out in the comments, don't use a steel over your cutting board or food, you don't want shards of metal in your food.

‪A Chef's Kitchen: Knife Skills‬‏ - YouTube