Cooking Knives thread

[Mermade]

I have an excellent set of knives (2 actually) unfortunately my sharpening skills start and end with the steel and they are showing for their neglect. What are people's thoughts about buying a whetstone/other sharpening device vs. sending them out to be professionally sharpened? Suggestions for knife sharpening in the L.A. area?

I have two Wusthof Trident sets--the classic and the grand prix. I also have a cheap set of serated knives as well for various kitchen purposes. I love them and use them.

[turnipmonster]

what's the deal with a santoku? I have a set but only ever use a chef's knife and a serrated knife.

[Aloysius]

Turnip - it's a chef's knife basically, a general use Japanese knife. I prefer them to Western style cause they are thinner, harder, and little smaller allowing for more precision (well at least for me, a guy with only ok knife skills).

Santoku Wiki

-Al

[econophile]

why not buy a $10 chef's knive that you can replace every so often?

A No-Frills Kitchen Still Cooks

[Aloysius]

[ QUOTE ]
why not buy a $10 chef's knive that you can replace every so often?

A No-Frills Kitchen Still Cooks

[/ QUOTE ]

Relevant part for this thread (although the whole thing is a good read):

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I started with an eight-inch, plastic-handle stainless alloy chef’s knife for $10. This is probably the most essential tool in the kitchen. People not only obsess about knives (and write entire articles about them), but you can easily spend over $100 on just one. Yet go into any restaurant kitchen and you will see most of the cooks using this same plastic-handle Dexter-Russell tool. (Go to the wrong store and you’ll spend $20 or even $30 on the same knife.)

[/ QUOTE ]

I have a Dexter-Russell chinese cleaver and I like it, but it loses its edge pretty quickly and requires fairly frequent sharpening. I haven't had the same issue with the Shun brand knives I own (in particular the Santoku, and I use it all the time).

Dexter-Russels is more like $40 or so for the santoku IIRC, surprised the chef's knife is so cheap, that is actually pretty awesome (though with plastic handle I could see balance being an issue for people without great knife skills).

-Al

[turnipmonster]

I worked as a line cook in high school and every place I worked at used the dexter-russell knives, they are cheap but we kept them really sharp and they were fine. of course in nicer kitchens ppl bring their own knives but whatever.

[Aloysius]

Turnip - good to know, and that reminds me I'm in the same boat as Mermade:

[ QUOTE ]
unfortunately my sharpening skills start and end with the steel and they are showing for their neglect.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been told the best way is just to suck it up and pay to get them professionally sharpened.

-Al

[TalkingDonkey]

Shun knives are great if you can afford them. Second what swingdoc says about Henckels, they're great.

[boomshakalaka]

Im starting culinary school in a few weeks, I need to buy a set of knives.

Definatley will come back to this this thread when I actually go get some.

[Aloysius]

Boom - what do they recommend you buy for culinary school?

CardSharpCook if you are out there what knives do you use and recommend?

-Al