Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Cutlery set

I would like to get some recommendations on a decent cutlery set, nothing super expensive. I would like to keep the price below $100. All I'm really looking for is a decent chefs knife or two, a boning knife and a paring knife. It would nice if it were not made in China.

Thats going to be a challenge. I have had two cheaper shefs knives now one made in China and one in Spain and have been underwhelmed by both: rust and chips/nics on the blades.

My dad has an old commercial knife made by an english company that is going on 30 years old that is in perfect condition. My ex now possesses the one I had.

Kind of figured so but i know you guys like a challenge

Wid, look up Swiss army knives, or Forschner knives or Victorinox knives on your search engine. I've used these for years and find them to be great knives that are easy to sharpen, hold a good edge and don't break the bank. I love the ones I have. You can buy individual pieces on most sites. Hope this helps.

We have a Henckels Pro-S Set that we bought about 7 years ago, and they are as great as the day we got them.

You can get a starter set for $199 (I know it's $99 more than you want to spend) that includes the knives you want, a block, and two free gifts here:

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=12892

A good knife set will last a lifetime, and you will never regret throwing away the cheap knives. It really is that much of an improvement.

Agreed. With a good sharpening kit, a good set of knives will serve one well for a lifetime.

I'll have to take a look at the suggestions offered so far. Thanks guys.

Re: Henkel

"Be Carefull when you buy Henckels knives that sport the "International" name in the brand. If they say made in China we would avoid them. Stick with the Twin Cermax, Pro S, Twin Select, 4 Star II and Twin Cuisine lines which are all high quality knives made in Germany." From this site.

It looks like there are a couple of lines below the Pro S that are still manufactured in Germany.

Good call fredk. I have three Henckels that have international stamped on them. Two say Japan and one says China. Haven't used them yet but they have a nice edge on them. Got them for free though so I'm not out anything.

I'm a fan of Wusthof, they have different levels and prices on their blades. But they have been the best set I've owned. You can always piece meal youself a nice knife set as different blades go on sale.

We also have a henkles knife set that has been pretty good. Knives are one thing where you really get what you pay for. Spend the money and you'll get something that will last a lifetime with proper care and sharpening. Cheap out and get something that you'll throw away in a couple years if not less, Or get hurt with.

I agree Haoleb. The most dangerous thing in the kitchen is a dull knife. Nothing worse than hacking away on something that should be easy to cut, only to slip.

Wait...Maybe the most dangerous thing in the kitchen is an angry wife with a dull knife.

Rick, I'll ditto merch on the Forschner knives made by Victorinox in Switzerland. Highly rated by Cook's, etc. for quality at a moderate price. This set should handle about everything.

Thanks for the link John, they sure do look promising. Has anyone used or dealt with Boker knives. I have a couple of their pocket knives and they seem to be of decent quality.

I haven't had any experience with them. If I recall, they had some with ceramic blades. A different challenge for sharpening. The set you linked seems to be a great deal. 440 stainless and full tang. What do you use to sharpen your knives? Frequent sharpening and honing is a must to keep them in top working condition.

Well, nothing for kitchen knives. Nothing I have is worth sharpening to tell ya the truth. I have a few pocket knives that I take to a pro for sharpening, and a mighty fine job he does at that.

Who sharpens their own knives? Can you give me a rough overview (pun possibly intended) of how to go about it? I have a water stone, but I think the grit is too low for any real sharpening (and the two knives I've tried can attest to that).

On topic, I have the Henkels 4 Star set. We gave my parents a set of Wustoffs from Amazon that cost about $100 a few years ago, and I haven't really been impressed with them. The knives just seem a little too light to me.

I use the Diamond sharpening steel that came with my set. Sharpening steel Pretty simple, you just slide both sides of the blade across it a couple time and the knife is as sharp as new.
I have the Wusthof Culinar series knife set and they are very solid and don't feel light at all. But they do make several other models in different price rages that may feel less sturdy.

Another vote for Victorinox. I like the ones with the real narrow blade. They are a joy to use and keep an edge longer than my Henkels or Montrose knives. http://www.swissknifeshop.com/Chef_s_Knives_s/118.htm

The best darn sharpener I've ever used are these wheels. http://stores.homestead.com/StanfordOutdoors/Search.bok?category=Sharpening+Systems

You mount them on a bench grinder.

I prefer the 1", but you may want to try different sizes. Get the kit. It comes with the sharpening wheel, finishing wheel and reconditioning kit. After using these, you'll never use a stone again. (other than out in the woods anyway)

It looks like there is a better range of choice than I thought.

I remember reading a Consumer Reports review on knives a few years ago and that some of the High end Henkels (but not all) rated well I wonder if they have done an update on this review?

So far the two top contenders are the one JohnK linked to and the The Boker set that I linked to.

If you get the Boker, you can add a couple of these and play ninja -- until you put someone's eye out.

I already have a few

My brilliant and beautiful wife was reading this thread over my shoulder. You should heed her opinions (synopsis below).

Rick, with all that great cooking you do, you deserve good knives. No real quibbles with the choices so far (We trust Cook's Illustrated and they really like the Forschner). We thought they were too light.

You should try to go and handle some knives before you buy them, if possible. We have decent-quality Henkels knives that we've had for MANY years.

You might not need a whole set. Honestly, we hardly ever use our boning knife. Get a really good 8" chefs knife and a really good 4" paring knife.

I've had really good luck with the Chef's Choice Electric sharpener we have. They make other, newer models that might be even better. I don't have the discipline to use a steel all the time, but this thing works great. I just sharpen all the knives about once a week or as needed. Takes just a few minutes, and we are very satisfied with the sharpness and durability of the resulting edge.

I just buy all of my food pre-cut. That's why I don't own a gun, either. I only take on enemies that are already riddled with holes.

Good point. These are the only knives I have ever owned. I use the paring knife every day and the chefs knife mostly for carving roasts.

The more I read the more I think I will go and get the feel of the knives I buy. Tom, that's a very good idea and what most reviewers seem to suggest. Now I have to find a place in my area that handles good cutlery.

Talking about good eats here's what was for dinner.





Put the brisket on last night and let it go till mid day this morning.

Fred, the last complete test in Consumer Reports was November 2005, so it may be the one that you recall. A good summary of knife tests that you might be interested in is found in Consumer Search .

Lovely color on that one. Drool....

Today I put a chuck roast in the slow cooker with some carrots, mushroom soup, and onion soup. It came out really well. I had to eat it quickly before I lost my appetite since I was in the early stages of a migraine.

And now I am very hungry.

Once a week? Wow?! Are you working on a construction project on the side with your knives? That's a lot of sharpening!

Jason

I would like to thank everyone for their suggestions. In the end I went with the Boker set. I tried to find a local dealer for the Victorinox knifes that were mentioned but there was no one in my area that sold them.

One reason I picked the Boker over the Victorinox was I am already familiar with their quality and have been pleased with the pocket knives I have. They keep their edge for quite some time and take to sharpening pretty good.

I did receive the set tonight and had a chance to use each one. I am quite pleased with them, boy oh boy are these things sharp. I have nothing to compare them to but they should do quite fine for my application. The build quality seems to be pretty darn good and they have a bit of heft to their feel.

It's a pretty decent set for the money I would say.

Glad to hear your are happy with the new set of knives. Boker makes some excellent hunting knives and I'm sure that the set you purchased will serve you well for a long time. Now, when you are not outside smoking some pork, you can be in the kitchen chopping things up with your Axioms going full bore.

Oh man!!! Am I too late to this thread? I was/will recommend Warther Knives. I have many Wusthof knives, but the Warther knives simply hold an edge better.


http://www.warthers.com/kitchen_knives/index.php

They stay very sharp, have a unique design, good feel in your hand (at least mine), beautiful knives, and are made in Ohio.

And dare I say it, their site is very Axiom-esque. Look at "Making a Warther knife."

I have to agree...you really need to hold them in your hand to decide which knife set is for you. I've been slowly trying to put together a set of Henckels 5-star knives. Dang expensive, but I really like how they feel in the hand. Many complain that the handles on the 5-star series are ugly, but I like their simplicity, and they are just weighted well for me.

too funny