PseudoFinn

Mikey- You owe it to yourself to see how a Wusthof feels in your hands.

It's true... Victorinox stamped blades are ACCEPTABLE. But that's as much as I'll offer them. Acceptable. For a home cook, or someone who isn't serious. Shell out a couple extra bucks and get a forged knife. And maintain that edge!

As for the garlic. Get out your 8 inch cooks knife. If you don't have one, the only question is- why? Really it's the only knife you NEED. It can do everything. It is your foodprocessor. It is your best friend. And no... there is going to be no consensus here... you might as well ask us what the best car is. I'll tell you what I use, and the guy next to me will tell you what he's got in his roll- but the only way to know what is going in your knife roll is to check them out. The feel of them in your hand is what really counts. We all use these things a lot, hours and hours everyday. They ARE very personal items. Just like Tony says, "Don't touch my dick, DON'T touch my knife." It's a good rule. Just get something that feels good in your hand, that's made with good steel and is DEFINATELY forged. If you get a decent one and maintain it, you'll have the same blade for the rest of your life. I use a hard arkansas stone mostly... and a honing steel. I do NOT use oil. I use water. Particles of stone and steel that comes off the knife will actually become suspended in the oil, and break down that nice edge you're working so hard on. It's not a big difference or anything, but you're guarranteed to loose your edge sooner. Get some blade guards and a nice knife roll too. Don't just chuck those GD blades in a roll- heathens.

My work knives. The ones that go with my EVERYWHERE- 10" wide cooks 10" standard cooks 8" cooks 10.5" bread 12" flexible salmon slicer 6.5" santoku 5.5" tomato 3.5 inch sheeps foot 2.75" fluting toss in a 10" wide steel a pair of poultry shears and an arsenal of sharpies and that's my road kit. They are all Wusthof classic series blades. I swear by them. The nice German steel is high-maintenance though- I spend about 15 minutes a day on them. It's worth it. To Myste- the gourmet series is crap. THat's basically the same product as the junk Emeril the Ewok series. No good. It's stamped. Wusthof has a 4 ton forging hammer. That's what you want to make your knife- if it's nice Solingen steel. Get a forged knife. All you need it an 8" cooks knife anyway. Schneier- If you're looking for a good place to buy them.... KnifeMerchant.comor Knives and Tools. The latter has cheaper prices on WUsthofs and most other brands. About 60 bucks for your brand new 8" forged Wusthof cook's knife from them. I love Wusthof blades. Always will. Until I get lazy and get some Globals like our favorite "Celebrity" Chef did some time back. (Tony... you out there?) Kyocera ceramic products are very cool. Not very practical. Sure Ming looks bad ass with his feather-light blue carbon blade- but you can't chop with it, seen a half-moon crescent come out of a yellow squash from a jackhole twisting it goofily somehow while chopping into it. Aside from that... ceramic is brittle. Drop it once in a kitchen down to the floor and it's all over. Expensive knife too. Silly, impractical- very cool. Other than Wusthof basically being God's gift to me as far as I care, people like Mac knives. Globals feel akward and silly in my hand- henkels are just totaly wrong and Lamson Sharp makes a good blade- but I don't think I can get down on an American knive. Just like when SKY came out. Really.... American Vodka? Throw it out with the Absolut shit. /rant