Favorite Cutlery

[Nick]

Off topic,

Nickn,  I'm thinking of picking up a Tele for myself.  Would the Squier work for me or should I go for the real deal?  I'm strictly a hacker acoustic type.  Take the Taylor Big Baby out for a nightly stroll sort of thing.

Nick

A Squire will work just fine. My next to last Tele ('88) is a Squire made in Japan. The day I wandered into the store there were six Tele's to choose from. Expensive re-issues down to the Squire. Tried all of them - without plugging any in. That Squire played the best. Haven't played it since I got the Mexican. Maybe I should put some strings on and try it again. Main thing is how do they play. If it doesn't play good there's no point in having it.

Taylor. That's a nice axe. I tried one out at the same shop when they first came out. I wish I'd bought it. Sound was kind of a cross between Martin and J-200. Sweet and played good.

Edit: Besides playing good, it's got to sound good. You don't have to plug it in to tell.

Edit again: Sorry to get so off-topic what with guitars and road stories.

[Jinmyo]

My feeling about the Wusthof santoku is that it feels close to some truly superb Japanese santoku (worth about $900 then) I've had the privelege of borrowing for a few hours some years ago. Close. As close as I'm going to get.

[ngatti]

Nickn, Thank you so much.

FG, It's an amzing site. In depth Knife buying and sharpening tips and how to purchase an electric guitar all in one thread. There is always something to amaze me here.

Nick

[Dave the Cook]

Dave, what would be the advantage of the Granton edge.  Ive never used one except on a salmon slicer.

I'm not sure I can add to what you probably already know, but just in case:

The theory is that the dimples means less drag, so on delicate tissues (like fresh or smoked fish or ripe tomatoes), you can cut thinner slices. A corollary says that, on juicy items (tomato again, or rare roast beef), the dimples actually let the juices become a lubricant, thereby helping you get not just a thin slice, but a uniform one. My experience is that one tends to over-exert on large items like rib roasts, and on soft items like ripe, ripe fruits, and you end up with a concave face (on the roast, not you) or a crushed tomato. A granton edge lets you slice with less pressure, so you avoid this.

Not to be confused with a serrated edge.

I know people that swear by them, and they seem to be gaining in popularity. Suzanne can probably shed more light on the subject.

That's a breakdown worth having.

Agreed, but it started out a little scary. The lead car had taken off without us, so we had to dress for the trip in our stage outfits. This was the late 70's, so we're talking lots of frills, lamé or spandex shirts, pants so tight you could tell our religion, maybe a little make-up that didn't get taken off from the night before. Three refugees from the planet of Alice Cooper, David Bowie and Yes, taking a mid-morning stroll through a Georgia mountain town, Deliverance running a tape loop in our heads. I'm sure we were a sight. But those folks were as nice as could be. Listened to our story, offered us sweet tea, talked about the weather while looking at our platform shoes, and let us use the phone to call a tow truck.

Edit: Oh, yeah, sorry for wandering off. You guys get back on topic!

[jaybee]

About twenty years ago, I timidly squeezed my way into Dehillerin on Rue Jean Jaques Rousseau and bought a rather complete supply of knives. Both carbon steel and inox varieties. Large and small chefs' knives, boning knife, salmon and ham slicer, paring knife, etc. a set of 12 6"ers we use for steak knives They all have served me well since. A few passes on a steel before and after each use and they will make even Chef Tony happy.

My Favorite Store

[Fat Guy]

Jaybee, are these Dehillerin's house brand or do they bear a manufacturer's label?

There are quite a few good deals on forged knives out there for those who are willing to do a little digging. These Portuguese knives sold by PCD seem good, and there's a Web clearance on the 12" chef's knife right now. Zabar's has some knives under private label that seem very similar to Wusthof but cost a lot less. A forged knife at a price approaching a stamped knife is an attractive proposition.

[Suzanne F]

Dave the Cook, I've got nothing to add. You got it right! (I mean on the Granton edge; I know nothing about guitars.)

[Jinmyo]

I've used that edge for slicing prime rib. Nice. But somehow I find I hesitate to consider them "real" knives in some surprisingly obstinate way. I'll have to try one out a bit.

[Shiva]

While we're on the subject, can anyone ID this brand? It's my favorite santuko, and I'd like to buy other patterns made by this company (Gold? DP?).

It was a gift, hence my cluelessness.

Obligatory guitar reference-- Les Paul in cherry sunburst (no, I don't play).

[jaybee]

Jaybee, are these Dehillerin's house brand or do they bear a manufacturer's label?

With a couple of exceptions they are all Dehillerin's own brand. They have held up very well in all respects.

[jaybee]

I collect custom knives, or I did for a while. I favor folders, and have some real beauties. I have one lock-back folder made by Dervin Howard that I love to hold. It has a yellow bone handle. I use it occasionally to slice apples. The Custom Kniife show comes to NYC each year in November. The last knife I bought has a Damascus steel blade. The blade is only about three inches long in an African wood handle and a fitted wooden scabord. It is very heavy for such a small blade. They have kitchen knives there too, as I recall. maybe I'll pick one or two up the next show.

[Wild Pegasus]

The things that are better about a Wusthof or equivalent knife are that the blades are forged (making for a more substantial, longer-lived, and most would say better blade) and that they have a full tang, which is to say the metal goes all the way to the end of the handle. The stamped knives like you're talking about have "rat-tail" tangs that only go partway into the handle. How much did you pay for it? Assuming it's at the level of quality I'm thinking of, it's a good knife for around $30.

What is the benefit of having a full tang?

I paid ~$37 Canadian which works out to about $24 American.

[snowangel]

These Portuguese knives sold by PCD seem good, and there's a Web clearance on the 12" chef's knife right now.

Got a link for this?

[mikey]

Jaybee- I have a continuing interest in custom folders, but my taste has always exceeded my disposable income. (I had one by a local maker I used to carry; it disappeared and I now count it as lost) The only name knife I own is a Centofante.

You'll agree, won't you, that while dependant on the type of steel, heat treating can make or break the ability to take and hold an edge. That kind of heat treating generally has been too expensive to use in mass production.

That aside, I use the following:

10" Henckels chef's knife

Henckels paring knife(both 4-star)

Victorinox boning knive(curved blade)

Sabatier(ROWOCO) 10" bulnt end slicer(flexible)

Chicago plastic handled paring knives(not much more expensive than the red plastic Victorinox, but more substantial)

Chicago bread knife

a couple of aluminum handle paring knives, maybe Ecko?(more sentimental than anything-belonged to a great-aunt)

I don't think any of these is the ultimate knife.

[Fat Guy]

What is the benefit of having a full tang?

The standard claims are alignment, weight, strength, and most of all balance. It's not a huge issue, but it's one of those things that is a sign of a knife that has been made to a particularly high standard.

[Fat Guy]

These Portuguese knives sold by PCD seem good, and there's a Web clearance on the 12" chef's knife right now.

Got a link for this?

PCD (Professional Cutlery Direct) is cutlery.com and this is the page with the special offers:

http://www.cutlery.com/specials.html

Also an excellent source of cookware, and the print catalogs make great reading.

[jaybee]

Mikey, Frank Centofante's work is great, but the prices of his classic folders are sky high.

You are lucky to have one. I think the hardness of the steel (Rockwell #) is one of the factors in holding an edge, and the method of heat treating is very time consuming. I will probably concentrate on adding Damascus steel blades to my collection. Maybe one a year. They are incredibly beautiful. They remind me of the process of making mille feuille pastry that is folded over itself many times.

[awbrig]

half tang usually have brass rivets which expand and contrast due to heat stretching the wood or plastic making them eventually shake or come loose...half tang knives are cheap, in a word...

[Huevos del Toro]

Fat Guy,Sep 30 2002, 10:07 PM

PCD (Professional Cutlery Direct) is cutlery.com and this is the page with the special offers:

http://www.cutlery.com/specials.html

Also an excellent source of cookware, and the print catalogs make great reading..

FG;

I've been dealing with PCD since the days of B&W catalogs and phone conversations with Terri. I've bought a lot of cutlery, cookware and accessories from them over the years and, not only is their service impeccable, they stand by all their offerings. They treat you like family.

[Fat Guy]

PCD also has a retail store in Connecticut, which is quite a place (the store, not Connecticut). My brother-in-law lives nearby and buys a ton of stuff there.

[Suzanne F]

If you're talking websites, I like Knife Merchant. Good selection, good prices (some lower than PCD), and very helpful.

[Nick]

The Knife Merchant does have good prices (at least on Wusthof). Just went there and checked it out. Their prices on All-Clad are list - or above.

I probably don't have to tell any of you this but you can get some of the best prices at Ebay. I've probably bought around $1000 worth of Wusthof over the last year at significant savings - bought them as gifts. "Hodyschmo" and "Chickrub" are excellent to deal with as is "The Knifeguy".

[jaybee]

FG, the knives I bought at Dehilleron that I've been very happy with have the brand "YANIP" on them. I think this was the "house brand" years ago, but I do not see it in their catalog on line. They are INOX or a variation of stainless steel (I think). I'm not sure of the brand of carbon steel. I will check this weekend.

[ChefJeff]

I've got F.Dick from school (which I HATE);

Suzanne - what's your beef with the F.Dick cutlery ?

[Suzanne F]

They don't hold an edge very well, and are difficult to sharpen. The fillet knife is sooooooo thick. Granted, it could be my sharpening technique, but since I don't have that problem with other brands, maybe not.