A Knife for Toots

[Shel_B]

I'm not looking for a top quality knife for Toots - she needs something light and easy to handle, and Victorinox quality would be just fine. It's also has to satisfy me, who cooks at her place several times a week. Victorinox doesn't have just what I'm looking for, and this Wusthof (6-inch) seems like it may be a good choice. The price is certainly right ...

Comments on quality, handling, similar alternatives, etc. welcome. Thanks!

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/wusthof-gourmet/chefs-knife-p110908

Edited September 25, 2013 by Shel_B (log)

[Shalmanese]

The Kai Wasabi Chef's knife is my go-to cheap knife. I keep a spare in the kitchen for guests and it's great at what it does.

[Shel_B]

The Kai Wasabi Chef's knife is my go-to cheap knife. I keep a spare in the kitchen for guests and it's great at what it does.

I'm concerned that the 8" blade may be a bit much for her. I know a 6" blade will work fine. Couldn't find a 6" model except for a utility knife.

[dcarch]

The Kai Wasabi Chef's knife is my go-to cheap knife. I keep a spare in the kitchen for guests and it's great at what it does.

I'm concerned that the 8" blade may be a bit much for her. I know a 6" blade will work fine. Couldn't find a 6" model except for a utility knife.

You are guessing. May not be true.

For some, buying a knife is like buying shoes, got to try it out.

Take her to a store and let her pick one.

dcarch

[Darienne]

ou are guessing. May not be true.

For some, buying a knife is like buying shoes, got to try it out.

Take her to a store and let her pick one.

dcarch

I'm with dcarch. DH has a favorite knife which he keeps urging me to use...it's so much better than the one I use, he says. BUT I can't handle the handle. It's just too big for my hand and that's that. I like my own two knives. And I don't want to switch.

[Shel_B]

ou are guessing. May not be true.

For some, buying a knife is like buying shoes, got to try it out.

Take her to a store and let her pick one.

dcarch

I'm with dcarch. DH has a favorite knife which he keeps urging me to use...it's so much better than the one I use, he says. BUT I can't handle the handle. It's just too big for my hand and that's that. I like my own two knives. And I don't want to switch.

You're right about letting her try some knives, but that's already been done at my place and the homes of a couple of friends, plus I'm comparing knives to those that she has and which she finds acceptable. In a way, this choice is an educated guess, but this knife is not available in any local stores I've visited. If it's not acceptable, I can return it or perhaps use it myself. What I really want to know is if this is a decent knife, perhaps comparable in quality to Victorinox blades.

[nickrey]

Try Global knives, they're light and are easier to use for someone with a smaller hand.

[Norm Matthews]

Wustoff makes forged and stamped blades. The one you have pictured is a stamped blade and is as good or better than Victorinox

Edited September 25, 2013 by Norm Matthews (log)

[sigma]

ou are guessing. May not be true.

For some, buying a knife is like buying shoes, got to try it out.

Take her to a store and let her pick one.

dcarch

I'm with dcarch. DH has a favorite knife which he keeps urging me to use...it's so much better than the one I use, he says. BUT I can't handle the handle. It's just too big for my hand and that's that. I like my own two knives. And I don't want to switch.

You're right about letting her try some knives, but that's already been done at my place and the homes of a couple of friends, plus I'm comparing knives to those that she has and which she finds acceptable. In a way, this choice is an educated guess, but this knife is not available in any local stores I've visited. If it's not acceptable, I can return it or perhaps use it myself. What I really want to know is if this is a decent knife, perhaps comparable in quality to Victorinox blades.

I think Sur La Table has those Wusthof knives. They are in plastic near the knife area, usually on a spinning stand, if my memory serves me.

[weinoo]

It sounds like you're trying to buy a knife for you that Toots will like using.

I bought my wife a Shun 6' Santoku - she really likes it and I don't mind using it when I have to.

[rotuts]

go to BB&B with your 20% coupon. they will have something there that suits. and you can take it back for another if not.

i have 4 globals. they are difficult to sharpen well without a jig ( EP ) but with the EP which i doubt you need nor want they are superb. id look elsewhere in this case.

Edited September 25, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[djyee100]

I have the 6-inch Wursthof with a slightly different handle. It's not big enough to chop an onion comfortably (you need a 8-inch knife for that), and it's a little too big for a utility knife. Nonetheless, I use it as a utility knife if I use it at all, to slice small fruits and vegs.

Instead of focusing on one do-it-all knife, how about a (reasonably priced) set of knives to cover all your needs better? My first set of knives, bought so long ago, were Victorinox Forschner knives. They're light, maneuverable knives of good quality. My first set was: one 8-inch chef's knife, one 4+ inch utility knife, and a 3-inch paring knife. That's all I needed for years.

I realize a knife set is more than you were planning to buy. But if you're the one doing the cooking, you may as well have the knives that will do what you want them to do, most easily.

ETA: To answer your question, Wursthof blades are better than Victorinox.

Edited September 25, 2013 by djyee100 (log)

[Martin Fisher]

The Richmond Artifex is a good knife that's made right here in the USA.

Well-liked by many folks.

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/riar21.html

[Shalmanese]

The Kai Wasabi Chef's knife is my go-to cheap knife. I keep a spare in the kitchen for guests and it's great at what it does.

I'm concerned that the 8" blade may be a bit much for her. I know a 6" blade will work fine. Couldn't find a 6" model except for a utility knife.

In that case, try the Wasabi Santoku

[weinoo]

The Kai Wasabi Chef's knife is my go-to cheap knife. I keep a spare in the kitchen for guests and it's great at what it does.

I'm concerned that the 8" blade may be a bit much for her. I know a 6" blade will work fine. Couldn't find a 6" model except for a utility knife.

In that case, try the Wasabi Santoku

These knives look to be sharpened on one side only. So, if anyone is left-handed, won't that be a problem?

[dcarch]

The Kai Wasabi Chef's knife is my go-to cheap knife. I keep a spare in the kitchen for guests and it's great at what it does.

I'm concerned that the 8" blade may be a bit much for her. I know a 6" blade will work fine. Couldn't find a 6" model except for a utility knife.

In that case, try the Wasabi Santoku

These knives look to be sharpened on one side only. So, if anyone is left-handed, won't that be a problem?

Not very good reviews.

dcarch

[Shel_B]

I have the 6-inch Wursthof with a slightly different handle. It's not big enough to chop an onion comfortably (you need a 8-inch knife for that), and it's a little too big for a utility knife. Nonetheless, I use it as a utility knife if I use it at all, to slice small fruits and vegs.

Instead of focusing on one do-it-all knife, how about a (reasonably priced) set of knives to cover all your needs better? My first set of knives, bought so long ago, were Victorinox Forschner knives. They're light, maneuverable knives of good quality. My first set was: one 8-inch chef's knife, one 4+ inch utility knife, and a 3-inch paring knife. That's all I needed for years.

I realize a knife set is more than you were planning to buy. But if you're the one doing the cooking, you may as well have the knives that will do what you want them to do, most easily.

ETA: To answer your question, Wursthof blades are better than Victorinox.

I often find an eight inch knife too big for a lot of tasks and for my hands, and I'm somewhat of a big guy. I much prefer smaller. lighter knives.

Yes, I cook at Casa Toots, but only a few days a week. She needs a knife that she'll be comfortable with - my needs are secondary.

Should there be a need for more or better knives, I can always bring mine from home. I have plenty of various shapes, sizes, and brands. In fact, I have two 8-inch Victorinox knives, one of which I could leave at her house should I desire

Someone mentioned that the knife I asked about can be found at Sur la Table, a store I've not yet checked since it's out of the way for us. But we are going to the area within a few weeks, and we'll take a look at their offerings.

Thanks for your comments.

[rotuts]

no BB&B your way?

[Shel_B]

no BB&B your way?

Sure there is ... We stopped by a few weeks ago but didn't see anything that appealed to us. We go within a few hundred feet of the store at least once a week, and we'll stop in again.

[quiet1]

Try Global knives, they're light and are easier to use for someone with a smaller hand.

Proof that knives are like shoes - I have small hands and I find Global knives to be kind of uncomfortable. (Not the worst I've used, but not fantastic. I think maybe something about the balance is off for me? Not sure.)

I would definitely at least buy from a place with a good return policy or stick with something where if it ends up not working and joining your knife collection, it's not the end of the world.

(Also, is there a reason you really want just the one knife? I have an 8" chef knife and a couple of decent but not super nice paring knives, and could probably make do with just one of those and between the big knife and the small knife have something comfortable for most jobs. Not idea, but functional, you know?)

[Shel_B]

(Also, is there a reason you really want just the one knife?

There are other knives at Toots' place - she/we just want a good all around knife for chopping, dicing, mincing, etc. After thinking about it for a long time, and being intimately familiar with how we use knives at her place, a decent, easy-to-handle, light weight chef-type knife will do just fine, and will satisfy both of us.

[weinoo]

So why don't you just get a 6" or 7" Victorinox? I see they're also making Santokus.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/forschner_fibrox.htm

[rotuts]

Yar. one of those above. 7" Santoku $$ 34.

people frequently use a knife that's a little too short, having the longer one right there in front of them.

I do this all the time. "Want" 6 "? get the 7 " above. done.

cheaper than BB&B with that coupon.

[Shel_B]

So why don't you just get a 6" or 7" Victorinox? I see they're also making Santokus.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/forschner_fibrox.htm

We may. If you recall my original post, it was about the quality of the Wusthof and how it compared to the Victorinox. We will probably make a decision this weekend. The $14.00, 6-inch Victorinox (with the white handle) may help our decision-making process, although I'm somewhat partial to the Wusthof. We've (I've) no interest in the Santokus.

[nickrey]

If you want European styling in a good and relatively cheap knife, how about a Mundial. The link is to a 6 inch chef's knife and is fully forged rather than stamped.

Edited September 27, 2013 by nickrey (log)