Besides Shun, Global and MAC are other easy to find, good Japanese brands. The big name German brands are Wüsthof and Henckels. Beware that both companies makes cheaper lines (Signature & International for Henckels; Gourmet & Emeril for Wüsthof) that are poor imitations of their nicer stuff (Twin Cuisine & Four Star; Classic & Ikon). If you see a Henckels chef's knife for $35, that's not the one you want. If you want something in that price range, get yourself a Victorinox knife, the darling of America's Test Kitchen. Oh, and pass on the 12-piece knife set. Don't be that guy (or girl, er young woman). Besides a chef's knife, you really only need a paring knife and a serrated knife.
To elaborate on the post, owning a nice set of knives (e.g. what mr bert listed) is not the only factor to survive happily in a culinary environment.
ReplyDeleteProper care of your knives are an essential as well. Hone your steel after every use, and get it sharpened every year by a professional, two years max.
Also don't cut your fancy pants knives on marble or glass or anything hard like that. Use a wood or softer plastic cutting surface to keep your blades edge between sharpening.
A run of the mill guide as well as legit blade services can be found at:
http://kramerknives.com/sharpening.htm
Right Barry is. Proper knife care is crucial. The fanciest Bob Kramer knife will work like crap if you use a hard cutting board, wash it in the dishwasher, and store it in a drawer full of other knives or metal utensils. So don't do those things.
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