#14 in Chefs knives
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Reddit mentions of Mac Knife Chef Series Chef's Knife, 7-1/4-Inch
Sentiment score: 7
Reddit mentions: 9
We found 9 Reddit mentions of Mac Knife Chef Series Chef's Knife, 7-1/4-Inch. Here are the top ones.
Buying options
View on Amazon.comor
2mm Blade, rust-resistant, exceptionally sharp, made out of high carbon and keeps the edge for a long timeOriginal Molybdenum steel has better edge-retentionPakka wood handleHand wash is recommended Not dishwasher safeMade In Japan
Specs:
Color | Silver |
Height | 1 Inches |
Length | 7.25 Inches |
Size | 7.25 Inch |
Weight | 0.55 Pounds |
Width | 1 Inches |
Do they take care of their blades at all? Its a nice sentiment on your end but if they never make the steps to maintain their blades at all(be it whetstone, sending it out or even just basic honing) then it will quickly become a waste of money after a certain point.
That said, I think a MAC might be up your alley for gifts since its not super difficult to take care of, but is also high enough quality to kind of illustrate the difference between a good knife and crappy dollar store ones.
An Amazon registry (I would skip the Kohls cutlery offerings) will limit you somewhat, but there are certainly decent options available. I think your selection of two chef knives, a bread knife, and a paring knife is a good choice. For the most part I'm going to suggest fairly costly knives because, frankly, this isn't /r/culinary.
Chef knives first. Everything I have to say about 8"/210mm knives I would apply to 10"/240mm knives unless I make note.
If you want a hefty Western chef knife, I find Messermeister to be best in show. They take an edge better than other stainless German knives I've owned and they keep it longer. I find the grind and profile to be slightly more modern and workable in the Elite models opposed to the highly popular Wusthof Classic and sundry Henckels lines. The fit and finish on them is on par with Wusthof, which is to say impeccable. Messermeister makes three different handles for its Elite lines and offers the blades in a thinner Stealth version, which I like. Since Messermeister's Amazon offerings are a bit wonky I would highly suggest you look around the site for the style you like. You might even find some other kitchen gadgets you like. If you are interested in a French profile, look at K-Sabatier. A carbon K-Sab is a lot of fun. And though the stainless knives they produce aren't really as magical as their carbons, they're still fine knives.
There are many good Japanese companies and makers to consider. These knives will all be lighter and somewhat thinner than almost any Western knife. If you want something functional and somewhat reasonably priced, Suisin, Mac, and Tojiro have some good options. In the next price bracket up, a Kikuichi, a Yoshihiro, a Takayuki, or a Misono fits the bill, though Misono knives have become incredibly inflated in price. If you have a rich Uncle Ed, slip a Takeda into your list. I would definitely consider other knives at these general price ranges, but they're not available on Amazon.
A few budget suggestions:
To find out who really loves you:
Rich Uncle Ed special:
Unfortunately I didn't spot many knives on Amazon that I have confidence in and feature a Japanese handle. That's a shame because they're a treat.
Unlike my essay on chef knives, I have only one bread knife suggestion, the Mac Superior 270mm bread knife. It's the best Amazon has to offer and one of the best bread knives you can buy. Tojiro makes a clone that sells for less elsewhere if no one gives you one.
Paring knives are a little different. Edge retention and grind are much less important than geometry. I have this Henckels Pro 3" and I like it; the height of the blade is very comfortable. It has no flex, though, so don't expect to use it optimally for boning tasks. I am almost as happy with any Victorinox paring knife. I would suggest you try as many as possible in brick and mortar outlets to figure out what you like.
And finally, storage. A wall mounted magnetic strip is popular. Those made of wood have less chance of scratching or damaging a knife, so they're somewhat preferable, but as long as you pop the knife off tip first you won't damage it. I've used this strip from Winco for the past year at work with no ill effect. A knife block actually is a good storage option if you can find one to fit your collection. The biggest risk is catching the tip when the knife is inserted into the block, but that's not much of a concern if the user is careful. I use a Victorinox block that was a gift at home for most of my house knives. This block is great, I've been told. A drawer insert is another good low space option. I like my Knife Dock for the stuff I want to keep safe. It lets me slip in as many knives as I have space for the handles. This insert from Wusthof is also popular.
I have several knives.
My most used knife, and the one I like the most is a 8 inch Wüsthof classic. I really like the balance and the grip of this one.
I also have a Mac Chef's Knife, 7-1/4-Inch. This is stamped, not forged, but for just a few dollars more than the Victorinox you get a knife that actually sits and balances well in your hand and it's made of much better steel. I actually bought it in a brick and mortar store for about $20.
It's not as well balanced as the Wüsthof, but I like the fact that it doesn't have a full bolster. It's much easier to sharpen. If I would start anew I would get half-bolster designs for my expensive knives, but it's really no big deal at all.
I also have Tojiro DP Gyutou. The price varies, now it's a few dollars more expensive than the Victorinox, but I bought it cheaper. This is an excellent knife with better steel than the above knives. The grip is fantastic. The balance is good, but not quite as good as the Wüsthof, nothing really gets there for me, but it's good. Again the lack of a full bolster is a great feature of this knife.
Personally now I think that the Wüsthof Ikon lines are better than the classic series, because of the half-bolster design, but I didn't know this years back when I bought my classic.
Also, I keep saying that these knives feel so good in the hand compared to the Victorinox but this is a very subjective thing and people should try for themselves. I know some people love the Victorinox, if that's the case, go for it; personally, I can't stand it. PinchGrip4Lyfe.
I also have a J.A. HENCKELS INTERNATIONAL Forged Synergy 8-inch Chef's Knife. This is cheaper than the Victorinox. The balance is pretty good, but the grip is not as good as the knives posted above. It's still light-years better than the Victorinox grip though.
If I had to buy a cheap knife I would get Kai 6720C Wasabi Black Chef's Knife, 8-Inch. This is way cheaper than the Victorinox. That being said, I haven't tested it.
My goal here is not to convince anyone that the Victorinox is awful. I know some people really like the grip, but to make clear that at around the same price point there are many knives, and you should get which one feels best in your hand. Victorinox is not the only option for cheap knives, unlike what the reddit gospel says!
FTL $62.09
I own the MAC chef's knife. It has held its edge really well. I honestly don't even maintain it that well and it still hasn't shown any rust or stains.
The Victorinox fibrox chef's is such a great basic knife. I just picked it up and it's holding it's edge very well. I also highly suggest their boning knife and paring knives which I've had for a couple of years now.
Mercer or Messermister if you want something tough. Basically cheap alternatives to the Whustof Ikon.
Tojiro would likely be the most delicate as its thinner and harder. VG-10 at 60-61 HRC might be a bit thin and brittle for some. Not recommended for bones.
Mac and Misono in between in terms of toughness. Might not hold the same edge as the Tojiro but should be safer around harder things. Not intended to go through bones but should be safe around them.
Its hard to go wrong with the Mac. Thin and light like other Japanese knifes but should be somewhat tough still. There is the hollow-edge version or the shorter one.
I haven't tried those but I've been through a bunch over the years. I highly highly recommend the Mac chef's knife.
It is a real workhorse and stays sharp for a long time. I have this one, and the hollow edge 8 1/2" and the santoku knife. I didn't like the santoku at all (previously I only used a Victorinox santoku knife) and gave it away. Both chef's knives are very impressive for a home chef.
I personally love my Macs, ive got an 8 year old 8 inch thats been my daily workhorse for the past 4 years, and a 7 1/4in that i picked up for $60 to replace it. I prefer the smaller knife for precision work, and the handling on it is spectacular in my opinion. Well worth the money, i think. I have a Shun elite 8in, and i find that the weight of it can get fairly annoying after a while, which is why i love the light weight of my Macs.
As for the filet knife, ive had both the victorinox and the henkels equivalent (yellow handled one), and found that after a few butchery jobs, the blades really went out quickly. I ended getting a global after using a co workers for a while, and have been really impressed with how well it handles, as well as how long it holds an edge for. I picked up the 6 1/4 inch flexible for about $70, and its been great.
For sharpening stones, id start out with a Messermeister 400/1000 double sided stone. At $20, it fits the budget for a first stone, and its what i teach a lot of my cooks on.
As for a knife roll, Messermeister is definitely a good brand to go with, but id reccomend getting more than 5 pockets. When i was starting out, i grabbed a 8 pocket shun bag because it was the only one the shop had at the time, and i was amazed at how fast i was able to fill it up. I keep more than knives in the pockets; microplane, peeler, thermopen, steel, oyster knife, etc. Just something to consider.
Here are the links to my reccomendations, if you feel like checking them out:
Mac 7 1/4in
http://www.amazon.com/Mac-Knife-Series-Chefs-4-Inch/dp/B000N5BUWY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405661045&sr=8-1&keywords=mac+knife
Global Filet 6 1/4in
http://www.amazon.com/Global-G-21-Flexible-Boning-Knife/dp/B00005OL41/ref=pd_sim_k_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0XMAX8VN0AQVN18NZWYB
Messermeister Stone:
http://www.amazon.com/Messermeister-Two-Sided-Sharpening-Stone-1000/dp/B003JV3TEQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1405660753&sr=1-1&keywords=messermeister+sharpening+stone
No name 13 pocket bag:
http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Hard-Tri-Fold-Knife-Bag/dp/B004BN1C5E/ref=lp_13840871_1_20?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1405660955&sr=1-20
All in, thatll set you back about $190, which isnt too bad for what i think are the beginnings of a good kit.
If it's not too late! This: Mac Knife Chef Series Chef's Knife, 7-1/4-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N5BUWY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Qe-.zb2DW1WSV
Love Mac - and this price for the knife (IMO) is hard to beat. Their pro line is also great - but busts the budget a bit ($145ish).