Reddit mentions: The best paring knives

At this point, I'd only really recommend Shun and Global, in that order. I started with Wustoff, and they did me alright, but I just don't like how their steel holds up, and really, I find the traditional European handle/bolster/spine to be really uncomfortable. Both Global and Shun make wonderful products, but I find the handles on Globes to be too skinny. Plus, as a super-mega-bonus, Shun allows you to return your knives back to them for the entire lifetime of the knife for sharpening, for free (you pay shipping to them, that's it.) It's painless and relatively fast.

They also have a much shallower angle on the edge, which I LOVE, though some people (usually those who are set on Wustoff/Henkles) only like a deeper edge. But goddamn they cut like butter. The only problem with the shallower edge is that you definitely don't want to A) use an electric sharpener on them (the edge is asymmetrical and the commercial ones out there don't have the proper angle) which is alright as they sharpen for you for free at the factory, and B) definitely DO NOT use a magnet hanger with these things. You'll bend the edge. If you go to Bed Bath and Beyond, you'll see it. They hang them all on those damn magnets and it ruins the blade. Get a nice block, or just get a Kapoosh (I have one and it works).

Look, if you want to completely flip his lid, this is all that any home chef really needs (IMO):

Shun 7" Santoku, hollow ground. This is my goto knife in the kitchen and it can do just about everything. I use it on 80% of what I do. When I upgraded from the standard Safeway $11 chef's knife to the Wustoff is was an amazing, night-and-day transition. The heavens opened up and I saw the light (and more importantly, what a sharp knife could do for you). When I bought this 7", it was exactly the same transition, only higher up. The balance, sharpness and quality of this knife over the Wustoff was what I had been looking for and it was every bit worth the money. Someone here mentioned that everyone needs a 10". This is overkill. It's like cutting onions with a samurai sword. While it looks cool, all the extra effort you need to exert for those extra 3 inches just fatigues the wrist and arm, which is not something you want when prepping a lot. 7" FTW.

Every chef needs a 7". Whether it's a european chef's knife or a santoku is up to the chef, though you'll notice that santoku's keep getting more and more popular every year. I think there's a reason for this.

So, too, does every chef need a good paring knife. They go hand in hand and you cannot do without one or the other. My 7" handles 80% of the work load, my paring knife handles 15%.

Shun also makes a wonderful 4" paring knife That's not very expensive. This thing will get in and get out, work in all the small spaces it needs to and do it with deft and ease. It's light, doesn't have much mass, and again, Shun's steel is wonderful (in my eyes).

The last 5% is for a good cleaver. Don't be fooled by big money in this category-- the cheap ones are the best. You don't need super knives here, they're for doing the hearty, down and dirty, bone-breaking work, and the nice steels wont hold up to this work. This is the greatest cleaver ever in the history of mankind. I have the No. 3. It is quite possibly the best $11 I've spent in the kitchen. I'd gone through about 5 cleavers before I found this one, all of them failed to hold up. This knife holds it's edge forever (seriously-- in the 5 years I've had it, I've only sharpened it once), it's got the heft you want in a cleaver and it's ridiculously comfortable to hold. I would suggest this with everything I have.

So there you have it. I firmly hold, and you will find others to agree, that all you need in the kitchen is a really good 7", a good paring knife and a quality, cheap cleaver. That's it. All those $600 sets with every kind of knife you could imagine are nonsense. I got a nice $150 boning knife as a wedding present and I've used it all of twice in two and a half years. Same with my carving knife. You just don't need them. They're totally nice when the need arises, but about 95% of the work in the kitchen can be accomplished by those three tools.

Take it as you will, and I wish you many fine meals prepared by him!

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!

That's all perfectly reasonable. Oval and D handles aren't as common as octagonal, but you're definitely putting in enough money to get what you want. If you're interested in carbon steel I say accept no substitutes in your primary knife. In the ideal environment created by the kitchen, carbon isn't too hard to care for.

• Tanaka Sekiso: My first pick here. This is an excellent knife overall, through you might need to lightly sand the spine and choil for comfortable fit. The grind and heat treatment are famously good for the price. It has a D handle and it's entirely carbon.
  
• Kajiwara Damascus: I've never used this one but it's sometimes compared to the Tanaka. It's heavier, has an oval handle over a D, and I have heard offers better fit and finish. I think the handle is a bit more attractive.
  
• Masakage Yuki: Clad in stainless, unlike the above, so pretty easy to care for. This knife is very thin at the edge, so if you aren't careful with your technique it could cause chipping.
  
  Compared to a gyuto or santoku, paring knives have different standards of use. They don't touch a cutting board much and the grip used for them is often different, so geometry and ergonomics largely beat out steel durability. Asai offers a gorgeous parer and Shun's Classic paring knife is usually seen as one of the most comfortable on the market, but with to how often you would use them compared to your longer knife that's a big cut out of your budget. Zhen and Gesshin both offer a knife that performs similarly for less, though they are remarkably unattractive.
  
  On a weird note I think the Asai and the Yuki would almost match.
  
  You might get suggestions for a somewhat longer petty, which I would agree offers a bit more utility, but I don't find them to be as good for actual paring. In a two knife system the short paring knife covers your bases better. I personally supplement my nice petty with cheap paring knives like the Zhen or a Victorinox.

Ginsu are great for the price, but they're not good knives in any objective sense; and I can't say I'd actually recommend them. If you truly want very cheap knives, I'd buy a few select Kiwi knives and throw them out every few months. They're flimsy as hell, but they are damn sharp, and you won't actually find a better knife for the price.

That said, you should consider buying some real knives.

As I mentioned before, you only need 3 knives. Anything else is nice, but not actually necessary.

Invest in the nicest Chef's knife you can reasonably afford. This typically means an 8"-12" blade of good quality. Wustof is very popular, and I hear Global is fantastic; but I favor Japanese knives, so I'd recommend something like Tojiro (great price for a quality blade) or MAC (which is a Japanese knife adapted to western style, and is very popular), or maybe Shun (pretty and very good, but arguably overpriced). You will probably spend >$100 on this blade, but it's an investment for years to come, and is easily the most important blade in your kitchen.

Also purchase a 3" or a 4" pairing knife (maybe a decent quality Henkels) and a 9" serrated knife. For a good serrated knife I have to recommend the Kai Wasabi blade. Made by the same people as Shun, it's a very nice affordable blade.

Buying these blades will probably run you more than then $30 for a cheap knife set, but you're investing in your cooking future (especially with a quality Chef's knife). If you get them sharpened whenever they lose their edge (take them to a pro unless you are very serious and willing to invest a few hundred bucks in whetstones), and care for them properly, then you'll quickly learn how superior quality blades are. You'll never look back. I know quality blades are the most important part of my kitchen.

I would grab an 8" Victorinox fibrox chef's knife to start, tough to go wrong with that one. Most would then recommend grabbing a smaller knife like a paring knife or utility knife, and a 10" bread knife. If that sounds good and you don't want to think too hard about it, this should do the trick. If you want to think about it a little more, read on.

The chef's knife is almost always a must-have and the Victorinox is pretty tough to beat for the price. I like a heavier bread knife because I find mine useful for large, tough things like cabbage, but if you don't see yourself doing that type of thing, the Tojiro F-737 Bread Slicer is really nice and really inexpensive. For something a little heavier, the Mercer Millennia 10" bread knife won't be as graceful but should tackle anything and is equally inexpensive. Finally, the small knife. I'm not the biggest fan of traditional small paring knives because the only things I use them for, like hulling strawberries, coring tomatoes, and eyeing potatoes, is better done with a bird's beak knife and they're too small to do anything else. I find a 5-6 inch utility knife is more useful for when I want to handle small things. So the set I would get would look something like:

Chef's, $34.99

Bread, $13.39

Bird's beak, Wusthof because the small Victorinoxes can feel a little flimsy, $9.95

Utility $25.50

That comes out to the beautiful price of $83.83 which leaves a little room to get the perfect set of edge guards if you don't already have a block, or a smooth honing steel for that perfect edge. Now, someone please drag me through the mud for recommending a bird's beak in a starter kit.

The steel in the victorinox is definitely softer. Here's my current suggestions for people thinking about buying cheaper knives.

(Copy and pasted from something I've posted before, but with some updates)


TL;DR: In the category of budget knives. For longer lasting edges, Tojiro DP Santoku or Gyuto for $43 and $52 (now $62) respectively, or the Augymer for $30. For easier maintenance, Kai 6720C or Henckels Forged Synergy for $32 and $35, respectively.



As a caveat, budget knives of all sorts are not going to have the fit and finish of higher priced knives. For Knives that are easy to obtain lump you into two categories that have pros and cons, German hardness and Japanese hardness. Which is mainly a trade off between sharpness/edge holding vs durability/ease of maintenance. Although you can sharpen really soft metals to be stupid sharp and a really acute angle, it will not last long at all. But when the edge gets rolled over from a cutting session, it can be easily honed back into place. Harder knives can still be honed back into place, but techniques and tools are slightly different--I would never touch my harder knives with a grooved steel.

German hardness is usually around 56-58 hrc. Hard enough to hold an edge for a bit, but soft enough to not chip and easily steel/hone back into place.

The Victorinox Fibrox at about 55 hrc used to be suggested all the time when it was $20 and even when it was about $35. But now that it is $40-45, that's just too much for what is a very cheap knife.

A couple knives still in this range, which are better quality than the fibrox anyway are:

Kai 6720C Wasabi Black Chef's Knife, 8-Inch at 57-58 hrc for $32

https://www.amazon.com/Kai-6720C-Wasabi-Black-8-Inch/dp/B000YL4NY4


So this one is actually made with Japanese steel by the same company that makes Shun. But, because it's hardened to only 57-58 hrc, I'm lumping it in with the german steel category.

and The Henckels International Forged Synergy 8-inch Chef's Knife at about 57-58 hrc for $32

http://www.amazon.com/HENCKELS-INTERNATIONAL-Forged-Synergy-8-inch/dp/B000FMVS4A

Henckels International (not regular Henckels) used to be really bad because they made their knives to 53-55 hrc, which is way too soft to hold an edge to get through a cooking session without nearly constant honing. I've heard their international classics are still being made w/ the crappy steel.


So your choice between these two are having that big bolster (which I'm not a fan of) and general aesthetic.

Japanese hardness is usually at least 59 hrc, with a good chunk in the 60-62 range. This means potentially better, longer lasting cutting performance between honing/sharpening. The tradeoff is that it becomes more difficult to get to this stage without specialty tools or sending it to a professional sharpener. At this point I personally don't even consider knives under 59 hrc, unless it's something that really takes a beating.

For the cheapest price point, while still having quality. I would really only recommend the Tojiro DP at 60-61 hrc. It used to be about double the prices, but the grinds also used to be more even. Either way, it's still a great buy.

The chef/gyuto is $52 (now $62 hopefully it'll come back down soon)

http://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-DP-Gyutou-8-2-21cm/dp/B000UAPQGS/

And the Santoku is $43

http://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-DP-Santoku-6-7-17cm/dp/B000UAPQEA/

So the main difference here is whatever knife shape you prefer (and the price). I've gotten some cheaper harder steel knives, but I've had to do way too much touching up to be recommended.

There's also the Augymer 8" "Damascus" for $30 allegedly hardened to 62 hrc:

https://www.amazon.com/Augymer-Japanese-Professional-Stainless-Sharp-Damascus/dp/B01H6KWUWC/

I'd be really afraid of fit and finish problems, and generally lower tolerances throughout the process of making this knife. You can even see the uneven grind on the Amazon page. I'd also assume that the hardness is a tad lower than specified (maybe 60 hrc), but it should still be a pretty good knife if you want to pinch your pennies. This could be a great knife with some TLC, especially if you send it to someone who knows what they're doing.

It depends entirely on what you expect to do with the knife.

Food prep is a common task, which is best done with a small, slender fixed blade knife (folding knives are harder to keep clean - very important with food prep! - and slender blades cut food better than thick blades do). If the food prep knife is carried with the cooking gear, it does not require a belt sheath. A $9 victorinox paring knife is light and strong and would work fine for all but the largest jobs.

A saw or hatchet is far superior to a knife for preparing firewood, if that's going to be necessary.

General woodworking tasks - such as forming tent stakes, or notching wood to build a shelter or something like that - is best done with a thicker, stronger knife. A $20 stainless mora is very hard to beat for these sorts of tasks. If the hatchet/saw are lost, they can help with firewood prep, too.

See /r/Bushcraft for lots of helpful advice and knowledge.

This is a basic list with mid-grade item recommendations as links. You can definitely shop around and find better deals, but this will give you a place to start your shopping excursion from. Considering hitting up a local restaurant supply store for really good deals.

• Basic Tools:
  
• Cutting board (get at least 2, more are better, get the larger sized ones if you have the counter space)
  
• Chef's Knife
  
• Paring Knife
  
• Mixing Bowls (alternatively)
  
• Wooden Spoon
  
• Silicone Spatula
  
• Whisk
  
• Hand Towels (can be used as pot holders if you're careful and layer them up thickly. Watch out for the gas flame if you have a gas cook top.)
  
• Pepper Grinder
  
• Ramekins (for mise en place -- aka stuff you're working with as you cook like salt, spices, other small ingredients)
  
• Pots & Pans:
  
• Stock Pot
  
• Sauce Pan
  
• Skillet
  
• Cast Iron Skillet (optional ; make sure you learn how to care for cast iron - no soap ever, etc.)
  
• Non Stick Skillet (optional)
  
• Bakeware:
  
• Half sheet pans / Cookie Sheets (get 2 or more)
  
• Cooling Racks (these should fit in the cookie sheets)
  
• Cake Pans
  
• Loaf Pan
  
• Small Pyrex casserole
  
• Large Pyrex casserole
  

tl;dr Spend your money on a book or two and some basic tools first, and use good ingredients.

For a new cook, $200 would be better spent on some basic tools and maybe a couple of books. I think a subscription to Cook's Illustrated is one of the best things a new cook could be reading. I had one for years and I learned a ton. Don't get their recipe compilations. Those are good, but what you want is the articles that describe all the steps they went through to arrive at their "optimal" recipe. That stuff is just great. If you don't want to spring for the sub, just buy a couple issues off the rack.

As books go, my favorites are Ratio, by Michael Ruhlman ($11) and On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee ($30).

Get a decent knife. You don't need to spend a shit ton of money on one. I've owned a whole bunch of overpriced knives, and my favorite is a short Cuisinart chef's knife that probably cost $20. This 3 piece set is $28:
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-Classic-3-Piece-5-5-Inch-3-5-Inch/dp/B00GIBKCGC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1464712284&sr=8-3&keywords=Cuisinart+Knives

You've spent ... $75 at this point. Pick up a cast iron pan. You don't need a bunch of them. I have a 10" that I use all the time. I have a smaller All Clad and a bigger All Clad. They are amazing but pricey. Start with cast iron. They can be a pain in the ass to take care of at first but as you use it more, it gets easier.

Get a non-stick pan that you buy on sale somewhere like Target. If you can get a thicker bottom for it, do that. These things are basically disposable and you'll be wanting to replace them every couple of years when they go to shit. Don't buy an expensive one.

Stay away from those kitchen specialty shops unless you are just browsing or are looking for weird, relatively cheap gadgets. Need a citrus reamer today, that's a good place to look.

As far as gadgets go, pay attention to the thing you start wishing you had on a regular basis. Don't go drop $80 on a China cap just because recipe says you need one.

All of this is my opinion. I'm a good home cook. I started cooking in college, and started taking it more seriously in my early 30s.

I purchased the Chef's Choice Knife Sharpener 4643. I know that the trendy way to sharpen knives right now is with a set of stones, but I just can't be assed to do that. When my knife dulls, I spend 5-10 minutes using the sharpener and honing the blade. Note that the 3rd notch says "Serrated".

Here are some general recommendations for picking a knife.

I recommend just going to a store like Williams Sonoma, Bed Bath and Beyond or Su La Table and just trying out knives. I know that many of them will have some vegetables around that you can practice on.

I personally prefer a slightly heavier knife because I can rely on gravity to help push a knife down through whatever I'm cooking. I like a wooden grip because the weight helps distribute the weight closer to the center of the knife (the grip point) rather than making it more front heavy, which can be tough on the wrist. This means that I usually avoid plastic grips.

I have a grand total of 5 knives. 95% of my cutting is performed by a relatively large, 7.5" Santoku (essentially a Japanese chef's knife). I have a cheap chef's knife that I use for cutting things that might damage the blade (such as casseroles in a glass dish). Beyond that, I have a Wuhstoff bread knife, a paring knife (for very small cuts and peeling) and a utility knife (when I need to cut smaller items or I'm cutting a small amount of food).

I'm, personally, absolutely in love with the Japanese knives and would totally recommend a Santoku for a first knife, but I also recommend you find the time to try holding it and determine if it's for you. The straight vertical edge next to the handle can be cumbersome to first time users.

Beyond a chef's knife, I recommend holding off until you find yourself needing something else. It also means you can spend a little extra on your main knife rather than buying a set of cheap knives.

Avoid carbon steel knives. They rust easily. Ceramic knives cannot be sharpened with the sharpener I linked above.

If you want to spend less and just get a good all-round pair of knives I'd recommend the 8" Victorinox chefs knife and the 3 1/2" pairing knife. These are the only 2 higher quality knives I own and I use them for pretty much everything. Buy these two and a steel and you're set.

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-40520-Fibrox-8-inch-4-inch/dp/B007CMNK2E/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1405883846&sr=8-6&keywords=8%22+victorinox

If you want something with a bit more heft then sure look into the bigger brands but as someone who has been building a passion for cooking, these knives are just great.

As for what you would specifically need, depends on what you cook/cut the most. Most often a chefs knife and pairing knife are really all you need unless doing some sort of specialty cutting. Some knives might do a better job but unless you have the money to buy the special knives there's really little reason.

rolls are great, and pretty slim-line. so, if that's what you're looking for, that roll is the kind of thing you'll want. as far as having your knives rubbing together, whatever i'm using, i always have sheaths or edge guards on my knives (like these), which will protect them from eachother, as well as protecting your hands when you need to reach into your kit in a rush. in the end, just like your knives, what type of kit you use is going to come down to your own needs and style. i would recommend staying away from super-budget brands (stick with something like messermeister/mercer/victorinox/chef pak), though, because longevity is perhaps the most important feature.

Sounds like it is just a cheap metal material. It's best to have one good knife and use it a lot to learn how it cuts and how the weight is. I would suggest using your cheap yanagiba as a junk knife and go buy a nicer knife and just really learn its feel.

How much are you willing to spend?
Yanagiba 32 bucks
I own this as one of my side knives. It's cheap but the metal is quite strong and holds a edge well. The handle is on the small side and its a little light but it's a great intro knife.

Thoughts on these...while staying within the same brand

https://www.amazon.com/Serrated-Kitchen-Scalloped-Stainless-Ergonomic/dp/B0722V5DN7?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_17470039011

https://www.amazon.com/SKY-LIGHT-C-6628-Professional-Stainless/dp/B07GV6M24T?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_17470039011

https://www.amazon.com/Peeling-Stainless-Ergonomic-Kitchen-Cutting/dp/B071HL77XS?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_17470039011

https://www.amazon.com/Scissors-Stainless-Comes-Apart-Detachable-Vegetables/dp/B07MTCTMN9?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_17470039011

Now...this still goes to the heart of the issue...these are all relatively "cheap" but everyone in this thread seems to say you need 1 knife that is valued at $120.

However all of those appear to be great quality and the reviews seem good.

Great over all knife.

I work as a sushi chef and I've used plenty of knives that range from the high-end to low-end. Honestly this knife has the best bang for its buck out of all of the knives I've used.

Pros:
-Cheap
-It actually has a concave back side
-Reliable.
-Same company that produces Shun cutlery.

Cons:
-There's a secondary bevel on the cutting edge.
-The reason that there's a secondary bevel is because it's made from a lower end softer steel. Sharpness vs. edge retention. You lose out on the knife's full potential sharpness but you gain an edge retention.

All in all. I love using this knife. It's such a banger. Highly recommended!

I like the America's Test Kitchen shows and picked up the chef's knife because of their glowing review of it and inexpensive price:

Victorinox Fibrox Chef's Knife is great.

I liked it so much that I purchased the santoku and a few paring knives.

small paring knives
The paring knives seem to go dull more quickly than I would like though, but I might have really high expectations for my knives.

I also personally like the santoku knife a lot and it might be my favorite.

To keep all of them extremely sharp I use this whetstone in fine/course.

If I only got to pick one of them it would be the whetstone; hands down the best thing to have in your kitchen and will last a long time.

Cheers.

After many years of working with what I thought were decent knives in my home kitchen (major European brand) knives, even sharpening them, they weren't up to some of the tasks and dulled quickly. Over time they degraded and weren't first quality although I paid a pretty penny for them at the time.

Spend some time researching and a bit more money for a first quality chef's knife and paring knife. It will last you your lifetime.

I finally settled on this for a chef's knife: its the best of both worlds, imo.

https://www.amazon.com/Mac-Knife-Hollow-Chefs-8-Inch/dp/B000LY29NQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1511524128&sr=1-4&keywords=mac+knife

There are a lot of considerations like type and treatment of steel, angle of the blade, balance and heaviness. Many of the Japanese knives are very thin and brittle, so their use as chef's knives require a lot of skill and care. This particular one is more 'European style' while incorporating the steel grade and angle qualities that maintain sharpness. It stands up to the heavier tasks well, like cutting through winter squash, and zips through chopping of onions or slicing softer fruits and vegetables well. There are many other brands of course.

and this for a paring knife:

https://www.amazon.com/Shun-DM0716-Classic-4-Inch-Paring/dp/B0000Y7KNG/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1511524218&sr=1-4&keywords=shun+paring+knife

Here is where the Japanese blades shine. Super sharp and thin blades are ideal for paring. Again there are many other brands, these were just my choice.

Knives like these are incredibly sharp and stay that way. I've really hurt myself switching over from dullish knives to these. I got these until my skills improved. They are great. I don't use them as much anymore, but still do for particular tasks.

https://www.amazon.com/NoCry-Cut-Resistant-Gloves-Performance/dp/B06X1FBX81/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511524746&sr=8-3&keywords=metal+kitchen+gloves

Hopefully this gives you a little food for thought.

How to wash a knife safely.

Don't get a set. Sets are designed to get you paying for knives you'll never use. I recommend starting with a chef's knife and a paring knife. The chef knife is your workhorse, you'll use it for almost everything. The paring knife is traditionally used for peeling and detail work, but just think of it as what you reach for when the job is too small for the chef knife. If you bake bread or buy unsliced loaves of it, you'll probably also want a bread knife.

Victorinox Fibrox knives are great knives for a new cook and an excellent value for the money. Here's their chef's knife, their paring knife, and their bread knife. That leaves you with enough money to buy a block and stay under $100. I like the wall mounted magnetic ones with a wooden face like this one myself, but there are plenty of other options if that's not what you want.

Good, sharp knives dont have to be expensive.

Ceramic: https://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-Advanced-Ceramic-Revolution-Professional/dp/B0017U3UA4/

Steel: https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-45520-Frustration-Packaging/dp/B008M5U1C2/

Slightly more expensive steel: https://www.amazon.com/Global-G-2-inch-Chefs-Knife/dp/B00005OL44/

Ceramic is suuuuper insanely sharp and holds an edge for a very, very, long time if treated properly. It is however possible to break the blade with a sharp impact or drop. Not really feasible to sharpen at home. Kyocera does offer free lifetime sharpening if you pay shipping though.

Steel is nice because it's easy to sharpen at home with a little practice. I actually really enjoy sharpening my steel knives now that i am comfortable with the process. It's very zen. You'll just need a decent water or oilstone and some patience to learn.

Stainless steel tri-ply pans, well reviewed by Cook's Illustrated and many bloggers:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramontina-10-Piece-18-10-Stainless-Steel-TriPly-Clad-Cookware-Set/11072505 $229

Victorinox Chef's knife. Cheap, and again very well reviewed by Cook's Illustrated and many bloggers:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000638D3220 $27

Victorinox serrated knife:
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-47547-4-Inch-Fibrox-Handle/dp/B00093090Y/ref=pd_sim_k_7 $25

Victorinox paring knife:
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-47508-4-Inch-Paring-Knife/dp/B0001V3UYG/ref=pd_sim_k_2 $8

Cheap and well reviewed knife sharpener:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/

To round that out: a cheap non-stick pan (they wear out, don't sink money into this), some silicone spatulas, Pyrex bakeware, and maybe a cast iron or mineral steel skillet.

You can see a theme with my recommendations. You can have very high quality kitchen stuff, without breaking the bank.

Best of luck :)

Similar to the Vic Fibrox series in a loose sense (same class of handle materials and blade steel) but in a different form factor (Japanese-style handles, geometry, etc) is the Kai Wasabi series.

It's not BIFL in the "this is going to wear and patina and be a great heirloom" sense, but they are really, really good at twice the price. I've picked up a couple (deba + yanagiba) and used the hell out of them and they've displaced knives many times more expensive. I also bought a few as a gift for a friend graduating culinary school; several years and sharpenings later, they still look and work very well!

I recommend buying a single quality chef's knife and a pairing knife for finer work.

Inexpensive pick:
http://www.amazon.com/R-H-Forschner-Victorinox-8-Inch-Fibrox/dp/B000638D32/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1_s9_rk?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&s9r=8a5850a4189e98760118ecb694da07af&itemPosition=1&qid=1229892744&sr=8-1

Expensive pick (the one I use):
http://www.amazon.com/Global-8-Inch-20cm-Cooks-Knife/dp/B00005OL44/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1229892885&sr=8-1

Also consider ceramic if you don't want to sharpen:
http://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-Revolution-5-Inch-Slicing-Knife/dp/B000ESJGZS/ref=pd_sim_hg_5

Pairing Knife:
http://www.amazon.com/Forschner-Victorinox-4-Inch-Paring-Handle/dp/B0001V3UYG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1229893245&sr=1-2

You will want a serrated bread knife as well.

whatever you do, don't buy ridged knives that saw through foods (ginzu, etc). the knife should simply glide through most food effortlessly without sawing.

Don't buy a full set, as you should be able to get by with just two. These are tools and the more you keep your use to just the knives you have, the more adept you will become with them.

Go into a fine cooking store and put a few knives in your hand to see what feels natural.

Enjoy!

Victorinox, Henckel, or mercer are all good for a reliable American style blade. They are very good for beginner cooks. They will run you anywhere from 60-200 depending on the knife/quality.

If you want to go a step up, check out Shun. Japaneseish style blade, although the cheaper ones are not traditional Japanese edges/metal. You can get their bargain brand (Wasabi I believe its called) for as low as $80 (for an 8 inch chef knife). But I really shun will run anywhere from 120-300+. I was given a Wasabi by some salesmen at my reaturaunt, I actually like it for certain things. Light weight, durable, ergonomic. It has the feel of a Japanese knife with the durability of an American one. I looked on amazon and found it for around $80.

I would either recomend that, or a Victorianox for around the same price.

I like knives.

Edit: here's a couple.

This is the Wasabi. I guess it's only around $50 on Amazon, and on sale right now.

www.amazon.com/Kai-6720C-Wasabi-Black-8-Inch/dp/B000YL4NY4

This is the equivalent victorinox:

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008M5U1C2/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1450865367&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=victorinox&dpPl=1&dpID=21fDfo37ZPL&ref=plSrch

What about something relevant to the area you're getting married in? I'm getting married in Maine and giving each bridesmaid a rope bracelet along with some custom earrings from another Etsy jewelry designer.

Here are some other ideas I had that weren't the typical bridesmaid gift:

• portable amp and speaker in an altoids tin
  
• funny beesawax candles
  
• omg L.L. Bean slippers
  
• an unusual lamp
  
• a nice chef's knife (I cook a lot. I love my chef's knife)
  
  Where are you getting married? Find something local.

Some reason I can't see your reply on the post.

Anyway, its up to you if you want to upgrade, it'll be mostly aesthetic, the fibrox does have a big handle, so if you have small hands you might want to change knives, but I don't know anything about the Ikkaku you linked.

For paring, any of the cheaper options on amazon should be fine, ideally you want one without a huge bolster, but its not a huge deal. Just avoid anything with a huge bolster that gets in the way of the knife being able to cut flat on a cutting board or easily manueverable in your hand(like this monstrosity https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culinary-Millennia-Paring-Knife/dp/B001EN2L1I)


Any of these should be fine. The ones with the smaller/no bolster are ideal but not dealbreakers(I chose random sizes, get whatever you find fits you best)

https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culinary-Renaissance-Forged-Paring/dp/B0034612OK

https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culinary-Genesis-Forged-Paring/dp/B000IBVD0W

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-4-Inch-Classic-Paring-Straight/dp/B005LRYE36

https://www.amazon.com/ZWILLING-J-Henckels-Signature-Paring/dp/B00030EE0O

Just an FYI on all the recommendations for the Victorinox, it is recommended by America's Test Kitchen based on out of the box sharpness and they rated back when it sold in the high $20 range, as opposed to the $40 range that it sells for now.

Don't get me wrong, it's still a great knife in the price range and I bought one for my Mom. But it does tend to lose some of its sharpness as you would expect from a stamped knife. Granted it, it extremely sharp out of the box, so you have some time on it. Also, be aware that it is very light, which is actually a good thing if you are doing a ton of prep work, but a lot of home chefs have the feeling of weigh=Quality & control.

If you are willing to spend $35 on a knife, right now I would buy this knife over the Fibrox.

My Ex-GF had this knife from Cuisinart as stayed perfectly usable with a few times over a hone with each use.

paring knives need to be comfortable and be able to be sharpened or stay sharp. I bought one years ago and still have it. and it is working great. but it also cost me $40.

this one looks nice I would buy it.

https://www.amazon.com/Peeling-Stainless-Ergonomic-Kitchen-Cutting/dp/B071HL77XS/

these also look good!

https://www.amazon.com/J-Henckels-International-16900-081-Stainless/dp/B001S3VZZW/

​

https://www.amazon.com/J-HENCKELS-INTERNATIONAL-31160-101-Stainless/dp/B00004RFMO/

I think this one is the best way to go. It is super durable and very suitable for all different uses. Victorinox Swiss Army 8-Inch Fibrox Straight Edge Chef's Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M5U1C2/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_OPnzwbWRBYQ2R

Edit: They also have a good paring knife Victorinox Swiss Classic 4-Inch Paring Knife, Spear Tip https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LRYE36/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_sWnzwbJ3ZWKF3 In my opinion a chefs knife and paring knife are all you really need.

I've always wanted a dog for Christmas, and every other holiday/occasion. I've wanted a dog for over two decades. As a child, I was obsessed with dogs (I would only wear clothing that had dogs on them) but my dad never allowed it (now that I'm older, I suspect it was because of his dog growing up, which he was heart broken over when it passed away). Every year, I would ask for a dog and would get a different pet. At one point I had 3 guinea pigs (each for a different occasion), a cockatiel, a cat, and an oscar (fish). I still ask for a dog as a joke even though I know it won't happen. Once I move out of my apartment, in a year or two, I'll finally get my dog :)

Something I'd like for Christmas this year is this paring knife. All my knives are so dull that they can't even cut a bell pepper properly! The prep time for cooking will be cut in half with a nice knife (hehe no pun intended!).


All I want for Christmas is a dog!

I knowww. My boyfriend loves the heavy knives, such as the Wusthof Ikon and this Cuisinart, but I fell in love with the look of the Wusthof Santoku and now that's my go-to knife. It helps that I am able to find Wusthof blades for relatively cheap.

See my other posts in this thread, but to sum it up: Shun knives are considered a joke by serious cooks.

The 600$ Shun is trying to charge students for that selection of knives is a rip off. No one needs more than 2-3 knives for at least the first couple years of their career, which will be spent doing basic prep and line cooking. You won’t be doing any butchering or specialized work till further on anyways.

And when you do, do your research and buy them piece by piece. At that point you’ll be working with and learning from more experienced chefs who will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

Here’s a suggestion to get you started:

8” Chefs knife

Paring knife

Bread knife

Ceramic Honing Rod

knife roll

peeler

All of this can be had for around a 1/3 of the price Shun charging and I guarantee you these tools will serve you way better.

You don't need a knife set, you can get the vast majority of kitchen tasks done with just a chefs knife and paring/utility knife. The rest of the set knives will usually just sit in the block gathering dust.

The Victorinox Fibrox chefs knife is a very popular recommendation because it is a pretty good knife for a pretty good price.

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B008M5U1C2/

You can also consider a pairing knife from the same manufacturer.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LRYE36/

> I want to add a smaller 5-6" knife for smaller tasks where a Western 8" is overkill- would this be a petty knife?

'Petty', yes, a larger one. Or a Nakiri which is a vegetable knife and suitable for smaller tasks.

> thinner/faster chef knife

Definitely Gyuto. Around 220mm is my suggestion.

> good starter utility/petty knife

As an experienced western style user I always recommend a 3.5 to 4 inch paring knife. Victorinoxm for cheap, Henckels for more $.

I'm a huge fan of this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0016GZA3O/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1369339960&sr=8-3&pi=SL75

So far its had great edge retention, sharpens nicely (I use a water stone ~1000 grit), and has proven to be quite durable (from the un-chef roommate test). And apparently Shun is the parent company.

I have a Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife and a Victorinox 47508 3-1/4-Inch Paring Knife and I own a good sharpener...and I absolutely adore them. They're perfect.

Many things on my wish list would be very useful in the aftermath of a bomb going off.

These oven mitts would protect my hands as I sift through the wreckage.

This pretty scarf would help conceal my horrible facial scarring from the blast.

These knives could be used to fend off zombies, mutants, or other survivors who are trying to take our supplies.

This tool would be very useful and convenient to bring with us. We'd have to keep moving to try to get somewhere that wasn't destroyed, and you don't want a lot of extra stuff bogging you down.

However, this grill would be helpful to have, and charcoal would be readily available. There would also be some meat lying around. Fuck, I'm morbid.

Thanks for the contest!

Change jar

Snag these:
http://www.amazon.com/J-Henckels-International-Forged-3-Piece/dp/B00375MLSE/ref=sr_1_103?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1299527235&sr=1-103
And this:
http://www.amazon.com/Henckels-9-Inch-Poly-Sharpening-Steel/dp/B00004RFMA/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1299527277&sr=1-1
And these:
http://www.amazon.com/Messermeister-4-Piece-Edge-Guard-Set-Black/dp/B002KKC312/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1299527361&sr=1-2
And you'll be good to go for life as long as you take good care of the knives!

For cooking healthy: a really good knife and a pyrex dish with a lid. I have this knife and use it every day. It's amazing. The pyrex dish I use to microwave/steam veggies.

For being a fatty: my ice cream maker. Nothing beats real homemade ice cream.

You only need a few knives. Save your money and get victorinox knives. Every restaurant uses them. They're great and inexpensive.

Get a chefs knife, a boning knife, and a pairing knife.

Victorinox 8 Inch Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife in Clamshell Packaging https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000638D32/

Victorinox 4-Inch Swiss Classic Paring Knife with Straight Blade, Spear Point, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LRYE36/

Victorinox Cutlery 6-Inch Semi-Stiff Boning Knife, Black Fibrox Handle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CF94L/

I think they’re Kuhn Rikon. I love them. They’re perfect to pop into the suitcase when you’re traveling!

https://www.amazon.ca/Kuhn-Rikon-2847-4-Inch-Nonstick/dp/B0030XNLQ4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=G77ESVWUEPDF&keywords=kuhn+rikon+knife&qid=1551119246&s=gateway&sprefix=kuhn+rikon+&sr=8-1

I like this one. Classic German design & construction, excellent blade shape & good steel. I have this one in my kitchen and I use it often.

For a bit less, try this one.

damn. i was about to tell you that you can send it back to the manufacturer for free sharpening (which i did with mine about a year ago), but it looks like that's no longer true.

they do offer a supposedly "reduced price" sharpening service, but i'm not sure that it's much better than finding someone locally.

in any case, get a honing steel and some knife sheaths for storage (unless you have a block).

I've tried a variety of paring knives because it took me ages to find one I really liked, and if you have some money to spend, my hands-down favorite is the Shun Classic DM0700.

It's crazy sharp, perfectly balanced (imo), and it has enough heft to it that I don't accidentally cut myself with it (a problem I ran into with a lot of the lighter, less expensive knives).

On the con side, it's absurdly pricey (retail is $90 though it goes on sale from time-to-time), and if you're not as clumsy as I am, you probably would be fine with a lighter, cheaper knife.

As far as knives go, get something forged, it will sharpen better, stay sharper, and have better ergonomics than a stamped product. This set is really inexpensive and will work just as well as knives costing several times more. I've seen them on sale at Fry's Electronics for $15.

As for non-stick pans, I recommend getting something enameled. It works about 90% as well as PTFE (e.g. Teflon) but it is a thousand times more durable. Cast-iron works too, because the non-stick surface is polymerized oil, so it uses the oil you are cooking with to repair itself. For some reason, I've seen these cheap at Fry's Electronics, too. I guess they decided that if they sell appliances, they might as well sell pots, pans, and knives.

You can watch for deals on dealnews.com, and from Fry's Electronics.

The gyuto and chef's knife are interchangeable for the most part, I just have both because I have a knife addiction lol. I have a cheap kai bread knife if i need to cut a crusty bread, but a 270mm sujihiki/slicer is good for slicing roasts/steaks/big pieces of meat. A petty is useful for delicate tasks where you might not need a cutting board, like peeling an apple or something.

https://www.amazon.com/Wasabi-Black-Bread-Knife-9-Inch/dp/B002ABBW5Y

http://www.knivesandstones.com/shinko-seilan-sujihiki-270mm-ku-aogami-super-by-shiro-kamo/

Edit; forgot to mention that I also use my stainless steel chef's knife when I'm feeling lazy, because you don't have to worry about keeping it clean/dry. My carbon steel gyuto needs to be kept dry when it's not in use (shouldn't leave it wet for more than 10min), while my stainless chefs knife can be left out all night after cutting tomatoes and it doesn't care.

What length did you get? I have several and I strongly prefer my 8" to my 10".

I also use a Chef's Choice sharpener because hey, these are really inexpensive knives. Yet still my oldest on is 14 years old. So I would not be worried about removing a lot of material or sharpening a lot.

When you say paring do you mean:

https://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-4-Inch-Nonstick-Colori/dp/B000GZDY6Q

Or

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0019WXPQY/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1469729638&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=victorinox+paring+knife&dpPl=1&dpID=31-3k5SJDRL&ref=plSrch

Because I have some knives like the former and they are for imho cutting small things two handed on a cutting board. The latter are very cheap, very thin...should be getting a multi-pack for very little $$ and they are much better for me for things like peeling or cutting while eating etc etc. i use them all the time and just throw them away and replace them yearly. Not an investment.

If money is an issue for her, I recommend this knife. It has to be, by far, one of the best deals for a knife in this price range.

You're better off not buying a set. Buy 2-3 better quality knives. Victorinox makes good quality knives for fairly cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-Straight-Chefs-8-Inch/dp/B008M5U1C2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468263881&sr=8-1&keywords=victorinox+knife

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Classic-4-Inch-Paring/dp/B005LRYE36/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1468263881&sr=8-3&keywords=victorinox+knife

You will also want a knife sharpener. A dull knife is a dangerous knife. Most people don't sharpen their knives at all. A honing steel is not a knife sharpener.

Use the rest to get some steak knives if you wish. Also, you have some left over for if you decide you want a bread knife or a slicer.

Kitchen knife? Henckels international classic paring knife?

https://smile.amazon.com/J-Henckels-International-CLASSIC-Utility/dp/B00004RFMO/

I might not say that it'll last half a century but I'm happy with my atactical a1.

https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Bushman-Sheath-95BUSKZ/dp/B00BD4W54Q/

https://smile.amazon.com/Kershaw-Toughness-Durability-Edge-Holding-Capabilities/dp/B00AU6BFDK/

https://smile.amazon.com/Kershaw-Modified-SpeedSafe-Reversible-Glass-Filled/dp/B06XR8XTJP/

https://smile.amazon.com/Bondhus-20199-Balldriver-L-Wrench-1-5-10mm/dp/B00012Y38W/

https://smile.amazon.com/Estwing-Hammer-Straight-Smooth-Reduction/dp/B0000224VG/

Some wiha screwdrivers

Lifetime warranty https://smile.amazon.com/Fiskars-8-Inch-Forged-Scissors/dp/B00114LTMC/

This is the knife I have...it's pretty nice. Although the slices are actually not straight at all, if you saw them lined up from the top.

I like to have a choice, depending on what I'm doing. I use to get a 3 pack, like this one that has a normal knife, a drop point, and a bird's beak. You'll be able to find sets like this in various brands, but I prefer the cheaper sets that usually have the molded plastic handles, mainly for the reason that they're cheap, and if anything happens to them, they're easy to replace. I currently also keep 2 different types of blades in my kit: the normal, rigid blades, and I have 1 paring knife that has a thinner blade that allows it to flex and bend a bit, kind of like the difference between a rigid vs flexible boning knife.

ok i will offer you two BIFL versions. the first one being BIFL on a budget and the second being a much higher dollar BIFL cost.

quality on a budget- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CF8YO/ref=cm_ciu_pl_B0000CF8YO_mo1ZWCPZP5I7S3B

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Color-EC6D43-Enameled-6-Quart/dp/B000N501BK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857337&sr=1-1&keywords=lodge+dutch+oven

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-4-Inch-Fibrox-Straight-Paring/dp/B008M5U1UE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857377&sr=1-1&keywords=victorinox+paring

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Wooden-Spoon-3-Piece/dp/B008H2JLP8/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857407&sr=1-2&keywords=wooden+spoon

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L10SK3-12-Inch-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet/dp/B00006JSUB/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857459&sr=1-1&keywords=lodge+cast+iron

higher dollar items include-

http://www.amazon.com/Global-G-2-inch-Chefs-Knife/dp/B00005OL44/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857561&sr=1-1&keywords=global+knives

http://www.amazon.com/Shun-Premier-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B003B66YKA/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857613&sr=1-2&keywords=shun+knives

http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Classic-2-Inch-Paring-Knife/dp/B00005MEGH/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857640&sr=1-3&keywords=paring+knife

http://www.amazon.com/Le-Creuset-Signature-Enameled-Cast-Iron/dp/B0076NOGPY/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857680&sr=1-2&keywords=le+creuset+dutch+oven

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L10SK3-12-Inch-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet/dp/B00006JSUB/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857717&sr=1-1&keywords=lodge+cast+iron


I own the cheaper BIFL items i listed and they have been AMAZING so far. you really cant beat the quality/ price ratio for the cheaper things i listed. if you want a better chef knife all the options i gave you would be excellent but just know that you could go crazy looking at all the different brands.

Tomatoes and garlic can and should be handled with a chef's knife. I use utility mostly to trim silver skin of meat and work around the bones or intricate cuts around things. Pairing is mostly for in hand work. You can get $5 henckels for pairing

Cuda in question is this https://www.cudabrand.com/products/knives/cuda-6-titanium-bonded-curved-boning-knife.html but MSRP and real life prices are quite different.

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Curved-Fibrox-Boning-Flexible/dp/B0019WQDOU this is likely a better chicken and other stuff knife.

https://www.amazon.com/J-HENCKELS-INTERNATIONAL-Kitchen-Elements/dp/B000N8R27S pairing set

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Cutlery-Paring-Polypropylene-Handle/dp/B000VYL5TU/ pairing

Henkles has a pairing knife set on Amazon that's not too bad and pretty cheap
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N8R27S/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_5Z3Aub189M0M0

Santoku is fine. I have a 5.5" Hammer Stahl . It was a gift I use at home now. For work, most of my prep and ice work is done with this or something like it. Indented handle, straight blade. God I love this trident too.

Garnishes gotta have a good paring knife. This Victorinox might be top of the line, but I don't buy those any more. They dull quickly. Buy these and you will never go back.

I'm pretty sure my paring knife was bought at a Bed Bath and Beyond.

I was researching paring knives once and found a guy somewhere who swears a Kuhn Rikon Amazon Link paring knife is the best EDC he's ever had. I think he lived in a knife restrictive country though. But hey, it comes with a sheath.

I decided that I'd procrastinated long enough and finally took the plunge and bought a decent chef's knife. First impressions are WOW... this thing is an absolute pleasure to cut with. But now I need to get a decent cutting board, wood preferably, one that will be kind to my new knife.

Edit, as a summation from all the advice here, and my size needs, I decided on this Ironwood Gourmet Acacia Wood Square End Grain Chef's Board. My kitchen is very tiny, or I would have gotten the larger one.

In accordance with NotYourMothersDildo's suggestions I'm also getting one of these J.A. Henckels Twin Four Star 10-Inch Honing Steel

As for a place to put them, I'm grabbing one of these MIU 3527 15-Inch Stainless-Steel Magnetic Knife Bar Holder and just because I need a paring knife too, I'm getting one of these Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Four Star 4-Inch High-Carbon Stainless-Steel Paring Knives

Thank you all for your advice :-) I'll wait another hour or two incase I get better suggestions, but these are all the items in my cart at the moment....well not 'all' but the ones pertaining to this thread.

I snapped this Henckel blade, and gave myself a pretty good gash, opening a durian.

After that, I decided to not look for strength and sharpness in the same package. Nothing beats ceramic knives for sharpness. I have a few Kyocera Revolutions. As long as they're used on a cutting board, and not for deboning or prying, they glide effortlessly through food, and the edge lasts forever.

This one is the best one I've used. It's cheap so when it's on it's last legs you just buy a new one. Every kitchen I've been in has had these.

Kai Wasabi Black Bread Knife, 9-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ABBW5Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uli5CbXVVDHDA

I love this knife. Glides through everything.

You only need three knives.
And these are the perfect three:

Akifusa Chef's knife

http://imgur.com/MCoUDeK.jpg

Victorinox bread knife

http://imgur.com/9zI2hql

Victorinox Basic pairing knife

http://imgur.com/hcRUbby

My favorite off the shelf paring is (by a nose)the Shun Classic 3.5 Inch. The aforementioned Wustie Ikon is a close second (handle is little small for my xxl mitts) Saw Amazon has an Ikon 8" Chef and Paring set for about 150.

https://www.amazon.com/Shun-DM0700-Classic-2-Inch-Paring/dp/B0000Y7KG8/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1495487209&sr=1-1&keywords=shun+classic+paring+knife

https://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Classic-Ikon-piece-starter/dp/B00005MEHP/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1495487052&sr=1-2&keywords=wusthof+ikon+chef+set

I have the Victorinox boning and slicing knives and they both perform well. They aren't fancy, but they don't need to be. I also have a KAI (company that owns Kershaw, Shun, and others) Japanese style asymmetrical slicer that was about 40 bucks and I only use it for precise slicing. Just make sure to specify left handed or right handed, I linked the right handed one because that's what you're likely to be.

If you get a Kyocera they offer free lifetime sharpening, you just pay shipping (and of course don't have your knife for a while).

You can sharpen it yourself too, with their diamond wheel sharpener, which can also be used on metal knives. However you almost certainly won't get it as sharp as the factory will.

I love my Kuhn Rikon and take them to work all the time. The green one is serrated but in this set, all 3 are straight.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0030XNLQ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_GcGFzb89YQSRM

Unsure on the quality of the knives you linked but pick up some Victorinox knives for less. Probably equal or higher quality as well as highly recommended.

Chefs knife

Paring knife

Bread knife

Could even do without the bread knife but if you were already planning on spending $150, get these three and that should cover 98% of use.

Maybe a ceramic knife, which contains no metal at all? Extremely sharp, stays sharp, but you have to exercise some care because it can chip easily if dropped or stressed laterally.

I currently use my 210mm (about 8") for produce and simple meat trimming, and I use a 180mm specifically for deboning whole chickens.

Like many have said, I suggest that you get him the 210.

Some things that I suggest:
Peeler
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001CRFX2A/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1465177075&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=kuhn+rikon+peeler&dpPl=1&dpID=41wv%2BZkw4LL&ref=plSrch

Paring knife
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005LRYE36/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1465177122&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=paring+knife&dpPl=1&dpID=21KoD9tXR6L&ref=plSrch

Thermometer
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00009WE45/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1465177218&sr=1-2&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_89%3ATaylor+Precision+Products&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=taylor+precision+products&dpPl=1&dpID=41hdUUoToJL&ref=plSrch

Microplane
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004S7V8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1465177314&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=microplane&dpPl=1&dpID=312Sz19u%2BtL&ref=plSrch

I'm talking more about people doing all of their cooking with knives like these or these. They basically force you to use knife techniques that are more tedious, if not dangerous.

+1, I recommend Kyocera. Unquestionably the sharpest knife you will ever use... Just stay away from hard stuff (bone) and you'll be fine.

Victorinox Fibrox 8" will take care of your chef's knife. Can't recommend a paring knife through experience, though based on my Victorinox chef's knife, I'd have zero hesitations with picking up their 4" paring knife as well.

Kai 8" Chef Knife - $24.94 - 6720C Stainless

Same company that makes Shun. Light weight helps for long hours of restaurant prep

i like this one

That's where I'm leaning so far. Unless my parents have extra knives sitting in the basement that they want to get rid of, I'll probably end up getting this, this, this, this, this, and a couple of these.

I've been using these for the last three months or so and my knives have been absolutely fine.

the global paring knife I have is the first 'good' knife I ever bought and despite my large collection (bigger now than when this photo was taken) it's still my favorite. It's durable as fuck and I regularly open #10 cans with it and it's never chipped or lots the tip. The handle is very ergonomic imo, but some people find it weird.

If you dont wanna spend so much, I also own several Victorinox paring knives. They're inexpensive, hold an edge well, and don't break.

Or this?

Would a Wasabi be close to what you're looking for? They're not high quality or anything but decent budget knives.

Kai Wasabi Santoku or Chef's knife. The WASABI BLACK Series is very affordable.

EDIT# Added price.

$34.95 for the Chef's knife/Santoku if you are in the US. Its about £40 if you are in the UK.

you can go with the Porsche

or you can go with the volkswagen

Non-mobile (normal) link

This one here? (There's another of the same kind in red)

If you miss your Shun you could get a Wasabi. They're made by the same company and the profile is basically identical. Decent grind, steel is a few points harder than Victorinox.

Tojiro DP has come back down to ~$60, cuts about as well as a Shun.

Do you want them to be fancy or functional? How about just buying individual Victorinox Paring knives? Seriously, take a look. https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Classic-Paring-Knife/dp/B005LRYE36

I've been using this knife for the past 6 months after it was recommended in a similar thread. No regrets.

Your metal blades will not corrode if they get in contact with each other in your dry drawer, but they will obviously dull over time if you're leaving their blades exposed and they come into contact with other metal objects. I bought a bunch of cheap knife sleeves for my prized knives, I suggest you do the same. Prettier, more expensive alternatives would be a wooden knife block or a magnetic strip, but the magnetic strip can also damage the blades if you're not careful.

As for the dishwasher, although it will not quickly corrode your 18/10 knives, dishwashers tend to damage knives by pushing them around and banging the knives into hard surfaces, which dulls them. Hand washing your sharp knives is always the safest bet.

They have some really brutal ceramics. Their knives cut like Jedi gear.

After some further research around /r/buyitforlife, we're asking for some Wusthof knives. We decided on a cook's knife, a pairing knife, and a serrated knife, along with a wood block with honing steel and scissors for storage. Total price: just over $250. Can't wait!