Chef's knife

[Silverback]

for the 10-15 dollar cost of these bad boys, you can't go wrong. And when you're done with it, you just throw it away and buy another!

[GrayStangGT]

Those are a good value, but there is something difficult to quantify about using a nice knife, especially a Japanese style one. Kind of like wine I suppose, cheap wine will get you drunk, but its more enjoyable with a nice one.

[bcoop]

Now that you got it, you definitely need to unlearn bad habits. And you need to learn the push/pull. Japanese blades are not meant to chop and it's a good way to fuck up an edge.

[GrayStangGT]

I would also get a quality cutting board if you don't have one.

[AnthonyS]

bcoop will trade you his meat drying miracle steak ager for Wal Mart knives. SVO and ruffdaddy make better knives than any including J.A. Henkels.

[renold5]

Another vote for Shun. I have the Premier Santoku and I can say that it is a great all-around kitchen knife.

[Chili]

As for sharpness, I started practicing hand sharpening knives as my collection grew a couple years ago, and have gotten pretty good at it. I can get most knives hair-popping-sharp pretty consistently. Since starting, I have kept our kitchen knives (which are nothing fancy) with a nice edge on them and strop them regularly. I don't use a 'steel', just a ceramic stone and leather strop with polishing compound for straightening out the edge. We all definitely had un-learn some bad habits about knife handling, and I usually warn them when I have given them a fresh touch-up, but they cut sooo much nicer. Nothing like slicing into a fully ripe tomato and getting no resistance whatsoever.

I was going to buy a nice kitchen knife or two but once I started keeping our current set sharp, I really don't see the need for us. Though this is probably the last 'set' I will buy and will replace individual knives with higher quality stuff. Lea prefers the traditional chef knife design and uses that for most stuff, where I like a combination of the Santoku and Carving knife for larger meat.

[fordracing19]

for the 10-15 dollar cost of these bad boys, you can't go wrong. And when you're done with it, you just throw it away and buy another!

That is what he have as "house" knives at the restaurant.

[Sean88gt]

We've gone UK style at my crib, knife free.

[AnthonyS]

Bought a set if JA Hs for the wife yesterday. They sharpened up quite nicely. Now to find out how they hold an edge.

[bcoop]

Bought a set if JA Hs for the wife yesterday. They sharpened up quite nicely. Now to find out how they hold an edge.

One man or two? If 1, like shit. Even with 2, my experience has still been shit, just less like shit than 1.. Good luck.

[Silverback]

I'm waiting on Levi to make me a new chef's knife, we'll see how this one turns out. The "Karamabacoa" he made me is pretty damn awesome...