I searched but couldn’t find where this was discussed before. Apparently after hosting Christmas for the first time my family decided I needed better knifes. Both for carving the turkey, ham or beef and for cooking and steak. So I’ve been looking around. Any suggestions or recommendations? What should I look for?
Don’t buy a set. Buy the individual knives you need. My knife sharpener recommends Victorinox. They are cheaper than brands like Henckels and Wustoff, but they are very good. You should own a good chef’s knife, a serrated bread knife and a small paring knife. Start there and then build your collection as you learn what works for you.
I have Henckels. They are around 22 years old. I get them sharpened every year or so, never put them in the dishwasher, and keep them in a wooden block in a drawer. They are very very important tools for your cooking. It’s an important investment.
My sister and BIL had terrible knives and I couldn’t stand using them whenever I visited. I took them to a Wustoff outlet in my town and they wound up spending ~$300 on new knives. They both rave about how the knives have changed their lives. (Well, almost.)
ETA: Don’t expect them to be cheap. Really, they are an investment. Good knives are worth the cost.
Wusthof. The professionals fave. Get a large knife for chopping and a small for paring. www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005MEGG/ref=nosim/ruhlmancom
for the serrated blade, just get a cheap knife since they can not be effectively sharpened
We have a bunch of Cutco knives. I would agree…don’t get a set. Get what you need, and will use.
We really like the Cutco carving set…and it gets used every holiday…and has for about 15 years.
I know Cutco gets a bad rap…and it’s not as tony as Henckels or Wusthof, but we like it.
The other thing…take a trip to Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma. Both have a huge selection of knives.
I am not a knife expert, but a “chef” I know buys Chicago Cutlery knives at yard sales and thrift shops, md sharpens them up himself. He probably has 50 or more and has given away many “sets.” I’ve been impressed particularly with the paring knife he gave me.
I took a knife skills class at Sur La Table which was worth it just to find a knife I like. I got to use several different knives actually cutting, not just holding and then spend time with the consultant after the class. My sister and I have similar hand size, kitchen skills etc and did not like the same knife. IMO, you have to hold a knife in your hand AND use it to know what is best for you.
I think you have to hold the knives in your hand to see what fits. You will know right away if it will work for your hands. I like the Asian knife brands like Shun. They are sharpened to a steeper angle than Wusthof or Henckel, so they stay sharper longer.
We have an assortment of knives, acquired individually. We have several Henckels and one that I bought from Sam’s–santoku style, a Towle carving set, a serrated bread knife, 2-3 chef’s knives, filet knife, a Chinese cleaver, and a few paring knives. Lately, we’ve been using the santoku knife a lot, but it’s much better using the proper knife for the job. Have great knives and keeping them sharp is crucial for happy cooking.
I have lots of Cutco and some Victorinox and Sabatier. The Cutco is good and comes with a lifetime replacement and sharpening warranty. I recently sent them all in and if they had the slightest mar they were replaced, if not they were polished and sharpened.
My Sabatier knives are high carbon steel. MUCH better but you can’t let them stay wet. I use the 6" French Chef more than any other knife.
The Victorinox ones I have are round tipped serrated knives, like cheap little steak knives. I use them every day. They’re great for making sandwiches because you can cut the tomato and spread the mayo with the same knife. I’m so lazy…
Your basic knife types -
The French Chef - triangular blade, not serrated, the classic horror movie knife, essential for all sorts of chopping. This is the one where you chop and the blade is supposed to stay on the cutting board at all times as you rock it up and down as you chop. I have a big one and a smaller one and the smaller one is more useful for my hands. I also have a Cutco variation, with a slightly curved blade, which really makes things easier when chopping veg.
Carving knife - usually serrated, always with a pointy tip, generally slightly curved and long. Great for turkey, flank steak, slicing a big piece of ham, etc. Look for a set that includes a good fork.
Paring knife - very small with a triangular pointed blade and not serrated. It must fit well in your hands! I have a Cutco variation with a curved blade that is supposed to work well with round things like apples but I don’t like it. My tiny little high carbon steel Sabatier is the best (for me). You don’t want this one to be too sharp because it will be aiming at your thumb most of the time.
Butcher knife - large, thick, curved (almost like a scimitar) blade, designed to go through joints. I have one and almost never use it.
Bread knife - long, thin, and serrated, but absolutely straight (unlike the curvy carving knife), with a rounded tip. Like a little saw for your bread.
Cheese knife - large triangular blade with the metal removed in places, like little windows, with a very fine serrated edge, like a hack saw. This is good for going through a block of something dense, like cheese. If you don’t have one, use a French Chef. In fact, you can use a large French Chef to chop your pizza.
Filet knife - like a little carving knife. Very pointy tip, serrated, meant to take chicken off the bone, etc. Small, thin steak knives can be used like a filet knife.
Things you always want - a full shank. This is where the metal of the knife extends for the entire length of the knife’s handle and you can see it on all the edges.
High carbon steel - ugly but stronger, and hard to find.
The best knife in my arsenal is a serrated one with the blade and hilt formed from one solid piece of steel. The hilt is covered in another material, so the knife is not cold to the touch or anything. This knife is a dream to use, on just about anything, from tomatoes to bread to the tough underside of the cauliflower bunch. Must be 12 years old.
Can’t see a name on it, though.
I do like the idea of holding them first. I have very small hands. I do, however, think I’d want a set. For one, I use many during the day and don’t want to keep washing just one. Costco has a set of Henkel for $150 that seems much cheaper than anywhere else. May go look at them. What about those Japanese ceramic knives? Anybody try those?
We’ve been using the same German-made Henkels knives we bought over 20 years ago. They are reliable.
However, in the last several years, we’ve supplemented our Henkels w these Japanese-made Shun folded-steel knives. They are harder and sharper than the Henkels, and the striped steel folding of the blades are absolutely gorgeous to behold. These are now the favorites in our household. They blow the Henkels out of the water. We got a Shun carving knive.
Williams & Sonoma carries Shun knives, but we bought them overseas:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/m/shop/cutlery/knives-shun/
CAVEAT for all high-end knives: do NOT put them in the dishwasher. The lye in the dishwater detergent makes the steel brittle and makes the blade edge prone to chipping.
DH is a Kramer guy. I’m a Global girl. I agree with the Sur La Table class. I got to use several different brands and types for different applications. They give a discount if you buy the knives there. I threw an entire block of Cutco away. Plastic handles kept getting too close to hot things and melting. We tried to be careful but it just kept happening.
We also melted the handle of one our Henkels knives. 
The Shun knives have wood handles.
Be aware that the Henckels knives at Costco are not made in Germany and are not of the same quality. Their knives made in Germany have two men (twins) on the handle. Knives made by Henckels International (made outside of Germany) have only one man on the handle. Google Henckel two man one man and there is lots of info available.
^^^^ Huh. Who knew.
My favorite knives have been old-fashioned Sabatier carbon steel. I really do not care that they darken.
Unfortunately, my 1970s-era Sabatier boning knife disappeared several years ago. I think that a guest who was helping clear mistakenly threw it in the trash. I still have the chef and paring knives, though.
I agree with whitepicketfence. The Henkel knives at Costco are not the same as the forged German Henkel (it’s very likely that they are stamped in a factory instead of hand forged). Please go to the closest Williams Sonoma or Sur Le Table and ask for the salesperson who is their “knife expert” and have them show you all the different types and explain the pluses and minuses and most importantly, you must hold the knives in your hand to determine which ones are most comfortable for you to use. I know that if you go when the store is not too busy (usually Monday mornings) Williams Sonoma often will let you try out their demo model knives on carrots or whatever on a real cutting board. The balance is different in different types and brands and no one else will ever be able to make that decision for you. They will try to sell you a set but most experienced cooks prefer to buy them individually and I personally have knives of 4 different makes and models including a Shun santoku. They all have different purposes and no one brand is likely to be the best for you across the board. Good luck.