theefen wrote:... The MAC line of knives while extremely good purchases are not "hefty" at all. they are in fact quite light.

I was stating they have more heft as a Japanese blade compared to the Kasumi's. If you've ever held one of those Chroma's, they're almost weightless. The Mac's have some more weight to them, but no Japanese knife is "heavy".

And I have a Tojiro (their damascus line; I have the 7" Nikiri). I'm not a fan. Balance is a bit off, and the handle isn't comfortable to me.

bleepbloop wrote:I cook almost all my meals and I have a $150 8 inch Shun, a $1000 set of stainless handled Wusthof's and the knife that Cook's Illustrated keeps going back to - the Forschner Victorinox Fibrox 8 inch Chef's knife and it's my favorite. Sharpens up razor sharp with my little sharpener (Accusharp) also recommended by Cook's Illustrated and doesn't slip in my hand, has a thinner blade like the Shun and cost me $20 on Amazon a few years ago. They're around $30 now. You can run through a lot of Victorinox knives for $300. Cook's tests the more expensive knives and always comes back to this brand.

See it here on Amazon

Cook's Illustrated rates the Forschner as the best value, not the best knife. I bought Forschners for family members, so they have something I can stand to use when I visit, but I prefer the Shun I've got at home. The balance is better. Is it five times better? No. Is it better? Yes.

If you watch America's Test Kitchen, you'll see that not everyone there uses the Forschner. Some of them use a MAC santoku.

(I'd rather use a chef's knife or gyuto than a santoku, but that's a matter of personal preference. I've got a Kyocera santoku, which I only pull out when I've got help in the kitchen or when I want to show people how cool a ceramic blade is.)

sl8763 wrote:Cool, thanks for the reply I've definitely considered buying individuals vs a set. You're right, it makes little sense to spend extra on things like a bread knife or a fancy block (paring knife I use quite a bit, but I have a few of those already). That Hattori is super nice.

I just recently bought a hattori slicer. It is amazing. Hattori are well balanced with a very comfortable handle. I highly recommend hattori. If its not your thing check out Glestain knives. They are a bit heavier but another great knife maker.

Greshmahg wrote:I was stating they have more heft as a Japanese blade compared to the Kasumi's. If you've ever held one of those Chroma's, they're almost weightless. The Mac's have some more weight to them, but no Japanese knife is "heavy".

And I have a Tojiro (their damascus line; I have the 7" Nikiri). I'm not a fan. Balance is a bit off, and the handle isn't comfortable to me.

Oh. Truth. heavier than a kasumi. there are several heavy japanese knives. Classic carbon steel japanese styles can be huge. I have a single bevel deba that weighs a ton, but it cuts through hard veggies like butter.

theefen wrote:Oh. Truth. heavier than a kasumi. there are several heavy japanese knives. Classic carbon steel japanese styles can be huge. I have a single bevel deba that weighs a ton, but it cuts through hard veggies like butter.

I'll have to see if I can get my hands on one to try. Only heavy Asian knife I have is a Misono 440, but that's a Chinese cleaver.

theefen wrote:I just recently bought a hattori slicer. It is amazing. Hattori are well balanced with a very comfortable handle. I highly recommend hattori. If its not your thing check out Glestain knives. They are a bit heavier but another great knife maker.

Nice, will definitely look into those as well.

Many thanks to everyone for sharing your insights. I trust the Woot hivemind so much more than Amazon reviews

sl8763 wrote:Nice, will definitely look into those as well.

Many thanks to everyone for sharing your insights. I trust the Woot hivemind so much more than Amazon reviews

Just to warn Hattori and several other Japanese knife makers may be unavailable or jump up in price because of the earthquakes.
Mine shipped from Japan (arrived in a lightning fast 6 days from day of purchase)

Check out knives and more knives

theefen wrote:Just to warn Hattori and several other Japanese knife makers may be unavailable or jump up in price because of the earthquakes.
Mine shipped from Japan (arrived in a lightning fast 6 days from day of purchase)

Check out knives and more knives

You need to put the "http://" in your links (as I have done in the quote above).

I would like to point out that you can buy EIGHTY FOUR pounds of M&M's for $300. For anyone thinking about purchasing this, just thing..which will bring more happiness..block-o-knives or EIGHTY FOUR pounds of M&M's!?

24 56oz bags for 300 source

craigthom wrote:You need to put the "http://" in your links (as I have done in the quote above).

woops. yup. got excited and forgot. Fixed. These two websites are really good resources for people looking to move into true artisan knives.

if you're not in a ig hurry to get a new knife, you might keep an eye out at estate sales. i picked up a very nice wusthof dreizackwerk (trident) rostfrei (stainless) 4582/20cm (8") forged chef knife for $5, and at another estate sale found a carbon steel henckels twinworks 102-10" for $2 (since the blade wasn't shiny). these have served me very well for well over a decade.

estate sales are also a great place to pick up a sharpening steel (at a steal). keeping a good edge on the knife means it's less likely to slip and cut you.

which reminds me: go get the first aid kit from the bathroom and put it in the *kitchen.* how often do you get cut or burned in the bathroom, anyhow?

Greshmahg wrote:Magnetic strips are for people that want to show off their expensive knives, but not use them (or for people who have way too much free space in their kitchen). That's why I use a Kapoosh block for all my knives

The issue with that knife block is that after a while the knives will damage the rods, and in my case it left this nasty black powder all over my knives. I ended up returning the block.

Not the greatest deal; allows one to sleep on it. Might not be the greatest sleep one has on knives.

These are great knives for your average person that thinks Ginsu is a world beater (majority of population).

For those that are knife "connoisseurs", these aren't for you.

As for the Shun questions, these are made by the people who make Shun.

So Henckels is better? At least thats what I've gathered while reading the comments. I was browsing deals.woot and found this.


J.A. Henckels 15-Piece Block Set for $150.

And these do WHAT that my $59 set can't? Cuz my $59 set cuts very well, and I know how to sharpen a knife, which takes very little time. Oh, wait; I can't brag to other people that I'm dumb enough to spend $xxx.xx on a set of kitchen knives.
Sirius GPP! ! !
What happened to good deals on video cards? I 1st fell in love with Woot for it's electronics deals. Knives? Sirius GPP. Severely overpriced knives? Worst...

0x58 wrote:The issue with that knife block is that after a while the knives will damage the rods, and in my case it left this nasty black powder all over my knives. I ended up returning the block.

Ironically, I just replaced my Kapoosh about 2 weeks ago....after 8 years. And it wasn't even the rods that went bad. It was left too close to my Viking gas range one day and the heat cracked the casing and ultimately ended up shearing the wood so the thing fell apart.

40 dollars over 8 years is a great deal given the thing's versatility. And I never had any black powder problems. The one complaint I had about my old one was that there were too many rods, and it was hard to cram a large amount of knives into it.

This new one I just bought has significantly fewer rods. So many less, in fact, that my steak knives tend to slip a hair further into the block than I want them to, even with other knives in the block. It's a minor thing, and better than the old way, but still worth noting.

People used to go door to door selling knives. Then they started using infomercials and shop-at-home. Now they've taken over Woot...

Why are these knife manufacturers still pumping out so many pointies?

Is this compatible with bacon?

mrbigaxe wrote:Is this compatible with bacon?

Only the mayonnaise and salt kinds.

Don't like smelly knife holders???

Get one of these

Kapoosh

You pull out the insides and toss it in the dish washer.

I have been using a knife I bought for $15 2 years ago, I keep it sharp, and I cook delicious meals. Why someone would ever NEED a knife set this expensive is beyond my knowledge. Maybe my life in the kitchen would be easier if I owned a set like this, but my food would still taste exactly the same.

Boredmaster wrote:And these do WHAT that my $59 set can't? Cuz my $59 set cuts very well, and I know how to sharpen a knife, which takes very little time. Oh, wait; I can't brag to other people that I'm dumb enough to spend $xxx.xx on a set of kitchen knives.
Sirius GPP! ! !

I'm going to go ahead and assume that you've never actually -tried- using a higher quality knife before. Do yourself a favor and demo a Shun, Wusthof or Henckels chef's knife before making such ignorant statements.

blanked wrote:from the description these sound stamped not forged as these are not of the 'premium line'. If you care enough about the heft of the knife to spend money on an expensive brand you would want forged for anything other than a travel deboner and a bread knife.

It says right in the ad that they are metal injection molded (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_injection_molding) This is an inferior process even to stamping, let alone to forging!

bradenmcg wrote:You shouldn't need to clean inside them. Put away your knives DRY, paper towels work well for this.

Also, many blocks actually are through-holes... "canned air" will get rid of any spiders that get in there.

Oh great, a wave of air-launched spiders blasted through the air right into my face. How am I going to sleep tonight with this image in my mind.

I found this discussion of what types of steel are used in cutlery and their properties. After reading it I had a better sense of what goes into knife making and why there is not an easy answer. Also, why the price goes up as the steel type and technical skill required goes up.

surefooted wrote:As for the Shun questions, these are made by the people who make Shun.

Maseratis are made by the same people who make Fiats, but Fiats are not Maseratis.

$299.99...That isn't bad, same price as a tank of gas for my pickup truck.

pallerdog wrote:I have been using a knife I bought for $15 2 years ago, I keep it sharp, and I cook delicious meals. Why someone would ever NEED a knife set this expensive is beyond my knowledge. Maybe my life in the kitchen would be easier if I owned a set like this, but my food would still taste exactly the same.

And your job would be the same if you drove there in a Kia or a Mercedes, so why would anyone NEED a nice car when a cheap one does exactly the same task?

elition wrote:So Henckels is better? At least thats what I've gathered while reading the comments. I was browsing deals.woot and found this.


J.A. Henckels 15-Piece Block Set for $150.

IT depends a lot on the Henckels set you get. They make some cheap crappy ones, too. The place at your link don't tell which Henckels line they are selling.

Some folks have asked about the knives' origin. Allow me to clarify:

The Lady of the Lake, [angels sing] her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft the Kai Tan Ren 9-Piece Knife Block Set from the bosom of the water, signifying by Divine Providence that Woot was to carry them and hock them online for 24 hours.

not a great deal. these are for sale many places for btwn 30 -44 per knive. another day another bad deal on woot.

Greshmahg wrote:(Putting on knife snob hat):

These knives fall into the mid-range portion of the spectrum. Better than your "Chef Tony Miracle Specials" or your Ginsu's that non-cooks and the newbies use, but nowhere near as nice as the real Shun's, Kasumi's, or Mac's of the world.

They've got some good things going for them: The knife block is slit sideways (blocks that slit up/down require the blade to be inserted edge down, which dulls the edge), and they have a decent Rockwell rating.

The negatives, however, outweigh the benefits. The handles become very slippery when they get wet, which increases the risk of injury. The steel used is not as of high quality as higher end blades. The knives themselves don't have enough heft to them to be considered a "go-to" blade for heavy duty chopping. The balance is not quite right on them given the odd tang design.

I own knives from a lot of manufacturers. Everything from the Kasumi Titaniums to the Mac Ultimate to the ceramic Kyocera Damascus line all the way to the Shun Ken Onion/Kaji/Kramer and Wusthof Grand Prix II lines. I would not welcome these into my collection, and certainly not at this price. If this is your price range for a set of knives, consider the katana line from Calphalon. I'm not so much a fan of those either, but for the price range, they're a better buy.

These are as much Shun knives as Henckel knives with the one-man logo are Henckels compared to the ones with the twin-man logo - which is to say, not really at all.

Now this is the info one is looking for when it comes to WOOT products! Many thanks! Much better than the usual, "Are these MAC compatible?"

Again, thanks.

craigthom wrote:I would recommend buying individual knives instead of a set.

I don't think you need to spend a lot of money for a serrated bread knife of a paring knife. There are inexpensive ones that do a fine job.

Get a good chef's knife, though. It doesn't need to be a beautiful hand-made one, but it should be something that is comfortable in your hand and has a good edge.

Go to a store and try several knives, if you get a chance. And, unless the price is crazy, buy it from the store that let you try it.

This is sage advice and I vote quality post, especially the first part. Not every little knife you use has to be forged from the fires of Godzilla's nostrils using ore mined by virgins and blesssed by monks. Matching handles are for decoration, not flavor.

psychomuse wrote:I don't think ANY cars made by VW are "porches"!

He was referring to the fact that VW owns a pretty big chunk of Porsche. And some of their cars are based on the same platform. Mainly the SUV's

Peperpuppy wrote:This is sage advice and I vote quality post, especially the first part. Not every little knife you use has to be forged from the fires of Godzilla's nostrils using ore mined by virgins and blesssed by monks. Matching handles are for decoration, not flavor.

HA!

Listen...

I held a knife in my hands for at least 8 hours a day 6-7 days a week for over 10 years...

Sometimes it's OK to get caught up in the quality of the steel, forged vs. stamped, plastic handles vs wooden, what celebrity chef uses what brand, weight of the knife, Henckel vs. Forschner, how much you spend on a knife, etc.. But!

If you are reading through this forum trying to decide whether to drop serious cash on this set - DON'T DO IT!

If you want a quality set of knives that look good go to Kmart and get the high end Martha Stewart's for 1/4 this price(trust me, you won't be disappointed).

If you want to be a knife snob and fall into the ridiculous comments and suggestions here spend the cash for an F. D i c k (my personal fav.) I like the shorter German heel and the stouter angle of rock and slightly harder steel as opposed to French designed knives. http://www.boghog.de/en/tools-for-chefs-and-butchers/chef-s-knives/1905-the-exclusive-series/

but ultimately if the knife you currently own works for you then it is the best knife for you - regardless of price, brand name, shape, handle, weight, or what your friends think about it.

There is so much bad advice on this forum today folks - but keep in mind that it's your money! You really don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to get the job done -I worked side by side with a famous chef who used a stamped, plastic handled chef's knife and he swore by it. On the other hand if you're going to spend a few hundred dollars on a knife or set of knives spend the time to do more research (unless you got the cash to burn) but by all means don't be impulsive about your decision. Who knows, this may be the right set for you here today.

blanked wrote:from the description these sound stamped not forged as these are not of the 'premium line'. If you care enough about the heft of the knife to spend money on an expensive brand you would want forged for anything other than a travel deboner and a bread knife.

The features list:

Metal Injection Molded for ideal balance, as well as minimizing waste product, making these knives more ecologically sound.

So yes, not forged. That's not to say that MIM is terrible. It's just that it you're a purist or a stickler, these wouldn't make your grade.

Boredmaster wrote:And these do WHAT that my $59 set can't? Cuz my $59 set cuts very well, and I know how to sharpen a knife, which takes very little time. Oh, wait; I can't brag to other people that I'm dumb enough to spend $xxx.xx on a set of kitchen knives.
Sirius GPP! ! !
What happened to good deals on video cards? I 1st fell in love with Woot for it's electronics deals. Knives? Sirius GPP. Severely overpriced knives? Worst...

That's what I used to think. One day as a lark I bought from Woot Kai VGS300BOX Shun Pro II 3pc Flat Set
and I now can't go back to my older knives. I was amazed at how much easier they are to work with. I can cut onions thinner than paper consistently. I only run the sharpening rod over them every few months. One down side is they are to wide to fit in my old knife block so I bought a block that goes in a drawer.