Here is my collection of kitchen knives

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein) 01/11/2018 at 16:27 • Filed to: None

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The past few months, my wife has been wanting to get more into cooking, since I’m the primary cook in our house. She doesn’t like my bigass kitchen knives, and had been using some crappy (but smaller) knives instead. So I got her some nicer small knives for xmas. Here’s the full assortment.

They are, in order of overall length:

Victorinox Fibrox 9” offset handle bread knife
Victorinox Fibrox 10” chef knife
MCUSTA Zanmai 210mm gyuto
Victorinox Fibrox 8” chef knife
Carter Muteki 7” santoku
Mercer Genesis 6” full bolster chef knife
Tojiro DP 5” petty knife
MAC Original 4” paring knife

The three smallest knives are ones I’ve bought for my wife. I had gotten her the Tojiro petty a while back, and she used it, but gravitated to this crappy 6” utility knife I had bought at a grocery store when I was in college that for some reason I managed to keep around all these years.

The Victorinox knives I bought a few years ago when I took some time out of working full time to go back to school and worked in a restaurant. They were the cheap/good knives that many professional cooks used, so I got them. They’re not particularly heavy and certainly don’t feel premium but they’re sharp from the factory, hold a good edge, and sharpen up nicely. Good workhorse knives.

Mercer is another brand kinda in the Victorinox price bracket but for the same price, their Genesis series feels fancier because they have rubberized handles, nicer fit & finish, and they’re heavier.

Tojiro is a step up in price, but one of the more affordable “nice” Japanese brands. MAC’s entry level stuff is a little nicer than Tojiro and they have some fancier lines above it. I’ve always dug other people’s MAC knives when I used them, so I wanted to get one.

My brother works in a fancy knife shop in DC, and I bought the MCUSTA from him, at a discount, thanks fam. He also gave me the Muteki as a wedding present. They are by far the two fanciest knives in the bunch. Each of them normally goes for well over $200. They are, admittedly, a totally unnecessary splurge.

Generally speaking, I tend to like the thinner Japanese-style knives rather than the thicker, heavier western-style knives with thicker blades and full bolsters. The western style knives are still handy for just general workhorse duty though and getting good with the thinner Japanese style knives requires a little more precision. I’m not a huge fan of full bolsters but my wife doesn’t always do the chef pinch and I thought the bolster would be less intimidating for her. After using that Mercer, I’m not quite on the bolster bandwagon, but it’s a damn nice knife for the price.

I’m not a knife nerd per se, I don’t get into sharpening them, or obsessing over different grades of steel, or any of that crap, but I do a ton of cooking so I enjoy having a good selection of knives. All of my knives with the exception of the Muteki are stainless. The Muteki is hand-forged carbon steel. I hand wash all of them, of course, but carbon steel needs to be dried immediately or it’ll rust. People who are bigger knife nerds than me prefer carbon steel because of its ability to be sharpened and then hold that edge, but it’s a little more knife-nerdy than I’d pick for myself.

I take my knives to my local fancy knife shop here in Madison for periodic sharpening. Sharp knives are safe knives, because if you inevitably nick a finger, a sharp blade makes a clean cut that heals faster. Not that you should be careless with knives, but whenever I’ve cut myself with one of these, I’ve gone from “FUCK GODDAMMIT SHIT DUMBASS” to quickly holding a paper towel on the cut with a bunch of pressure, to wearing a band-aid for a couple days, to basically all better again.

If you’re looking for a starting point for a nice knife, don’t buy expensive stuff! You don’t need it. Having messed with my wife’s Mercer, I’m pretty sure Mercer is now the affordable knife brand I’m going to point people to. They have 3 different relatively cheap lines:

Millenia - plastic handles, short bolsters with the little grip guard, very similar overall to the Victorinox stuff but cheaper

Genesis - rubberized handle, heavier weight, choice of short or full bolsters

Renaissance - fancier looking Delrin handles, heavier weight, short bolsters

My choice out of these is probably the short bolster Genesis line, but like I said, I figured my wife would be more comfortable with the full bolster. The Victorinox ones aren’t bad by any means, but if you want a knife like that the Mercer Millenia stuff is cheaper.

Anyway, I’m sure someone here is more of a knife nerd than me, but this is my stuff.

crowmolly > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 16:38

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Sharp knives are safe knives, because if you inevitably nick a finger, a sharp blade makes a clean cut that heals faster.

There’s that, but you also have to apply less pressure to cut your food leading to less blade slippage/accidental cuts (or so I was told).

My stuff is all Wusthof with the exception of a Shun hollow ground Santoku.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 16:43

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My wife has deemed a fillet knife as the knife to use for everything. I need to sharpen my set.

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 16:44

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Someone I knew in college had a really nice Zwilling set and I always enjoyed using them. This year, my careless roommate moved out so I upgraded my knife set knowing they would be taken care of. I remember liking that old Zwilling set so that’s what I bought. They are still the set that is made in Germany and feel quality. I really don’t know jack about knives but I like them and that is what matters. I also got the set as an open box deal and saved ~$200. No Regrets haha

Textured Soy Protein > Future next gen S2000 owner 01/11/2018 at 16:48

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Get her a 6” Mercer. It’s cute!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 16:53

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I need to get some real knives as I do cook nearly all of my own meals. I’ve only ever had cheapo sets (think $20-$30 for a whole set) that weren’t very good obviously. I didnt bother keeping any of those when I moved and currently just have a few $5-$10 knives that just function enough to get by. But this is certainly something I could use to invest in a bit considering how much use it would get. I really do like the little two stage sharpener I found on Amazon though, that works wonders of crappy knives.

Textured Soy Protein > crowmolly 01/11/2018 at 16:53

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I guess the lower pressure could be something to do with it but really the best way to avoid cutting yourself is to properly bear claw grip whatever you’re cutting.

Sometimes I cheat off the bear claw and a finger sticks out farther than it should and gets nicked. Oops.

The big 4 knife brands (Wusthof, Henckels, Shun, Global) make nice stuff but I’ve never felt like their bang for the buck lined up for me.

Mechanically > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 16:57

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*full disclosure, I am ABSOLUTELY a sharpening nut, so feel free to assume I’m “that guy.”

I really applaud your setup. I, also, went through several iterations of knives, and have landed pretty firmly in the Japanese style.

In particular, I ADORE my Mac knives. They’re simply a pleasure to use for most tasks. I love the profile, and they are a delight to sharpen.

The Fibrox knives are also one of the best kept secrets out there.

I’m the go-to guy for my friends when they have dull blades or any sort. Sharpening is sorta my jam. I’d encourage you to try out some cheap combo waterstones if you’re curious. It’s sincerely not hard to do, and the light blades you’ve got there will take an edge with so little effort.

Slice well!

Textured Soy Protein > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 01/11/2018 at 17:00

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The sharpener gadgets are really not that great. Better to get some relatively affordable quality knives that hold a proper edge, and take them to a cutlery shop if/when they start to feel dull. The place I go to sharpens knives for 4 bucks a pop.

You really don’t need all the knives I have above. An 8” chef knife will take care of the vast majority of everything you need to do with a knife. But at some point you develop a feel for things and certain knives become preferable for certain tasks, like, “oh I’m shredding a bunch of cabbage, let me get my 10” chef knife, oh I’m skinning a pineapple, let me get the gyuto, oh I’m slicing a bunch of veggies and also mincing a bunch of herbs and garlic, let me get the santoku,” etc.

I could still do all that with the 8” chef knife though.

Textured Soy Protein > Mechanically 01/11/2018 at 17:12

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Thanks, I’m very happy with this assortment. I appreciate the fancy ones but I’m not a snob about the cheap ones. Honestly though that Mercer is making me second guess my Fibrox stuff, it’s very nice for not much more money. But the Fibrox ones are kinda my beater knives at this point and they do what I need of them. It was kind of a fluke how I landed on Mercer, it was only because the sub-8” Fibrox knives don’t have the traditional chef knife profile, and are more like utility knives, and the Mercer 6” is just a stubby traditional western style chef knife.

At work my brother hand sharpens stuff on Japanese wet stones and he’s gotten into making custom handles as well. But I’d have to ship stuff to him so I go to my local cutlery shop. They sharpen knives for 4 bucks a pop on a wet stone wheel. It’s not the level of detail I’d get from my brother but they do a good job.

(He’s the guy with the shaved head and arm tattoos in this video.)

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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 17:23

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Well yeah I figure I could start with a proper chef knife to learn the ways of an actual blade and then im sure to get addicted to buying a bunch of them. Just like disc golf or tires, always gotta have the right one for the task lol.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 17:41

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These are the stars of my knife block. From left to right:

Zwilling Pollux 8" Chef and 6" Utility. These are good for chopping and dicing, they make veggies and raw meat a breeze and are pretty affordable too.

Cutco 9 3/4" Slicer, 4 3/4" Trimmer, and table knife (of which I have a set of 5)

Cutco makes without a doubt the finest serrated blades I have ever had the pleasure of using (not that I’ve used tons of knives). Next time I have $110 to spare I’m ordering their 6 3/4" carver.

Unfortunately they are are in a higher price bracket than your average knives. Their full size blades are all in the $100-200 range, but it’s worth it for the lifetime guarantee. They offer free sharpening and repair on all their knives.

Textured Soy Protein > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 01/11/2018 at 17:42

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Can’t go wrong with the entry level 8” Mercer for $14 . It’s very similar to the Victorinox I have but the Victorinox stuff has gotten pricier in the 5 years since I bought mine, it’s up to $32 now.

The short bolster 8” Genesis for $40 is still a good buy IMHO.

Textured Soy Protein > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/11/2018 at 17:49

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Can’t say I’ve ever had much use for serrated knives.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 17:52

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They’re mostly for after the food’s been cooked, rather than for prep. Think carving a turkey or slicing some fancy bread.

Textured Soy Protein > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/11/2018 at 17:57

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I know what they’re for, but even during my carnivore days I rarely made large roasts and such that would require slicing. My knife use was and is at least 90% prep so I’ve never felt the need for anything beyond the one Victorinox serrated slicer.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 18:53

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Lol on the subject of cutting yourself with kitchen knives, like right after my sister and brother-in- law got married they recieved a pretty nice set of knives and my bro in-law immediately sliced his finger to the bone. He had to get 9 stitches.

Verdog ~ manual Bro, Bro - HellHawk Equipped > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 19:09

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I love Shun, I have 3 (8" Damascus Santuko which is my everyday knife, 11" Damascus Slicer and lower end bread knife). Henkels(double man) Chef and Wusthof Chef, both ~9" have been HUGE disappointments. I want to get a Global and MAC, but really don’t need and wince at the prices.

Textured Soy Protein > Verdog ~ manual Bro, Bro - HellHawk Equipped 01/11/2018 at 21:35

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I think Shun & Global are closer to living up to their price than Wusthof and Henckels, but I feel like the same level of quality can be had for less, and there are other interesting options in their price range.

XJDano > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 22:27

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I have a mix match of stuff and a set “Made by The Mennonites” or that’s what was told to my aunt that had a set.

Since I have a mix match I also have this nice knife block that is universal. My mom liked it so much she got herself one.

https://m.bedbathandbeyond.com/m/product/kapoosh-reg-bamboo-knife-block-in-bamboo/1016569399?keyword=knife%20block

I was at my sister in laws and making something and got pissed at their cheap knives, I bought them a $10 set of 4 at big lots and it was a vast improvement over what they had.

Textured Soy Protein > XJDano 01/11/2018 at 23:24

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I have a similarly bristly knife block.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/12/2018 at 00:00

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When I see Cutco knives all I can think about is how they can’t be great because of the name and the fact they were mail order/door to door back in the day. Then I think back to my time using them after my mother bought some way back when and you’re 100% correct. Some of the best serrated knives ever (I feel like, anyway - can’t say I’ve used a lot of them).

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) 01/12/2018 at 06:30

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I also have their Spreader and Super Shears and both are pretty fantastic and versatile.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/12/2018 at 10:37

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We never had the Super Shears, but that spreader, we had two for just that reason. I loved that thing.

phenotyp > Textured Soy Protein 04/05/2020 at 22:35

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Missed this back then, but saw your posts in gin-san’s knife recommendation ask, and just waving hello.

Cooking shit that surprises the hell out of jaded people is one of my top-three favorite things in life. Everything’s been on hold for about the last 4-5 months, with no end in sight and major changes in everyone’s lives , so I don’t get to practice, and it’s starting to make me stir-crazy. I’m just on daily-production duty and cleanup every day, now. No fancy-knife-time, here. Just garlic smashing.

Here’s a paraphrase of what I wrote for him:

Globals are great , beautifully-balanced, and super durable and sharp. (Just don’t drop ‘em flat on a concrete floor) They do get pretty slippery sometimes, though, and I’ve found it’s pretty easy to nick or slice yourself when they do. And that little tiny bit of hook at the back of the blade (it’s like 91 degrees— *just* enough to catch you off guard) can really do a number on a thumb.

The edge will stay sharp for a LONG time, compared to cheaper knives, but definitely get Global’s sharpener, if you get one. It’s easy to fuck it up, assuming you’re doing your own sharpening.

The two Zwillings I got are these:

Morimoto:

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Which is a fairly Western-style grip for a Japanese knife, though way more comfortable than my usual. Like, supremely comfortable and usable for slicing, chopping, and as a workhorse knife. If times were normal and I were cooking like I used to, this would be my daily knife. The blade’s about half as wide as the daily, but since nearly everything I’ve been cooking has also involved a bunch of blade-side garlic smashing, I just use the daily.

The other one is a Miyabi Koh:

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Only used em like 3 times (granted, only had ‘em 3 months), and if I/we ever get back to making sashimi and nice steak, or dinner for friends, it’s like a lightsaber.

But, then, I also have a couple smaller knives that I got from Ikea 16 years ago, that as long as I sharpen them regularly, work great for most things, and have held up well enough. I wouldn’t spend anything more than $30-50 on anything smaller than an 8 inch chef knife, and I’d only spend more than 50-100 on something you know is gonna be a major step up, and only if cooking is either your profession or a real point of pride. I swore, way back when, that I would never work in any job that was food-related. So I worked in a factory, did landscaping, all sorts of other shit before I got into the “career,” and cooking stuff that blows people away is right up there with designing great products, for me, and it’s one of my biggest pleasures in life.

But seriously, it kills me that those knives have mostly been sitting and waiting. They’re artful, in the way that Japanese handcrafted things are. The Globals are like Sony— they’re all-around great, but you really do have to watch out for those edge cases that’ll bite you in the... finger.

You’ll never go wrong with a Global. Treat it right, and it’ll treat you right forever. That’s pretty much how I approach everything, whether it’s cars, tools, cookware, shoes, whatever. Have the right tools for your jobs, and if you can, have the tools that you can hand down.

(I spent Sunday morning sanding and re-seasoning some cast iron stuff older than my parents)

Globals are better than 95% of the knives out there. Those last 5% are so incremental that they don’t matter. Just don’t let a bunch of chicken grease let your hand slip into the blade. That’s really my only beef with them, they’re too slippery for a clumsy fuck like me.

phenotyp > Textured Soy Protein 04/05/2020 at 22:36

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I need to make several of these.

Textured Soy Protein > phenotyp 04/05/2020 at 23:11

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Those pitfalls with Global are one of the reasons why MAC is the step-up Japanese brand I recommend to folks if they want something nicer than a Tojiro.

The two knives I use most often at home are the Mcusta gyuto which is damned expensive, but awesome, and the shortie Mercer 6" chef. A 6" chef is surprisingly handy for small tasks, even if I were buying for myself though I would’ve chosen the short bolster version .

phenotyp > Textured Soy Protein 04/05/2020 at 23:19

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Right with you on the 6". Probably right for like 85% of everything.

I wish there were a 7" nice knife. Like a 907.