I am a recent college grad looking for a graduation gift. A family member knows I like cooking and wants to buy me a ~150$ chef knife. I have only used cheap knives before and don't know what I like. What should I request? How am I supposed to know what I like?
>>7779234
A sharpening kit.
/ck/ has very particular ideas about starter knives, but they're usually not ones you're going to find in a store near you.
Go to any kitchen/home store and you'll be able to try the big German and Japanese brands (Wustof, Henckles, Global, Shun, or whatever).
Actually trying out a knife is the only way to know what you are comfortable with. I love my Global, but lots of people hate them. It's not about the quality, it's simply about how it feels to you. MAC is one of the best brands in your price range, but good luck holding one and seeing if you like the feel.
Like the other anon said, getting a honing rod and even the most rudimentary sharpening kit is absolutely essential. Your knife will perform no different than a $10 Ikea knife after a month or two if you don't take care of it.
Are there sharpening kits that will sharpen any knife? I know nothing. Is there a certain sharpening kit that you guys like?
A lot of anons here care a lot about muh 1000 times folded nippon vg10 steel desu but imo ergonomics > steel quality. For this reason my primary knife is an old sabatier carbon steel knife despite the steel being slightly softer; the French profile fits my cooking style best and the handle is much comfier to me Japanese style handles. As the others have said no matter how good the steel is it will dull with use. Maintaining it takes only minutes per week, and imo spending that extra time is well worth the ergonomic benefits of using a knife that you like holding.
>>7779253
I was actually gifted the G2 in the OP pic when I graduated, and the store talked my parents into spending another $40 on a wet ceramic wheel that's supposed to be the proper angle of the blade...
Whatever, it actually works fine, but is a big up front extra expense. What you really want is a honing rod, which shouldn't cost more than $20. You probably wont be using your knife that much unless you're in culinary school, so for the first couple years you can honestly just bring it to a farmers market and pay the guy in the van $5 to do a professional job. Steeling your knife every time you use it (which takes about 15 seconds) makes a much bigger difference.
I have global, i think theyre over rated desu
>>7779234
Just use your everyday hunting knife or anglers knife for everything. Wrestle a bear one minute, carve him the next, dinner is served, pick your teeth when finished.
>>7779234
Try different ones?
I wouldn't get one $150 knife.
I would get a Victorinox kitchen knife, a Kiwi brand meat chopper and paring knife, an end grain chopping block and maybe a knife block.
Should cost about the same.
>>7779234
i can recommend the misono knives, truth is though, ever knife gets sharp as hell if you learn how to use a waterstone, so it really comes down to what feels right in your hand, maybe go to a kitchenware store before and try some premium knives? Wüsthof also has great allround knives, which are more difficult to ruin by wrong sharpening etc
OP here. I went to Williams Sonoma to get get a feel for some different knives. I realized I wanted a santoku knife and not a chef knife. I didn't like the global feel. I really liked the 7" wusthof and the shun and ultimately decided to buy the shun. I like the bolster of the shun but I like handle of the wusthof. I'm also buying a shun honing rod that I would use regularly. The Williams Sonoma rep said that I wouldn't have to sharpen it often and when I did I could have the expert at WS do it for me.
>>7780523
>The Williams Sonoma rep said that I wouldn't have to sharpen it often
Don't listen to this sales crap. Frequency of sharpening is dictated by frequency of use. Period.
