I need a good 8 inch chef,s knife. I have tried a number of "this is the best knife in the world" ads but most are stainless and will not hold an edge for beans and I hate dull blades. I use it only for kitchen use vegetables, meat and such. no butchering or field use. I have those knives.
I guess I am somewhat anal about my kitchen knives so no one uses them but me.
So I need recommendations

I have found none of the german ss to hold an edge. That being said they are heavy and built very sturdy. The french carbon sabatier I've heard are good.

I have gone to japanese knives. They are lighter, and there is a whole myriad of carbon steel blades: white #1, white #2, blue, etc etc etc depending upon the various metal compositions, which
have their own sharpening/edge holding characteristics. I've found the swedish ss used by some Japanese knife makers to hold an edge far better than the german. My favorite is a laser (thin blade) with a sabatier profile (forgot the maker) in a semi stainless which is sharp as shit.

Technique is different, you don't rock (read crush) your knife, rather you slice.

Drawback is you don't use steel on them and sharpen with a stone and use a cork to get rid of the edge "roll" you've made.

Forgot which culinary site but those guys are pretty anal about their edge. https://www.chefknivestogo.com/japanese-knives.html

I know you said you don't like stainless knives, but my wife hosted a Pampered chef party and for doing so she could pick out some things from their catalog and we chose a kitchen chopper and this was over 10 years ago and it will take an edge and keep it fairly well. I know it won't compare to edge retention like a hand forged high carbon steel knife, but it runs right along with a very old high carbon boning knife I own as far as holding it's edge. I was very doubtful when when we took it out of the box and I saw "made in China" on it but it is quality.

Custom kitchen knives are hot now. Have been for a while. There are good makers out there. That ABL steel is what I would use for a mono steel. Good Damascus would require more care but works too.

I have a few cheap SS and carbon knives, only use diamond rod sharpener on them.

This I have in 9.5" version. Will hold incredible edge, but not easy to sharpen.

https://www.zwilling.com/us/mi...ck-5000mcd67#start=3

MC66 steel is actually fancy name for ZDP-189

Jiri

I like dexter knifes. Not fancy but easy to get sharp.

R Murphy makes Chef's knives and they sell Chef knives made from 1095.

https://www.rmurphyknives.com/...i-details_ss402.html

A few years ago I purchased a R.Murphy 10 inch Chef's knife, I don't remember it if was 1095 or 420HC, but there are rust spots so it is probably 1095. The knife takes an excellent edge and has held up with the light use I give it. Mainly slicing pineapples.

Dexter Russell purchased the company, from the R.Murphy web page: In November 2018, Dexter-Russell, Inc., a professional cutlery manufacturer that has maintained operations in Southbridge, Massachusetts since 1818, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the R. Murphy Knives company, from Ayer, Massachusetts.

I have a complete set of Kershaw's Shun Classic knives. Hold and edge very well, easy to maintain an edge with steel. I have only had to put one or two on a stone maybe once a year. The two sizes of chef's knife are my go to knives.

Going to a restaurant supply house is an excellent shopping experience + you WILL leave with more than you intended to buy. I have bought some very fine knives as well as a variety of S/S pots + lids.

quote:

Originally posted by FMC:
I have found none of the german ss to hold an edge. That being said they are heavy and built very sturdy. The french carbon sabatier I've heard are good.

I have gone to japanese knives. They are lighter, and there is a whole myriad of carbon steel blades: white #1, white #2, blue, etc etc etc depending upon the various metal compositions, which
have their own sharpening/edge holding characteristics. I've found the swedish ss used by some Japanese knife makers to hold an edge far better than the german. My favorite is a laser (thin blade) with a sabatier profile (forgot the maker) in a semi stainless which is sharp as shit.

Technique is different, you don't rock (read crush) your knife, rather you slice.

Drawback is you don't use steel on them and sharpen with a stone and use a cork to get rid of the edge "roll" you've made.

Forgot which culinary site but those guys are pretty anal about their edge. https://www.chefknivestogo.com/japanese-knives.html

This.

A good 210mm Gyuto in White #2, Blue #2 or Aogami Super is what you want.

quote:

Originally posted by Rolland:
I need a good 8 inch chef,s knife. I have tried a number of "this is the best knife in the world" ads but most are stainless and will not hold an edge for beans and I hate dull blades. I use it only for kitchen use vegetables, meat and such. no butchering or field use. I have those knives.
I guess I am somewhat anal about my kitchen knives so no one uses them but me.
So I need recommendations

How much do you want to spend?
do you know how to sharpen knives on an expert level?
do you send in your knives to be sharpened?
how much are you willing to spend on a sharpening kit?
Rule of thumb... easy to sharpen? Gets dull quick (needs edge maintenance after some use)
Stays sharp a long time? a bitch to sharpen.
knives that stay sharp longer tend to chip.

Find a chefs knife made from 3V crucible steel from someone who knows how to heat treat it and you will have a knife that will last generations. You will need to take some sharpening lessons and a chunk of money in diamond stones, ceramic or better yet Japanese water stones. I have a bunch of sharpening tools, but it is more skill, technique and experience. I can make my knives shave with a $12 stone from the hardware store and the bottom of a ceramic mug. (I do this often). I cook a lot. I use cheap knives and those costing hundreds but they all need sharpening.

Last chef's knife you'll ever need to buy:

https://www.cutco.com/products...jsp?item=french-chef

I've owned a complete set for over 20 years. They are made from high chrome moly steel. Hold a great edge. A few strokes from a steel restore the razor edge. One of my sons and a friend decided to get in a "sword" fight with a chef's knife and a carver. Many edge to edge strikes. Fortunately no personal injuries. Sent them back to Cutco under guarantee and they re-cut and sharpened them free! Great company.

Bob
www.rustblue.com

Barf! My wife’s first job was selling those knives. we still have some. The handles are horrible and hollow and loosen over time. the edge geometry sucks. If you know how to sharpen and don’t mind mall kiosk knives, be my guest.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobster:
Last chef's knife you'll ever need to buy:

https://www.cutco.com/products...jsp?item=french-chef

I've owned a complete set for over 20 years. They are made from high chrome moly steel. Hold a great edge. A few strokes from a steel restore the razor edge. One of my sons and a friend decided to get in a "sword" fight with a chef's knife and a carver. Many edge to edge strikes. Fortunately no personal injuries. Sent them back to Cutco under guarantee and they re-cut and sharpened them free! Great company.

Bob
www.rustblue.com

https://youtu.be/zC_-PIFw-KA
https://www.knifeart.com/3v-steel.html
https://youtu.be/OH2Bk3IiKUM
Find a super steel that will best meet your needs.
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--B...fe-Steel-Guide--3368

Interesting and informative chart on blade steels.

Dave

Really? Mine are like new. No loosened handles. You aren't putting them into the dishwasher are you? That's a no-no.

Hell, Cutco will even refurbish your Cutco cutting board if it gets too cut up. You should send your knives back and have them repaired for free.

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
Barf! My wife’s first job was selling those knives. we still have some. The handles are horrible and hollow and loosen over time. the edge geometry sucks. If you know how to sharpen and don’t mind mall kiosk knives, be my guest.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobster:
Last chef's knife you'll ever need to buy:

https://www.cutco.com/products...jsp?item=french-chef

I've owned a complete set for over 20 years. They are made from high chrome moly steel. Hold a great edge. A few strokes from a steel restore the razor edge. One of my sons and a friend decided to get in a "sword" fight with a chef's knife and a carver. Many edge to edge strikes. Fortunately no personal injuries. Sent them back to Cutco under guarantee and they re-cut and sharpened them free! Great company.

Bob
www.rustblue.com

An artist can make art with the most shit poor of brushes. I am glad you like your knives, but please don’t try to sell me Cutco knives! Hollow handles!?!?!?
http://www.kniferating.com/blo...ing-cronidur-review/

This is what I have used for the last 8 or so years. It has an exotic steel, Cronidur 30 and micarta handles. It is probably one of the best western style chef knife you can get outside of a custom knife.

This guy from NZ. I have one of his hunting knifes. Holds a great edge.

http://www.svord.com/index.php...&controller=category

I have seen his stuff and has a good rep. What steel does he use for chefs knives?

If you don’t mind kickstarter....
I would rather pick my steel and get a custom knife though.

https://gearjunkie.com/artisan...x-steel-knife-review
https://the-gadgeteer.com/2019...-chefs-knife-review/

Elmax is a good steel.

M390 is better though.

https://www.kickstarter.com/pr...rail-of-chefs-knives

From the guarantee tab-

Steel & Guarantee
We use Swedish high carbon steel. (*2008, Now using Sandvik 12C27 stainfree high carbon on Chefs *) All SVORD Knives are guaranteed for life against breakage under normal use. Of course this does not cover intentional misuse or neglect. Any knife that has clearly been misused will not be replaced.
Guarantee does not cover rust. Carbon steel knives need to be kept clean and dry when not in use.
These are enthusiast knives for the chef or sportsman who are interested in knives that stay sharp longer and are easily sharpened, unlike stainless steel knives
On the economy sporting knives we utilise plantation grown sapele mahogany with a varnished finish.

Nobody tried to sell you anything. You already admitting owning them. I relayed my experience as I have a right to do. The hollow handles are actually chambered so they don't warp as solids would. Decreases weight and improves rigidity. Same reason synthetic gunstocks and pistol grips are chambered. Apparently you don't care for your knives very well. My two sons sold Cutco in college and they did well. No complaints. In fact you are the first person I have ever heard complain about them. The OP wasn't looking for a NASA grade knife, just a good chef's knife.

You are right though about artists. Bob Ross built an art dynasty using cheap house painting brushes. It's all about the technique. But then again that has jack to do with knives doesn't it?

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
An artist can make art with the most shit poor of brushes. I am glad you like your knives, but please don’t try to sell me Cutco knives! Hollow handles!?!?!?
http://www.kniferating.com/blo...ing-cronidur-review/

This is what I have used for the last 8 or so years. It has an exotic steel, Cronidur 30 and micarta handles. It is probably one of the best western style chef knife you can get outside of a custom knife.

Hey, If you are satisfied, that is all that matters. I am happy you have knives you enjoy. Sorry that I came off like a &$@% about it. I have some knife pet peeves obviously and have passion for cooking and knives.

http://johnneeman.com/en/tools/knives/kitchen

A good custom knife maker and amazing hand forged axes.

That Cronidur 30 Chef knife above.... buy one if you can. The steel has been renamed LC200N. Pretty much impervious to the elements as to many youtube torture tests and has the edge holding ability of a S30V steel that is AMAZING... I used an S30V knife daily for about 5 years. Spyderco has been pumping out knives lately in this steel for it’s amazing qualities including the keen edge and ease of sharpening and edge maintenance etcetera. This knife steel is getting traction now and will only get more popular. If you can find Cronidur 30 knives on sale on the used market, snatch them up. look at the torture tests on the Snyderco Waterway https://youtu.be/7Z1uQAtR3pM and the Spidichef knife https://youtu.be/PtCBQQNvSis


What you have in the Cronidur 30 8” chef knife is a “super-steel” tailored for the kitchen.

https://www.bladehq.com/cat--B...fe-Steel-Guide--3368


https://www.amazon.com/ZWILLIN...ativeASIN=B003H2344C

The Crinidur 30 knives are being marketed as twin 1731 knives now.

https://www.zwilling.com/us/zw...g/cutlery/twin-1731/

https://youtu.be/Z-4SJyIPiwE


.

Sabatier makes Traditional Carbon Steel knifes
https://www.amazon.com/French-...id=1580905623&sr=8-4

I have 2 Sabatier chef's knives - one stainless and one carbon steel. Both have brass riveted handles. I also have a small, slim 5" carbon steel knife with brass rivets and a 3-1/4" carbon steel paring knife with stainless rivets.

They are at least as good as my 8" MIYABI 5000 FC-D chef's knife made of laminated carbide and stainless. All very good knives but require a bit of care.

https://knifesteelnerds.com/20...eel-for-every-knife/

If you want to get into the weeds and frog hair splitting with tons of great information, read the above and you will have taken the red pill of knife steels. Once you have that down, then you are looking at blade shape/design, edge profile and edge maintenance.

I'll throw another vote in for Japanese steel in the kitchen. I lusted after and received a set of four Shun Premier knives when I got married. They are absolutely the sharpest knives I have ever used - like a light saber. As others have said, due to the thinner blade and narrower edge geometry, you slice with these knives, not chop or press. Doing it incorrectly will chip the blade. I'm not partial to German kitchen knives for daily use; they're too clunky and heavy for my liking. Their 8/8/5" chef's knife is the biggest one I have, and it's extremely useful for cutting almost anything, big or small. I'm in the process of sharpening them now, and I've found with a delicate touch on the stone, it's no different than any other blade.

Agreed on the Shun knives. They are VG10 steel, right? They are meant to slice and are not knives to use on bones or tough foods. I wish he used a tougher steel rather than going for temporary sharpness. I have seen too many of those knives that have chips in the edge. You have to know what you are doing when using and caring for these knives. They are designed to slice with how thin they are behind the edge for sure. Pretty but high maintenance. What we need are more knife makers going premium in the steel and not just what makes them pretty. If you don’t like to sharpen your knives, you better get used to dull knives because all knives go dull. The Shun and those like them use steels that may hold an edge longer but even they go full. Their saving grace is how thin they are so they will still seem like they cut reasonably well even when dull. Those knives won’t do well in a restaurant and withstand hard use but if you can live with the hitches, they are some of the best slicers. I have an ideal knife in my mind for what I do. I just need to get it custom made or make it myself. It is a 6” Chinese cleaver style knife with a western style handle. I think I will go LC200N steel for this knife. Tough enough to take abuse, impervious to corrosion and holds a great edge while being easy to sharpen for its edge holding power. 95% of what I do is not with the last couple inches of the 8” chef knife and if I have a paring knife than I have most of my bases covered with those two knives. I regularly cook 50 to 60 meals a day for guys with big appetites, so I know the value of having and caring for the right tools.

https://www.everydaycommentary...d-lc200-n-or-z-finit

Why you want this knife steel.

Nora Knives are generally sold out in the first couple of hours after a batch is announced...

They are offering a good variety of premium steels and materials. They are verging on more fashion than than function but as long as you don’t mind that and will pay a premium for non functional aspects of a knife, they look like great quality and finish but I doubt most will be used for their function or full potential. A hat tip to Nora Knives.

From their steel page


AEB-L Stainless Steel and CPM-M4 Carbon Steel.

We also have worked with a number of other steels including CTS XHP stainless steel, S110V stainless steel, 01 carbon steel, 52100 carbon steel, S35VN stainless steel, and 1075 carbon steel among others. Each has their pros and cons.


https://noraknives.com/pages/steel-options

Just match the steel for the use and abuse you will give it. Know your steel!!!!
Interesting steels to me that they use are CTS XHP, S35VN, CPM-M4 and S110V.

They have a great niche and know their customers but they are a tad too “Fancy” for me. Much of the beauty of a knife is it’s form following its function.