I am trying to buy an 8″ chef’s knife, but there is a huge variety of knives on the market. I think that I have narrowed it down to the Wusthof, Henckels, Sabatier, and Victorinox brands, but I still don’t know which way to go. What are the differences between national styles and brands?

If you look at chef’s knives specifically then all 3 are pretty similar, French, German and Japanese Gyutos(Chef’s knife in Japanese).
The difference is the blade geometry. German style has significant “belly”, i.e. blade starts curving upwards somewhere mid section. French style has less pronounced belly and Japanese version, Gyuto is somewhere in between.
I personally prefer French style Gyutos.

More generally there’s 2 schools of kitchen knife making, western and Japanese.
Short summary of differences is that western knives tend to be made of softer steel, heavier and with thicker edges, to withstand all the abuse from the average western user.
Japanese knives are far better cutters, thinner edges, harder steel, much lighter too.
Typical hardness for Western kitchen knives 54-56HRC, Japanese 58-62HRC and high end blades are up to 67HRC,
Average edge sharpening angle on western knives 40-50 deg. Japanese – 30 or less. I have a few sharpened at 6-8 angle, that’s quite a bit thinner than the straight razor.
Sate size/style western Knives are 1.5 – 2 times heavier than Japanese counterparts.
More details on west vs. Japanese kitchen – zknives.com/knives/kitchen/misc/articles/kkchoser/westvsjapn.shtml

And kitchen knife steel FAQ here – zknives.com/knives/kitchen/misc/articles/kkchoser/kksteel.shtml

Simply put, if you plan to use your chef’s knife to cut veggies and chop bones then go western.

If you want to take minimal care of your knives then go with Japanese blades. They stay sharp longer, cut far better and are lighter.

Whichever way you go , ignore all the marketing BS how good kitchen knives must be forged and have full tang and bolster. NONE of that is required to make a good kitchen knife and some of it contradicts history of knifemaking for 2000 years and common sense
Tangs in particular. Chefs (blame culinary schools) and knife dealers keep repeating the same mantra about “full tang for strength”, except nobody was making full tang knives until factories started stamping stainless knives, because it was easy to automate.
Japanese katanas and American bowie knives don’t have full tang. Those are the blades designed to cut through the bone, armor, leather. Stick tang was plenty for those heavy duty blades, but today knife dealers want you to believe that you need full tang in the kitchen And, obviously pay extra for that. yes, full tang has its place in heavy duty survival/combat knives, may be meat cleaver too, but not on the chef’s knife or paring knife.

Also, heavy knife won’t do cutting for you as marketers claim. Sharp edge is far more important. Main benefit you get from heavy knife is exhaustion and probably repeated stress injury.

For more on how to choose a kitchen knife including what to avoid and better brand and steel overviews check this article – zknives.com/knives/kitchen/misc/articles/kkchoser/index.shtml

For the budget you can’t do better than Victorinox/Forschner chef’s knife. Alternatively Tojiro DP line is the best bargain for the performance.

If you buy Chef’s knife you don’t need Santoku. And Santoku is less versatile than Chef’s knife.

There are many cutlery brands from all over the world to choose from when shopping for new kitchen knives. To make your decision a little easier, consider the following tips.

1) If precision cutting is important to you, check out japanese knives. Japanese knives are very popular among professional chefs. Japanese knives are much lighter than western and European knives yet most have extremely sharp blades that are precision forged for almost perfect straightness. They hold their edges very well and slice evenly. Some popular brands of Japanese cutlery are Shun knives, Global knives, and Santori knives.

2) If you are looking for high quality, make sure to purchase a fully forged knife. Also, ensure that your next knife comes with a full tang. A full tang means that the blade runs all the way to the back of the handle, rather than connecting to it. This makes for a much stronger, more durable knife that is very difficult to break. Examples of these knives would be Henckels knives, Wusthof, and Victorinox.

3) For the best overall deals, purchase a kitchen knife set. Buying knives in sets instead of one at a time can save you up to 75%. Most manufacturers make sets in every price range and for specific usage. Custom made sets are possible through some manufacturers as well. When shopping for a set, just make sure that the knives included are ones that you will actually use. Sometimes, a chef’s knife is enough to get the job done.

4) Make sure to get an unlimited warranty. Many budget knives will advertise a warranty but it will be very limited and very hard to get replacement knives for ones that break or go bad. All of the top quality kitchen knife brands will come with lifetime warranties.

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Shun Classic Left-Handed 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife Review

This knife feels comfortable to use; it slices elegantly and smoothly through thick or thin meat and produce. I can slice very thin or thick even slices.

I have large hands and the handle fits perfect. This knife also looks great. I considered a MAC Chef Knife; but the Shun left-handed handle feels perfect. I think the handle is small enough for people with smaller hands too. I did also consider a high quality tier Wusthof or Henckel; but I did not like their handles or feel.

the Shun feels ideal in terms of weight and balance and all forms of cutting and slicing. I do having a paring knife; but it is not a Shun. I am considering getting a Shun Paring Knife as my Henckel (middle quality tier) is no where near as sharp and it’s handle is a little short compared with the Shun. the blade and over all look of the Shun Classic Chef knife is beautiful. It is my favorite and best knife I have owned.

I use a bamboo cutting board with this knife. I rinse them off and wipe them dry after each use; both the Knife and cutting board. They are easy to wash and dry. the knife is a joy to use and makes food preparation fun. I keep my Shun Chef Knife in a wooden block. This knife is worth it’s cost.

Shun Classic Left-Handed 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife Feature

• 8-inch left-handed chef’s knife for slicing, chopping, dicing, and more
• Stainless-steel blade clad with 16 layers to produce rust-free Damascus look
• Slight patterning helps keep cut food from sticking to the blade
• Durable D-shaped PakkaWood handle; comfortable offset steel bolster
• Measures approximately 12 by 2 inches; limited lifetime warranty

Shun Classic Left-Handed 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife Overview
“D” Shape PakkaWood® Handle-provides both beauty and function. the “D” shape offers maximum comfort and control. PakkaWood® provides strength, stability, and moisture resistance. It is manufactured by impregnating hardwood veneers with phenolic, thermosetting resins and fusing them into solid, wood-grained structure for premium applications.

Shun Classic Left-Handed 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife Specifications
Made from VG-10 stainless steel, Shun knives are specially constructed to be harder, less brittle, but also more flexible than traditional steel formulations. the VG-10 core is then clad with 16 full layers of SUS410 high-carbon stainless steel on each side, for a total of 33 layers. these layers not only protect the VG-10, they create an exquisitely detailed surface reminiscent of Damascus or pattern-forged steel, the kind once used for Samurai swords. as a result, the knives are simply stunning to look at–much like antique Damascus knives but without their tendency to rust. as an additional benefit, the slight patterning helps slice rather than crush delicate foods and keeps cut food from sticking to the blade.

the large 8-inch blade of this left-handed chef’s knife makes it ideal for versatile slicing, chopping, dicing, and more. like many Asian-style knives, the knife’s handle is especially suited to smaller users. in contrast to the traditional round profile, however, Shun’s are D-shaped to prevent the knife from twisting in the hand, which provides extra stability and a firm grip. the handle is made from ebony-colored PakkaWood, a fused blend of hardwood veneers imbued with waterproof resin that combines the warmth and traditional look and feel of wood with the strength and durability of plastic. the offset stainless steel bolster is designed for ergonomic comfort and maximum safety, while a stainless-steel end cap provides the finishing touch. Hand washing the knife is recommended. the chef’s knife measures approximately 13 by 2 inches and carries a limited lifetime warranty. –Mary Park

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 11, 2010 18:32:15

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How to choose the best Professional and Home Sharpeners

Jan 5, 2010Yuen Kit Mun

While there are differences between the various models of sharpeners, most home users will not be able to see significant differences in the sharpness of the knives. There still are however, some other considerations.

Examples of brands include Chef’s choice (Diamond Hone), Smith’s Edge (Diamond Edge Pro), Shun, McGowan (Firestone, Diamondstone) and Wusthof. Prices range from $30 to over $100 for consumer models.

Professional models for commercial use cost hundreds of dollars. They are designed for heavy duty daily use. However they don’t necessarily result in sharper knives.

Knife Edge and Bevel Basics

Understanding knife sharpeners means understanding bevels – the shape and slope of the sharpened blade edge.

Most knives have double sided bevels: both sides of the knife are sharpened the same way. Chisel grind single sided bevels (one side of the knife is flat, has no bevel) are rare.

The bevel can be:

• Flat. a cross-section of the edge looks like a “V”.
• Concave (looks like the bottom of a ship) or “hollow grind”. the edge is thinner and weaker.
• Convex (looks like a melon seed). This is stronger.

The angle of the bevel will determine the sharpness and strength of the knife edge. Most Western (American and European) kitchen knives are sharpened at 20 to 25 degrees. Japanese or Asian knives typically use a sharper 15 degree angle. They cut better but the edge blunts more quickly and needs to be sharpened more often. Many manufacturers will sell both types of sharpeners.

For most home cooks, the type of bevel isn’t significant. the knife edge is reset to whatever bevel shape and angle used by the knife sharpener. the important thing is to use the same sharpener so that the blade edge isn’t constantly reshaped.

Grinding Stone Materials

The material used to make the grind stones doesn’t matter much. the stones will be hard enough to grind steel knives, and last for hundreds or thousands of sharpenings. Diamond-coated stones are the hardest but ceramic and other stones work well too.

Single side and Double side Sharpeners

The simplest designs sharpen both sides at the same time, using interlocking grinding wheels. the knife is placed between the vertical wheels, cutting edge down, and slowly pulled through as an electric motor turns the wheels.

Advantages

• Easy to use. the blade is pulled through the sharpener a few times, until it is sharp enough.
• No blade guides (that might scratch the knife) are needed.
• Simple and reliable rotary mechanism.
• Open slot design means that more of the blade can be sharpened (the bolster of forged blades isn’t blocked by blade guides).

Disadvantages

• Not suitable for chisel grind knives.
• Creates concave bevels that are thinner and weaker.

Other sharpeners will sharpen only one side of the knife at a time. There are two sharpening slots, one for each side of the knife.

Advantages

• Often creates a flat bevel, stronger than a concave bevel.
• Can be used to sharpen chisel grind knives.
• Can sometimes sharpen serrated knives by sharpening the flat side of the serrations.

Disadvantages

• Can be difficult to hold the knife at the correct angle, even with spring or magnetic blade guides.
• Blade guides can scratch the knife.
• Grinding action can be slow, less efficient.

Multi-stage Knife Sharpeners

More advanced knife sharpeners have multiple stages or slots (not counting the left and right slots used by single sided sharpeners):

• The first stage has a coarse stone that quickly shapes the basic knife bevel. It is used for very blunt knives and will leave visible scratch marks on the bevel.
• The second stage has a medium stone that removes the scratches created by the first stage, for a smoother and sharper edge. the bevel now looks smooth but dull gray. some sharpeners stop here.
• A few sharpeners have a third finishing, polishing, buffing or stropping stage. very fine stones, or plastic disks, polish the bevel to a mirror finish and create a razor-sharp cutting edge.

Some sharpeners increase the grind angle at each stage, creating a roughly convex bevel. the edge is stronger but the subsequent stages don’t cover up all the scratches from the first stage, so the cosmetic finish isn’t as good.

Single-stage sharpeners are equivalent to the second stage, using medium grit stones for shaping the bevel and creating the final cutting edge. For practical purposes, they can work just as well as multi-stage sharpeners.

The best Electric Knife Sharpener

Most models from the major manufacturers should give good results. Differences in sharpness will not be noticed by the average cook. Sharpeners with interlocking grind wheels that sharpen both sides at once, are an especially safe choice. Single-stage sharpeners will be more than good enough for most home use.

Because electric sharpeners quickly remove a lot of metal, it is best to try out a new sharpener with a cheap knife first. It is also important to read the instruction manual.