Knives for makin` delicious food.
 

Vezo Pt Deux sent me a PM asking for advice on selecting knives for the kitchen.

I started in the biz at the age of 12 washing dishes for a crazy Italian chef who liked
to throw knives. I`ll tell that story later...

I first used Dexter knives in a commercial kitchen. These were house knives meaning
they were rented and changed weekly or bi-weekly by the service.

They were light and ergonomic which is important if you are prepping for 200.
They are stamped SS which is not my choice for most knives these days.

Over the years, I worked with folks who had personal knives. We collected kits
of our favorite blades for many tasks. We didn't use house knives at all.
We shared knives amongst our friends in the hope of finding the best tools for our
daily tasks. Some of us had 7-10 daily knives. All for a different task.

Some had 2 or 3. Some only brought one.

This is one of those open ended questions.
What is the best?

I don't think many would place F Dick on their Christmas list for knives.
I had been hunting for a gravlax knife for over a year when I flexed the blade
on a block. It sat flat. Dead flat. The breadth and width were perfectly tapered.
One of my newer blades at 22 years old now. I don't know who designed that
blade, but I would like to shake his or her hand.

Let`s go deeper.

You have a blade, a hilt, and a tang.
Just like that front to back.

I’m looking for something in a bamboo block, small as everything in the Beach house is bamboo and small! I have a set of four steak knives, two routinely used and bleached out because I run them through the dishwasher. I guess I’m just in the market for a set of Chef’s knives.

Last night I used a Wusthov 3.5” paring and an 8” Chefs knife. I was really impressed. I’ve donated many hours in a ‘71 Pontiac LeMans Sport convertible for free for a friends brother. He sold Costco 35 years ago, still has them, sends them back for sharpening, and loves them. I would have been happy to accept that for all of my time, but I don’t think that is going to come to fruition. So I’ve had my eyes open since I purchased the house in Hernando Beach.

And yes, Sandy I have followed some of your threads on THT. Thanks.

Michael.

As a fellow former professional kitchen serf and a lover of quality knives, your post hit me right in the feels.

I currently have several very nice Lamson-Sharp's that I use most often for home prep. Lamson-Sharp unfortunately went bankrupt a few years ago (They may have re-opened after a reorg, dunno), but all my knives were purchased at their original factory which dates to the early 1800's in Shelburne Falls, MA.
The factory is amazing. Typical western massachusetts old mill, and old mill town. Knives are also wonderful to use. I love my 10" chefs knife. Also known around the house as "The Big Stabber".

My most recent knife related sadness was that my go to knife sharpening service, Ambrosi Cutlery in North Salem NY, got out of the residential knife sharpening biz. Only commercial kitchen knife work now.
I used to send them (via UPS) my knives every 6 months or so and they'd come back 3 days later gorgeously sharp, with an edge that would last and last. You could perform surgery with them.

Anybody have any recommendations on a sharpening service?
I can sharpen them myself but a professional sharpener is almost more important to me at this point than having a good doctor.

Looks like they have reopened.
Don't know if the quality has changed any. Looks like they now make them in Westfield MA, and the factory outlet store is still in Shelburne Falls.

This is "The Big Stabber".

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lH...=w1030-h965-no

https://lamsonproducts.com/collectio...nt=24240094915

Also have this guy. Kind of random, I know. But an offset bread knife is key...:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tk...=w1030-h965-no

https://lamsonproducts.com/collectio...nt=35959877390

This little guy is nice too, as far as paring knives go.
The handle to blade ratio is pleasing.

https://lamsonproducts.com/collectio...nt=35956586510

Laughed out loud at the doctor comment! Is Costco American made? I kind of like that idea, though probably about like hunting glass, (scopes), German may be the way to go.

I searched and searched for heavy, .316 Stainless for the tableware. Set of 8, (Max capacity!!!) that lets your brain know when you’ve picked up a utensil.

I’ve dabbled in the knife realm for a few decades and stumbled on a Shun that has utterly changed my entire perspective in prep tooling. I now own 7 and use nothing else. Each one feels like a living extension of your hand but is jealous of your opposing hand and will punish it with crimson vengeance if one fingertip strays a single millimeter past the knuckle line.

Try this one !

fer all are cuttin an jabbin we uze da swingguard maid in italiy
by aga campolin

Attachment 16426

Oh my. Those are gorgeous knives.
Me likee...

https://shun.kaiusaltd.com/knives

If you run your knives thru the dishwasher again, we may have to have a talk out
back by the used fryer grease.

AKA this ruins the temper of the blades not to mention what it does to the tang and handle.

Never been a fan of the cutco knives. The handles alone disqualify them for me.
I am a harsh critic no doubt, but they check many poor boxes for me.

I like long blades, rounded hilts and high carbon steel.
I like balance and great steel.

The first time I used a pre-war Sabatier high carbon 15 inch chef knife, I fell in love.
Crazy Bob brought his in for me to try when I was 15.

I had gotten a summer job working at Kennedy`s clam shack in Hampton Bch., NH.
It was said if you worked for Bill for a whole summer, you could go anywhere and say
I worked for him all season and get hired on the spot. My second summer I went to the
Ashworth Hotel and said just that. They said when can you start.

I told Bill about the offer and he gave me a big fat raise.
Bill wanted his headstone to read .
I ran the cleanest restaurant in the world. We all had nightly check out.
His son failed damn near every night. Bob and I would laugh as we spit out beer.

Crazy Bob was old school. Drove a `73 green 455 GTO up from Malden every morning.
He was the head saucier at the Ritz in Boston for a decade. This was his yearly
vacation of sorts. At some point in time, he had slipped and put his arm in a fryolator.
It was about the width of my wrist.

Bob`s nickname for Bill`s son was Bong.
My nickname was Bing. He either liked you or he didn`t.
We were bing and bong. Not sure if bong even smoked pot.
He just hated what he was doing.

My first morning Bob said pick up the knife.
I did. He shook his head. He said point it at me.
He then turned the blade in my hand.
He said put your thumb and fore finger over the hilt and on the blade.
I asked where the hilt was. He said right here where the blade meets the handle.
He then tried to turn the blade. He said this is how you control the blade
and avoid the obituary column. He smiled and took me under his wing.

He brought out a giant bag of the biggest onions I had ever seen.
He said dice one.

He shook his head again.
He said watch this closely.

This is how you hold.
This is how you rock.
This is how you hold your dead hand.
Do not ever raise your blade above your knuckle.
Tight on your fingers like jailbait.
Capish?
He was Irish.

The next day was feeding celery.
Dead hands indeed.

Carrots were the day after.

Ken, the Seki steel is among the best ever made.

I have to admit even Cutco gave me sticker shock! Still learning.

ebay is your friend here.

The stepped bread knife.

The long filet knife.

The Chef knife.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-NEW...QAAOSwqrtWoQjj

Ok knife gurus. What's a good link to knife sharpener?

Depends on what your are sharpening. For fillet knives that I torture for hours I use a worksharp mini belt sharpener. It does a great job and after you get used to using it you can do a real good job without the guide. For my kitchen tools I use a 2000 grit stone or leather to touch them up. I would be fine with using a wet 2-3000 belt on a sander if one got way out of line.

Most every commercial kitchen has a tri stone, which has no real stones at all.
Just abrasive and glue. These are always cupped and you can`t really maintain
a constant angle.

I like natural Arkansas stones. The bigger the better. These are not cheap either.
If you get your blades reasonably sharp, you will never need any others.

A soft Arkansas stone will give you an edge that will shave.
A hard Arkansas stone will make a barber blush.

Stones remove very little steel and never heat the edge past temper.
Important if you want to pass the knives down.

Again, all of this is so personal.

My favorite old rat tail tang Sabatier 10 inch filet knife finally cracked her handle.
I found her at goodwill in 92? They had no idea what it was and all of the maker marks
were long gone. I knew what it was immediately. The crack had already started and as much olive oil as she wanted,
it was just too old and dry before me. INOX was a great forge and sold blades to many. Four elephants.

Late 30`s or earlier.

http://vi.vipr.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayI...1&secureDesc=0


She was badly pitted, but I can`t deny that feel and flex.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Sabatier-4-S...4AAOxycmBSuROa
May have to snap that up.

I`m a sucker for great steel.

like this https://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Ki....c100010.m2109

No need to buy new.
Much of the older steel will never be made again.

I may have to buy this as well.
Pretty blade there for a great price.

I’m still tryin’to wear out my 1976 Chicago Cutlery S-66 fillet knife. Cleaned a million gags and hogs with it. I’ve bought new ones and the steel is no good. Tried a Bubba Blade - OK but a little too flexible for me.
Still fall back to the 66-S when there’s lots to do.

We made fine steel here back in the day.

For most home use, any of the German blades will last a lifetime of more.
Buy used on ebay or CL.

There are deals out there.
I could go on for weeks here.