Good afternoon all, no doubt there are many among us who enjoy cooking, I certainly do and now find myself in need of some decent cooks knives, as I left the old ones with my ex. (I made sure they were very very sharp, prior to leaving)!  I have about £150 to spend, I know I don’t need everything avaiable, a paring knife, chef’s knife, vegetable knife, carving knife etc. Could the learned members of STW suggest individual knives or a set that will last and be good value?

Ta.

(I made sure they were very very sharp, prior to leaving)!

First mistake. Blunt knives I wouldn’t wish on an enemy.

All you need here

https://www.nisbets.co.uk/kitchenware-and-knives/chefs-knives/victorinox-knives/victorinox-fibrox-nylon-handled-knives/_/a33-4

Or a bit more for the wooden handles

https://www.nisbets.co.uk/kitchenware-and-knives/chefs-knives/victorinox-knives/victorinox-rosewood-handled-knives/_/a33-4

Start with a cooks/chef knife, a paring knife and a serated slicing knife. Those three are all you need.

ProCook do some lovely ones at good prices.

https://www.wuesthof-kitchensurfer.com/kitchensurfer/index.jsp

These are pretty good if you can pick up in the sale.

This is probably the best value knife I own:

http://www.hartsofstur.com/acatalog/Global-30th-Anniversary-GS-89A-13cm-Cooks-Knife-GS_89A.html#SID=2552

My favourite knife range:

http://www.amefa.co.uk/richardson-sheffield/luxury-ranges/midori.aspx

Really good knives without breaking the bank (easy to sharpen, not amazing steel but knives you can let your family use without shouting at them for putting them in the dishwasher):

http://www.amefa.co.uk/richardson-sheffield/premium-knives/kyu.aspx

Both the last two can be found on heavy discount in Amefa outlet stores.

Knives? Pffff

Robert Welch Signature are good knives that won’t break the bank. Take a good edge and stay sharp for a decent length of time.

https://www.robertwelch.com/kitchen/kitchen_knives/signature_knives

I have a selection of good old Lion Sabatiers which have given about a million years of sterling service.

https://uk.zwilling-shop.com/Kitchen-World/Special-Offers/Knife-Block-Offers/5-Piece-Magnetic-Bamboo-Knife-Block-Zwilling-35135-200-0.html?force_sid=ftvnaeaqr9nadmfp6ehmaqfhn7

How on earth can Zwilling make so many different ranges of knives and how are you meant to choose between them?  Are they really that different?

Victorinox …. the professional choice for non-silly prices

The ones rene59 linked to above

How on earth can Zwilling make so many different ranges of knives and how are you meant to choose between them?  Are they really that different?

I don’t know but I do knowI have 5 from their 4Star Ice hardened range and they have been brilliant for 35yrs.

I have some lovely Sabatier knives and some even lovelier Global knives…and almost exclusively I now use a cleaver than I picked up from the local Chinese supermarket. It’s big, heavy, very sharp and bar the odd bit of work where a small knife is needed for precise work, I use it for everything. Those Victorinox knives linked above are lovely, or you could save £120 and buy a cleaver and a cheap paring knife.

+1 for Victorinox, especially the fibrox handled ones

I had a look into the local TK Maxx shop today to have a look at what was available in the cooking section. I was looking at the knives when there was an eclipse, or so I thought, it turned out that a guy the size of Shropshire was blocking out the light. He saw me sorting through the knives and said, “hold on son, I’ll sort you out”, two things worried me here, I’m 57 and he was at least half my age and what was he going to do to sort me out?  But I need not worry, he picked 3 knives, all made by Zwilling, then said, “These are all you need, they’ll last longer than you will, they’re what I use in the pub”, he gave me his business card and said, “if you have a problem with them, bring them to me and I’ll buy them from you for the list price”. I don’t think there’s a better recommendation than that, so I thanked him and went to pay. The cost for all 3 was £53.97, the original list price was £134.97, so I’m more than happy with my purchase.

Thank you all for your input.

Zwilling are the proverbial dog’s bollocks. I was in a similar conundrum and a bit bored a while ago, so bought a regular Zwilling chef’s knife from TK maxx for something like £25. A few months later I ended up buying a wok (carbon steel, naturally 😉 ) and this to go along https://uk.zwilling-shop.com/Kitchen-World/Special-Offers/Knife-Offers/Chinese-chef-s-knife-Zwilling-30795-180-0.html from TK maxx again. Since then I’ve been using the Chinese chef’s knife as my go-to cut-shit-up instrument and it’s still scary sharp after 6 months of regular use, with no maintenance other than knife steel. I’m sure there are better knifes out there and possibly more durable for someone working in a professional kitchen, but I’m very happy with it.

I would be wary of buying knives on line or in plastic packs. There is no substitute for holding the knife and getting a feel for its weight, balance and how it feels in your grip. A lot of department stores sell them in packs which obviously prevents this. Traditional hardware stores or top drawer kitchen shops with a glass cabinet type thing are my recommendation…you will pay a bit more but you get many years of buyer’s remorse if you make the wrong choice or a compromise choice.  I have an old set of fully forged Stellar Sabatiers which have done good service for over a decade. I always get an appreciative nod from the man in the brown coat at the local hardware store when I take them in for regrinding.  But even they I feel have the traditional shape handle which doesn’t really make for a comfortable grip. I also think it’s better to have say two spendy knives rather than a whole set (for home use) as rene59 said. . Also, invest in a good sharpening steel and learn how to use it properly if you don’t know already.; Every time I see Ramsay showboating and swishing it about in the air makes me cringe. Personally I don’t think you’ll go wrong with Victorinox as others have said.