# Kitchen Knife Set - Recommendations Please?



## Sawdust=manglitter (9 Sep 2020)

As the title suggests, I am looking to get myself a nice kitchen knife set, but don’t really know where to start.

Ideally I don’t want to spend more than £200 for a set of around 5 kitchen knives, but would stretch that slightly for the right set.

I do a lot of cooking with fresh ingredients, but I won’t need a bone knife or a cleaver as I (unfortunately for me) live in a meat free house.

As well as being practical knives with decent steel (stays sharp) I would ideally like the knives to also be attractive as I’ll be making a magnetic wooden stand so the knives would be on display. I love the look of Damascus steel knives, but don’t know whether you compromise on edge retention as it’s a mix of layers of different steels.

£200 for a set may sound a lot to some, but based on what i’ve seen it’s also a drop in the ocean compared to some individual knives.

Any recommendations/advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## AJB Temple (9 Sep 2020)

My advice as a knife addict - don't buy a set.


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## AJB Temple (9 Sep 2020)

The ones most people use are a chefs knife (or Gyuto) 8" or 10" a small paring knife (or Petty in Japanese knives) and a good quality and long serrated bread knife. Either go Japanese or German but make the general purpose chef's knife a good one. 

Add other things later if you need them. My next would be a flexible boning knife, and a long slicing life (but I like making Japanese food). A heavy chopper is useful too. 

I still have Henckels and Gustav Emil Ern knives I bought when I was 20. These days I mainly use Japanese knives bought in Japan, but these are beyond sensible budgets.


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## AJB Temple (9 Sep 2020)

The chopper is an old Sabatier. The bread knife is a Gude (German - outside your budget unless you buy used. These are very good). The parer and boner are Gustav and the chefs knife is a Zwilling JA Henckels. These have all had a great deal of use.


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## novocaine (9 Sep 2020)

Ignore sets. Buy a good 10" chefs knife and a paring knife. Or of personnally i like japanese style blades like santuko shape but with a western handle. I do almost everything with one. But I'm unusual. Dont bother with Damascus,it looks good ish, till it gets polished away. A posers knife rather than a good knife.
Buy a decent steel. This is way more important and will help keep your knifes sharp. Theres 2 types, one sharpens to an extent the other hones. 
Ill type more when im on a computer.


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## AJB Temple (9 Sep 2020)

Re Damascus steel. Almost all of the cheap stuff is factory made and awful. I would buy one decent Damascus piece. PM me and I will make some suggestions if you want. 

Nothing stays sharp if you use it a lot! Hone it on a ceramic steel, and sharpen when necessary using your preferred method. Almost all of my day to day knives now are Japanese carbon steel. They are super easy to get razor sharp. But they need care as rust film forms easily and they are reactive to acidic foods.


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## AJB Temple (9 Sep 2020)

This is a fairly decent Damascus vegetable knife. It is 10 years old, has been sharpened hundreds of times and as you can see the Damascus pattern is "as new". It is good quality, but not a "named maker" and is partly machine made. It would consume a fairly large chunk of your budget unfortunately. If you wanted to, you could peel the skin off a tomato with this.


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## Alpha-Dave (9 Sep 2020)

Invest in a good sharpening set up. I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker with the additional ultra-fine rods. That £100 gone quickly, but mine has worked for over 8 years now and will last another decade at least. You can sharpen with some sandpaper on a scrap glass pane, but that’s more effort than I’m inclined to put in.

I have friends who bought expensive knives, but can’t sharpen them, and put them through the dishwasher, also not helping with being sharp.

The ‘pro’ range from Procook or knives&tools are ok for general use (I’m not making sushi), with decent steel but not being expensive. VG10 is a great steel.

Price is not related to performance. I have a 2” french made knife that was a couple of quid in a hardware store in Framlingham that I bought for an impromptu picnic and considered it disposable. Since then it has become a favourite; I can easily put an edge on that which when combined with it <1mm thickness means it slices better than anything else.

The only part of the knife you touch (generally) is the handle. I have enjoyed taking some knives with good blade geometry but poor handles and making new ones. That is very satisfying.


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## Sawdust=manglitter (9 Sep 2020)

Thank you all for the advice. 

So as per ABJ Temple’s first comment the general consensus is to avoid buying a set and get a couple of better knives for the money. 

In reality I could probably make do with just a decent pairing knife and bread knife. SWMBO would no doubt ask me where the other knives were if I only bought two, but atleast if they were ‘matching’ with a scope to get a couple more in future to create a matching set then maybe I could stay in her good books 

Japanese knives do seem to have a cult following online, and they are attractive looking things too. The sharpening doesn’t bother me, but I saw something about oiling them after washing to prevent corrosion but cant find what kind of oil should be used?


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## Racers (9 Sep 2020)

Tkmaxx you might have to make a couple of visits but they have some nice knives at very good prices. 

I use a smooth steel ( Two cherrys) for touch ups and my waterstones for sharping. 

You can also make your own knives and harden them in the bbq

Pete


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## Duncan A (9 Sep 2020)

I'm no chef and not interested in super knives but I found the above discussion interesting so I had a look at the knivesandtools website. Some nice knives there, at reasonable prices.
BUT....the sharpening section!!!! Makes the woodworking sharpening options look positively stone age (pun intended). £999 for a Wicked Edge sharpener is a particularly extreme example but it was the price of the Ballistol oil that really got my goat. £8 for the same 50ml that I can get from fine-tools.com for €3.30, or €12.50 for 500ml. 
As always, there's a degree of "buyer beware" alongside the "you get what you pay for" experience.
Sorry for the rant guys, it really has been an interesting way to spend half an hour, thanks for the input.
Duncan


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## AJB Temple (9 Sep 2020)

Oil: Camellia traditionally. Anything will do. Only applies to carbon steel. Important wipe off and dry after use on reactive foods. Unless you are super keen I would go for a good stainless steel as they tolerate more abuse (but take a lesser edge).


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## craigs (9 Sep 2020)

Sawdust=manglitter said:


> Thank you all for the advice.
> 
> So as per ABJ Temple’s first comment the general consensus is to avoid buying a set and get a couple of better knives for the money.
> 
> ...


thats for carbon steel to help inhibit rusting, Personally I use damascus, but as others have said, decent stuff costs money. I also have a small obsession with Japanese knives, but it can be stupid money, I think i gave over £1500 for these 3 (my sharpening is improving....slowly
)

Shun make decent knives, or Global and you dont have to pay the earth for them.


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## Coyote (9 Sep 2020)

I inherited a set of Globals with my wife. Whilst I lust after some nice hand made ones, these do a perfectly good job, sharpen well and stay sharp and in all probability could be handed down to our kids in 20 years.

We have a 5 piece version of this:




__





Global Hybrid 3 Piece KAZOKU Knife Set - KitchenKnives.co.uk


Global Hybrid 3 Piece KAZOKU Knife Set




www.kitchenknives.co.uk





but the 3 piece is under you budget giving you some spare for a bread knife or a small chef's knife.


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## AJB Temple (9 Sep 2020)

Essential to try Global before buying. Metal handle. Love or hate. Both Shun and Global are factory made, stamped (not forged). People who like exotic knives often start with Shun or (better) Kasumi. I have set of Damascus Kasumi (half of which I never use - they were my first foray into Japanese style many years ago) and (like Shun) they arrive razor sharp but are difficult to get back to that condition afterwards. Stainless blades. Damascus has an etched rather than folded look.

Lots of commis chefs start out with Global. Perfectly OK workhorse if you like metal handles.


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## Phil Pascoe (9 Sep 2020)

I worked with scores of chefs over the years and the majority (certainly of the younger ones) used Globals. Most of the rest used Wusthofs or Henckels, which I much prefer as I find the Global handles too small.

My son has decided he likes cooking and has just spent £100s on Dalstrong knives. I've not been allowed to touch them, but although beautiful I wonder if they are style over substance.





Home | Chef Knives & More | Dalstrong ©


Now you're slicing with power. Exceptional quality professional kitchen knives at exceptional value.




gb-dalstrong.glopalstore.com


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## Sawdust=manglitter (9 Sep 2020)

Thanks for great suggestions here. 

The more I look the more skint I can see me becoming!

I’m loving the sound/looks of the Damascus Kasumi knives, but for a 25cm bread knife, 14cm utility knife and an 8cm parting knife it’s £330 ... not much more than that and I can upgrade my sander to a Mirka Deros RO sander  (I hope i’m not the only one that always compares the monetary value of random purchases to new tools from the wish list)

There are so many brands and styles of knives in the mid to upper range of knives that it’s pretty confusing/baffling . The thinking cap may be on for quite some time before taking the plunge!


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## llangatwgnedd (9 Sep 2020)

Interesting, Would you put them through a dishwasher to clean them?


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## Sawdust=manglitter (9 Sep 2020)

llangatwgnedd said:


> Interesting, Would you put them through a dishwasher to clean them?


I would never put the new decent knives i’d like to get in the dishwasher, i’d want to look after them properly. A bit like having a cheap Faithful block plane and a Veritas/Lie Nielsen block plane, rightly or wrongly I would take a lot more care handling the Veritas/Lie Nielsen blockplane than the Faithful one.


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## Coyote (9 Sep 2020)

My Globals go in the dishwasher every day. I'm sure there's a special place in hell for people like me though.


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## Sheffield Tony (9 Sep 2020)

I wouldn't put anything I cherished through a dishwasher.

Just to mention you can still get Sheffield made knives - Richardson 1839 range. I use some older Richardson knives, sharpened with the kit I use for everything else - wet grinder and oilstone.


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## AJB Temple (9 Sep 2020)

Dishwasher is fine. It's the salts that do the damage  

My knives have never seen a dishwasher. A wifey accident in this regard with a brand new Will Catcheside slicer, nearly caused a divorce. I bought some knives just for her so she can wreck them if she wishes.


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## Bm101 (9 Sep 2020)

Buy a santoku. Unless you know you want another shape. Ie paring. Get what you can afford without getting carried away on Japanese *tradition. Mine is made by mcusta. It wont rust but it doesn't go in the dishwasher either. I have a heavy british brand Richardson cleaver that keeps a great edge.
I want to make a vegetable cleaver and maybe a nakiri from O1 stock. Strangely, I've been pondering this a lot lately.


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## AJB Temple (9 Sep 2020)

An alternative is follow the Chinese approach. Typically they use a big, razor sharp, knife that looks like a chopper, for absolutely everything, including very fine work. (Hopeless for boning out meat though). It is very skilled and takes some getting used to. I have not mastered the skill. Just one knife though. Also a superb scoop for food to pan.


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## Sideways (10 Sep 2020)

Plenty of classic reputable brands have been recommended and the advice on quality Japanese knives is enlightening.
One note of caution: counterfeiting of Global knives is rife, be careful of your source. Personally I find them uncomfortable and overpriced.
I have a Kasumi paring knife - damascus around a solid core - a pretty thing.
I also rate the Spyderco triangle sharpmaker.
With your given budget, I'd take a look at the Robert Welch Signature knives stocked by Lakeland.
£200 would buy you four, maybe five. I find them comfortable in the hand and I like the smaller vegetable knives. I'd add a couple of larger sizes according to your needs / taste. Build your own small set as a standard selection is unlikely to be just right.


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## Trainee neophyte (10 Sep 2020)

I buy my butchering knives at the local market - they are €20 each, and sharp enough to break down 3 pigs without trouble. Very thin cross section and take a really good edge. Some random east - European make, possibly Polish but I would have to Czech (so sorry). I wonder what I am missing out on? Do £500 japanese knives really cut that much better? Would my  chops taste better? Is it the chance to pretend I am samurai that makes it value for money?

I don't have a budget for fancy knives, so I will probably never know. My kitchen set came from Trago Mills probably 25 years ago but as with everyone else I only use the big one and a small paring knife. Keep them sharp and all is good. I did buy a boning knife, but it was from Lidl so does it count?


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## LBCarpentry (10 Sep 2020)

I own a set of globals and absolutely love. Very good feel and balance with reputation to match. Can’t complain.


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## Togalosh (10 Sep 2020)

I have 3 knives I use for almost everything. The Global G5 is by far my favourite & 2 (150mm bladed) Sabatier are very nice too - they have lasted +30 yrs but my other half has a very annoying habit of putting them in the dishwasher & look worse for wear now. That's an arguement for later. The flexible blade of the fish knife is good for certain fruit & veg prep. I like fish skin so I rarely use it for fish. I have a Chinese clever & 'cooks knives' for bigger duties.

I think Sabatier have different ranges with varying quality. Nisbets do a full set for £125 so maybe they are the cheap ones. Nisbets do Global & others too & have shops so you can go & get your hands on them. I don't think they'd let you chop up a bag of carrots on the counter though.

As already said, if you cannot easily sharpen them then even a very expensive knife will soon be rubbish to use.


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## clogs (10 Sep 2020)

I'm cheap, bought a couple of sets from Lidil....one for the holiday rental and the other for me.....
they are very sharp and go in the dishwasher......
have a nice diamond sharper when necc.....
Cant understand all the fuss unless u have people to impress.....and what would they know about decent knives anyway...


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## Phil Pascoe (10 Sep 2020)

AJB Temple said:


> Dishwasher is fine. It's the salts that do the damage
> 
> My knives have never seen a dishwasher. A wifey accident in this regard with a brand new Will Catcheside slicer, nearly caused a divorce. I bought some knives just for her so she can wreck them if she wishes.


Your wife put your knives through the dishwasher?? Mine put my bread tins through one.


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## Racers (10 Sep 2020)

These are two I made.



Cocobolo and O1 steel knives by Racers, on Flickr

Pete


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## Steve Maskery (10 Sep 2020)

Pete, that's just showing off. 

I have two proper Jap ones. I can't remember the name. They wer about £150 each, 15 or 20 years ago. Presents. The cleaver hardly ever goes in the drawer, let alone the dishwasher (Aaaarrrggghhh!), it is my go-to knife, I use it every day.

I also have this ProCook set. The knives themselves are quite nice to use, but the block is is useless. The knives go in (and therefore have to come out) vertically, which means that the wall cabinets get in the way for all but the shortest knives. Also, the smallest knife is always falling over, as the handle is heavier than the blade and there is nothing to restrain it in the block. But if you are making you own block (make it at an angle so they can live under a wall cabinet) then I would recommend them. Good knives that don't cost the earth.

Having said that, I use my nan's carbon steel bread knife and I bet I've used the carving knife just once, if at all. So the advice about buying singles is probably very sound.


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## pe2dave (10 Sep 2020)

Wusthoff. Bread knife, two veg knives (small and 6 or 8"). Sharpen easily on a standard steel.
Great quality.


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## TJC (10 Sep 2020)

As most have said, one large, one small is a good starting point. If you are doing mainly veg prep consider a santoku or nakiri shape. 

The globals are consistently good for the money, personally I like the small ones, but find the handles uncomfortable on larger knives. 

It's worth feeling them in your hand, that's the ultimate test. Robert Welch make some nice mid price knives that are worth considering.


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## sammy.se (10 Sep 2020)

In terms of bread knife - This is excellent. Don't let the price fool you, it's really very good. You can save some money on the bread knife and put it towards the other knives. 

Mercer bread knife

(and it's very, very good for slicing rockwool slab insulation with no mess - shhhh, don't tell the Mrs.)


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## TJC (10 Sep 2020)

Oh yeah, there's no reason to spend more than £15 on a bread knife unless you want a posh handle.


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## Phil Pascoe (10 Sep 2020)

I had a small Robert Welch which was beautifully designed and made, but I found it near impossible to sharpen and keep sharp.

Not very classy, but for a bread knife these take some beating for the money - 

*Mercer Culinary Millennia Wide Bread Knife, Stainless Steel, Black, 10-Inch (Amazon)*

I have a longer one which was less than £20.

I have two knives, one ten inch, one six, that I bought at a car boot years ago. They looked to be decent so I asked how much they were - the chap replied that they were good ones, and that he wanted a pound. I said I'd take the chance.
I tore off the tape as I walked away and in the sunshine I saw two faint etchings - Hand Forged by Sabatier for Elizabeth David Ltd.


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## Phil Pascoe (10 Sep 2020)

sammy.se said:


> In terms of bread knife - This is excellent. Don't let the price fool you, it's really very good. You can save some money on the bread knife and put it towards the other knives.
> Mercer bread knife



Sorry, I posted without looking at the intervening posts. Great minds think alike.


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## TJC (10 Sep 2020)

Phil Pascoe said:


> I had a small Robert Welch which was beautifully designed and made, but I found it near impossible to sharpen and keep sharp.



That's interesting, my mother has a couple that we bought together, she only uses one of those Minosharp block things, but has been happy with them. I'll have to check them now next time I'm back home!


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## TheBeeBoyKid (10 Sep 2020)

novocaine said:


> Ignore sets. Buy a good 10" chefs knife and a paring knife. Or of personnally i like japanese style blades like santuko shape but with a western handle. I do almost everything with one. But I'm unusual. Dont bother with Damascus,it looks good ish, till it gets polished away. A posers knife rather than a good knife.
> Buy a decent steel. This is way more important and will help keep your knifes sharp. Theres 2 types, one sharpens to an extent the other hones.
> Ill type more when im on a computer.



Yeah, I do everything with a Japanese Santuko too. One good knife, keep it sharp, beautiful!!


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## novocaine (10 Sep 2020)

think you are a bit out of my price range at this point so I bow to the knowledge of those that have spent already. I'm happy with my 30-60 quid Stellar knifes.


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## ey_tony (10 Sep 2020)

As well as a love for good quality tools, I also love cooking and just before Christmas last year I decided to replace the kitchen knives we'd accumulated over the years with a purposely selected group of knives to meet my cooking demands and I plumped for a decent assortment of Victorinox knives and I've found they're excellent quality without paying the earth and best of all they hold their edge remarkably well so that they don't need continual sharpening.

In fact after around 9 months of daily use since then, only one knife actually needs a wipe over the sharpener to bring it back to it's former glory and that's only because my OH abuses that particular one as it's her go to knife. When she first started using the new set she couldn't believe how much easier it was to prepare meals with really good quality knives.

There are complete sets out there but as someone has already mentioned, avoid buying a set unless it has all the knives you will need and use. Better to choose the individual knives you personally will use rather than a bunch of knives put together by someone else.


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## AJB Temple (10 Sep 2020)

I struggle with bread knives. I've tried the Mercer (which is frequently recommended and is only £14 on Amazon), I have a much used Kasumi serrated knife and I eventually bought the longest (forged) Gude. 

My problem is I bake my own bread, sourdough 99% of the time, and I use the cast iron pan method to keep the steam in. When I slice the loaves I always struggle to cut through the loaf bottom. It needs a cut on the pull stroke. The Gude does the job but it is still hard work. I am still looking for the perfect solution.


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## Sawdust=manglitter (10 Sep 2020)

Well there are loads of suggestions here. Food for thought indeed.

Lots of recommendations for the Global knives. They may be excellent knives, but i'm not sure if i like the looks of them or the handles. The handles on the larger Global knives don't look very comfortable... do any Global owners here have any comments on the handles? Does anyone know if there are any high-street retailers other than Lakeland that stock Global knives?




Racers said:


> These are two I made.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Well those are very attractive Pete... I bet it feels very satisfying to use them!!


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## mikej460 (10 Sep 2020)

I've got a few Robert Welch knives that I'm very pleased with.


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## Nico Adie (10 Sep 2020)

On a different tack, I recently was recommended Kiwi brand knives, made in Thailand. They're _so_ cheap that I picked up a few, and they're really excellent. Ludicrously sharp out the box!





__





Kiwi Knives - chopchopchop.co.uk


Kiwi and Kom Kom knives and peelers imported from Thailand to the UK home of the miracle knife and zigzag peeler



www.chopchopchop.co.uk





Other than those, I have a 10" Henckels chef's knife which I've had for 10 years and is like an extension of my hand at this point. Also a little paring knife (think it's a Stellar) takes/holds an edge fine and a Sabatier bread knife which gets used for cutting bread and performs that task as well as I could hope.


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## Coyote (10 Sep 2020)

Sawdust=manglitter said:


> The handles on the larger Global knives don't look very comfortable... do any Global owners here have any comments on the handles



I can't say I've noticed them being an issue, or at least I don't notice them at all so I guess that's a positive. It might be different if I was using them for 8 hours a day in a professional kitchen but for a maximum of 10 or so minutes when knocking up dinner they would have to be woeful to cause a real problem. 

Like I originally said, I didn't have to buy mine but I don't know if I would buy again if I was in the market. They are good, don't get me wrong, and I'm happy to use them, but I don't think they are necessarily that much better than other cheaper options mentioned here. I've also got a Procook X50 Santoku knife which I think I got cheap when buying a pan and I'd happily buy more of them if I ever had to. It's just a good as the Globals in my unprofessional experience. You could buy a whole set of them for half your budget. 25 year guarantee too. Are they gorgeous handmade works of art? No. Will they chop up your chicken and vegetables? Yes.


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## NickDReed (10 Sep 2020)

F. Dick good knives. Great name.


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## Rich C (10 Sep 2020)

I have a few Shun knives. Look nice, still damascus looking after about 10 years. They only get hand washed and I sharpen them up on diamond plates (the same ones I use for my tools). They seem to hold an edge just fine. I find the handle and blade shapes very comfortable - the 10" chef's knife is my go to for most tasks.

I also have a couple of "V" sabatier knives by Richardson, they are much more affordable, but seem to sharpen up very nicely and have proper riveted handles, not a half inch tang into a lump of plastic.


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## --Tom-- (10 Sep 2020)

Noticed you’re South Wales if you’re ever near Cardiff you could stop by and try out some of mine to see what you like profile wise.
Japanese Carbon steel will give you the best price to performance ratio in your budget. With Damascus, unless you go for something like the Takamura or Saji pieces pictures earlier in the thread you’ll be compromising performance for looks. (Note most Damascus knives are laminated around a central core, so it’s effectively mono steel at the cutting edge).


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## Phil Pascoe (10 Sep 2020)

I seem to remember reading long ago that both Sabatier and Richardson licenced the use of the name, Sabatier to a multitude of producers. Apparently there was a better chance of buying good Sabatier in the States than here as their trading laws were different. Whether or not this is correct, I know not, but I've had Sabatier that's been superb and Sabatier that's been poor. I've not yet come across anything by Richardson that was anything other than poor.


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## Suffolkboy (10 Sep 2020)

I cull deer for a living. In the larder we use victorinox knives. I use victorinox knives for butchery and I use them for cooking as well. 

Personally I wouldn't buy a made uo set but just get two small ones, a bread one a medium size one and a breadknife. 

As you don't eat meat I can see why you might THINK you don't need a cleaver but I assure you, everyone needs a cleaver. What else are you going to use to halve mars bars?


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## Phil Pascoe (10 Sep 2020)

I have a large butcher's knife from Sheffield Knives - I paid £2 for it at the market to use the steel for a centre marker for spindles, but when I saw a name I looked it up and kept it. It's a cracker.
(Ideal for hacking up meat to put in the the Le Creuset skillet I paid a fiver for, new  )


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## AJB Temple (10 Sep 2020)

Phil Pascoe said:


> I have a large butcher's knife from Sheffield Knives - I paid £2 for it at the market to use the steel for a centre marker for spindles, but when I saw a name I looked it up and kept it. It's a cracker.
> (Ideal for hacking up meat to put in the the Le Creuset skillet I paid a fiver for, new  )


Jealous. Next time, send me a present please.


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## marcros (11 Sep 2020)

Sawdust=manglitter said:


> Well there are loads of suggestions here. Food for thought indeed.
> 
> Lots of recommendations for the Global knives. They may be excellent knives, but i'm not sure if i like the looks of them or the handles. The handles on the larger Global knives don't look very comfortable... do any Global owners here have any comments on the handles? Does anyone know if there are any high-street retailers other than Lakeland that stock Global knives?
> 
> ...



I have a set and a couple of extra globals. I bought them before I knew not to buy sets, but most do get used fairly often. The big cook's knife gets used the most. I find the handles a bit thin and they can be slightly slippery with wet hands. With that said, I could use the knife to prepare a massive meal for the family without it causing me pain or much annoyance but it is the only slight negative that I have. I must have had them 15 years, they hold an edge well. They were probably about 300 back then. 

Recently I bought a victorinox semi flexible boning knife based on a YouTube recommendation. 12£ and ugly as sin. Handle is a bit fat, and made of fibrox plastic. I appreciate that I am not selling it well but it is actually very good. I bought it to test how useful it would be before spending a lot on a decent version of the same. Tempted to rehandle it instead!


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## Suffolkboy (11 Sep 2020)

Also. One further point.

Your avatar is Ron ******* Swanson and you don't think you need to own a cleaver. 

You need to take a long look at yourself son.


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## Marineboy (11 Sep 2020)

pe2dave said:


> Wusthoff. Bread knife, two veg knives (small and 6 or 8"). Sharpen easily on a standard steel.
> Great quality.


+1 for Wusthof. I had a set of Henckels for some years and thought they were good but when the handle on the large cook’s knife disintegrated (probably due to putting it in the dishwasher) I tried the Wusthof. Massive difference in quality, the balance and feel in the hand is perfect and it keeps its razor sharp edge with only an occasional wipe on the steel. Needless to say it does not go in the DW.


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## Sheffield Tony (11 Sep 2020)

Looking at Sheffield Knives, I'm left feeling disappointed. Looks like the blades are not forged, but just cut from sheet stock. Not to say they won't work well like that, but looks cheap to me.

Of the Richardson knives, I think the 1839 range are the only ones which actually say they are made in Sheffield. Which makes me presume the others aren't.


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## TJC (14 Sep 2020)

Sawdust=manglitter said:


> Lots of recommendations for the Global knives. They may be excellent knives, but i'm not sure if i like the looks of them or the handles. The handles on the larger Global knives don't look very comfortable... do any Global owners here have any comments on the handles?



Not sure if this is too late to be helpful, but I don't like the global handles on anything over 5" or so. I have a couple of small pairing knives from them and a small veg chopper (which is great) but beyond that the handles are too small for me. 

I'd really encourage you to find somewhere with a range of stock and actually handle some - I think you'll find you have a preference. One thing in particular to look at are the Japanese vs Western handle styles. You can find Western blades with Japanese handles and vice versa now, so this isn't totally limiting even if you do have a preferred style.


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## Trainee neophyte (14 Sep 2020)

Suffolkboy said:


> What else are you going to use to halve mars bars?


The last time I had a Mars Bar it was so small that cutting it in half would have involved quantum mathematics.


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## Sawdust=manglitter (14 Sep 2020)

Thanks all for the great advice and suggestions. I decided to slightly up my budget and I took the plunge on a 200mm chef knife, 250mm bread knife and a 120mm utility/parting knife in the Kasumi HM Hammered knives (VG-10 steel). These three knives should be all I need for now and they’ll hopefully last a lifetime, and if in future I find the need for another I could expand upon what I already have. Next workshop project will be to make myself a magnetic knife block


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## Phil Pascoe (21 Oct 2021)

Nico Adie said:


> On a different tack, I recently was recommended Kiwi brand knives, made in Thailand. They're _so_ cheap that I picked up a few, and they're really excellent. Ludicrously sharp out the box!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thread resurrection. I've just bought four Kom Kom knives for a Xmas present for my daughter. I bought four after reading this post at the time and find I use them in preference to all my much more expensive knives. Dangerously sharp and easy to keep sharp.


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## Sporky McGuffin (21 Oct 2021)

mikej460 said:


> I've got a few Robert Welch knives that I'm very pleased with.



Likewise. Pretty much everything gets done with just three of them - the smallest Santoku, the smallest Chef's knife, and one that was only available at Lakeland that's a mid-sized Chef's knife shape, but with the Santoku flutes.


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## Spectric (21 Oct 2021)

Another good mid range brand are the German Hammer & Stahl, had ours for eight years and no complaints. You can get what you need here, Hammer Stahl 4 Piece Bamboo Case Set Steel, wood : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen and these three will get you going.

Anyone know why if you want to buy many european products they come from the states, seems like a long way round and I have seen this with both Gernman knives and German pots and pans.


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## Phil Pascoe (21 Oct 2021)

^^^^ the difference being the four I've just ordered were £30 inc. P&P. 

I wouldn't buy another Robert Welch - the one I had was too soft to take an edge.


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## Sporky McGuffin (21 Oct 2021)

Phil Pascoe said:


> I wouldn't buy another Robert Welch - the one I had was too soft to take an edge.



That's odd - mine sharpen very nicely.


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## mikej460 (21 Oct 2021)

Sporky McGuffin said:


> That's odd - mine sharpen very nicely.


and mine - I use their sharpener


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## shed9 (21 Oct 2021)

Sawdust=manglitter said:


> Well there are loads of suggestions here. Food for thought indeed.
> 
> Lots of recommendations for the Global knives. They may be excellent knives, but i'm not sure if i like the looks of them or the handles. The handles on the larger Global knives don't look very comfortable... do any Global owners here have any comments on the handles? Does anyone know if there are any high-street retailers other than Lakeland that stock Global knives?
> 
> ...


Appreciate this is a late response and knives have already been purchased but Peppercorn in Llandeilo stock Global knives. It's a great shop for stuff like that, they are also the main Alessi dealer in Carms to my knowledge. For completeness I have a full compliment of Global knives which I've had for over twenty years now with no issues. They are comfortable across the size range but they aren't going to win any prizes. If I were to replace them I would go Japanese - I bought a small set from Workshop Heaven for my daughter last Christmas along with a decent sharpening stone and have to say that for the price they were just superb.


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## brocher (21 Oct 2021)

I also have Robert Welch - three of them. The 12cm, 16cm and 25cm Signature knives. Their shape is ideal as the allow for both cutting and chopping. No problems with sharpening as use a steel every couple of uses, which is what I was taught at a knife skills class - fast and frequent!


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## Sawdust=manglitter (21 Oct 2021)

Thanks for all the suggestions. This is the set of knives i went for in the end, with the magnetic knife holder behind (from ripples sweet chestnut). I’m over the moon with these knives, they do a superb job and get incredibly sharp.


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## Sawdust=manglitter (21 Oct 2021)

shed9 said:


> Appreciate this is a late response and knives have already been purchased but Peppercorn in Llandeilo stock Global knives. It's a great shop for stuff like that, they are also the main Alessi dealer in Carms to my knowledge. For completeness I have a full compliment of Global knives which I've had for over twenty years now with no issues. They are comfortable across the size range but they aren't going to win any prizes. If I were to replace them I would go Japanese - I bought a small set from Workshop Heaven for my daughter last Christmas along with a decent sharpening stone and have to say that for the price they were just superb.


I know the place, it’s a lovely little shop, but generally quite pricey


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## moosepig (21 Oct 2021)

Sawdust=manglitter said:


> Thanks for all the suggestions. This is the set of knives i went for in the end, with the magnetic knife holder behind (from ripples sweet chestnut). I’m over the moon with these knives, they do a superb job and get incredibly sharp.
> 
> View attachment 120126


Struggling to imagine how you kept that lot under £200


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## Sawdust=manglitter (21 Oct 2021)

moosepig said:


> Struggling to imagine how you kept that lot under £200


Hahaha. Yep, i originally bought three of them which stretched the budget a little, then at a later date decided to get the Nakiri as well. Never say never, but i dont think i’ll need any more than these four as they cover everything i need at present.


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## Phil Pascoe (21 Oct 2021)

brocher said:


> I also have Robert Welch - three of them. The 12cm, 16cm and 25cm Signature knives. Their shape is ideal as the allow for both cutting and chopping. No problems with sharpening as use a steel every couple of uses, which is what I was taught at a knife skills class - fast and frequent!


Maybe mine shouldn't have passed q.c. - I couldn't sharpen it no matter how.


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## Jameshow (21 Oct 2021)

Just brought my son a basic victorinox knives for his birthday very sharp but lacking soul. Much prefer my kitchen devil and john Lewis knives I brought as a student some 25years ago gulp!

Cheers James


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## Henniep (22 Oct 2021)

Sawdust=manglitter said:


> Thanks for all the suggestions. This is the set of knives i went for in the end, with the magnetic knife holder behind (from ripples sweet chestnut). I’m over the moon with these knives, they do a superb job and get incredibly sharp.
> 
> View attachment 120126


Amazed at the extensive discussion on this topic. Very impressed with the range, quality and price of knives in your country. Must toss a curved ball into the court. I made this dicing knife from a table saw blade. Nice project, holds it's edge well and is in frequent.


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## TRITON (22 Oct 2021)

Jameshow said:


> Just brought my son a basic victorinox knives for his birthday very sharp but lacking soul.


Nowt wrong with Victorinox.
Victorinox knives are the standard knife used in about every butchers shop throughout the land. They take and hold an edge good enough for professional butchers, and the fibrox handle is such because they can be washed in a dishwasher to sterilize them.
I have 2 knives I use near daily. An old Smithfield rosewood handled cooks knife measuring about 9" and a 6" Victorinox boning knife and a 12" and 10" Victorinox butchers steak knives.
My background is the meat trade as a time served butcher, so I know knives as that's my stock in trade so to speak.
They might be souless but never pretentious. They are strong and perform well.


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