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Equipment & Gear: Chef's Knives Rated
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yoghurtcutter
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:06 am    Post subject: Sharpening Reply with quote

Testing the knives on factory edge is the most fair way to do it. Because if you were to sharpen the knives on say an 8000 grit stone like some testers claim you should. It wouldnt as some say promote knives with better steel, it would promote knives with harder steel. As those knives respond better to the finer grit

Reality is though, that this provides a shaving edge and not a using edge. For instance, a 62-63 HRC knife would cut the tomato better with a perfect 8000 grit sharpened edge. While a WUSTHOF would cut it better with the microserrations given by a 600 edge. For my globals i prefer sharpening them with a VULKANUS professional sharpener or a 1000 grit stone. But for slicing say chili peppers the difference would become even greater.

After using and selling a bunch of different chef knives for years, i very much agree with the conclusions and results provided in this test. It doesnt suprise me the least that the MAC Professional and Global G-2 comes out on top. I use the global myself on an everyday basis and it's my favorite knife, and personally. I prefer the global handles to mac anyday of the week

I am however a bit supprised the Shun didnt come out better, as it is truely an outstanding knife! Im allso critical to how the shape of the blade was not concidered aswell as European vs Asian cutting techniques as they are very different.

My personal top 3 in no specific order:
Shun Classic
MAC Professional
Global G-2

But really, there's a lot of good brands out there. And then theres a lot of idiots who still prefer knives like the WUSTHOFs with their european shaped edge. Like for instance Gordon Ramsay...
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ICUTVEGGIES
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:15 am    Post subject: Love my Cutcos Reply with quote

There are probably better knives out there but I for me I think it would be "splitting hairs". I mean I have been so happy with the Cutcos why would I buy anything else. I purchased a basic set of Cutcos about 20 years ago and still love them. I have added most that they sell.
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j-roo
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 4:19 pm    Post subject: Knives Reply with quote

None of your test actually test the steel the blade is made of. You didnt test any damascus knives at all. How come there was no test to see how long the knife stayed sharp?
I am a metalsmith/knifemaker/blacksmith, and I looked on this website for interesting info. These ratings are not scientific.
What is the blade hardness?
What type of temper do the blades have?
What type of steel/stainless steel are the blades made of?
If damascus, how many layers, what steel is in the layers?
What are the handles made of?
How are the handles attached?
I have a damascus blade that i can stab into a steel 55 gallon drum, and take a 10 pound hammer and proceed to cut the steel drum in half, and afterwords it is still razor sharp, unbent, and just as good as new.
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 10:10 pm    Post subject: Use of the Knife Reply with quote

The Cutco's French Chef wasnt made to do slicing but for a rocking chopping motion. If your going to test knives like these learn the proper purpose for them or use the knives made by the company that are made for slicing. Cutco is made out of high quality 440 carbon stainless steel and is easier to care for then most other sets I have bought in the past.
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 10:22 pm    Post subject: Re: here's some more info Reply with quote

For the last bit of this post, all these Cutco posts are making me laugh. Seriously, who thinks Cutco knives are any good? Also, the double-D edge is a serrated edge. Period. It is also TERRIBLE to use any sort of serrated edge on raw meat of any sort, especially on poultry. Why you may ask? Well meat still has capillaries in it from when it was cut off, shrink-wrapped, frozen, and placed at your grocery store. Inside those capillaries and other vessels are all the juices of your meat. Poultry can get real dry if the juices in the meat are not kept in. Capillaries when cut tend to contract if the cut is clean. This is one reason why it's better to be cut by a sharp knife than a dull one. Ever been cut by a really sharp knife and notice you don't bleed right away? But get a gash or a raspberry on your skin and watch it flow! When you cut meat with a sharp straight edge, the capillaries in the meat contract and keep the juices in. Any sort of serrated blade tears when it cuts. There is not a serrated blade ever made that does not tear when it cuts, including the double-D cutco knives. So while Cutco knives do work in cutting the meat, it screws up the preparation of your meat by doing so. Never prepare meats with a serrated knife. This one reason to never use Cutco or any serrated knife period.

[/quote]

Cutco's Couble-D edge does not cut like a serrated blade at all. It gives a nice smooth cut and does not tear meat. The teeth on the Double-D edge are made to protect the blade itself and doesnt do the cutting.
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Cornelius



Joined: 17 Nov 2009
Posts: 16
Location: Everett, WA

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 10:10 am    Post subject: Spec-heads/Smegheads Reply with quote

Gotta love all the people who quote all the specs about steel, sharpening styles, and so on, as if they really mean anything.

If it is a good knife, the rest is subjective. Any testing of this type is subjective. The tester's wife likes different knives than he does. Does that make her stupid? Of course not.

What it comes down to is how does it cut for you, how does it feel in your own hand, and how long does it hold an edge for you?

As someone posted long ago in this thread, the most important part of any knife is the hand that wields it.

And by the way, folks, if you hope to dazzle us with your brilliant, succinct and pithy comments, learn to spell, or at least to use a spell-checker.
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Sur
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:25 pm    Post subject: French Chef Reply with quote

Ok you DO NOT use a French Chef knife to cut carrots, tomatoes or potatoes...

Get more knives. Learn what each one is used for.

This test is entirely flawed and should be completely disregarded.
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Anamouse
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:53 pm    Post subject: Nice execution of a relatavely unbiased knife review Reply with quote

I'm a bit of a kitchen knife nut and own well over 100, from many different manufactures, and must say it's nice to see someone present a relatavely unbiased review of knives.

I was pleased to see the range of knives you included, and how well you acknowledged the limitations of your criteria. I was sad to see that you only tested the factory edges, and hope that one day you and perhaps some trusted friends with good sharpening skills, try doing the test again and rate how well the knives hold their edge, and how easy it is to resharpen them once they dull. As a knife nut, who always dulls knives, and then resharpens them, that detail is essential to me and I would love to participate in a test like that. I also trust your evaluation skills and would value the results if you did a test like that.

I am often asked about Cutco knives, and I do own a few, but was pleased to see that you rated them appropriately low, even compared to much less expensive knives like Forschner. I have had many arguments with Cutco fans who obviously never owned a real good knive, but have none the less become convinced Cutco is the best knive on the market. God knows they paid enough to get a good knive, too bad they didn't get one.

I also think your test results were largely predictable, when it came to cutting ease. Most of the tests favored knives with smooth well tapered blades including the edge, and the results appropriately reflected that fact.

I often recommend Forschner to people who ask my opinion, and recommend and sometimes help them learn how to sharpen their own knives. It doesn't take long before most people dull their knives, and Forschner is a great value for a knife that holds an edge reasonably well, is reasonably priced, and incrediably durable. If they really would appreciate a much better knife, they proabably wouldn't be asking for my recommendation.

I think that most people don't use a knife enough to appreciate how a good one minimizes fatique, but do wish you had spent a little more time on that subject. Some expensive knives, like the Cutco Chef's knife you tested, have miserably designed handles, and are very uncomfortable to use for any length of time.

I just wish I could afford to buy as many new knives as you obviously bought to do your test.

Thank you for a great review
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Verbouse
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:50 pm    Post subject: Knives Reply with quote

Seriously, You all are commenting on a "test" done over 5 years ago. I cant beleive it.
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NewKnife
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:33 pm    Post subject: What about Wuesthof IKON? Reply with quote

I would like to see how the Wusthof IKON ranks.

I spent a good part of yesterding researching, observing, and trying a few different premium knives and it came down to two. When I held the Wusthof Classis in one hand and the Wusthof Classic IKON in the other, the decision was easy: IKON!

The IKON was much more comfotable in my hand its handle being more rounded. It was also better balanced on the middle finger, as opposed to index finger like the other knives. The entire butt-end of the knive's handle is all steel. Take a look at a picture. This must be extremely difficult to manufacture because the handle must be exactly fit to the complex curves of the extremely hard steel. I also liked that the entire edge was shapened all the way to the back of the blade, unlike the Classic.

The downside is that it's horribly expensive! I paid $160 for the 8" kochmesser at Macy's, which I'm sure was top dollar at $50 over the Classic. I probably could have found a knife that performs closely for a lot less money or the same knife for less money, but I just didn't care. I just wanted the best knife I could find at whatever price.

I have 180 days before the sale is final. I tried it and liked it. Is there one that I may like better?
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PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2011 8:46 pm    Post subject: Doesnt matter how old the post is... Reply with quote

I don't see how the age of the article matters much when it comes to something like knives. The knives mentioned in the article are all good knives that will withstand the test of time, as will this well-written article. It's still near the top of the page in Google so I suspect that's where all of the new people commenting on it are coming from...

Good stuff there...I'd suggest reading this article for more info. on the differences between knives prior to making a purchase. It really helped me tell the difference between the various types of blades and knives out there:
Knife Buying Guide
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concerned
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:19 pm    Post subject: My Thoughts on Cutco Reply with quote

My little brother sells Cutco and I haven't bought knives from him based on one principle. Cutco is taking advantage of him and he in turn is taking advantage of family members and friends without realizing it based on the near cultish Cutco pride. Cutco will hire ANY college student because people feel sorry for them and buy knives to help them out. Someone's getting rich off this and it's not the reps.

If you are a rep and want to argue I won't be back. For the record I have scandalous friends who sell $100 speakers for $500 which is a scam and takes advantage of people's trust. I don't agree with what they do the same way I don't agree with what you do. Reevaluate your morals.
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enlightened rep.
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:46 am    Post subject: cutco knives Reply with quote

so i was just hired by vector to sell these knives so i thought.. hm.. should probably do a little research.. and then i came across this page...

first of all, I would like to thank you for your opinions, for I have now adopted some of them... I will try to sell these cutco knives though to the suckers who would buy them (hey, I'm a college student so I need my cash). I will also try not to take advantage of my family and friends by saying I don't really think they're worth buying.. but eh.. whether or not they buy them is completely up to them...

honest to god though, as someone who knew nothing about knives I was really impressed with how well they cut through leather and rope (even if the comparisons were with crap knives)... so I can see how they've been selling

on a side note, I've heard the cutco knives have been pretty good for yard work... apparently someone cut down a palm tree with the butcher knife
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LOL
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 6:56 pm    Post subject: Cutco Fails? Reply with quote

You are the funniest person ive ever met. Cutco blows all those other knives away. If you believe this you clearly must read the national inquirer with great interest. Do any of the manufacturers in these tests come with a forever gaurantee? I didnt think so. So if you buy a Cutco Set and you dont like it, not only can you return it within 15 days but have the knives replaced, FREE. Clearly overpriced garbage eh? Try Henckels for overpriced garbage. They suggest sharpening before and after every single use, their warranty covers only defects, so if you buy their knives and they break one after a week, your out of luck. Not to mention that unless you actually own Cutco you should never try to degrade it, it just makes you look like a total idiot. Funny there is not a video of all this, because the guy who wrote this up is clearly retarded. For some solid proof get on Cutco.com and read some of the thousands of reviews from satisfied Cutco owners, or youtube.com and search Cutco Modern Marvels. the first five seconds disproves your tests. There is not another manufacturer that has ratings as high as Cutco. Anyone who disagrees must not be from the United States and is clearly hating on American made products.
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Dilbert



Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1304
Location: central PA

PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 8:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

note to readers:

as a matter of actual fact, all the major knife manufacturers offer lifetime warranties on their products - one Japanese make does limit their products to a 25 year period.

one of my Wuesthof handles cracked - after some 20+ years. sent it back, no cost replacement provided. no grief about where I bought it, when I bought it, please provide sales receipt - nothing - handle broke, knife replaced. painless end of story.

all the knife manufacturers - including Cutco - limit the damages covered.

if you intend to use your kitchen knives as a hatchet, can opener and pry bar - might want to rethink buying knives - cold chisels might be a better choice.

Cutco produces quite mediocre knives but sells them through their MLM schemes at top end prices. a K-Mart quality product with a Tiffany & Co. price tag.

which is why Cutco reps want to close the sale immediately. if the customer has the opportunity to research what good knives cost, they quickly recognize the rip-off factor.

for the Cutco cost one can get top rated USA / European forged knives with a long quality history and reputation.

as of this date I was unable to find any reputable source / organization that included Cutco products in their reviews and/or rating. people like Consumer Reports and America's Test Kitchen. the only people that "top rate" Cutco knives is Cutco itself.
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