Bought my first ever set of kitchen knives

[Cholo]

For the last 25 years I've used 4 cheap finely serrated steak knives from Walmart and use them for everything. Believe it or not they still work just as well as the day I bought them.

They met their match when it came to cutting the very dense sweet potato lengthwise. I went in the garage and found 2 long knives that have been there since my divorce 33 years ago. The blades bent so easily there's no way I'd use them.

I spent a few hours searching for a set that didn't have complaints about them rusting or handles that cracked. This was in the $100+ range. Things looked better starting at a minimum of $300. I obviously don't have a degree in Culinary Arts like Kevin has so my needs aren't as great. Remember, for the last 25 years I've gotten by with cheap Walmart steak knives only.

I looked at a set in Costco yesterday. The reviews were good, but I wanted to read more. I did when I got back home and they were good; no complaints of rusting or cracked handles. I had other errands to run so I went back and bought them.

Cangshan is an American company that makes some really good knives. These are their lower end but made of forged German steel finished in (gag) China. I've never had a high quality knife set, and I still don't LOL These seem pretty darned decent at this price point, though. It's called the RANIER Series in Costco, but is the HELENA Series everywhere else. $106 on Amazon, $79.97 at Costco.

They're sharp, and they made short order on a large sweet potato. I'm going to actually learn how to use these as they're so sharp and unforgiving.

If you're looking for a decent very basic set of 5 knives, you might want to give them a look. They have much larger sets available.

I suppose I need a pic. There's a link to Amazon at the bottom.





https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C1HFPMTD/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AUE7SNNN24RGX&th=1

 

[tazbigdog]

I bought one of their longer sushi knives for my wife, as she makes most of the sushi here in the house. Decent quality and sharper than hell.

 

[Randyzzz]

Wow! Nice looking and at a nice price.

I have always wanted a nice set of steak knives. I finally found a set I liked- I wanted a blade that did not have the exaggerated upward tip. These are handmade in Soligen, Germany, for Messermeister out of Ojai, CA. They were a birthday gift from my wife. I absolutely love the olive wood handles and I am considering having a set of olive wood grips made for one of my Rugers.

I may have to go to Costco and check your set out. Right now I've got a mish-mash of Henckels and Cutco.

 

[Cholo]

I think you might be disappointed in the Cangshan after owning those hand made beauties! Wow!

 

[Randyzzz]

I think you might be disappointed in the Cangshan after owning those hand made beauties! Wow!

I doubt it. Main reason? My wife uses the kitchen knives. I can’t begin to count the times she cuts on something other than a cutting board. And she wonders why the knives get dull so fast. I forgot that I do have a 3 piece set of Boker Titanium kitchen knives. They cut great but the styling sorta kills it for me. They were a gift so they live in the drawer…

 

[WendyZXZ]

A good set of knives is a must for any well stocked kitchen. We got a set of Global brand knives years ago, no block they just reside in the drawer until needed. We have pretty much this set, but with no longer having a working camera that died a year online is works showing examples:

The handles are a either love or hate but they work out great in practical use!

 

[arfmel]

You can frequently find nice sets of kitchen knives second-hand on fleabay. I bought an older set of German made Henckels for cheap $ there last year, also bought a new knife block to hold them. My niece was admiring them. She recently bought a house and I gave them to her, along with a bunch of other kitchen stuff I'll never need, (like a vintage kitchenaid mixer) for a housewarming gift.

 

[Watertender]

My wife has a set of Cutco knives in a wooden block on the kitchen counter. I personally use an A. G. Russell Woodswalker for most of my kitchen tasks. I just got a used set of Opinel kitchen knives for a young friend of mine who is going to cooking school. These are Olivewood handles while the ones that I got him have beechwood handles. I also gave him a Woodswalker to round out his set.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I've been using 4 Normark filet knives we bought out of a sale bin at Cabeleas in Wisconsin in 1994, as steak and everything else in the kitchen knives. If they get dull they are sharp again in 2 minutes with the steel and crock sticks.

 

[jav]

I usually have German blade kitchen knives but a buddy got me a Japanese blade and I love it it’s the sharpest tool in my drawer

 

[Kevin]

Cholo! 25 years with just wal mart steak knives? I actually kind of admire that.

In school I had a Japanese chef teacher. He was a true master chef winning lots of competitions . Anyway he always liked to show off his set of custom made knives. Japanese steel of course and just beautiful.

One day after school I stuck around and he was showing me how to sharpen knives on a whet stone. He turned around for a quick second and I of course used that opportunity to slice me thumb. Blood everywhere!

He just shook his head and walked away. Lesson over.

Anyway, I hope you like this set of knives. And exactly what Wendy said, a good chef knife is a must for a kitchen.

 

[Cholo]

If I'd have known what a pleasure better knives would be I'd have bought them years ago. I often cook chicken strips. I used to have to saw thru the breasts with the Walmart knives. With these pretty much the weight of the knife itself cuts it clean thru with a single pull. Nice!

 

[RoninPA]

When we were stationed in Spain ('86-'89) I told the wife we were going to get kitchen knives that would last us the rest of our lives. We bought J.A. Henckels knives from Germany. We still have them and use them daily. A good number of years ago (25+) we wanted a true set of steak knives and got a set of Chicago Cutlery. Still have them and boy do they sharpen easily and are wicked sharp. I did buy a some Japanese knives (2 are ceramic, 2 are steel) on my business trips to Japan. The wife loves the ceramics but they're tough to sharpen but they stay sharp for a long time.

I'd sharpen my mom and dad's knives and have to warn them to be careful because they were use to knives that weren't as sharp as they should have been. Luckily, they never hurt themselves and then would call me when they thought they needed sharpening.

 

[Hertervillian]

When we were stationed in Spain ('86-'89) I told the wife we were going to get kitchen knives that would last us the rest of our lives. We bought J.A. Henckels knives from Germany. We still have them and use them daily. A good number of years ago (25+) we wanted a true set of steak knives and got a set of Chicago Cutlery. Still have them and boy do they sharpen easily and are wicked sharp. I did buy a some Japanese knives (2 are ceramic, 2 are steel) on my business trips to Japan. The wife loves the ceramics but they're tough to sharpen but they stay sharp for a long time.

I'd sharpen my mom and dad's knives and have to warn them to be careful because they were use to knives that weren't as sharp as they should have been. Luckily, they never hurt themselves and then would call me when they thought they needed sharpening.

Years ago the wife and I bought her grandmother a Chicago Cutlery bread knife. Well that knife was the sharpest tool in the drawer, and as such she started using it for everything. Soon enough she cut herself requiring a few stitches.

Fast forward a couple years, my mom wanted a bread knife. We gifted her the same one grandma got. Within a couple months she was at the hospital getting herself a few stitches.

We no longer give anyone knives. I sharpen mom’s knives a couple times a year, admonishing her to be careful, “remember that bread knife”. In her defense it’s about the only time she cut herself. We joke about the deadly bread knife.

 

[jav]

Years ago the wife and I bought her grandmother a Chicago Cutlery bread knife. Well that knife was the sharpest tool in the drawer, and as such she started using it for everything. Soon enough she cut herself requiring a few stitches.

Fast forward a couple years, my mom wanted a bread knife. We gifted her the same one grandma got. Within a couple months she was at the hospital getting herself a few stitches.

We no longer give anyone knives. I sharpen mom's knives a couple times a year, admonishing her to be careful, "remember that bread knife". In her defense it's about the only time she cut herself. We joke about the deadly bread knife.

I have a old Chicago cutlery bread knife it is a sharp knife had it over 30 years as you know you can’t sharpen those knives

 

[Mobuck]

Chicago, Old Hickory, and Cold Steel kitchen knives.
I bought several better grade kitchen knives from a store front in a mall in Osage Beach MO years ago. They've served me well. Grouch Attack has not respect for knives so hers' look like something from a horror movie. I hide the ones I use for meat processing and those are in quite good condition.

 

[GasGuzzler]

I bought a set of "real" Chicago Cutlery one-piece stainless kitchen knives about 20 years ago and they are all still very nice. Added a vintage large butcher knife of another make to store in the sharpener slot. Came with 8 steak knives.