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Chefs knives recommendations.

Looking for a recommendation for a good set (8 or 9 piece) of chefs knives suitable for an enthusiastic home cook but not a professional chef. Ideally the sort of thing that will last for life. 

I've found the set below which look amazing and have great reviews and would like something along those lines but preferably from a recommendation. I would also like to support a small independent business if possible. 

Budget around £150-70.

https://www.samu-knives.com/collections/aspiring-home-chef/products/shogun-set-comprehensive-blade-set

Any chefs or home cooks on here who have a company they would recommend?

Comments

  • Get all of my kitchen gear from Procook - www.procook.co.uk.

    All good quality and well designed, and they've got a good selection of Japanese knives. You'll have to read the About Us section to see if they're small and independent enough for you.

    That set you've picked looks very nice indeed, although 9 knives for £145 seems a bit cheap for that sort of knife set, so make sure you do your research before you splash the cash. Might be better off going for a better quality set of 5 or 6.

    In terms of lasting for life, you need to buy quality AND you need to look after them. I'm too lazy, so I buy average knives and replace them when necessary. 
  • Cheers mate will check out pro cook

    Useful tip will check out 5 sets too.
  • Japanese are the way forward if money is no object but a good set of sabatier knives will last you a lifetime & won’t see you wrong great steel & riveted handles & available from John Lewis 
  • Get genuine Damascus steel blades, those ones are etched like Damascus but are not 

    They will cost you a few quid more but you don't need that many knives for home cooking. Or if you really want a set for life be ready to shell a bit more out and go all in Damascus. I've got an 8 inch Damascus chefs knife I use for everything, never sharpened it and its still razor sharp. The other knives go dull very quickly and need a lot of sharpening
  • If you go Denny’s in Soho and say you know Gary from Heat Temp Chefs, you’ll get a discount.
  • Sabatier was what I was trained on back in the day.
  • Sabatier was what I was trained on back in the day.
    Starter knives these days. That said, if you put the work in to keep them sharp then they're still good knives. Unfortunately, that's the difference now. Top end knives need far less sharpening to the average kitchen cook.
  • Sabatier was what I was trained on back in the day.
    Starter knives these days. That said, if you put the work in to keep them sharp then they're still good knives. Unfortunately, that's the difference now. Top end knives need far less sharpening to the average kitchen cook.
    Like in every other aspect of my life, I am way way past my sell by date  :(
  • I’ve got Global which are decent. I haven’t looked after them at all as I’m a lazy arse but the father in law sharpened them all up a while back and good as new.
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  • Robert Welch are decent. Got a set of four for £125 at John Lewis a couple of years ago
  • I have a great Japanese one that I use for most things but I haven’t sharpened it in the year since I got it because that seems a rabbit hole in itself. Still loads sharper than anything else in my kitchen. 

    Would question whether you need a whole set, I can't imagine ever needing more than 2 or 3 really. Maybe 4 including a bread knife.
  • This thread is relevant to my interests. 

    Me and the Mrs have been talking about getting some decent knives. She's been on about getting a very good Japanese knife. From what I've seen they're a lot more difficult to maintain than say a very good German blade. Also that they chop differently due to the style of blade. Is there any real difference to general home usage for home cooks of one or the other? 
  • We are after a set too. Had a Joseph Joseph set for about five years now. They’re ok but not very sharp. Will visit ProCook in Lewis when they reopen and see what they have.
  • edited November 2020
    I'm a former chef.

    I'd really recommend focusing on a chef's knife. Get an excellent chef's knife that will last you a lifetime and a good sharpening steel to keep it honed. 

    A paring knife you can pick up anywhere - you don't really need or want it to be razor-sharp if you're turning it into your thumb. I got a Jamie Oliver one from the supermarket and it works perfectly. Fillet knife - you can use your chef's blade unless you plan on filleting a lot of flatfish, where you need one that will give you some bend. Even then you can make do without. 

    You can also invest your total amount into one high-quality blade rather than spread it around 3-9 items, where the quality really starts to go down.

    (Also, looking at the set you've linked to, I can't imagine why you would ever need three chef's knives of different sizes).

    As for the knife itself, there are a lot of established brands you can't go wrong with: Global, Wusthof, Sabatier, Victorinox. I don't know much about independent knifemakers as the famous ones, like Bob Kramer, tend to be mega expensive.

    You could also go Japanese, something like the Enso Damascus Steel should be within your budget.

    colthe3rd said:
    This thread is relevant to my interests. 

    Me and the Mrs have been talking about getting some decent knives. She's been on about getting a very good Japanese knife. From what I've seen they're a lot more difficult to maintain than say a very good German blade. Also that they chop differently due to the style of blade. Is there any real difference to general home usage for home cooks of one or the other? 

    A Japanese knife should hold its edge longer than a western blade. Some say they're harder to sharpen but I've never experienced a difference. They do cut a bit differently because they're a different shape. With a santoku knife, you cut straight down, but with a chef's knife you tend to roll the blade a bit. I would say it's pretty effortless to adapt. 
  • edited November 2020
    I know nothing about kitchen knives but got the Mrs a 5 piece set of Sabatier for £30 (rrp £150) from Tkmaxx.
    Might be worth a look.
  • I have 4 knives for the kitchen.

    Robert Welch chef’s, pairing and bread knife. A Japanese Gyuto Damascus that has almost become a sharpening obsession rather than a knife. Like polishing a car and never driving it.

    I use some Tramotina knives for the BBQ. Very good for the price from Costco’s.
  • Used to swear by valerian steel, but now it’s all about dragon’s glass if you can find it. 
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