When I moved into this new house with this fabulous kitchen, I got rid of all my old, crappy knives and bought myself good new ones. They are Global, recommended to me by a chef friend of mine. Razor sharp and feel good in my hand (which is the most important thing he told me). I asked him what I needed for knives and he said "all you'll ever need is a bread knife, a chef's knife and a paring knife. Don't waste your money on anything else."

So that's what's in my kitchen. (Plus they're pretty!)

YES! I've used those before and they are great. You're right. Gorgeous too.

We were given a set of hefty Henckels as a wedding gift, but I find I prefer my Cutco knives. They sit more comfortably in my hand, and seem to stay sharper, longer, oddly enough.

Helpful hint: if you have a dud knife that's blunt and you don't mind if you kill it, in a pinch you can always sharpen it pretty effectively on a piece of stone - a brick wall, or a window sill, both work really well! But you're generally better off getting a pro to keep them sharp.

I feel like there is some tradition where you are supposed to give someone a penny or something when you give them a knife? Am I remembering that correctly? Some kind of superstition.

Checking...

Just found it. The tradition is that the gift recipient should give a coin back in payment, so the knife doesn't sever the relationship. Often a coin is included in the gift with the knife to be handed back to the giver. I knew I'd heard that somewhere! I love stuff like that.

Did you know that when you give knives as a gift, you are supposed to also give the recipient a penny? The folklore is that giving knives is a symbol of bad luck or severing the relationship, so the penny is for them to give back to you, as 'payment' for the gift.

Hah, Emily... great minds!

Wustof definitely. Though I have a large Farberware that cuts an acorn squash like a dream!

haha! Funny.

Cutco

We've lasted 12 years with no pennies :)

I have Henckels..can't say I'm thrilled. One knife had a defect and broke while slicing cheese. They replaced it so no problems there. The quality of the blade is not great. My husband sharpens them (either with the wheel or his bazillions of sharpening stones) and the sharpness doesn't last for too long. I have a Japanese knife that cuts really well. The only downside to it is that it needs to be oiled after it is cleaned (kind of like the cast iron pans).

Knives? Aren't those used for cooking???? I wash those things for my husband that likes to cook.
:)

Henckels or Wusthoff

I have had all the knives mention below and I have found that the best knives for the kitchen and table are Cutco knives

Wusthof

Cutco is the absolute best! They will even sharpen your knives for free for life!

I've had Wusthoff, Chicago Cutlery, Henckels and some really cheap ones. The chef's knife I love (and have for 6 years or so) is my Shun. Great feel to them and they stay razor sharp for a good, long time.

Heckles Professional

I also meant to say knife guards are a must if you store knives in a drawer to preserve the edge, avoid Knicks on the blades and prevent someone from grabbing the blade.

Cutco. I have both mine and my grandmother's from the 1940's. High carbon content and ergonomic handles made them the best thing on the market . They maintain sharpness better than any german blade I've ever used, and are on a par w the Global Pro Series, which I also like. I have the same three that Kimdee does, plus kitchen shears, but couldn't resist this dorky spatula spreader - and use it daily. I'm not proud of that, but I can't help myself. :))
I also like that I will never need to buy another knife, and that these are made in America.

@ Home Dec In A Sec - I didn't know that, about Cutco sharpening their knives for free for life, thanks! Do I just contact a local distributor, or....?

And Emily, where I come from (Scotland, not that I'm proud of it or anything....) that money is known as a "Luck Penny," and it doesn't just apply to knives: years ago we bought a horse for my sister, and the farmer gave her a kitten as a luck penny. You'll never guess what we called the kitten.....

Some local distributors are trained to do it in your home, so worth a call Otherwise, or if the blade has become very dull, you send it off to the factory.. Their site has details.

I have two Wusthofs...chef and paring. Love them. Bought very inexpensive Kitchen Aid shears....they are fine and I use them a lot. But my favorites are those 4 packs of cheap, cheap paring knives...plastic handles...with a swipe down a simple sharperner occasionally they will peel a tomato or peach effortlessly. But....I do have very small hands so I can understand why many people might not think they are substantial enough. Hope it's ok to ask another question on the subject of knives. What is the preferred method of storage for your good knives? (not my little 99 cent ones)

CUTCO- hands down. Lifetime sharpening. Guaranteed replacement. I've experienced both services. Made in the USA. Solidly gorgeous. Razor sharp. Dishwasher safe. We have used them for years and appreciate how beautiful they still look. That includes the shears. Some designs have the diamond cut edge which require you to send them in for sharpening at their factory. Not a problem. The edge is worth it if you've ever used that type of blade. I'm attaching a picture of the set I have, but they make smaller versions.

I have several knives sets ( blocks), one set is Prestige and the others are similar, one is a green set and another all stainless steal with black handles. I use a lot of them, my favourite knives are the last one you have above, the Chef's knife, and two cute ones haha, one for chopping herbs and another is for slicing cucumbers or courgettes.

I'm a Wusthoff fan. Especially my santoku knife.

I agree with the other CUTCO fans out there. In fact I wrote a blog article about them last year recommending them to my readers. http://ddsdesignservices.com/blog/2012/11/innovative-products-for-foodies/

When I got married, we registered for Henckels, and a few years later bought just a few Cutco knives. After almost 30 years of marriage, I still have both, but never use the Henckels because the Cutco have stayed sharp. I recently added to the steak knives, and bought more Cutco.

@bubblyjock. Did you call the kitten knife?

@studio lol. Have that Cutco spreader/knife and use it EVERY day! It's the best. Have had it at least 15 years. A college girl came around selling them, so wanted to help her out a bit! Didn't realize how great they were till later. Have never sharpened and it will still cut anything. Second fav is a pair of wooden handle Chicago Cutlery, paring and fillet (I think). They need regular sharpening with my steel ,though.

Cutco.

I love my cutco knives. Just got them sharpened for the first time after 5 years- sent them in while we were on vacation so I wouldn't have to be without them for long!

I have Cutco's also. Love them. One fell in the bottom of my dishwasher and the handle melted. Cutco replaced it at no charge. True Lifetime warranty.

Me Uggh. Me use flint.

I refused Cutco for years and finally bought some. LOVE THEM. Made all my other expensive knives look bad.

I bought Cutco in 1971 and have never used anything else. I absolutely hate going to someone's house and trying to use their knives.

I think I'll try Cutco. I have Wustoffs and am currently not very happy with them.

The ones that best fit your hands. There are enough good brands out there that you don't have to be married to a specific line to get a good knife, so shop around for the ones that feel most comfortable to you in terms of handle and balance. I can't remember what brand my favorite chef's knife is atm, but that's how I found it.

(I also don't buy knife block sets usually. I don't like knife blocks, and you always end up with knives you won't ever use or that aren't the best knife for that task - like a company that makes a really good chef's knife may not be the one to get a really good slicing knife from, y'know? So I have a mix of things. My paring knives are mostly inexpensive from a restaurant supply because they're the ones people are most likely to reach for if they're helping out in the kitchen, and this way I don't care if one has something horrible happen to it or accidentally gets thrown away.)

Just as you would lie on a bed before purchase, test the knife in your hand for a fair period of time, in daylight. Raise your arm, hold the knife pointing down, and walk down the street outside. Houzz does not endorse this advice.

Hubby( who is a cook) says get a non- slip one for when the blood starts flowing

I use Wusthof exclusively. Henckels is also on par with Wusthof. I just happened to get a Wusthof from my parents as my first knife and stuck with them. In terms of what to get, I recommend the following:

Chefs Knife (buy this one first as it is the one you'll use the most.
Paring Knife (3.5" and/or 4.5").
Boning Knife
Roast Beef Slicer
Bread Knife
Cleaver (I don't use it often but when I need one it comes in very handy).

In terms of sharpening, some people like the steel. I personally use a 6" soft Arkansas stone and some honing oil.

Regarding the sharpening issue, I believe Cutco sharpens for free. In fact, in some areas they will come to your house and pick them up or do it on the driveway.

Knives from MAC are my favorite knives. The flexibility and grip they provides are the best thing. I have just bought one MAC knife which has air gaps on the blade so it is easy to cut potatoes, cucumbers and other things.

http://www.vikingsun.se/produkt/mac-kockkniv-santoku-med-luftspalt/

We have these

This did not answer my question

you're resurrecting an old thread in order to complain about its content? or did you think you were at a support site, rather than a discussion forum?

maybe you want to start a thread of your own, giving your question and enough context to help people (for free, volunteers) answer it.