Kitchen Knives! I might have a problem.

[RustyIron]

I didn't even NEED more kitchen knives. But an email showed up last week, and the prices were too good to resist. They filled a gap in my collection, and the prices were budget-friendly. Under a benjamin each? What was I supposed to do? I clicked on "add to cart," checked out, and went outside to wait for the postman.

These are what showed up at the door.

Not bad, not bad at all.

My favorite kitchen knives

Spyderco/Murray Carter Itamae, Super Blue
Chad Kelley, Vanax
Hatsukokoro, Shirogami #2
Naru, Aogami #2
Naru, Aogami #2

[HolySteel]

I have three Murray Carter Itamae, sans Nakiri. To fill that role I have a Spyderco Santuko. I have a serrated fixed blade Spyderco to handle bread-cutting, but it's a surprisingly versatile knife. The most-used kitchen knife is a Cobalt Special Mule. For carving, I have a Lakota Fish Hawk - actually, I have two - really great knife.

[ChrisinHove]

Very nice!

It’s posted time and time again, but it’s nuts that we concentrate on pocket & field knives when the overwhelming usage is (or should be) in our kitchens.

Maybe Spyderco could make Kitchen Mules ? We’d probably learn more about the steels as well, then.

[benben]

Very cool Rusty, I love kitchen knives! I also have four different Shun knives but they’re not worth a pic.

Of these four….

Two are 80crV2 &
Two are Aogami Blue #2.

That little Tosa Nakiri is THE sharpest knife I’ve ever owned!

[HolySteel]

Maybe Spyderco could make Kitchen Mules ? We’d probably learn more about the steels as well, then.

They have made Mules in 'kitchen steel'. The Cobalt Special works fantastic in the kitchen - if anything, a slightly longer blade might improve its use in the kitchen. I just purchased an Aogami Super Blue Mule that I'm looking forward to testing in the kitchen. The Murray Carters have to be dried immediately and, even then, I have to occasionally polish them.

[RustyIron]

Maybe Spyderco could make Kitchen Mules ? We’d probably learn more about the steels as well, then.

You might be on to something, there. With a regular Mule, what's the primary use? Chopping long rope into short rope? Preparing recyclables for the garbage? That's fine, but if you really want to find out how an edge is behaving, you need to do something more precise, like carving up carrots, sushi, or bread. Even a mediocre edge can hack its way through a cardboard box. But if your edge isn't spot on and you're slicing up a ripe tomato, you're going to know it right away.

Something like a mule in a bunka bocho would be pretty cool. It could be a stepping stone to get regular knive guys thinking about moving into the kitchen. It would also open the door for more people to explore the creation of their own knife handles.

[RustyIron]

That little Tosa Nakiri is THE sharpest knife I’ve ever owned!

Those are some pretty nice looking knives.
Fun stuff!

[ChrisinHove]

Maybe Spyderco could make Kitchen Mules ? We’d probably learn more about the steels as well, then.

You might be on to something, there. With a regular Mule, what's the primary use? Chopping long rope into short rope? Preparing recyclables for the garbage? That's fine, but if you really want to find out how an edge is behaving, you need to do something more precise, like carving up carrots, sushi, or bread. Even a mediocre edge can hack its way through a cardboard box. But if your edge isn't spot on and you're slicing up a ripe tomato, you're going to know it right away.

Something like a mule in a bunka bocho would be pretty cool. It could be a stepping stone to get regular knive guys thinking about moving into the kitchen. It would also open the door for more people to explore the creation of their own knife handles.

That would be excellent.

I don’t know the economics of knife manufacturing but maybe a longer but thinner stock mule blade needn’t cost more than the current all-purpose pattern, considering steel weight and grinding time.

[RustyIron]

Meals taste just a little bit better when you get to use your fancy knives in their creation. Tonight it was zucchini parmagiana using my own interpretation of a proper Bolognese, accompanied by garlic-butter pasta. That big Spyderco gyuto is great for maintaining straight, parallel, uniform cuts.

[aicolainen]

Congrats, Rusty. Looks nice!

I actually need new kitchen knives as well as an overhaul of my storage "solution".
I have just one full size chefs knife that I consider to be quite good, and some smaller Spyderco's that are nice for smaller tasks, but all the old kitchen knives that we bought before understanding steels and geometry is really starting to bother me. And the storage situation is just as sad, the "best" knives are kept in a silly, cheap-ish plastic knife block I got as a Christmas present way back, and the other knives are just rattling around in drawers.

Ordered a small selection of replacements, a magnetic wooden knife block and knife storage inlay for my kitchen knife drawer. I don't know enough about Japanese kitchen knives to venture into that territory, and the only way to get something like that is by importing myself so I played it safe with Victorinox this time. Easy to obtain from domestic dealers and good deals to be had during the recent sales.

So that's what my girlfriend gets for Christmas this year.

Looking forward to get rid of all those crappy knives that I've kept around way too long, just because they did kind'a work.

[vivi]

victorinox knives are solid for the $$. I bought myself a 10" chefs knife from them when I got my first real line cook job under an actual chef, and aside from sharpening scratches it's still good as the day I bought it. Decades old at this point.

If you end up with more knives than your block or magnetic strip can hold, felt lined blade covers work well too.

[RugerNurse]

Maybe this fits in kitchen knives topic. But what is a recommendation for a carving knife?

[aicolainen]

victorinox knives are solid for the $$. I bought myself a 10" chefs knife from them when I got my first real line cook job under an actual chef, and aside from sharpening scratches it's still good as the day I bought it. Decades old at this point.

If you end up with more knives than your block or magnetic strip can hold, felt lined blade covers work well too.

Thanks vivi,
I think I've seen you talk positively about Victorinox kitchen knife value before, so that's probably the voice playing in the back of my head when I decided to go that route.
Didn't really feel like a big gamble, as I've never been disappointed by Victorinox value. My one good kitchen knife is Japanese, and while I really enjoy micarta handles and the Japanese esthetics, I don't think there will be much of a practical difference vs Victorinox at my skill level.
Maybe I'll splurge and spend the money I saved on a Helle Dele.
Probably not a better kitchen knife in any meaningful way, but it'll give me some feel of craftmanship and allow me to support my home team at the same time.