Hi Joe. Check out his website www.cartercutlery.com. I first learned about him on one of the knife forums. He does an amazing job, but it can take several months for a custom order.

I read his knives, also on one of the forums, but when I saw the cost of a single chef's knife, I decided that if I ever went to culinary school and successfully completed my course studies, I would treat myself to one of his knives. I'm a really good cook, but never good enough to justify that. I soooo envy you, what a lucky duck (please do not be offended, it is said with a kind heart). I too checked out cartercutlery.com back then and it was a borderline orgasmic experience. I adored and hated it at the same time. Joe, do check it out, you'll have such fun. But then, I love cooking equipment stores and it's not like my kitchen even needs anything, as I don't like clutter. I do like purusing websites just to see if there is anything interesting out there.

Everybody has their favorite. It comes down to how comfortable it feels. Frankly, I don't have the budget to buy some of the fancy brands like Global. As a result, I've subscribed to the Anthony Bourdain minimalist philosophy. I just have a F. Dick offset knife, a Forschner boning and paring knife and a Henckels meat cleaver. I've survived just fine.

where to find what you want at bargin prices. As mamma said 'never pay retail' baby. I guess it's just an East Coast kind of thing. Resturants go out of business all the time, although you will never find the chef or sous chef part with their knives, but various sites have end-of-year sales where you can get the essentials, like a Chef's knife.

I have a Victorinox 10", 8", 5", boning, and pairing knife. I work in a restaurant and I am used to using that type of knife. I get most use out of my 8" knife.

It's not the most expensive (no more that $25 for the 10"), but they work well. I like the feel of it in my hand. Other, more expensive, knives I have tried had a smaller handle that just did not feel right for me.

They also stay sharp for quite a while. Sharpness also depends on how one treats his or her knife; smooth, steady, and controled motions--no banging.

It truly is a matter of preference. Not a matter of cost. I sort of live in two cities, New York and Montreal; my permanent residence and my significant other's residence. Thinking I would love an "upgrade" to my cutlery, the SO purchased Global knives for our kitchen, after it was completed. They don't fit in my hand properly, the grip is too large in front, small in back and tilts in a funny direction. I don't feel comfortable with the metal handle. I just love my Wusthof which I have been accumulating for 30-odd years. They feel like an extension of my hand and automatically accepts my brain commands with fluidity. But it did make me feel awful guilty after he did such a wonderful thing.

I have started freelancing as a chef and am flying from job to job. I have not carried my knives with me (in my check-in luggage) as I thought they could easily get knicked or I'd be tagged as a potential threat- a knife would certainly show up on a metal detector screen. Has anyone had any experience with travelling with knives? Am I being too cautious?

I use the LamsonSharp KnifeSafe when I travel. They keep the blade protected quite well. If you wrap the blade in parchment paper before you put it in the case, you further protect the blade from marks caused by the rubber inserts in the case.

I have never tried flying with my knives...you could always phone the airline to see what their policies are.

I have a wusthof and a shun and I LOVE my shun. The D-handle is so amazing and not mention very atractive. A good buddy just got a MAC and I like that one too but prefer the weight of the Shun. Spend about $150 on a chefs knife and you'll be happy.

My knife roll goes with me when I fly. Just can't carry on and I've never had a problem. Along with the knives i travel with the flexible plastic
cutting board/sheets. Be sure you include a steel or diamond honing steel. My travel knives are all Victorinox.

I would like suggestions from a left-handed person with a tiny hand as to what knives they personally tried and liked. I see the Ken Onion is ambidextrous and Shun has some left-handed (because of the D shape). I would like to inquire as to what other knife options would work. Would the right-handed bevel be a non-issue after a sharpening or are there other factors to consider? My palm is 3.2 inches across, like a kid really. Thanks!

I am a proud lefty! I find most chefs knives feel quite comfortable. I was happy when Shun came out with their left-handed knives. I thought how nice that someone is finally thinking about us lefties!

I bought a few of them and they are quite nice to use as they fit right in the palm of your hand. I think that the handle is a bit chunky maybe for you, if you say your hands are quite small.

I would suggest that maybe you check out the Wusthof 6" or 8" chef knife...or even the Kasumi 5.5" Utiility knife. We have both of these and they are both very good and not too big.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Thank you Dawn for your advice! I appreciate all the comments you post on these forums because you always have useful and practical comments that demonstrate your experience.

Hello, I was wonderng if a «cheap» knive that would be regularly honed and sharpened, would be as good as a «quality» one. Would the difference be only in their life time? Also, is it possible to sharpen a bread knive?
Merci, Isabelle

This is sort of a hard one to answer as it really comes down to personal choice. Is a more expensive pair of runners better than a cheaper pair? Or is a cheap pair of golf clubs better than a more expensive pair...I guess it depends, do you gold often? Do you love to golf? Some golfers would say that it TOTALLY makes a difference.

As far as knives go, I would say that a more expensive knife (generally speaking of course) will not only last longer, it will also be constructed better; therefore the edge will stay sharper longer and it will just feel better in your hand.

But again, I guess this really comes down to personal preference. Myself, I would go for quality but then again I cook for a living and I really enjoying chopping and doing my mise en place :-)

Hope this helps!

cook for a living, but I can tell you this, when I cook at my Dad's house and am forced to use the incredibly old, dull, lousy knives, I literally get depressed. No joke. Like 40+ years old and no one but me says boo. Not only have I injured myself, but there are times I can't even find a proper knife for the application I am attempting. I long to come home (NYC or my second) to my wonderful, functional knives. All lined up in proper order on their magnetic holder; in their proper place, waiting for me to use them. If I need to section an orange, well, I have a paring knife. Slice bread, a serrated knife. A roast meat, a slicer. And so on....I mean really. I understand not all homes are so dysfunctional they lack proper knives, maybe it runs in my family? Or maybe I was switched at the hospital at birth? Or the doctor dropped me on my head? Or I'm adopted? Or just kooky? Take your choice.

Merci Dawn and Julie,
Actualy, I LOVE to cook (even if I don't find as much time I would love to explore this world, as I have to very young kids and I am a very busy mummy!...), and to work with quality stuff (starting with fresh organic food, to good pots and pans, etc) so I think that I might get at least one or two good knives, as it will surely be a more enjoyable experience. Though before that, I will probably by a wet stone to sharp my older knives to check out if they can be still usefull (and I will practice my sharpening lesson of your cooking school!). The last thing I was wondering : is it possible to sharpen a serrated knife (I don't know if it is the english name for a bread knife with a wavy blade?) Thank you for taking time to respond me.
p.s. I am a french speaker so I don't express my self very well in english... (a bit frustrating to write like a child :) !)

You may be able to take it somewhere to be sharpened but you will not be able to sharpen it yourself.

And just so you know Isabelle your English is very good and you do not sound like a child. I do know exactly what you mean though as this is how I feel when I speak French or Spanish, which has now been sometime :-) Cheers!

Thank you Dawn to answer all my questions!
Good day!

I do have a Chef's Choice Professional 3 Stage sharpener which does allow me to sharpen a serrated knife in a pinch. If I find that my bread knife is ever so dull, and I cannot send it off to Wustof for sharpening because it will take weeks since I need it, I will sharpen it and then send it off. Only in a real pinch.

I'm trying to decide between a 6in or an 8in chef. I don't know why I make easy decisions difficult when it comes to my kitchen!! Lol
Anyone willing to tip the scale for me? Which one do you prefer and why?

What's most important I think is what YOU are comfortable with, and what fits in your hands comfortably. Try them in the store and get what feels good to you. If you can't decide get a cheapo in both sizes and use them for a while, see what you like.

I purchased an 8" about a year ago and I've grown to love it. At first I thought it was going to be much to big, but now I am more comfortable with it I am even thinking about a 10". We also have a smaller one that my wife uses a lot, and I really like using that one too for smaller ingredients.

I bought a Shun Kaji chef's knife as my first serious knife. I love it. It has the super-hard steel found in a lot of the asian style knives but with the shape of a European-style chef's knife. It's stayed incredibly sharp since I got it several months ago with no sharpening and almost no honing.

FYI, I believe that this line is exclusive to Williams Sonoma stores.

Several years ago, after much research, I purchased some Wusthof knives - 8" Chef, Slicer, Bread, Utility, Paring. They have all served me well and as I've maintained them with a steel they all still work like a dream.
I truly believe price is an good indication of quality. Henkel's has always been a good product, however, a major big-box store is selling a multi-piece Henkel's set for less than $100. These knives are made in Mexico. While I have nothing against products from Mexico and I have not tried these particular knives, I suspect they would not be up to the usual Wusthof and Henkel's German standards.
For storage, I prefer a magnet mounted an the wall right above my counter - right there when I need them and not taking up premium counter space as a block would do.
Finally, one of my favourite childhood memories is of the knife-sharpener, walking down our street ringing his bell. He had a 10" wet stone mounted on a trolley and operated with a foot peddle.
I've just recently signed up with Rouxbe and am thoroughly enjoying the experience.