# Need Knives & Cast Iron Pots



## pduke216 (Jan 25, 2008)

To all,

 I am heading out this weekend to do some serious shopping. I have the $500 that I won from my fantasy football league burning a hole in my pocket. My question is what kind of knive set and cast iron pots should I look for (brand name, how many......ect). I barely made it through last year with a borrowed knive. I would like a set that covers all of the angles incuding meat, veggies, bread and beyond. Do i need to spend $200 to $300 on a set? Also what do you look for in a cast iron pot. Please throw your 2 cents in and if you want toss in your personal preference and why. Thanx in advance.

Paul  (pduke216)


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## walking dude (Jan 25, 2008)

lodge for cast iron............Dutch should be around, to help more

do a google for knives...........lots of good brands, and yeah, for a good set, you will spend that much


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## homebrew & bbq (Jan 25, 2008)

Which knives to get has a lot to do with how you're set up to take care of them. If they're just going into a drawer where the edges will get bumped and nicked, there isn't any reason to spend a lot of money on them. 

We've had a set of Chicago Cutlery knives for years now. I'm not sure what they cost now, but I don't remember them being all that expensive when we bought them. They've lived through life in a drawer and use by teenagers and younger learning how to cook. 

The main thing I would say is learn how to use a steel. I'm sure no expert, but a few strokes on a steel and the edge sure improves.


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## geek with fire (Jan 25, 2008)

Like D88de says, Lodge for cast iron. Great quality.

Now, on the cutlary, I'm probably going to spark a war here, but I just can't justify spending $100 for a fine German Chef's knife; certainly can't justify even more for an entire set. My thoughts are, if you are set on spending a wad of money on some good steel, don't get a whole set. Get like a 8" chef and a pairing knife; possibly replace the chef's knife with a Santoku if you are going to be sharpening your blades yourself (straighter cutting edge strait to the point; classic chef's knife goes from the heel to the cutting edge, with a curved tip to the point.) as they are easier to sharpen. Also, depending on what size of long blade you end up with, make sure your cutting block is big enough to handle it; preferably wood.

I can't recommend any brand, because mine is off brand (mixed up mish-mash of stuff. good steel, just no namers). The classic style Wusthof blades feel good in my hand, but I've never bought one; never heard anything bad about them either.

I make sure my steel is good and I sharpen them myself. The benefit of spending the money the good German steel is that they will hold an edge for much longer. My time is cheap. I don't mind sharpening my blades every month, so you have to chose what works for you.

Hope this helps. Don't forget to let us know what you ended up with.


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## walking dude (Jan 25, 2008)

what geek said..............

spend some of that money on a GOOD cutting board.........a end grain board.........will help with keeping the edge on your knives

a cheap set of knive COULD werk, if you take care of em.........LEARN to put a good edge on em...........and learn to use either a steel or ceramic.......and keep em outta the drawer and dishwasher

hand wash em, so there is no chance of dinging up the good edge that you put on it..........


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## vlap (Jan 25, 2008)

Well on the knives topic I am on the opposite end of the spectrum. I had a cheap set from wally world that did fine for years. Then I spent some money on a very nice set that I have had for years and will have for the rest of my life. 
Goto a store that lets you hold the knife and feel its weight. The most important part of a knife to me is the handle. If the handle is not comfortable and fit properly in your hand you won't like using it whether it costs you $10 or $1000 and yes I have used that entire spectrum. Now for brands. Wustoff, henckles (the brand I use most) Global and other such brands are all very good in the way of blades and steel. It goes back to the handle. I would say get a decent block and a few nice knives. Chefs Knife 7"(approx, i have 6, 8 and 12" chefs knives.) An all purpose knife 6", a fillet knife 6+", slicer 10", and paring 3" or 4". An offset serrated bread/slicing knife is also very nice.

I am reposting a post i did on another forum after this which includes links to amazon.com showing some different knives. This repost specifically address's fillet knives but it works for sets of knives.

Although the suggestions for Dexter Russle knives are great (I own and use 2 of them) I do not care for their blades on the fillet knives. For a filet knife I either like a very flexible knife or a very stiff knife (depending on the situation) 
My favorite fillet knife is one made by Lamson Sharp. (one of the oldest knife manufacturer in america) Nice rose wood handle fits my hand well, has a nice flexible blade, and holds an edge very well. 

Here are my home knives:  
http://www.amazon.com/Lamson-Sharp-3...9977612&sr=8-1 

They go on sale for alot more off quite frequently on amazon. Search around you may find a great deal. Here is the fillet knife from Lamson. 
http://www.amazon.com/LamsonSharp-Fi...9978009&sr=1-5 

Another to consider if you are not looking for a pretty knife is Henkles. These are the knives I prefer at work since the handles are a little more durable. The blades are once again high quality high carbon steel. 
http://www.amazon.com/J-Henckels-7-I...9977875&sr=8-4 

Now if you want an asian style knife Bunmei makes a few excellent blades. I own a few and they are fantastic. They go against what we think of as a fillet knife though but work wonderfully. 
http://www.amazon.com/Bunmei-2-Inch-...9978953&sr=1-3 

One thing to remember about knives is they are like kayaks. You want to try them out before you buy. See how the handle fits in your hand. Is it comfortable for you? The Dexter Russel fillet knife I have has a large handle that I do not care for. Find a knife that is comfortable for you. 

Let me know if I can help you any more.


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## pduke216 (Jan 25, 2008)

OK now that my head has stopped spinning I can post again. I did not realize the reaserch and personality that goes with the knives. Thanks for the idea of the cutting board Geek I already added that to my list. Vlap, I never thought of actually holding the knives and getting a feel for them that idea rocks thanks. Keep your thoughts coming, Thanx.

Paul (pduke216)

Walking Dude, what is the best way to learn sharpening. Im guessing experience.


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## got smoke (Jan 25, 2008)

i bought that ronco set it is very sharp and works very nice


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## walking dude (Jan 25, 2008)

http://users.ameritech.net/knives/asystems.htm


http://users.ameritech.net/knives/

http://www.sharpeningwheels.com/products.html


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## lisacsco (Jan 26, 2008)

you can also buy cast iron that is already pre-seasoned.  And at a good price.


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## walking dude (Jan 26, 2008)

what she said...........maybe wait till spring and yard sales.........you can pick up some good cast iron that way also........rummage sales.......flea markets...........can't really hurt cast iron......unless you break them in half.......even the real rusty ones can be saved...........Dutch has a sticky under, i THINK, dutch oven cooking.......on how to save em, and restore em

maybe check that thread forum out.........


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## fishawn (Jan 26, 2008)

A mixed set of Wusthof & Henkels is what I use. They both make good quality tools IMHO. I must say I reach for the Wusthof Santoku the most, probably because it feels "right" or "balanced" for me. I also use a steel on them before each use, which really does make a difference. I have had mine about 4 years & have had no problems with either. I always hand wash them & dry & I think they both suggest not throwing them in the dishwasher, so you might want to take that into consideration as well.


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## zapper (Jan 26, 2008)

http://www.macknife.com/

Check out the original series.

My mom bought a set of these maybe in the early seventies from a door to door salesman. I think that her set seemed to be straighter in line but I don't remember for sure. Be advised! These are razors on a handle! The hole at the tip of the blade was for hanging the knives on a special storage rack. I am kind of a knife nut in that I have tried many different types and brands of knives but these are by far the sharpest things you will ever use. They are kind of light to the touch and take getting used to compared to a bigger, heavy chefs knife.


To be honest, I tend to go for the fit in the hand, the heft, the balance, the shape of the blade and its relationship to the task and the fit in the hand. That is to say it all just depends on how it feels. My favorite parring knife is a hand made job that has a blade made from a clock spring and a handle of Hickory, the handle is maybe only 3" long and 3/4" (eased edges) square. The thing is that it fits into my curled fingers and doesn't need to be a bit bigger.


I don't know if you can find out any infromation on proper or professional knife use or techniques, but I would say that a course or a little learning in that area would go along way towards making a knife selection. I am willing to bet that in the long run the sharpness of the blade has less to do with performance than the form of the knife and the technique in using them. (Not that sharp is not important, I just think that fit is more important)


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## fishawn (Jan 26, 2008)

Good post Zapper, I am not a knife geek, but I have never heard of Mac Knives before. I like the idea of them being lighter. My knives (Wusthof & Henkels) are fairly heavy & big. I will check them out, Thanks!


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## camp_cookie (Jan 26, 2008)

As others have said, Lodge is the word for cast iron.  

As for the cutlery, I recently went through this as well.  I looked around and found a good deal on some Henckels and Wusthofs.  I also bought some Forschners.  The Forschners work every bit as good as the "premium" brands.  They just aren't as elegant.  Being stamped, I don't know if they will stand the test of time as a forged knife will, but they are good for now.  I do like the elegance of the "premium" brands though.

Another plus for Forscners is that they are manufactured in China.  I just hate sending money over there; so, if you decide to skip the higher end stuff, go with Forschner before you hit the other stuff.

Also be advised the Henckel and Wustof have several different lines; so, you will want to familiarize yourself with them so that you know what you are comparing.


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## jonathan (Jan 26, 2008)

Another set of knives which might do are the Global knives. Japanese, a vanadium steel alloy that takes special stone to sharpen due to the extra hardness.

Handles generally are a touch lighter since designed for an asian hand. I got lucky and got a 5 piece set < $200. Sadly, I can't say I've seen it at that price for a long while.

Great knife. Have a few friends who are 'high end' chefs and they use them, but they also take care of their knives very religiously.

I use their santoku, 8" chef and paring knife as my primary three knives. Its a lighter feeling knife, but solid. If you want a heavier knife their 10" chef has more of a European build, but you'd probably want to consider a german or similar style blade in that case. 

Comes down to trying things and seeing what you want.


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## cman95 (Jan 26, 2008)

All above is good info. The only thing I will add is to start out small. 6" knives will do until you develop your cutting skills. Practise makes perfect. Good luck. By the way, remember this...a SHARP knife is a wonderful thing.


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## fishawn (Jan 26, 2008)

The wife unit just brought in the mail, & here in the COLD pacific NW the Macy's flyer has Wusthof & Henkels on sale, 20% off open cutlery, & sales on the sets as well. They even have cast-iron frying pan sets also on sale, $9.99 for a 3-piece set (no dutch oven though). www.macys.com


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## zapper (Jan 26, 2008)

As for cast iron, it has become collectable and very in fashion and therefore kind of pricey. Even at flea markets and yard sales folks think the stuff is made of gold instead of cast iron. I hit a couple of flea markets every now and then and the sellers will have plain lodge skillets or DOs and they try to price them like the are antiques. If I tell a vendor that I am looking for cast iron their mouths start to water and they get dollar signs in their eyes because they think I want to pay out big bucks. When I tell them that I want it for everyday cooking and am looking for a lower price they are heart broken.


You can find good cast iron skillets and DOS cheap but usually there is no lid with them and finding a seperate lid is kind of tough.



It is all in the game, if you like the treasure hunt then used is for you. If you are like me and sometimes short on composure, fork out a little cash and just buy new Lodge at just about any store that has more than 4 isles.


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## 3montes (Jan 26, 2008)

As far as cast iron I got lucky as I started collecting the stuff years ago before it became trendy. I used them for open fire cooking. Used to do alot of that when we had a seasonal campsite. I have a very nice 14" skillet (try to find one of those now) a very nice dutch oven and old waffle irons. These can still be had fairly cheap because most people don't want to mess with them. My best find was a excellent very old large griddle. Because of this I have never had to try the over the counter cast iron found in the stores today so I can't attest to how it performs.
As far as knives. I buy them the same way I buy my handguns. How they fit in your hand is most important (to me at least). The business end of either will usually get the job done.


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## geek with fire (Jan 26, 2008)

I meant to add this in my previous post, but forgot.  I read this article some time ago, and found it to be very helpful.  It's only about chef's knifes, but much of the info is applicable with other knives as well:
http://www.cookingforengineers.com/a...s-Knives-Rated


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## pduke216 (Jan 26, 2008)

Thanks for all the help everyone. My wife also found a great article in Cook's Illustrated that will also help. I am not sure if I will buy some today because I still have some research to do. Oh well, I have to snow blow and then off to the outlet malls. Having lunch at the Brat Stop in Kenosha Wis, Some of the best brats in the world. I will probably get a couple dozen raw to go. I will smoke these later on in the year. I will update later when I get home. Thanks again.

Paul  (pduke216)


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## pduke216 (Jan 28, 2008)

Thanks for all of the help. I ended up with a set of Chicago Cutlery (Insignia 2) knives. I like the way they felt and for my first set $150 was not bad. I also picked up a Lodge 7 Qt cast iron pot and as well as 2 lodge skillets (8 & 10.5). A side note I found a Jalapeno rib remover for my ABTs which I thought was cool. Now to start using all of it. Once again thanks!


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## walking dude (Jan 28, 2008)

don't forget to season that cast iron before you use it


nice haul dude


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## welder (Jan 28, 2008)

I like lodge. Sometime you can find good deal at a flea market or an estate sale.


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## packplantpath (Jan 29, 2008)

I like my lodge pans, but they were far harder to get seasoned the first time than my old ones.  The bottoms are rough, almost like low grit sandpaper.  It took me quite a few coatings to get it seasoned to my liking, whereas my older pans (grandmas) are seasoned in about one coating because they are already pretty smooth to start with.  May be that years of use smoothed them, who knows.


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## walking dude (Jan 29, 2008)

plus they were seasoned HOW many years ago.........once seasoned........unless TOTALLY scrubed clean.......(d88de turns away), i would think some of that seasoning would still be around


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## zapper (Jan 29, 2008)

I dont know for a fact if the sand casting of olden days was better or if the manufactures did a little more touch up or polishing on the pans back then, but I do tend to notice that some of the older stuff has a smoother cooking surface. You can get smoother surfaces yourself by scouring with a hand full of sand and a brush or using a stainless scrubber when you do clean your pans. I have also used a wire wheel (actually a wire cup) and a right angle drill (actually about a 45 degree drill) to touch up bad spots


There is actually a parting dust and or a finer sand that is supposed to be the layer in the sand casting that the iron is supposed to contact for finer smoother finished product. This would be an extra step and cost more money, so I would suppose that it has been deleted from modern production in leiu of some more cost effective method or material.


Yes, in time the cast Iron will wear smooth from use, but long break in periods may lead to less use and in return, longer break in times and so on.


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## oldvirginiajoe (Dec 8, 2012)

don't let anyone tell you the smoothness of "old" pans just got that way from years of use. I am a daily user of cast iron and collector and have quite a collection (>140 pieces) and bought my first pan of my own at the drugstore when I went out on my own 28 years ago. It was very smooth when brand new. Whatever this technique is that they are selling today is something else entirely, and I am sad that so many people today are buying this "pebblestone" finish and trying to convince themselves (and others) it is all just so great. It is not that hard to find a good piece of the old, smooth stuff out there to buy, and read online how to clean off the rust or excess grease caked on, and you will be starting with a piece of iron like when it was brand new years ago. Then get busy seasoning it a little bit, and start using it.  When buying a used piece, just be sure to tap it lightly with something hard, like a ring or key while holding it suspended, loosely, and be sure you get a nice "ring" to the sound, not a "clunk" sound, to avoid buying a (hidden) cracked piece by mistake. Good Luck!


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## woodcutter (Dec 8, 2012)

Homebrew & BBQ said:


> We've had a set of Chicago Cutlery knives for years now. I'm not sure what they cost now, but I don't remember them being all that expensive when we bought them. They've lived through life in a drawer and use by teenagers and younger learning how to cook.
> Our Chicago Cutlery is 25 years old, used everyday, used on every deer. Just like the day we bought them.


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## bigblue (Dec 8, 2012)

I wanted to reseason my Lodge pan so I just threw it in hot outdoor fire pit for a while, pulled out let it cool a little swabbed on some crisco grease, let finish cooling and repeat a couple more times .

Came out good.


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## jcurrier (Dec 10, 2012)

as far as cast iron goes there isn't a "modern" cast iron pan that can hold a candle to 50+ year old Wagner and Griswald stuff- take care of it and it will out last you.  My daily use pans are being used by me as a third generation user (used by my or my wife's grandparents when they were younger).  Don't As for knives try them, got to a cooking store and discuss features and quality.  Buy good quality and take care of it.  I agree with everyone else here that knives belong in a block or dedicated sleeve if going in a drawer, and a sharp knife is definitely safer than a dull one.


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