# Knife question(s)



## FoxmanNC (Feb 11, 2021)

So in addition to being new to the smoking meat game, I know next to nothing about knives. I am trying to learn. Our knives are old, dull, and crappy. My wife and I have had a couple of conversations about getting new ones. I have learned about D2 steel and 1095 steel, but I am not sure what is preferable for use with cutting meat, trimming, slicing etc. So, I welcome some input.

As I understand it, the D2 holds the edge longer, but is more difficult to sharpen, but is also more resistant to rust. The 1095 steel is easier to sharpen, but doesn't hold its edge as well and is prone to rust. I am a bang for the buck buyer, and really don't want something complicated to sharpen. What do yall prefer for your cutlery? Is there another steel I should be looking into?

I have spoken with 2 online knife makers, one using 1095, and one with D2. I am thinking about a 10" carving/slicing knife, an 8" chef, 8" Santoku, and a 6" boning.. Thoughts, ideas, feedback and all knife knowledge or makers appreciated.


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## Hamdrew (Feb 11, 2021)

Learn your hands, what shape is best for you. unfortunately that will take some trial and error



















My "tracer"/exact-o knife was maybe $10. My favorite's, cleavers, $30-50 since i burn through them. My carver is about 60yrs old


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## phathead69 (Feb 11, 2021)

1. Taking care of a good knife nullifies rust. use it, lay safe to side somewhere but never in sink. cleaning up after supper wash dry imeaditly and if you want lite coat of cook oil.
2.  step 1 takes care of most sharpening needs. stored safely in block edge up or other non edge contact method and sharpening steel the knife should stay sharp with normal use .
3. edge grain cutting board helps extend edge life by miles. I get 6 months to a year between sharpening and yes they are, not  paying attention you will bleed sharp. now if you want sushi grade sharp someone else can chime in.
others will add in better advice


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## jcam222 (Feb 11, 2021)

Might help to understand your budget for those knives. There are excellent commercial choices in many ranges.


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## kruizer (Feb 11, 2021)

I run my knives over a hone each time I use them and then wash and dry after each use. The knives stay sharp as a razor and never any problems.


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## FoxmanNC (Feb 11, 2021)

jcam222 said:


> Might help to understand your budget for those knives. There are excellent commercial choices in many ranges.


The price I was quoted for the D2 blades was $580 for the 4 knives, the 1095 was $400. Both included shipping and a leather role. If we just bought these 4, I wouldn't spend more than the $580, but if I can get a great knife for less, I wont be upset.


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## JckDanls 07 (Feb 11, 2021)

And then to throw another equation in..  Different knives have different angles used on the blade ... Pending what your using the knife for... I recall hearing/reading/seeing something about it but didn't pay much attention as I should have ...


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## jcam222 (Feb 11, 2021)

FoxmanNC said:


> The price I was quoted for the D2 blades was $580 for the 4 knives, the 1095 was $400. Both included shipping and a leather role. If we just bought these 4, I wouldn't spend more than the $580, but if I can get a great knife for less, I wont be upset.


Can I also ask what knives you had /,have currently?


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## FoxmanNC (Feb 11, 2021)

jcam222
  Kind of embarrassing. I have been using some old pampered chef knives my wife got from some party. The only other brand knives we have are some 20+ year old entry level Hinkle's that was part of a wood block set, that barely cut hot butter. Just to get by, I spent a whopping $12.00 on a Mercer boning knife off of Amazon, its the best knife we have currently.


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## thirdeye (Feb 11, 2021)

Ask 10 people, and you will get 10 answers.  I like knives that feel good in my hand.  Sharpening and steel is secondary, since I understand how to maintain an edge.  *I could survive with four knives:  A Chef's knife, a slicer, a boning knife, and a 4" fillet knife for close in work.  *

My Chef's knife is a vintage Chicago Cutlery (maybe a 12"), my slicer is Messermeister Park Plaza 10” slicer with reversed scallops (this thing works well on meats, vegetables, and big fruits like pineapples) and I highly recommend it.  My favorite boning knife is a Victornox flexible model (they make a flexible and rigid model), and my small fillet knife is a Rapala (the wooden handle ones from Sweden).  The Park Plaza is the bottom knife. I use several fillet knives in the kitchen, but I'm comfortable with them and I use a 15° blade angle, so they are scary sharp. Non-fisherman might hate a fillet knife in the kitchen. 






My Victornox flexible boning knife is the bottom one. 





I do have quite a few specialty knives, like this cimeter and scalloped slicer.... I really like both and they have the  'show off' factor.


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## FoxmanNC (Feb 11, 2021)

thirdeye
 Very nice. It's sounding like the best thing I could do is purchase something I can handle first rather than buying custom made knives. At least until I know what I like.


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## jcam222 (Feb 11, 2021)

It is very hard to beat the Zwilling Pro series knives in my opinion. A chef, boning , slicer and small utility would be a great core set. If you start breaking down larger cuts you may want to add a cleaver and larger maybe scimitar style knife. A granton edge 14” slicer is also nice for brisket. For me those are used less do I consider Victorinox Fibrox, higher end Mercer or mid range Dalstrong  for those. I can say I also have a Miyabi chef knife that has a Asian edge and it’s is surgical.


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## Winterrider (Feb 11, 2021)

Hit the search page from home page and type in knives. Lot of good reads on different knives.


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## thirdeye (Feb 11, 2021)

FoxmanNC said:


> thirdeye
> Very nice. It's sounding like the best thing I could do is purchase something I can handle first rather than buying custom made knives. At least until I know what I like.



Well, I guess that's what I would recommend.


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## Hamdrew (Feb 11, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> Well, I guess that's what I would recommend.




yup. once you know the sizes/angles you prefer, youll have a lot more fun with knifes


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## clifish (Feb 11, 2021)

Victoronix makes some good knives the below pairing knife set is incredible,  multiple have bought it after trying mine.


the below is a great granton meat cutter


boning knives


Not very expensive but have been really good to me.  I started out cheaper to get a feel for some different knives but not looking any replacements so far.  Stay very sharp with just a steel, have not put them on the sharpener yet.


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## whistlepig (Feb 11, 2021)

Dexter Russel makes very good knives at reasonable prices. I have a couple with high carbon steel blades. These blades hold an edge well but will rust easily. I have a couple of Tojiro knives with VG-10 blades that are rust resistant and hold an edge very well.


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## SmokinEdge (Feb 11, 2021)

I would start out with victronix. These are used a lot in commercial kitchens. 
I prefer 1095 and D-2 along with old (wwII era) solingen steel, but I know what I like and why.


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## callmez (Feb 11, 2021)

I hesitate to jump in here as I have less experience with knife use in butchery or the kitchen than I do in the greater knife community (I have served as the editor for a knife magazine for the last 24 years, and have dabbled in knives for most of my life). I am a BIGTIME supporter of the custom knife community, but I do not recommend that you start there -- start with high quality factory knives.  You do not need to spend a ton of money to get good knives, but once you know what you want, handmade knives can take everything up a notch.
First off, do not buy into the "steel spiel" -- the steel type can be important, but more important than steel choice is proper heat treatment. In my experience the typical stainless steel German-made chefs knives like Henckels and Wusthof are just too soft: they won't take a really good edge and certainly won't hold one, but will easily sharpen to a mediocre edge and take a lot of abuse (apparently what they are designed for). The Old Hickorys are made from a good simple steel, are reasonably hard and will take a decent edge, but may or may not be designs ideal for your needs.  The Victorinox/Forschner  (=Victorinox brand) knives truly represent a great value in stainless bladed knives. Dexter Russell makes great knives too, and in America! There are many other brands of good knives and of course a lot of them are made in China these days. Choosing between good and bad there can be a challenge.  But bear this in mind: if you aren't committed to taking good care of your knives, buy stainless steel.
My wife benefits from what I do -- she has a constantly changing assortment of custom made knives, antique carbon steel knives,  and modern American, German, Japanese, and Chinese factory knives. If she likes it, it stays in the rotation. My knife-using role is more along the lines of carving, deboning, and/or prepping for smoking or grinding -- and I have my own stash beyond what she uses, some of which are really unusual. Some aren't even made of steel!
Knives are a wonderful rabbit hole to go down. You can spend your whole life exploring it! But I suggest that you start simple. Try a cheap but respectable factory knife and the equipment to sharpen it properly (NOT a cheap draw-thru sharpener!).  Once you have some experience with a decent knife, you should know what direction you want to go with the next knife.


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## FoxmanNC (Feb 12, 2021)

C
 callmez
 Excellent! Thank you for your input. I value that wisdom.


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## noboundaries (Feb 13, 2021)

A ton of great information here, but knife buying is only half the issue. They will need sharpening at some point. 

I'm not a professional chef, not even close, but I do the vast amount of kitchen food prep and indoor/outdoor cooking/smoking/grilling/baking here at home. A sharp knife is a joy to use. When one push or pull slices effortlessly through a hard veggie or hunk of meat, it gives amazing feedback and sense of control. 

The vast majority of our knives have a Rockwell hardness rating between 54 and 58. Steel source is Germany, Spain, and Japan. $50 is our most expensive knife. 54-58 is considered softer steel by knife pros. BUT, with a good sharpening, those babies hold an edge for months to a year or more with normal kitchen use and a quick hone on a steel. 

I recently stopped using an electric sharpener because it was starting to damage my knives.  Back when I was working, I didn't have the time or desire to stone sharpen knives. Now that I have the time, I've returned to stone sharpening.  

I bought a cheap set of stones to bring back the muscle memory and see it if was something I wanted to do again. The skills returned quickly, especially by examining the worked edge with an $8 lighted coin 60x microscope (Amazon) instead of just feel and paper slicing. It's incredible to see the edge, flaws, and shavings with that tiny device. The joy of stone sharpening returned. It's like meditating with feedback. And friggin' addicting!

Now, it you think shopping for knives is confusing, stone shopping can drive you to madness. I'll be buying better stones soon. 

The lighted 60x coin microscope is shown below. It rides along the edge and reveals incredible detail.


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## uncle eddie (Feb 13, 2021)

For a very good, cost effective knife to start out with - just to see what you like, try Old Hickory.  The arrive sharp, hold an edge well, and are relatively inexpensive.  They do require hand washing and will rust if not dried promptly.

www.amazon.com/s?k=old+hickory+knives&crid=1V7I9CHU5X3B2&sprefix=old+hickory%2Caps%2C188&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_11


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## noboundaries (Feb 13, 2021)

uncle eddie said:


> They do require hand washing and will rust if not dried promptly.


I recently received my first carbon steel knife. Use, clean, dry, and a light coating of food grade mineral oil keeps it like new. Wipe when ready to use again.


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## smokininidaho (Feb 13, 2021)

uncle eddie said:


> For a very good, cost effective knife to start out with - just to see what you like, try Old Hickory.  The arrive sharp, hold an edge well, and are relatively inexpensive.  They do require hand washing and will rust if not dried promptly.
> 
> www.amazon.com/s?k=old+hickory+knives&crid=1V7I9CHU5X3B2&sprefix=old+hickory%2Caps%2C188&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_11


The Old Hickory knives are a good value, they have been around a long time. I use the old Chicago Cutlery knives circa '70's-'80's. These are great old knives and can be found relatively cheap. I just keep the walnut handles nourished with food grade mineral oil and beeswax and the blades sharpened on a 1000 then 3000 whetstone, then leather strop and I could shave with them. Your best bet would be to learn how to sharpen on a whetstone. You can make even a cheap knife razor sharp. You could probably save yourself some money by just sharpening the knives you have using this method.


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## Smoking Allowed (Feb 13, 2021)

When you commit to spending good money on good knives, you should also commit to their proper care and maintenance, else it's all wasted money.


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## noboundaries (Feb 13, 2021)

Ryky Tran s knife sharpening videos (the guy in the one above) are awesome. I use a different sharpening stroke but like his honing countdown. I never got the hang of the push/pull.


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## noboundaries (Feb 13, 2021)

smokininidaho said:


> You can make even a cheap knife razor sharp. You could probably save yourself some money by just sharpening the knives you have using this method.


Wise advise.


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## rohfan2112 (Feb 15, 2021)

Get a Mercer. They make great knives. For the price there is none better. I got this one for $12 and it's my favorite knife:


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## FoxmanNC (Feb 15, 2021)

Ordered, received, and used my first westone on my old Henkles. I have a lot to learn about sharpening, but these are sharper than they have been on well over 20 years. $22.99 on Amazon


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## smokininidaho (Feb 16, 2021)

Glad to hear it. Take your time, go slow, keeping the same angle is the most important part. I just use the pressure of my fingers on the blade both push and pull strokes. You will gain muscle memory after doing it for a while.


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## callmez (Feb 16, 2021)

All of that advice on care and sharpening is good. Some can never seem to manage a stone, but there are a number of gadgets out there that do a fine job for those who can't hold the angle on a stone. It's up to you, how good you are with your hands, and if it's a pastime for you or just a chore.

I used to use diamond benchstones, which are great. But anymore when I break out the sharpening stuff I tend to do a lot of knives at once (maybe the neighbor's too) so I have gone to a WorkSharp sharpener with completely adjustable bevels for the back bevel and finishing on a Spyderco Sharpmaker. I can fly through a big pile of knives and get them more than sharp enough for our needs in no time at all.

As for carbon steel, we have a handful that see use in the kitchen but it's almost always me using them. You have to accept them tarnishing to a darker color over time, and I guess she'd rather use the shiny ones. That's OK, it means that they are usually sharp when I reach for the carbon steel blades!


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## smokinmikey (Oct 23, 2021)

FoxmanNC said:


> C
> callmez
> Excellent! Thank you for your input. I value that wisdom.


I am a newbie to smoking and bbq and have been following this knife thread. As a woodworker I use a hand grinder to shape and waterstones or diamond plates to sharpen. For Knives I am goinf to buy a few Old Hickory form these guys:
https://www.knivesplus.com/OLD-HICKORY-KNIVES.HTML Old Hickory has always used 1095 carbon steel and the price is dirt cheap.


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## 1MoreFord (Oct 23, 2021)

I have an old phenolic handled blocked set of Chicago Cutlery that meets my needs.  Chefs, slicer, utility, boning, and paring along with a decent honing steel.

Another brand I've heard good things about is Kiwi.  Import knives that are quite cheap but I've never heard a bad thing about them.  Available on Amazon and Ebay.


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## Steve H (Oct 24, 2021)

I have a bit of a habit of collecting knives, one of my weird habits, nothing really fancy or anything. But I tend to buy things that appear to have a good price and look like they are of decent quality.
I bought this set awhile back. And really like them.












The specs aren't too shabby. Though, at this hardness some say you'll need to sharpen them often. Which hasn't been my case. And if they do. That's no biggie.  And when I got them. They were selling for 13.00 shipped via Amazon.
They just went on sale again. Only for 24.00 this time.


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## mike243 (Oct 24, 2021)

I like that case for traveling Steve , I have a Stanley set that I use in my camper, nothing fancy but works well and easy to sharpen.


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## Steve H (Oct 24, 2021)

mike243 said:


> I like that case for traveling Steve , I have a Stanley set that I use in my camper, nothing fancy but works well and easy to sharpen.



Here is my traveling kit. These knives are also pretty decent


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## boykjo (Oct 24, 2021)

whistlepig said:


> Dexter Russel makes very good knives at reasonable prices. I have a couple with high carbon steel blades. These blades hold an edge well but will rust easily. I have a couple of Tojiro knives with VG-10 blades that are rust resistant and hold an edge very well.



I agree with whislepig. Dexter Russel makes great knives at reasonable prices and they have a large selection too. Their knives are usually used in the restaurant
business. 

Boykjo


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## Buttah Butts (Oct 24, 2021)

Wusthof knives for me.


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