Gun 'style' in the media

Ballah06

Well-known member
Jan 21, 2007
5,633
15
Savannah, GA
For a $200ish for the Calphalon block set I cant complain. Bougt about 5 sets so far for friends and family and these knives just work well. Sure, I could have spent more but these do the job just fine.
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
Holy CRAP that's a lot a cheddar for a bread knife.
How much is the cheese knife?

Goto le dollar store.
Buy a knife for a dollar.
Use it until it isn't sharp.
Throw away, or give to someone you don't like.
Repeat.

That's 145 dollar store knives.
I'm not certain (at my current age) if that might not be a better deal.
I'd have to start mailing the used knives to people on interweb forums to get rid of them.
I don't know that many 3D people.

Kai stuff is a luxury purchase. You don't have to spend that much. Spend whatever it takes to get something made here or within one of our allied nations, such as Japan. Twenty bucks ought to do it.

A dollar knife only sends the message that you're happy to flush manufacturing down the toilet.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

SGaynor

Well-known member
Dec 6, 2006
7,148
162
52
Bristol, TN
For a $200ish for the Calphalon block set I cant complain. Bougt about 5 sets so far for friends and family and these knives just work well. Sure, I could have spent more but these do the job just fine.

I've come to the conclusion it's better to buy a $200 chef knife (or santoku) and a $25 paring knife (like all knives, the money spent is on the steel and that shows up in how well it keeps an edge). After that everything else is what you want - like that bread knife. It's just pretty...

Kind of like pot/pan sets. Buy a good 10" or 12" skillet and a couple of pots, then go from there.

Lessons I learned after my divorce (although the Shun was the first think I took when I left - didn't even ask the ex).
 

SGaynor

Well-known member
Dec 6, 2006
7,148
162
52
Bristol, TN
Holy CRAP that's a lot a cheddar for a bread knife.
How much is the cheese knife?
Absolutely true. This would be buying it just because I like it.

But my pocket knife (Benchmade) is $100. Some people like iPads, I like quality knives - they last longer. :bigok:
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
Absolutely true. This would be buying it just because I like it.

But my pocket knife (Benchmade) is $100. Some people like iPads, I like quality knives - they last longer. :bigok:

True.

As a life-long blade enthusiast, I would never turn my nose up at a laminated bread knife. :D

That said, I have been known on more than one occasion to bring "serious" blades into the kitchen. Nothing cuts pizza like the Zombie Tools "Bushlicker". Well, nothing this side of a Mezzaluna, anyway. I could never bring myself to drag a Kai blade across cardboard, anyway.

It's not commonly known, but cardboard is quite abusive to blades. Sharp objects don't much like wood, either. The nicest thing you can do for your kitchen knives is to pick up a few HDPE cutting boards, or some of those nice flexible things with the food regulation colors on them.

Now, Japanese edges are hard enough to withstand much more than European edges, but it's still more wear than required. There's all kinds of crap in wood and paper products.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

Ballah06

Well-known member
Jan 21, 2007
5,633
15
Savannah, GA
I've come to the conclusion it's better to buy a $200 chef knife (or santoku) and a $25 paring knife (like all knives, the money spent is on the steel and that shows up in how well it keeps an edge). After that everything else is what you want - like that bread knife. It's just pretty...

Kind of like pot/pan sets. Buy a good 10" or 12" skillet and a couple of pots, then go from there.

Lessons I learned after my divorce (although the Shun was the first think I took when I left - didn't even ask the ex).

Yeah, looking back I'd have to agree. The block sets are convenient but I really dont use 3 quarters of those knives. Also never really been a fan of steak knives. I prefer to use a pairing knife to cut mine.
 

jim-00-4.6

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2005
2,037
6
61
Genesee, CO USA
I have about 3 knives in the kitchen that see regular use.
A paring knife, a chef knife, & a large serrated knife.
The serrated knife is nice for slicing / sawing.
A gentle pull across a tomato, or sawing through a watermelon comes to mind.
The big knife for chopping stuff, or slicing flesh.
The paring knife for stemming kale, or peeling a garlic clove type of tasks.
I have those plastic-y cutting boards, primarily because I don't want chicken sauce soaking into my cutting board and flavoring the next thing I cut.

On a barely-related but still cooking so to hell with OP note, I just got an Instant Pot.
I'm fond of it.