The Knives

So I was thinking I'd put up a page on knife suggestions, as there are many of choices out there and none of the good knives are cheap. As a working chef, you quickly begin to see the qualities that make a good knife versus a great knife.

If your serious about cooking, then you want to invest on a good set of knives. It will be an expensive investment, but if you take care of your tools, they will last a lifetime.

There are two basic styles of knives; Western blades that are beveled on both sides (which make them hard to sharpen properly) and Asian style, where the blade is only beveled on one side (which makes sharpening far easier, from a technical standpoint), so you must specifically buy a left or right handed version of the knife you want.

When I began my career, I was given a full set of Professional J.A Henckels. Though they were great knives, because they were made from stainless steal, they were very difficult to keep sharpened, and once you finally did get a sharp edge, it didn't last very long. As each knife wore out, due to repeated sharpening, I replaced them with various brands, like Wusthof and Global, but it wasn't until I was turned on to Japanese knives, that I found the perfect chef tools.

I also highly recommend getting high the carbon steal versions of the knives as well. They may turn black and not look as pretty as stainless knives, but due to the properties of high carbon steal, they keep an edge far longer and it is easier sharpen and maintain the edge with a honing steel.

Here are the knives I use and love, and as a professional, they are all I ever needed.

I have taken the time and linked the items to Amazon, because I find they simply have the best prices and the best selection for one-stop-shopping.

Enjoy

Chef W. Dayton Ireland

Misono Molybdenum Petty 4.7"

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Note: A petty knife is the Japanese version of a paring knife.

Note: Remember to specify left or right handed.

Shun Tourne Knife (Bird's Beak Paring)

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Note: Remember to specify left or right handed.

Misono Swedish Carbon Steel Hankotsu (Boning Knife)

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Note: Remember to specify left or right handed.

Misono Swedish Carbon Steel Gyutou (Chef's knife)

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Note: Remember to specify left or right handed.








Wusthof Classic 12-Inch Long Slicing/Carving Knife
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Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Four Star High Carbon Stainless-Steel Straight Meat Fork
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Note: The carving knife and fork are the only exceptions to using only carbon steel tools, as you may need to carve meat in front of people and stainless tools are better for show.