What are you cutting with?

[ecowper]

I've got the Wusthof Classic set .... every knife they make in it except steak knives. My wife, knowing what a fan of Meathead I am, bought me a set of AmazingRibs steak knives. They are freaking amazing. If you don't have a set of those, you seriously need them.

As far as the Wusthof knives, they are simply beautiful. They look good, feel good in your hand, cut well, hold an edge .... Like Kathryn, I use the Accusoft knife sharpener. Love it. I learned to sharpen knives on whet stones and would never touch a knife sharpener. I tried out the Accusoft because someone suggested I do so ... and I've never gone back to a whetstone.

[Marauderer]

Wow, this is a subject I have always wanted to pursue. I have been using a set of Pampered Chef knives for the last several years and I am always having to sharpen them almost daily as the wife after cutting tomato's and such will just lay it in the sink and the the acid to it's work on the edge. I need to check out the "Shun" knives and try one out.

[Virginia Dave]

I used Pampered Chef knives for a while too but have been using CutCo for the last few years. They are amazing!!! Guaranteed for LIFE!

[bocefuss]

I go with cheaper knives, AccuSharp knife sharpener and a honing steel. I sharpen, as needed, typically 3-4 times per year & hone on each use. I can keep a decent edge on all knives, scissors and garden tools.

[SlowRollin']

Assorted Victorinox and Dexters here...

[jholmgren]

I bought a set of Henckel ProS knives about 10 years ago - love them. I tried a Shun knife, but it just didn't feel right in my hand. I think the blade was off-set from the handle too much for my comfort. The offset is probably better once you get used to it, but I just wasn't digging it.
One major problem with Henckels is that they make about 10 different lines of knives - and some of them are pretty poor quality for the cost. The ProS line is probably their original style, tried and true - forged and made in Germany. I send mine out to be professionally sharpened 1-2x per year, particularly my chef's knife, and in-between I use a steel to keep the edge true.

[BigJim]

Sorry for the late reply. The only way to know for sure that something is ruining your knife is with a microscope. But you can tell something bad is happening when you try to cut a ripe tomato. A sharp knife will slice through the skin with very little pressure applied without crushing the tomato. Blades get dull and bad sharpeners leave rough edges or burrs, or take off too much metal. These burrs snag on soft tissue. This is the reason why cutting paper is one test of whether a blade is sharp. If the paper cuts smoothly without tearing the blade is sharp and without defects. Sharpening steels don't actually sharpen anything. All they do is remove those burrs. You still need to sharpen dull blades.

The trick with sharpening is to achieve a smooth sharp edge without removing too much metal. Probably the best way to sharpen a blade is using a wet stone. However this take a lot of time and skill. But, if I had a $2,000 knife set I might take the time.

[BigJim]

As for boning knives, I've only used flexible blades, but the more flexible the blade is the faster it dulls. I like how the flexible blades bend around bones and such, but I've never used a stiff blade for this work. But there's nothing worse than a dull blade when you're trying to get all the meat off the bones, especially when it's raw.

[Ernest]

Wusthof and Messermeister (Favorite from restaurant supply store)

[Cheef]

New West Knife Works.
Hard to sharpen but once they are they last.
I do have an advantage because I own a TorMek sharpening system for my wood carving tools.

Edit to note!!
I just checked out their site.
I've had mine for years, and the price has definitely JUMPED up there now.
They were an investment back then and I'm glad to own them.
Current price is kind of shocking.

[gcdmd]

Mighty Oak (American) and Sabatier Jeune (French), unfortunately, no longer in production.

For sharpening, including Japanese knives, the Chef's Choice Trizor Model 15, also recommended by Cook's Illustrated in a recent comparison test of electric sharpeners.

[ssandy_561]

Have used Cutco all my life. Sorta had to since I grew up living right across the street from the factory where they were made. Also worked for the company for a couple of summers while I was in college. My knives are all factory seconds. Nothing wrong with them but some visual discrepancies. They make a "Butcher" knife that I love using for my ribs!

[top_gun_de]

As a German I should use Wusthoff or Dick's, but sometimes I'm cheap so I went for the Shun Wasabi. Love them, but mastering wetstones took a few tries They have D handle made from soft plastic, so unlike the Shun Classic they are usable in a commercial environment. The box was not included. My wife is in mortal fear of these knives and doesn't want them in the kitchen openly

[Cheef]

I'm kind of surprised to see one brand missing.
My wife and I bought a plastic handled-''ice forged'' stainless steel State Fair Special about 40 years ago.
That thing is the most amazing edge I have ever seen.
It is as sharp today as the day we bought it. Cuts plastic-cardboard-and then onto slicing meat and breads.
It has always had its special place in the kitchen drawer.

[CandySueQ]

I have lots of knives! I have 2 Wustofs in the RV for BBQ stuff. One is a 12 tapered brisket cutting blade and the other is a 6" curved wicked looking knife that is a good all around tool. I've got a full set of Hamer Stahl. I've been learning how to use the sharpening stick on these. Chicago Cutlery -- got some of those. Had my Victorinox knives sharpened a couple of weeks ago and they are wonderful. Got a couple of Henckel, but they are in the back of the drawer right now. My favorite knife is a home made Bowie looking thing that a friend on a BBQ e-mail list gave me years and years ago.