# Best Chef's Knife? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650 "2022-03-24T19:51:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/121 "2022-03-31T16:46:03Z")
The negative reviews say that there are problems with mounting that model, and no included instructions. Did you have any trouble with that? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/122 "2022-03-31T16:56:05Z")
Nope. In fact I had to re-mount it last year when I had my kitchen remodeled and I was able to do it a second time. I don’t remember if it came with instructions or not, as I got it in 2011. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/123 "2022-03-31T18:39:48Z")
I was just reading about a kitchen remodel and the DIYer said he did a lot of searching for knife holders and he ended up getting something from [wooDsom](https://www.woodsom.com/), which he really loves (he’s had them about 8 months). They also make fridge mounted holders, which might be an option for @puzzlegal . ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/124 "2022-03-31T18:47:46Z")
I have similar issues, and will address them when I get my holder, but one I was thinking of is mounting them on the underside of the cabinets, so they attach magnetically in a horizontal direction. There’s examples on the web of these. On the inside of a cabinet door is another possibility. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/125 "2022-03-31T19:57:11Z")
Food for thought. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/126 "2022-03-31T23:09:16Z")
Those are gorgeous. It occurs to me they wouldn’t work for my ceramic knives. 🙃 And i don’t think i want the steak knives to get that much really estate. But the most-used knives might do well that way… ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2022, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/127 "2022-04-01T13:35:04Z")
OhByTheWay: I learned this one long ago, and have used it on countless occasions since. It works surprisingly well: > **[Dull Knife? No Sharpener? Grab a Mug](https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-sharpen-a-knife-on-a-mug)** > > Ever been stuck in a vacation home with a dull knife and no sharpener? If there's a ceramic mug, plate, or bowl in sight, don't worry—you've got the means to give that blade a wicked edge. Here's how. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2022, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/128 "2022-04-01T13:46:12Z")
Cool tip! Thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/129 "2022-04-04T04:09:25Z")
Speaking of knives, I just made an interesting discovery. I have a set of dinner knives – which I think technically are supposed to be steak knives – that I’ve had practically forever that I like so much that I use them routinely as general-purpose dinner knives. In fact I use them for kitchen utility functions like cutting through vac-packed sausage or liverwurst packaging, because they have an effective serrated cutting edge. I was thinking about how much I liked them and how long they had served me well, and thought to look at the blade to see if there was a recognizable brand name. Well, I’ll be damned! They are Henckels. Not the “good” Henckels with the twin figures, but Henckels International with the single figure logo. Still, superb general-purpose serrated dinner knives. Stainless blades that seem to have stayed sharp for decades, and black resin handles. Highly recommended. Mine, as I said, are very old and surely no longer available, but they look very much like this: > **[J.A. Henckels International 8-pc Steak Knife Set : Amazon.ca: Home](https://www.amazon.ca/J-HENCKELS-INTERNATIONAL-Steak/dp/B002PU91CQ)** > > J.A. Henckels International 8-pc Steak Knife Set : Amazon.ca: Home ETA: Caveat emptor! Some of the reviewers love them, but others say they feel flimsy, and blame the fact that they’re made in China. These are clearly not exactly the same as my old ones, but whether they’re good or not I cannot say. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/130 "2022-04-04T13:48:41Z")
I have a set of 6 Wusthoff (non-serrated) steak knives, that… maybe were a “free gift” when we bought a block of knives for someone as a wedding present? We decided that we would treat them as “flatware” and not “good knives”. They go through the dishwasher, and i don’t think I’ve ever sharpened them. They aren’t as sharp as new, nor as sharp as my good paring knives, but they are in excellent shape, and still work quite well. They certainly are still sharp enough to open plastics containers and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/131 "2022-04-04T16:26:21Z")
We’ve probably got the same ones… ours are pretty chewed up, but the good news is that they’re easily sharpened, and hold a good edge, despite having been through the dishwasher dozens, if not hundreds of times. The biggest issue we’ve seen is that they’re hard enough that if they’re dropped on tile, the tips have a tendency to break off. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/132 "2022-04-05T12:23:33Z")
The challenge of steak knives is that you are often using them on a surface that is not a good surface for cutting. Plateware will dull your knives pretty fast. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/133 "2022-04-05T20:49:32Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > The challenge of steak knives is that you are often using them on a surface that is not a good surface for cutting. Plateware will dull your knives pretty fast.   In principle, yes, but a lot depends on the knife. This is why I personally prefer serrated steak knives, which I use for everything. The Henckels have small serrations within larger serrations, which really limits the extent to which plateware can dull them. They still cut very well and I can’t even remember how long I’ve had them – certainly decades. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650/134 "2022-09-29T02:56:31Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Well, this thread has convinced me to finally get a proper knife sharpener. While I appreciate the various suggestions, after comparing prices and reading reviews I decided to get **[this Zwilling J.A. Henckels manual sharpener](https://www.amazon.ca/ZWILLING-J-Henckels-32602-001-Sharpener/dp/B01MXDZ367/ref=sr_1_9?crid=VSA2NWAKPLQ0&keywords=knife+sharpener&qid=1648217781&sprefix=knife+sharpener%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-9)** for my Zwilling Henckels knives. To date I’ve mostly been using a honing steel. I thought I should report back on my experience so far. My Zwilling knives are now nicely sharp but it took me a while to figure out the proper technique. The above-mentioned sharpener works very well in the first stage, the coarse sharpening. Using the fingertip test, it does not appear to me that the fine honing stage is very effective. I find I get the best results by coarse sharpening as necessary, and then honing with a traditional honing steel – still the chef’s best friend, for good reason. It remains to be seen how often coarse sharpening will be needed, but at least I now have the means to do it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-chefs-knife/961650.md?page=6)