Which kitchen knives?

When the knives are out you can't beat Sebatier knives (or, in our case, just one) and Kitchen Devils.

When my parents were still alive and needed help from DD, I always took a Kitchen Devil with me so I could chop away to my heart's content. When we cleared their house after their respective deaths I discovered not one but THREE Kitchen Devils ferreted away at the back of a drawer in the sitting room (of all places!). I cannot tell you how thrilled I was. I have recently been diagnosed as a KD addict. But who cares? You really can't beat a good kitchen knife.

Sabatier of course and if not still good quality. Cheap kitchen knives are a waste of money. All current knives are approx. 25 years old.

I like Kitchen Devil too and have bought them from Boundary Mill as well as Dunelm. Other miscellaneous ones have come from my parents and I have one or two that I had almost 50 years ago in Kenya.

My most frequently used knives are 'Kitchen Devils' one large,one small both with serrated edges!. Had them over 12 yrs and still function well.
When I did a self-defence course 20 yrs ago the tutor recommended never to have knives on display in the kitchen !!!

Never buy cheap knives - sets from supermarkets, etc; they are a waste of money. I have a knife set in a block which I was given as a present, and, although they are decent quality, I hardly ever use them. I have a random selection of small knives (mostly Swedish) which I have bought from time to time from a cookshop in Bakewell and they get used every day, and a good bread knife. I agree Gracesmum that you should take note of how they fit in your hand. A neighbour of my mother's bought me a Granton ham knife for a wedding present. I've used it constantly for carving meat for forty five years and now the bone handle has given up the ghost, but I find that they still make them here in Sheffield and will replace handles. I couldn't be without it. I noticed the other day that DD is still using the Prestige carving knife she pinched off me when she raided my kitchen to go to university many years ago. I had had it since I got married! I'm sure you can still get Sabatier knives. We bought our son a set (cost an arm and a leg) when he went to catering college. He is still using them now, twenty seven years later.

Ilike sabatier as well, I last bought one about 2years ago.

I would just add don't fall for any of those sets of "Cook's Knives" you see advertised. Buy individual knives of the sizes you are likely to need - one small, one narrow, one medium, one larger, whatever. I have always liked Sabatier (do they still exist?) and although DH likes the sort that rust as he can get a better edge on them I am happy with the stainless sort. Oh and I do have a couple of small serrated blade knives which I like for tomatoes and cucumber! How they fit in your hand is also important, again I have one knife I rarely use because I find it very heavy, DH with bigger hands uses it a lot.I would go to somewhere like John Lewis or an independent cookshop and have a "feel"!! They do not all have to come from the same manufacturer so don't be brainwashed into buying knives you do not need!.

I would recommend Global knives. It is one of the best brands for professional kitchen knives, these are manufactured to extremely high and exacting standards and have attracted much acclaim over the years.

www.onlycookware.co.uk/

I was in Lakeland in Windermere recently and treated myself to a Global Cook's knife. Never paid so much for a piece of kitchen equipment! I held quite a few different ones before deciding on the Global. Used it nervously for the first time today. Brilliant. Will be looking at another one next time I'm in the Lakes.

cannot agree more that Global are the best. IIam staying with son and his falily for five weeks for the birth of a new baby and I brought mine with me.
Baby , by the way, is a little gem.

Make sure they do not have serrated edges, which cannot be sharpened. My favourite knife is an old Prestige which has been sharpened on a steel throughout my adult life (about 45 years).

If you're anywhere near a Boundary Mill (we have one in Lancashire and I know of one on the A1 south of Nottingham, I think) they have fabulous knife sets at great prices. My daughter bought a set reduced from £200 to £60 and they are really good quality, recommended by chefs. I'm sure there will be other outlets that do similar. Certainly cheaper than the usual retail places.

Global. Japanese make.