On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:37:16 GMT, KLS > wrote:

>I'm trying to decide whether to buy a 12" Henckels Pro S chef's knife
>or pay more for the 10". I have the 8" and want a larger one, but I
>can't decide whether the 12" would be too much bigger. There's a good
>sale on the 12", whereas the 10" pricing is higher and not discounted.
>
>Any thoughts on one vs. the other?

You don't say *why* you want a bigger one -- as a replacement, or as a
supplement. If as a supplement, then I'd say a wide 12. If it's a
replacement, I'd recommend a wide 10".

I have a Wusthof 10" Culinar, a Sabatier 8" carbon steel, and a
Henckels 10" chefs' in my retired drawer. None of them made it as a
primary tool.

Like a few of the others, I greatly prefer the Wusthof wide chef's
knives. I have a 12" bought at Dehillerin in Paris, which is a dead
ringer for the Wusthof wide 12. It gets used only for massive tasks --
large melons, whole cheeses, splitting large birds. ( Not for chopping
-- that's the province of the Global forged cleaver, by far the best
I've ever tried.)

The workhorse in our house is the Wusthof 8" wide chefs. It's just
right for my wife (5' 8") and fine for me (6'3", 210). If it was just
me, I'd probably choose the 10" wide, but for both of us the 8 is the
proportionally better rocker at 1-7/8" wide vs. 2" wide for the 10.

That said, we both tend to grab the Shun 8" chef's for repeated fine
work and very thin slicing. It's a razor, and the reason the Sabatier
carbon steel has been retired.

BTW, there's an excellent wide compromise available of you don't want
the added heft of the Wusthof wides. Lamson, an American company,
makes excellent LamsonSharp wide-blade chef's knives with slightly
less heft than the Wusthof's. I have an 8" with a white pearl-like
handle, and the quality is every bit as fine as anything from Germany.
It too is 1-7/8 wide.

Anyway, my advice would be to not choose between lengths based on
price. Think more about your needs.

-- Larry