wrote:
>
> My kitchen knives are getting old and I was thinking of replacing them
> soon. I'm not bothered about sets but I would like a good all-rounder.
> Do you have any favourite brands, and why? Not worried about prices.

Not worried about prices? If you're worried about prices
I suggest getting a set one year, then each subsequent
yeat seeing which of the set shows the most wear and
getting the best possible single knife of that type. Brands
are for sets to me.

To get the best knife of a type I like to go to a place that
has several brands. Try the heft of several variations of
size, handle shape, blade shape, material. Get the one
blade of that type you like best and ignore what brand it
is.

Andy mentioned ceramic. Years ago I bought a couple of
Boker. They eventually cracked but they took considerable
abuse before then. My wife recently bought a trio of Kyocera
so we have them again.

Zeppo mentioned Cutco. I really like their steak knives and
will eventually get one. I think every kitchen needs at least
one serrated blade and they are the best in the serrated
field. Ignore their claims that they aren't actually serrated;
for most purposes adges are straight or serrated and that's
that. Their ergonomic handles have the standard ergonomic
issue that they are tuned to the "average human hand" so if
you are large or small it will feel wrong. Ignore any inclination
that simply because it's different from your other handles that
it's wrong, though. I have a Cutco hunting knife and a fish
fillet knife. My ex got the rest in the divorce. I bet they are
still like new two decades after purchase.

On old blades - I inheritted a great-grandfather's blade hand
made by a blacksmith a century ago. It had worn down most
of the metal. Blades do to get too old. It just takes a long
time.

On getting a chef's knife or equivalent. They come in all
sorts of shapes and sizes. This is where trying many
brands help. It turns out I dislike the ones that are close
to triangular so I have some that have well rounded blades.
I also have a santuko that's now my favorite.

On material - Ceramic is sapphire hard but you have to ship
them to sharpen them. Titanium is very cool but also very
hard to sharpen. Stainless and carbon steels range from
very hard to hold edge but be hard to sharpen through soft
to have a sharp but short lived edge that is easy to sharpen.
It's a matter of taste - Try both and see how you react then
get more of that type in other styles in other years.

With knives as with cookware I like to have different materials
for different items. I have cast iron skillet, stainless clad
aluminum core saucepans, all stainless stockpot and so on.
I have ceramic, hard stainless, soft carbon, cheap serrated
knives.

On price not a worry - Hand made special order knives from
individual craftsmen are available on-line or at hunting shows.
A hand made blade of folded steel will beat any brand you
will ever find in any store. Modern bladesmiths will turn out
knives that beat the ones I inherited from my great-grandfather
by a mile. We're talking a level of quality that is amazing and
a price to match. Hand made can't be matched by a brand.

On cheap knives - I say have some and go through them and
get replacements. Cheap paring knives are easily found so
there is no stress losing one. If you take a tv/ginzu knife to
a pot luck and it gets lost there just isn't the same stress as
if you take an F Dick or Henckels or even a folded steel hand
made knive and it gets lost.