Jimmy Lile First Blood II Cerakote knife.
$2495.
Yeah. Knives can get pricey.
(Not really a chef's knife, but it'd work)
Posted on 01/14/2021 11:08:50 AM PST by mylife
High-end custom knives run from $400 to $40,000. Here's what makes them so expensive, and why they could be worth it.
Buying an expensive knife won't turn you into an excellent cook anymore than going to the Container Store will make you an organized person. But well-crafted custom knives are things of physical beauty, and they can have a kind of talismanic power. Super-luxury chef's knives start at about $400, and go up from there. Famously, some custom knives, like those from legendary knife maker Bob Kramer, sell for upwards of $500 an inch. At auction, Kramer's knives often fetch prices in the low-to-mid five figures.
A very fancy chef's knife is also a kind of paradox. A chef's knife, the 8- to 10-inch blade used for everything from breaking down chickens to dicing vegetables, is a tool that gets used frequently. As such, it's often subject to wear and tear, dings and scratches. It's a Ferrari that needs to be used like a Jeep. Plus, plenty of excellent professional chefs use knives that are in the $20 to $50 range to make incredible food.
(Excerpt) Read more at foodandwine.com ...
*nodding head*
Yep.
I actually read an article by an audiophile that tried to explain why double blind listening tests could not be trusted. I kid you not.
But I’m straying off topic...
I use my meat cleaver the most of all my knives.
If it’s a tool of the trade then it may be worth it.
I have at least three pocketknives that go for $150-200 each.
When I got paid to take photographs I would walk around with $50,000 worth of equipment.
If it’s your job, you should buy the best tool for the job.
But if you don’t need that 1% marginal difference, don’t spend the extra money.
Nope.
I have a number of knives that I sharpen with a two sided sharpening stone. Since I’m on a Covid induced, unnecessary shopping rampage, I just might purchase that set..........thanks
I'd opt for the Krauts over the Japs when it comes to knives.
But my current go - to is an old cheap (doesn't even have a full tang in the handle) blade that really holds an edge.
Most people don’t understand. A knife is a tool. If you were a mechanic you would want the top of the line to work with. A knife is no different and Lord know not all steel is created equal, that is where the price comes in.
The biggest enemy of hi-fi snobs are double-blind tests.
The biggest enemy of actual hi-fi listening is time. As you age, your ears become less able to discern certain things from an audio perspective. I have a decent stereo, but at my age it makes no sense whatsoever to spend thousands of dollars on one no matter how 'good' it is at sound reproduction. I simply can't hear like I could when I was younger.
I have lots of Solingen steel.
A sharp knife is a culinary necessity....
Hannibal Lecter
Yes.
Any knife made of steel will dull with use.
Using a whetstone to sharpen a knife removes steel.
Over time the blade will eventually wear out.
Several years ago on another forum, somebody shared a youtube video of a guy testing different kinds of knife sharpeners. He used the same brand of knife for each test, which according to him cost $1 each.
The video was educational. The stickler in me had a problem with the fact that he didn’t treat the sharpeners the same way. The cheapest sharpener he only used for about a minute, but he spent HOURS working with the most expensive sharpener. To me, that’s a biased test. If you really want to compare sharpeners, then they need to be used the same way, for the same length of time, with the same pressure and angles applied. Otherwise the difference could very well be in the technique and not the sharpener.
But, the range in end results was fascinating! A knife so cheap it was practically disposable, could be honed to such sharpness that it seemed impossible.
Clearly, the skill and care in sharpening the knife has more impact on the end result, than the price the knife was sold for.
A $60 Henckel is all you need. Probably last for almost ever. The Boning knifes with the softer steel can be sharpened easily but will wear.
I have a very nice set of Wusthof knives and they were worth every penny. They save me effort and time over the Chicago Cutlery set they replaced and just cut so much nicer and easier. They were a gift to myself two Christmas’ ago. I do believe that they helped increase my enjoyment of cooking and I’ve really stepped up my game as a result.
A few years ago, my wife and I based at a bed and breakfast with the intention of running a 60-70 mile round trip bike ride.
As we were leaving, the B&B owner was teasing us about the spandex and gear.
After I walked him through the reasons for everything from helmet to cycling shoes, he told me that it clicked.
He said that the utility of the cycling gear is that same as for him. He said “I’m a trained chef and don’t think twice about spending $150 on a paring knife.”
It’s all in the importance of the tools.
About the only exception to that was my father in law. He was a transmission mechanic. (an actual honest one) He could rebuild and repair just about anything but his tools were beat up crap. Some were well used high quality, other stuff looks lie Harbor Freight rejects.
Although he’s dead now, his tool shop is still at the house. I was there a few weeks ago working on something and being amazed at the low condition of the tools.
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