For Christmas this year I am going to ask for new Kitchen knives. I've always had the run of the mill stuff you can buy at Wal Mart or Target. I'm ready to cook with the big **** now and I am wondering if any of you can recommend some good Kitchen knife brand names.

The three top names in knives are Wusthof, Henckles and Global. I have owned all three brands. The best choice is what feels best in your hand. It would be good if you could go to a knife store where all three brands are sold to be able to feel the difference between them at the same time. Wusthof and Henckles have various styles within the brand. Global does not. Wusthof was rated number one so I bought some. To tell you the truth, I don't like them. I fell in love with the Global. They make a 5 inch vegetable knife that I use 99% of the time. I have small hands so I don't like big knives. You can probably get the best deal with a set of knives. Costco has a set of Henckles at a bargain price but that particular set is made in Spain and does not have the same blade as their German line.

I agree with Bugster. There are many quality knives to choose from, but ultimately your choice should be based on what feels most comfortable in your hand. I have used high-end German knives for several years, but recently I sold my German knives to a friend and got some Shun Ken Onion knives. I absolutely love these knives. They're especially good for someone with smaller hands. The only drawback is that they don't fit in a standard knife block.

This is the best advice you can get. These brands are all great...it just boils down to what feels/fits best in your own hand. Mine happen to be Wusthof's "Classic" style and I love them...particularly the 5- and 7-inch santokus. I use those two knives almost all the time.

What feels good in your hand is important, but I would also recommend reading the Consumer Reports article about them. You'll learn a lot about what to look for when buying.

http://www.consumerreports.com

A few brands of knives were recommended when I studied cooking. I chose Wusthoff and have been very happy with them. I didn't know about knives at the time or how to properly use them, so learning how to handle knives with Wusthoff went well.

I got two 5" chef's knives, one deboning knife, 2 paring knives and one 8" long serrated knife. No butcher's knife - I get a butcher to do that kind of cutting. After using them, I wash them right away, dry them and give them a few swipes on a sharpening steel rod before carefully laying them on a soft cloth in a drawer - it's not good to pile them onto each other. I keep hard-plastic sleeves on knives I only use occasionally.

I don't like using a wood block to hold them... there's something scary to me about sharp knives sitting out in the open, in a wood block, on a kitchen counter. These knives have been very good to me - for about 15 years now. Good knives are worthy investments.

I have Wusthof and chef knives, and i used this knives for years now. Its really Sharp and have a good quality..

My favorite knife (ON EARTH) is my 7" Kershaw Shun Santoku Knife DM0718. I researched this knife for 2 years before purchasing it 4 months ago. It rocks -- the reviews are awesome, no matter where you look. I have 2 Global knives and they don't hold a candle to my Shun. I can't wait to buy their pairing knive... my next purchase.

You need to search around for a good buy on this knife, as the prices are variable, for certain!

Hope this helps (I know the original post is very old, now).

Myrtle/Marlene

Let's see if I can post the link to cutleryandmore.com where I made the purchase for this knife.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/shun-clas ... ife-p15914

This Shun Santoku knife is so sharp and finely honed.... I am still blown away by the awesomeness of how it slices an onion, for example.

Myrtle/Marlene