Hi Olunia,
Buying a kitchen knife is very personal–and it’s a process.
It always starts with your needs–and some “hands on” experiences.
For needs, identify the “gap” in your batterie that you’re trying to fill–or the knife you’re hoping to replace. Also, the price range you’re willing to spend–your subjective expected utility.
There are places that will allow you to cut up a few carrots. When I first started to develop my batterie, and did some hands on, I discovered that I hated the bump at the end of the handles. That personal quirk eliminated more than half of the knives I was considering, and played a big part in my ultimately choosing a Wusthof Classic Ikon Chef’s knife.
I’m certain that there are others who would only consider kitchen knives with that bump–or some specific kind of bolster–or weight–or balance point.
However, the Wusthof Classic Ikon Chef’s knife retail price at the store was almost double my willingness to spend. So I kept looking around. It took about six months before I found one for $100–delivered. I still like mine very much, but glad I took the time to think it through and get the value right.
My experiences have led me away from softer steel knives like Misen and the Mercers that have not focused on the home cook, but I have always gotten nosebleeds just looking at the prices of many established brands with harder steel.
On the other hand, having a knife that stays extremely sharp under our home cook user conditions for a long long time with minimal maintenance is addictive for me.
I’ve now segregated most of my softer steel knives with a honing steel to use on the spot from my other grabbable knives that don’t need that kind of attention.
I’d never recommend a specific brand or a specific knife for any one else–or even myself. Among the knives I have purchased, there are European, Japanese, Chinese, and American knives purchased at prices from under $10 to over $200.
Ray
