I've never heard of this company, but you shouldn't despair an unknown brand. It's all in the quality of the steel, heat treatment, and grind. The Wustof is made in Germany, which will guarantee you'll get a well built knife. The Knockof knife is likely Chinese made and as long as they stick to a quality process you should have a knife that cuts just as nice as the German made knife. A Chinese Knockof... wait a minute... I see what you did there.
Yet he still doesn't know, that the straight edge is actually for cutting where round edge is for slicing. Very common misconception that its vice versa.
Apparently not. All those cuts are recent otherwise they would have healed. He either had an accident and fell in rough terrain, or he is handling his knives very poorly.
0:35 - "Reacts with the environment". That's the professional way of saying it rusts. That said, you ought to see how much my 2007 Toyota Yaris reacts with the environment. It's got environment all over it.
One of the best knife videos I've ever watched and I've watched a lot! I like how it's explained simply and clearly giving the details that are important and not going over the top on techniques and knife making processes (which are cool, but not the place IMO). 👍
What it says: The Difference Between Chef's Knives What it actually is: The difference between every single japanese knife known to mankind and a Wusthof
I’m not a particular fan of Japanese knifes, or Wüsthof (although I have a couple in my knife roll. They are fairly decent value for money, and readily available), and I know a fair few Japanese manufacturers he hasn’t mentioned… Also, the Wüsthof he’s using as an example is pretty typical of modern Western chef’s knifes, and he does include that old Sabatier to point out some variations one might come across.
When you want a decent knife it normally come down to the choice between a Japanese and a German knife. I have both styles, I love my super sharp (and unfortunately super expensive) Japanese knife here and there, however, for my daily cutting jobs I usually go for the German knives. And I think for every amateur Chef those are the too option (if you’re not really into knives and want this Japanese knife experience when your cutting your dinner every day). There are plenty of different choices for German knives though, no clue why Wüsthof is featured in most American knife videos. The Classic Ikon is a good one though.
@@alexeivoloshin5984 why not? Have you ever looked at the hands of a Baker? There are burn marks, scars and callouses from all the abuse. If items are hand made by craftsmen, you expect the skin to be abused. If it was made by machines- quality isn't there and the skin would never be close to it.
When I was ready to buy my first decent knife, I went to a restaurant supply store and asked what to buy. I walked out with a Wusthof 8" chef's knife. That was about 9 years ago. I still use it 4 or 5 times a week. It's a beautiful tool.
I have a wusthof and it's got a lot of things to like about it: it's got good heft and balance, its handle is comfortable, it's durable. BUT. I absolutely hate that bolster. I will never buy a knife with a bolster again. I want a knife that can be sharped well without developing a swale and I'd like to be able to properly use the heel of my knife. Furthermore, it's fine if I'm cutting one onion, but if I'm say dicing an onion, some celery, and a few carrots when I use a pinch grip the top of the knife is very squared off and without fail those too sharp square corners cause a painful blister on my finger. It's a good knife for sure, but it's a knife I would never choose for myself.
Wow. Can't believe l just watched almost 15 minutes about knives and was interested from beginning to end. Really informative and delivered in a completely unpretentious manner. I learned heaps. Thanks. l already knew some of the basic stuff and, l know which of my knives is my favourite but, had never paid much mind as to why. Probably should just be pleased that l'm still happy with my garage sale score all these years later.
Monkey nips, I agree he explained a lot about the properties of knives but little on what those properties mean to a chef or even home cook. For instance, the balance of a knife is one of the most important aspects of a knife, and usually what you pay for in more expensive knives. Because, when cutting large amounts of food, the rate at which your arm tires depends on the balance not the weight of the knife.
Oh! Well, then you're going to love my upcoming video series about fine-tuning javascript application internals for high performance enterprise deployments!
It takes time to get used to different types of knives. I am a sushi chef, and it takes a lot of practice in sharpening and using the knives especially the single bevel ones. There is a common perception that a knife must cut your fingers to know you, it has to taste your blood somehow, not intentionally though. Lol. Knives are art to me
Being in kitchens for decades, owning a host of brands and styles. I really enjoyed the simplicity and knowledge of this video. I am going to share it with my new cooks when they come in. Very informative. Thank you.
I'm teaching my 19yr old son how to cook and we watched this video together yesterday and let me say that I feel this is one of the best written, produced instructional video on you tube. The information was presented straightforward without a lot of fluff. My son nows understands when I say "Nobody Touches My Knives". I personally own a 36 piece WUSTHOF Classic Knife block set. I also have two NESMUK 7" chef knives handed down through the family from Germany. They are Damascus steel. Thank you for the great video.
To be fair.. They aren't ACTUALLY Damascus steel. That forging technique was lost years ago, but Wusthof has a brand of knives called Damascus Steel, that are inspired by history. Actual Damascus steel has nanotubuals that, even to this day, with all of our technology and machinery, we can't reproduce. The closest we can currently get, is roughly half the width of what they had. It's pretty amazing. Only a handful of Damascus steel knives and swords are still in existence, and mostly in museums. They still hold their edge, even today.
Why do people still keep spouting this nonsense? Traditional damascus steel or wootz is just crucible steel, its an archaic technique due to modern smelting, but there are smiths who still make crucible steel. And those "nanotubules" are nothing more than banding from unevenly distributed carbides, you can find it in cheap old 1095 stock; and they hold their edges much worse than modern monosteel carbon blades, not to mention high speed PM steels.
When I was in my twenties and had little to no culinary experience, my wife and I moved to Germany for work for a few years. While there, I had the opportunity to purchase a "block" set of Wusthof knives (which of course, included the 8 1/2 inch Chefs Knife shown here). Eventually, my oldest son, as he was apt to do, took it outside and tried to use it as an axe. Big dents and bent portions of the blade resulted. I subsequently, when I began to cook regularly, purchased a Wusthof brand sharpener with a coarse and fine groove. This did not repair the knife, but at least got it sharp enough to use. Of course, I use a sharpening rod also before each use. Now, in my early 60s and very much into cooking, I received my "dream" knife for Fathers Day; an 8.2" Misono UX10 Gyutou (also, a Chefs Knife). The Misono was extremely sharp out of the box, but requires more care to sharpen. So, after researching it for a month or so, and watching many videos and reading many articles, I purchased a set of 4 whetstones; Grits of 400, 1000, 3000, and 8000. After becoming proficient with the whetstones, I used them in an attempt to repair the Wusthof. And know what? they did! The blade on my Wusthof Chefs Knife is now straight and razor sharp, and frankly, I enjoy using it as much as the Misono. I love BOTH, and for most applications, use either one depending upon my mood at the time. Functionally, there's almost no difference to me, though I'll tend to use the Wusthof more for tougher cuts, and the Misono more for more delicate cuts. The Wusthof set also came with a slicer, which I've also whetstone sharpened, and now I also use that regularly and love it. The time I spend with my knives and whetstones pays me back tenfold everytime I do it, and it's a great pleasure to experience those results in the kitchen.
Pay your son back tenfold and show him how to make those stones work so when your grandson/ daughter uses his kitchen knives as an axe he can fix them himself, lol! All kidding aside, you gotta love a sharp knife in the kitchen, don't forget to strop, my friend!
@@trippstadt A fine polishing compound on a strip of leather attached ie glued to a length of wood or the back of a leather belt for that matter. Burnishing or removing the fine burr at the cutting edge is achieved by drawing the blade along the leather strip or strop away from the medium opposite to the way one sharpens the blade by pushing it towards the sharpening stone. This should take any "catchy" for lack of a better term, imperfections out of your edge.
Stropping is the way to go for woodcraft tools and razors, but it's overkill for a kitchen knife. A microscopically slightly rough ("catchy") edge is actually better against ripe tomatoes, for example. My opinion, of course. PS: It's not "razor sharp" unless it has the blade geometry of a razor, but then it would be crap as a kitchen knife.
A patina isn't the same as rust. It's not marketing language. Patina is an aesthetic choice and not everyone likes their stuff to look brand-new forever.
I work as a professional chef and this is a great video, even when watching it repeatedly every year, the wisdom of the content is a hard starting point for anyone looking to buy or understand knives and sets the course for whatever need in any kitchen setting. its completely solid advice. that said, I recommend things like Cutco for beginners if you destroy it, it comes with extra lives. for advanced individuals contact your local knifemaker with your needs and concerns. hopefully your current knife is the last knife you'll ever need. but its like a wizards wand. it must choose you.
Well said. Also back the Cutco sentiment. I remember my first 6" Shun Chefs knife, my father used it to cut a Milk-bone in half for the dog. Took a good divot out of the blade, nice half mushroom with a straight edge on one side.. After the fact it was almost a lucky event. Had that not happened I dont think I would have had the stones to try sharpening a knife that expensive. Still have it, and I have used, honed, sharpened it so many times the straight edge on the split rounded out and the mushroom is more like a gentle wave.
I agree totally. I would definitely say that just grabbing a $15-$25 el cheapo from the super market is a great way to go for an apprentice. (I've actually bought a couple myself because it's all I trust the barbarians I work with to touch.) Another upside of a cheaper knife is that it will require more frequent sharpening so you will automatically get more practice. Learn how to sharpen it consistently before investing in anything more expensive. Putting a few dollars into a decent steel straight off the bat might be the go though. Let's face it, once you can actually get an edge on a knife it really isn't that much trouble to give it a couple of passes on the steel and keep going. I think of the knives in my old kit and I really don't think I could use them any more. Too long and too heavy. After 20 years in the kitchen, the knuckles in my knife hand are becoming pretty crunchy. At the time though, the idea of having a beast of a knife to split pumpkins and portion steak seemed awesome. Now though, I doubt that I could get any pressure onto the tip of a 28-30ish cm blade. After watching this video though, I am keen to dust them off and give them another turn at bat!
@@johnpienta4200 arent cutco blades different? they are micro serated. and you cant sharpen them at home/work you have to send them back to manufacturer. i remember going into an interview once and said i had cutco knives and was laughed at. pretty sure they dont use in the kitchen of restaurants/etc
As a chef and a careless person sometimes i have had ALOT of knifes. It was fun and interesting to listen to somebody who really knows knifes unpack a lot of my thoughts on knifes over the years and helped put into perspective why my current favorite knife is my current favorite knife because of where the balance point is and that the handle shape allows me to use 3 different hand grips very comfortably instead of just the widely used standard grip and pinching the blade style.
That was surprisingly objective and balanced. Thank you. Most “knife people” tend to be biased toward some feature / style of knife construction or another. I certainly used to be, but going on two decades of working with knives daily, and sharpening them frequently have taken care of that… Again, thank you. There’s far too little knowledgeable and unbiased content about kitchen knives on the internet. This is just about the best overview video I’ve yet come across. (I’ve been fascinated by knives for thirty years or so; a chef for seventeen, give or take).
I’ve had the Masamoto high carbon chef knife for almost 12 years now (the first one), and it’s by far one of my favorite (and it was my go to knife as a chef for almost 10 years). If well sharpen and maintained, it will keep a razor sharp edge for months despite heavy daily use. The metal is a bit brittle, but it’s hard af, I highly recommend it.
The wear on his hands would be non existent if he actually knew how to use the knives he has such knowledge about. I worked in a kitchen...you learn avoid injury after ur 4th or 5th time.
@@AlmostJordan if you paid attention, he's a knifemaker (closer to a smith), not some kitchen staff. Even we would laugh at you if you got the same hands as him when you're working the kitchen.
I have no idea how you ended up on my feed, but I have been wanting to get a good chef’s knife and I have no idea what I want, what works best, how to choose or what to consider when purchasing a knife. I’m so thankful you showed up. Great tutorial, very easy to understand, covers a lot of material without being overwhelming and just technical enough.
TheClever Screenname well you can’t go wrong. I love my Kramer knives but I’ve been a professional chef for 20+ years and have a ton of Wustofs and use them daily. They make the best mass produced knives by far in my opinion.
@@kring451 The Wusthofs are nice and all, but mine can't seem to hold an edge to save their life. I have no-name random out of the bucket knives that hold an edge better =/ Overall I've been slightly disappointed in Wusthof.
bovaiveu that’s strange mine hold an edge for a very long time, depending on what I cut of course, but all in all I’ve been using them my entire career besides some I had custom made.
Perfect video, the editing, camera direction, Will's in depth explanations, lighting, focus, tool layout, the way we should perform the cuts with each knife, highlights of each knife profile and type every time he grabs a different one. Splendid job guys. Keep up the great work, and I hope your continued success mirrors your passion and dedication to your craft.
Excellent presentation. Normal, unpretentious knowledge delivery. Great characteristic coverage, no overblown preferences (although I would have liked to see more Solingen representation and a comment about ice tempering). Admiring elements of nature in the wood handles was an exceptional comment for me--well done overall!
@@VK-pk8uz Sure, but I don't care about showmanship. The knives and the information that came with them is the take-away for me, not how well a person 'performs' for the audience.
Based on this video I asked him to build a ultrathin 27cm slicer knife for me some time ago; 5 layers Damascus steel, handle made of American wood. I was blown away when I received this knife here in Germany.
Haha, no when you spend all day every day making blades, you're going to get nicked. Honestly the grinder will chew your hands up more often than the blades. Hot slag from the forge will to it too. That's just the nature of working with your hands.
I am literally googling knives, this was a very well made and well edited video with Interesting content delivered by somebody with a passion for their work
This was great (very informative!) and explained why I only like my knives and hate using other people's knives in their kitchens. Now I want him to explain all the options for smaller kitchen knives. (paring, bread, steak, filleting, flat vs serrated, etc)
Bit expensive for what they are, you pay a for the great quality and then pay more for the full-page ads on the back of big-selling news magazines at Christmas time. Germany has many smaller Knife manufacturers who only do the first bit, e.g. Marsvogel. Also: Victorinox are really fantastic but a lot more utilitarian with their moulded plastic handles etc. Made for the true pro who thinks about the value the tool gives per unit cost.
Japan: makes knives for specific tasks that require a lot of experience and time invested Germany: here is a multipurpose-anyone can use-basic cooking experience knife
I thoroughly enjoyed this video, thank you so much for sharing! As a novice cook who is really getting into it thanks to the lockdown life, it was fantastic to watch because the easy manner in which he relays his expertise just helped so much to demystify chefs knives for me. This is the kind of wonderful content that brings me back to epicurious
Its a small adrenaline rush that becomes habit to some chefs and knife makers. You also tend to become very comfortable around the objects you use all the time, but you're also around them a lot so slips happen due simply to the odd.
i have a co-worker just like that, only difference being that he is neither a cook, nor a knife maker, the guy is constantly running arround holding his box cutter with the blade out, every other week the guy cuts himself and around twice a year someone has to drive that idiot to the hospital, guy doesn't even have the decency to clean up the blood he drips all over the damn place.
@@CytoplasmicGoo There's twice where he's running his hand along the knife millimeters from the blade. I've watched quite alot of knive demonstrations, and i've never seen someone so scarred. His behaviour in this video implies he hasn't learned from the damage.
There's nothing you can't do with a wicked sharp paring knife. All those extra inches are wasted if you've got no clue. Just a lot of knees bent, running about....
A beautiful demonstration! To the point, information is perfectly disseminated & expressed in precise clear easy to understand verbiage. From start to finish you made selecting my next knives stress free, saved money, & no guess work that usually leads to purchasing the worse product. Your presentation rocks & so do you Will ! Thx
Thanks, now I got what it need for my knife. Material - Stainless steel (yeah i hate maintenance) Flexibility - Hard (better chip knife than bend knife) Shape - Round Belly (I use rocking technique) Thickness - Thicc (I like them extra thicc) Bevel- Double (Single bevel are so much hassle) Handle - Full Tang (I got 12 hidden tang knife, 5 of them busted) Balance - Blade Heavy (I usually put blade on a plate or someting, if its handle heavier, it will drop... most of time.. this applies to fork and spoon) Hahaha... This so much fun... Its like crafting note for forging a new weapon....
So refreshing to see knives put in context. The pros and cons of the different styles and materials. I've been cooking semi-pro and casually for about 4 decades and everything he said seemed to be spot on. Compromises everywhere.
Marco Deo its not the blade thats the problem with cheap knives anyone can anyone can sharpen a knife hell even paper can cut,the real problem with them are the handles,most of them splits or become loose after a while.
Mini Panini: While handle quality is important, I think the biggest difference between high and low quality knives are the steel used. For several months I've been sharpening a knife or two (JUNKY) from my church's kitchen, and find them consistently more difficult to get sharp compared to my personal (higher end) knives.
yup. I got one, smaller. Nothing wrong with it. Not overly expensive, solidly decent, works, sturdy, applicable to most tasks. If you don´t know what to buy, you make nothing wrong with a Wüsthoff. Make sure you are comfortable with the german-style rounded belly, heavy blade and balance towards the handle, though!
@@Gunzee Edge retention on Wüsthofs is decent, not exceptional. They are super easy to sharpen, especially the one without a bolster, so you can sharpen the full length of the edge.
I don't know how TH-cam decided to put this video in my recommended section, but this was very interesting indeed! Will sure knows his knives and hid hands tell you he's the real deal :) Oh, 8:18 for all the Teken fans ;)
I like how everything is compared to the Wusthof. Not that it's a better knife but it is among the best examples of a western style knife with a belly made for rocking so it is an excellent knife to compare with other types of knives. Which knife is better for you depends on your needs and style of cooking among other things. This video reminds me of why I bought ny Wusthofs.
Not sure who the few boneheads are that dislike this... By far the most concise video I've seen that covers the majority of points folks need to know about knives, without being biased one way or another toward a particular style or steel. Really well done.
I Think the biggest problem is that he didn't point out that bolsters are a tool of the knife, not a safety feature. They're used to crack lobster/crab shells, to pop oysters, crack nuts, and pretty much every task that the tip of the knife is too fragile for, or where you wouldn't be able to get the proper leverage/pressure with the tip of the knife, but still need a fine point to get the job done.
If you're looking to spend the money on a custom made knife, chances are very good that you've at some point owned a Wusthof knife. They're one of the most well known brands of cutlery available, so most people at this stage of buying will be familiar with them.
When you spend a long time handling a knife, or knives, you adapt to the risk from the sharp edge. 25 years of cooking with more than one type if knife style. Although, I do not own tge Sakuma single bevel knife.
Magnificent exposition because it is clear, exact, orderly and brief. He had to dedicate a lot of time to make it with these characteristics. Congratulations!👍🥂
The bolster is not just a safety feature. It’s there to crack things like bones or nuts, which goes along with the theme that western knives are generally less delicate than Japanese. The curve of the bolster also makes gripping a western knife more comfortable for most people. Low maintenance, durability, good performance, and comfort are reasons why Wusthof and Henckels are such great options for most home cooks’ first serious knife.
@@ryanward4565 --- Btw, one big problem is people who use metal or ceramic hones, and put concave edges on their knives, then wonder why they won't dice and mince. Butchers do not use abrasive "hones", they use non-abrasive, smooth, "steels". The purpose of a steel is to straighten rolled edges of the soft steel they prefer, not to sharpen. They'll sharpen on whetstones once a week, whetting away "tired" steel. I took in a friend's santoku to sharpen. It had a badly concave edge, sharp, but concave. I got it flat, to original profile, but I'm never doing that again! A concave edge is like one huge very long chip!
This is a superb film. Thank you. It's a great mix of good, solid, useful data and yet still wholly comprehensible by people like me who are enthusiastic home cooks but not knife makers or enthusiasts. Last night, I knocked a pan over on my stove and in the resulting mayhem I set the handle of my knife alight so you have helped me a lot in my choice for a replacement. In fact, you have lifted my spirits so much that I might even try to replace the handle myself!
I’m just someone that stops on a random videos. I am not a chef but someone who appreciates a sharp knife. Your presentation was very informative. I prefer an 8” chef knife for most general cooking needs. More fore someone with big hands. Thank you for a great generalization of the differs knives The vid was very informative.
You don't. Just start using knives and you'll learn as you go. I worked in kitchens, chopping bags of onions, as I got better at chopping, slicing, whatever, I found what shape of knife suited me best. The same will work for you.
All knife works for me as long as it can cut. But he forget to mention one more thing, the grind on the knife. There's flat grind(commonly put on chef knife), hollow grind(most of my knife have that), chisel grind/single grind, scandi grind and double grind. I don't make knife but I have been sharpening and using knife for 3 years. I'm 15 years old.
I thought this was an excellent discussion presentation of the various types of chef knives, the various features, benefits & drawbacks of each. This was an excellent presentation. And as far as the Wustof, it's the knife perhaps most widely available, most widely owned in America. It is sold in every single kitchen store, Costco and most hardware stores. It was a great choice to compare the others to.
I’ve been lucky enough to have 2 wusthofs and now 2 Japanese knives. And I love them both. These 4 knives cover everything I’m ever going to do in the kitchen & both styles have their advantages & work extremely well.
Your life has become similar to that of millions of us (yes, I'm another) who can't bear to look away if we're taking in information. But hey, is that a bad thing? I've learned a massive amount from YT and will hopefully go on doing so. When you say, _"What has my life become?"_ ... are you seriously trying to tell us that it used to be _better_ than this? Really?
I would like to point out a slight misrepresentation in your explanation of single beveled blades, where you state that they have cuts that wander and curve inwards.. That's only if you're cutting slabs of material (4mm or thicker; not sure if this would be called a slab, but this is what I mean); if you are cutting very thin slices off of a hard material (such as daikon, potato, carrots, and things like that) a single beveled blade is the blade that won't wander, while the double-beveled blade does. Try slicing paper thin slices of daikon using a double beveled blade. The inner bevel rides against the hard material you're trying to slice, causing the cut to wander out, so you end up with thin wedges rather than slices. On a single-beveled blade, the inner surface has no bevel, so it doesn't push the cut outwards. In the example you gave, the cut wandered because the material you were cutting wasn't really thin slices off of a hard material. Try slicing 1mm slices off of a daikon, and you'll see the difference. The concave inside is to prevent adhesion; an air pocket forms, preventing the blade from sticking to the food. But the user must hold the blade in such a way that doesn't press the blade against the food if there is a concave portion; if you do press the blade against the main chunk of the food, the curvature seems to contribute to the cut zone wandering inwards. Not all Japanese blades with single bevels have this inner concave part. I have a single beveled santoku from Kamikoto that doesn't have this feature.
My yanagi doesn't wander when I use it to cut steaks, could be because of the meat isn't as hard, which probably also has a lot to say. The concave bit also helps to do touch ups on the back side faster when sharpening.
Illuminating, thank you for the added information regarding single beveled blades, I appreciate you taking the time to share your insights. I'll have to consider this when prepping meals now. :) Cheers.
my h1 all the way trough h6 are for fine lines. great to do some initial sketching while not permanenly putting those lines down.. however I you feel bold you could go for a hb or even b2. If you are really going for the crayon kind of creative outburst or need to fill in those dark shadows then go for b6...
Many years ago I bought a 10" IC chef's knife at a thrift store for $1. Though I have a number of knives, that is the one I use every day for all sorts of tasks. I sharpened it to the point that it can shave my arm hair and it has held that edge for years. Never know what you'll find in thrift stores or Goodwills.
A nice heavy not stained wood block, to be washed by hand and pat dried as best as possible, a s left to open air dry in the light until completely dry, so it doesn't bend it grow bacteria in the wood.
Saw a video where the guy explained how a softer board should be better for your knife, but the knife would stick easier. Would still recommend a hard/semi-hardwood board. Don't use: Glass, stone, plastic (not hygienic). And just my opinion, not Bamboo either. It's just not as good as wood (yup, in case you didn't know, bamboo is not wood)
Basically this is the answer, and it isn't what some people like to hear. Plastic is better only of you wash with sanitizers, if you wash with just soap and water they are less safe. Plastic is pretty good for the knife, but it picks up every cut you put in it and it is difficult to repair that. Basically you get rid of them when worn, they start getting really unsafe when very worn.The cuts you make trap bacteria in it and sometimes simple sanitizing isn't enough to get at the trapped and sealed in. Rubber is about the same as plastic but gives a bit more. Glass and Marble are easy to clean, but kills your knives, use marble for dough, cool it down with ice and it's wonderful, but for cutting, it has no use. Glass is pretty, but that is about it, great for serving. Wood composite seem great, I think it is a happy medium but isn't perfect, because they are a bit hard. Can be cleaned with harsh sanitizers without much damage or cracking, but it would probably react with the tannin and make it inhibit the bacteria less. It is light and strong. If you hate how wood is so heavy, go with these. Wood is great but not all woods are the same, you want medium hardwoods, hard will wear down the knives, and soft will get cut with deeper groves and make it harder to clean, picking up stains and bacteria more readily. They can't be sanitized well(requirement in professional kitchens) without damaging it along with the wood's natural bacterial inhibitors. End grains are a bit better, because simply, you can cut deeper without the wood being damaged or dulling blade as much. The edge grain cutting boards pick up more damage, but are much cheaper because they are less labor intensive to make. However end grains are harder to make well, and you often get what you pay for. Be careful about going for the bargains because the poorly made ones crack even with careful handling. Wash as needed but keep try and give an oil rub now and then. Water will help the bacteria if left on and make your board warp, strain, crack, and stain, so dry quickly and never use a dishwasher.
The bolster is very important in strengthening the blade. It makes the blade stronger and more rigid. So under certain circumstances, the ut will be straighter. But there are times that you need a knife without a bolster such as boning knives or filleting knives in circumstances. And the bolster can be used to break through or chop things like thin bones.
Great, clear video describing the differences and pros and cons of the kind of knife most people would have as standard in their kitchen. The trusty chef's knife. I bought my friend a Wusthof as a present and they love it. I've got some knock-off in my kitchen and it does the trick.
I feel I completed in PHD in knife thank you.. Your video are soo good and informative and main thing is very easy to understand with your examples and being practical... Thank you so much
As a former hotelier who is also trained in the kitchen I found this TH-cam Video Excellent and for budding Chefs and Hotel Students at College and University this Video should be a must to watch in my opinion.
Thank you for a very informative lesson. Unfortunately almost all of mine are hand-me-downs so nothing may fit my style perfectly. I love my 4th gen German Ernst Rottgen steel blade of the French-style. a bit long, but it can get really sharp from tip to handle. When I need to shave off veal cutlets, I use a hand held whetstone for a couple minutes on my US Chicago Cutlery blade in the Wusthof design and good old American stainless can get some really nice and thin cutlets. Not feasible in a commercial kitchen, but fun and workable at home. Thank you again!!
In the market for upgrading my knife collection and this is by far the most relevant, to the point, extremely informative video I've watch so far. Thanks for being so insightful and thoughtful in your review. 🙏🤟
Perfect. He covered all the knives I have including specifically the Victorinox, and he explained to me why my favorite knife to use in the kitchen is my 5 in. ceramic knife that I bought in France for 5€.
Knife maker... not chef, the cuts on his hands are testament to that. Accidents do happen, but the goal as a cook is to not get human blood in the food. Thank you sir, this was very informative.
my favorite thing about my wustof is that there’s a little flat ridge underneath the blade that connects to the handle, so i’m able to safely really dig my knife into the cutting board without hurting myself
What a GREAT presentation! For the record, knives with bonded handles can be "kashered" - i.e., made kosher, by simply immersing them in boiling water ("hagola"). Knives with riveted handles cannot be kashered without drilling out the rivets and removing the handles before immersion. When I started keeping kosher I did that to my favorite knife - but I'd never do it again since there are so many top-rated knives available these days with 1-piece bonded handles.
I have a feeling it's from the idiots chiming "Wusthof commercial!" over and over again. It's as if these idiots have never worked in more than one or two kitchens, that were most likely low-level dives. Every single mid-tier to high-end restaurant I've worked at has had Wusthof knives. Most chefs I've worked under have at least one Wusthof knife. They're everywhere and they're popular for a very good reason: they're excellent and versatile knives. The naysayers are like those dorks that go around rolling their eyes at anyone that plays a Fender Stratocaster or Giobson Les Paul.
Man, I still don't understand what are you guys are talking about... I'm not very knowledgeable about kitchen knives. I bought a pair of Victorinox kitchen knife, then I throw away all my other knives, did not know good kitchen knives were that sharp and make life that much easier.
I took the wife to a high end culinary retailer with a wide selection of knives. I asked her to pick them up and tell me which one feels the best in your hand. That made the decision easy. She could have picked any of them and I would be fine, but if I picked what I liked, she would very likely have not wanted to use them. My hand is much larger and the feel I like isn't the feel she likes. She settled on Wusthof Ikon, and I can say she always gravitates to smaller knives. I got the 6" chef's knife knowing she might actually use it where the 8" or 10" blades would be for me alone. I also recently got a Wicked Edge sharpening system, and it completely changed maintaining the blades. I couldn't be happier now.
Never stop with great videos like this and so many others! Epicurious and Bon Appetit are incredible, and reminds me of what Food Network used to be like when it first premiered, and not the low-brow, useless programming that is produced these days.
This was extremely helpful. I'm fed up with my knife set, looking for my first ever high-quality knife. Trying to do a lot of research because I won't be able to handle them in person. So far the Wusthof 8-inch knife has been my forerunner. Very lucky that this video compared other knives to it so often! I'm feeling more confident with my decision now, as it seems like a good, well-rounded knife that can do everything while I start building a nice little collection.
when u are looking for a German style knife u could also like Zwilling or when u want more of a hybride Nesmuk is a great knife that is fusing Japanese bladestyle with German easy to use robust steal and a rundet cutting surface.
This was a very well made and well hosted video...very well shot and really good graphic work...and the information...i feel like this was the perfect video to start my research with for buying my first chefs knife...i went and measured the 2 chefs knives that my father has at home...and i did that at 2 in the night...very informative video done in a no-airs, down to earth and to the point sort of a way...pure! and the graphics and cinematography...oof...this is how you do info videos!
I don't have a Wüsthof. I've got a cheaper one called a Knockhof.
Haha funny
Lol
I've never heard of this company, but you shouldn't despair an unknown brand. It's all in the quality of the steel, heat treatment, and grind. The Wustof is made in Germany, which will guarantee you'll get a well built knife. The Knockof knife is likely Chinese made and as long as they stick to a quality process you should have a knife that cuts just as nice as the German made knife. A Chinese Knockof... wait a minute... I see what you did there.
@@veetour that's sarcasm
Arcane GameR sombidy didnt read till the end
He's such a professional that he tested EVERY SINGLE KNIFE on his own fingers before making the video to tell us which one is the best
Yet he still doesn't know, that the straight edge is actually for cutting where round edge is for slicing. Very common misconception that its vice versa.
Really? He's not testing it, he's just holding it like that
Apparently not. All those cuts are recent otherwise they would have healed. He either had an accident and fell in rough terrain, or he is handling his knives very poorly.
He has a blue eye as well. Maybe it's from a completely different activity.
It says he is a knife maker so his hands are beat up from working with hot sharp metal forging and shaping metal
0:35 - "Reacts with the environment". That's the professional way of saying it rusts. That said, you ought to see how much my 2007 Toyota Yaris reacts with the environment. It's got environment all over it.
That's awesome
It was supposed to be a small sized environmentally friendly car, what did you expect?
It’s biodegradable to help the environment
😂 😂 😂
that's a good one, need to remember when selling it to advertise "has nice patina" instead of "there's rust all over it" xD
One of the best knife videos I've ever watched and I've watched a lot! I like how it's explained simply and clearly giving the details that are important and not going over the top on techniques and knife making processes (which are cool, but not the place IMO). 👍
What it says: The Difference Between Chef's Knives
What it actually is: The difference between every single japanese knife known to mankind and a Wusthof
I’m not a particular fan of Japanese knifes, or Wüsthof (although I have a couple in my knife roll. They are fairly decent value for money, and readily available), and I know a fair few Japanese manufacturers he hasn’t mentioned…
Also, the Wüsthof he’s using as an example is pretty typical of modern Western chef’s knifes, and he does include that old Sabatier to point out some variations one might come across.
Yeah, he really does seem to love those Japanese knives. However, I did learn a few things from this video, so it got a thumbs up.
@Gary Choopper His comment makes complete sense, yours doesn't. You basically reinforced his statement. LOL
I agree, this video truly a poor representation of what the title description
When you want a decent knife it normally come down to the choice between a Japanese and a German knife. I have both styles, I love my super sharp (and unfortunately super expensive) Japanese knife here and there, however, for my daily cutting jobs I usually go for the German knives. And I think for every amateur Chef those are the too option (if you’re not really into knives and want this Japanese knife experience when your cutting your dinner every day).
There are plenty of different choices for German knives though, no clue why Wüsthof is featured in most American knife videos. The Classic Ikon is a good one though.
He has the amount of cuts on his hands that you'd expect for a knife maker.
I'd expect those hands from a bloody beginner.
Lol good I m not the only one that saw that.
Never knew you need to cut your hands in order to make knives...
@@alexeivoloshin5984 why not? Have you ever looked at the hands of a Baker? There are burn marks, scars and callouses from all the abuse. If items are hand made by craftsmen, you expect the skin to be abused. If it was made by machines- quality isn't there and the skin would never be close to it.
Yep his hair is also cut in half with precision
When I was ready to buy my first decent knife, I went to a restaurant supply store and asked what to buy. I walked out with a Wusthof 8" chef's knife. That was about 9 years ago. I still use it 4 or 5 times a week. It's a beautiful tool.
In 2000 when my wife graduated with her DSS, I bought her the 8 inch Wusthof classic. It's an outstanding knife , was $105, out the door 20 years ago.
I have a wusthof and it's got a lot of things to like about it: it's got good heft and balance, its handle is comfortable, it's durable. BUT. I absolutely hate that bolster. I will never buy a knife with a bolster again. I want a knife that can be sharped well without developing a swale and I'd like to be able to properly use the heel of my knife.
Furthermore, it's fine if I'm cutting one onion, but if I'm say dicing an onion, some celery, and a few carrots when I use a pinch grip the top of the knife is very squared off and without fail those too sharp square corners cause a painful blister on my finger. It's a good knife for sure, but it's a knife I would never choose for myself.
@@Ruruskadooo I have had a big 23 cm Wüsthof for thirty years and last year I actually trimmed the bolster with a file.
i just got one for christmas im pumped !
They are great knives. I lean more towards Japanese knives.
Wow. Can't believe l just watched almost 15 minutes about knives and was interested from beginning to end. Really informative and delivered in a completely unpretentious manner. I learned heaps. Thanks. l already knew some of the basic stuff and, l know which of my knives is my favourite but, had never paid much mind as to why. Probably should just be pleased that l'm still happy with my garage sale score all these years later.
In 22 years of cooking this was the most coerent explanation video about knives! Congratulations!
YES. I love this! Professionals teaching me about their trade will always be incredibly fascinating.
Just compare this to videos about sword videos. They are explaining the weapon of a warrior. Here there are no samurai or knights but chefs. ;-)
Monkey nips, I agree he explained a lot about the properties of knives but little on what those properties mean to a chef or even home cook. For instance, the balance of a knife is one of the most important aspects of a knife, and usually what you pay for in more expensive knives. Because, when cutting large amounts of food, the rate at which your arm tires depends on the balance not the weight of the knife.
Oh! Well, then you're going to love my upcoming video series about fine-tuning javascript application internals for high performance enterprise deployments!
Now I wanna go buy more knives.
Share one kind like this knife for everyone. www.amazon.com/dp/B07C997CHJ
his hands says a lot about his work
maybe he just has cats
Experience
It takes time to get used to different types of knives. I am a sushi chef, and it takes a lot of practice in sharpening and using the knives especially the single bevel ones. There is a common perception that a knife must cut your fingers to know you, it has to taste your blood somehow, not intentionally though. Lol. Knives are art to me
Haha I sliced my thumb deeply first time using my current knife, luckily since it was so sharp the wound grew back perfectly. I love that knife.
Looks like his patrons get a lot of his blood for that special taste in their meal.
I'm blown away by how helpful and clear that was, thank you so much.
Being in kitchens for decades, owning a host of brands and styles. I really enjoyed the simplicity and knowledge of this video. I am going to share it with my new cooks when they come in. Very informative. Thank you.
I'm teaching my 19yr old son how to cook and we watched this video together yesterday and let me say that I feel this is one of the best written, produced instructional video on you tube. The information was presented straightforward without a lot of fluff. My son nows understands when I say "Nobody Touches My Knives". I personally own a 36 piece WUSTHOF Classic Knife block set. I also have two NESMUK 7" chef knives handed down through the family from Germany. They are Damascus steel.
Thank you for the great video.
To be fair.. They aren't ACTUALLY Damascus steel. That forging technique was lost years ago, but Wusthof has a brand of knives called Damascus Steel, that are inspired by history. Actual Damascus steel has nanotubuals that, even to this day, with all of our technology and machinery, we can't reproduce. The closest we can currently get, is roughly half the width of what they had. It's pretty amazing. Only a handful of Damascus steel knives and swords are still in existence, and mostly in museums. They still hold their edge, even today.
Auluaden Bartolli Wow, thank you for the information. The history of edged weapons is very interesting.
Auluaden Bartolli you realize we can make knives (or any edged tool for that matter) the same quality if not better than "damascus" yeah?
Why do people still keep spouting this nonsense? Traditional damascus steel or wootz is just crucible steel, its an archaic technique due to modern smelting, but there are smiths who still make crucible steel. And those "nanotubules" are nothing more than banding from unevenly distributed carbides, you can find it in cheap old 1095 stock; and they hold their edges much worse than modern monosteel carbon blades, not to mention high speed PM steels.
NESMUK huh, someone is rich.
When I was in my twenties and had little to no culinary experience, my wife and I moved to Germany for work for a few years. While there, I had the opportunity to purchase a "block" set of Wusthof knives (which of course, included the 8 1/2 inch Chefs Knife shown here). Eventually, my oldest son, as he was apt to do, took it outside and tried to use it as an axe. Big dents and bent portions of the blade resulted. I subsequently, when I began to cook regularly, purchased a Wusthof brand sharpener with a coarse and fine groove. This did not repair the knife, but at least got it sharp enough to use. Of course, I use a sharpening rod also before each use.
Now, in my early 60s and very much into cooking, I received my "dream" knife for Fathers Day; an 8.2" Misono UX10 Gyutou (also, a Chefs Knife). The Misono was extremely sharp out of the box, but requires more care to sharpen. So, after researching it for a month or so, and watching many videos and reading many articles, I purchased a set of 4 whetstones; Grits of 400, 1000, 3000, and 8000.
After becoming proficient with the whetstones, I used them in an attempt to repair the Wusthof. And know what? they did! The blade on my Wusthof Chefs Knife is now straight and razor sharp, and frankly, I enjoy using it as much as the Misono. I love BOTH, and for most applications, use either one depending upon my mood at the time. Functionally, there's almost no difference to me, though I'll tend to use the Wusthof more for tougher cuts, and the Misono more for more delicate cuts.
The Wusthof set also came with a slicer, which I've also whetstone sharpened, and now I also use that regularly and love it. The time I spend with my knives and whetstones pays me back tenfold everytime I do it, and it's a great pleasure to experience those results in the kitchen.
Pay your son back tenfold and show him how to make those stones work so when your grandson/ daughter uses his kitchen knives as an axe he can fix them himself, lol!
All kidding aside, you gotta love a sharp knife in the kitchen, don't forget to strop, my friend!
Perrin, "Stropping" is something I have NOT researched. Can you tell me more, or point me in the right direction? Thanks!
@@trippstadt A fine polishing compound on a strip of leather attached ie glued to a length of wood or the back of a leather belt for that matter. Burnishing or removing the fine burr at the cutting edge is achieved by drawing the blade along the leather strip or strop away from the medium opposite to the way one sharpens the blade by pushing it towards the sharpening stone.
This should take any "catchy" for lack of a better term, imperfections out of your edge.
Thanks! Yes, based upon your suggestion, I just viewed a youtube on stropping, and ordered the strop block he recommended. Thx again.
Stropping is the way to go for woodcraft tools and razors, but it's overkill for a kitchen knife. A microscopically slightly rough ("catchy") edge is actually better against ripe tomatoes, for example. My opinion, of course.
PS: It's not "razor sharp" unless it has the blade geometry of a razor, but then it would be crap as a kitchen knife.
my heart skipped a beat every time he was gesturing with his free hand along the edge
"adapts to its environment" is the absolute best marketing language to say that the knife rusts XD
Yeah, I suppose when people get grey hair and wrinkles, it's cause our bodies are also adapting to its environment lol
Once bought a shirt on which was a photo/ad showing how after few washings the color will beautifully wash away and look more vintage 😂
A patina isn't the same as rust. It's not marketing language. Patina is an aesthetic choice and not everyone likes their stuff to look brand-new forever.
@@JScarper Yes. Thank you.
yeah I laughed at that part, what an idiot
I work as a professional chef and this is a great video, even when watching it repeatedly every year, the wisdom of the content is a hard starting point for anyone looking to buy or understand knives and sets the course for whatever need in any kitchen setting.
its completely solid advice.
that said, I recommend things like Cutco for beginners if you destroy it, it comes with extra lives.
for advanced individuals contact your local knifemaker with your needs and concerns.
hopefully your current knife is the last knife you'll ever need.
but its like a wizards wand. it must choose you.
Well said. Also back the Cutco sentiment. I remember my first 6" Shun Chefs knife, my father used it to cut a Milk-bone in half for the dog. Took a good divot out of the blade, nice half mushroom with a straight edge on one side.. After the fact it was almost a lucky event. Had that not happened I dont think I would have had the stones to try sharpening a knife that expensive.
Still have it, and I have used, honed, sharpened it so many times the straight edge on the split rounded out and the mushroom is more like a gentle wave.
Crack-Fetch-Shock I wish I watched this video and read your comment before buying my knife.
I agree totally.
I would definitely say that just grabbing a $15-$25 el cheapo from the super market is a great way to go for an apprentice. (I've actually bought a couple myself because it's all I trust the barbarians I work with to touch.) Another upside of a cheaper knife is that it will require more frequent sharpening so you will automatically get more practice. Learn how to sharpen it consistently before investing in anything more expensive. Putting a few dollars into a decent steel straight off the bat might be the go though. Let's face it, once you can actually get an edge on a knife it really isn't that much trouble to give it a couple of passes on the steel and keep going.
I think of the knives in my old kit and I really don't think I could use them any more. Too long and too heavy. After 20 years in the kitchen, the knuckles in my knife hand are becoming pretty crunchy. At the time though, the idea of having a beast of a knife to split pumpkins and portion steak seemed awesome. Now though, I doubt that I could get any pressure onto the tip of a 28-30ish cm blade. After watching this video though, I am keen to dust them off and give them another turn at bat!
@@johnpienta4200 arent cutco blades different? they are micro serated. and you cant sharpen them at home/work you have to send them back to manufacturer. i remember going into an interview once and said i had cutco knives and was laughed at. pretty sure they dont use in the kitchen of restaurants/etc
Sir, you've presented everything I need to know about knives in a very clear and interesting format.
I was hoping someone will say this. No BS, no trying to look or sound smart - they guy gave best of knowledge to community. Props!
Wait until you watch blacksmiths talk about making knives
Great! now I need to buy a chef knife on Etsy.
Everything you needed to know about CHEF'S knives. :)
As a chef and a careless person sometimes i have had ALOT of knifes. It was fun and interesting to listen to somebody who really knows knifes unpack a lot of my thoughts on knifes over the years and helped put into perspective why my current favorite knife is my current favorite knife because of where the balance point is and that the handle shape allows me to use 3 different hand grips very comfortably instead of just the widely used standard grip and pinching the blade style.
... a* lot* of knives*
Now I need to know what your current favorite knife is. Please tell us!
That was surprisingly objective and balanced.
Thank you.
Most “knife people” tend to be biased toward some feature / style of knife construction or another. I certainly used to be, but going on two decades of working with knives daily, and sharpening them frequently have taken care of that…
Again, thank you. There’s far too little knowledgeable and unbiased content about kitchen knives on the internet. This is just about the best overview video I’ve yet come across.
(I’ve been fascinated by knives for thirty years or so; a chef for seventeen, give or take).
nah. Japanese knives are superior. fact checked
@@KinkyLettuce It’s good to know for a fact that you have no idea at all what you’re talking about.
..for you. Evrryone has their preferences
@@tilmanahr its good to know for a fact that you dont know the true superiority of japanese knives
fact checked
I’ve had the Masamoto high carbon chef knife for almost 12 years now (the first one), and it’s by far one of my favorite (and it was my go to knife as a chef for almost 10 years). If well sharpen and maintained, it will keep a razor sharp edge for months despite heavy daily use. The metal is a bit brittle, but it’s hard af, I highly recommend it.
where can i find one?
@John S japan, duh but where can i find the same one he was talking about
@John S well that's going to be too expensive for me to buy then. I can't afford a trip to Japan as part of my knife costs
Razor sharp for months??? If you don't use it probably...
@@stever2583 It does if you use it properly
You can tell how often he works at this by the wear on his hands.
Bro his hands are fecked 🤣
Yeahhh. His cuts and bruises have a story to tell about smithing. My keyboard fingers are just stubby.
I was just gonna say this..
The wear on his hands would be non existent if he actually knew how to use the knives he has such knowledge about. I worked in a kitchen...you learn avoid injury after ur 4th or 5th time.
@@AlmostJordan if you paid attention, he's a knifemaker (closer to a smith), not some kitchen staff. Even we would laugh at you if you got the same hands as him when you're working the kitchen.
I have no idea how you ended up on my feed, but I have been wanting to get a good chef’s knife and I have no idea what I want, what works best, how to choose or what to consider when purchasing a knife. I’m so thankful you showed up. Great tutorial, very easy to understand, covers a lot of material without being overwhelming and just technical enough.
Do I cook? No
Do I plan on cooking someday soon? No
Did I watch the entire video? Yes
Do I know why? No
Me too, and I enjoyed it immensely
Cooking is my profession. I love knives. Cookings great. Try it, just not as a job lol
Do you appreciate aesthetics? Yes.
100% me
If you have the room to cook, just try it.
A 14 minute Wustoff commercial.... dang, they got me.
TheClever Screenname well you can’t go wrong. I love my Kramer knives but I’ve been a professional chef for 20+ years and have a ton of Wustofs and use them daily. They make the best mass produced knives by far in my opinion.
@@kring451 i just bought my first wusthoff, german efficiency never seems to disappoint
@@kring451 The Wusthofs are nice and all, but mine can't seem to hold an edge to save their life. I have no-name random out of the bucket knives that hold an edge better =/ Overall I've been slightly disappointed in Wusthof.
bovaiveu that’s strange mine hold an edge for a very long time, depending on what I cut of course, but all in all I’ve been using them my entire career besides some I had custom made.
Exactly what I was thinking after the 3rd time Wusthof is mentioned.
Perfect video, the editing, camera direction, Will's in depth explanations, lighting, focus, tool layout, the way we should perform the cuts with each knife, highlights of each knife profile and type every time he grabs a different one. Splendid job guys. Keep up the great work, and I hope your continued success mirrors your passion and dedication to your craft.
Joshua Leong
Exactly what I was thinking! Camera shots and lighting were on point and beautiful!
Joshua Leong agreed goals right here.
Well said, Joshua. Saved me the trouble by composing a comment saying exactly what I was thinking. Thank you.
Excellent presentation. Normal, unpretentious knowledge delivery. Great characteristic coverage, no overblown preferences (although I would have liked to see more Solingen representation and a comment about ice tempering). Admiring elements of nature in the wood handles was an exceptional comment for me--well done overall!
The way he holds the knives by their sharpened edge is a little bit look-at-me, if you ask me.
@@VK-pk8uz Sure, but I don't care about showmanship. The knives and the information that came with them is the take-away for me, not how well a person 'performs' for the audience.
Based on this video I asked him to build a ultrathin 27cm slicer knife for me some time ago; 5 layers Damascus steel, handle made of American wood. I was blown away when I received this knife here in Germany.
I dunno why but he creeps me the f out
All those cuts on his fingers. I believe him!
Haha, no when you spend all day every day making blades, you're going to get nicked. Honestly the grinder will chew your hands up more often than the blades. Hot slag from the forge will to it too. That's just the nature of working with your hands.
looking at how he handles knives, no wonder he has that many scars
That's a man with no bolster on his knives
Cut resistant aramid fiber gloves exist! Wouldn’t cook in em, but its a good thing to know about
He's a professional knife maker, not user.
I am literally googling knives, this was a very well made and well edited video with Interesting content delivered by somebody with a passion for their work
This was great (very informative!) and explained why I only like my knives and hate using other people's knives in their kitchens. Now I want him to explain all the options for smaller kitchen knives. (paring, bread, steak, filleting, flat vs serrated, etc)
Wüsthof is really good stuff. Had their knives for years and they've never let me down.
Bit expensive for what they are, you pay a for the great quality and then pay more for the full-page ads on the back of big-selling news magazines at Christmas time. Germany has many smaller Knife manufacturers who only do the first bit, e.g. Marsvogel. Also: Victorinox are really fantastic but a lot more utilitarian with their moulded plastic handles etc. Made for the true pro who thinks about the value the tool gives per unit cost.
Yep. I worked in a knife shop 23 years ago and have been a Wustof devotee ever since. They last forever and are easy to resharpen
Japan: makes knives for specific tasks that require a lot of experience and time invested
Germany: here is a multipurpose-anyone can use-basic cooking experience knife
So... Japan knives all they way.
@@lorddrewno4589 I dont care the origin of the knife, if it works for the job im fine
@@lorddrewno4589 yeah if you want to spend as much time maintaining it as you are using it
And that’s why Japan’s culinary culture is renown while Germany is known for hot dogs.
@@autocrossracer8320 Shows how little you know about german cuisine. You should go there and actually see for yourself.
Wüsthof is really great quality. My chefs knife is twenty y/o and i love it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video, thank you so much for sharing! As a novice cook who is really getting into it thanks to the lockdown life, it was fantastic to watch because the easy manner in which he relays his expertise just helped so much to demystify chefs knives for me. This is the kind of wonderful content that brings me back to epicurious
Without doubt the most in-depth, informative and and well presented knife video I've seen. Well done and thank you
lol this guy swiping his hand back and forth the blade is giving me anxiety
haha me2
You're an idiot
Yes! All it takes is one little slip -ouch- lol
@@johnfoster1395
Yup, same here. His hands show the history, and the history is apparently pretty recent. Hazard of the trade maybe?
with the way he waves those knifes around i can understand the number of cuts on his hands.
Exactly what I was thinking. You'd think a professional wouldn't be so fidgety. He's constantly moving his hands holding such sharp knives.
I couldn't agree more! I'm sweating just watching him handling the knives like they're not supposed to be sharp...
Its a small adrenaline rush that becomes habit to some chefs and knife makers. You also tend to become very comfortable around the objects you use all the time, but you're also around them a lot so slips happen due simply to the odd.
ECanady This seems like the most likely explanation. More enjoyment than carelessness
i have a co-worker just like that, only difference being that he is neither a cook, nor a knife maker, the guy is constantly running arround holding his box cutter with the blade out, every other week the guy cuts himself and around twice a year someone has to drive that idiot to the hospital, guy doesn't even have the decency to clean up the blood he drips all over the damn place.
His right hand : picks up another knife
His left hand : *Oh Neptune*
his left hand is covered in slice marks i wonder why
cool
@@balikis He makes knives. Normal to have burn marks from hammering hot metal and nicks from the grinding wheel while sharpening.
@@CytoplasmicGoo There's twice where he's running his hand along the knife millimeters from the blade. I've watched quite alot of knive demonstrations, and i've never seen someone so scarred. His behaviour in this video implies he hasn't learned from the damage.
This the most thorough description of knives for kitchen use I have ever seen.
Thank you for this.
Remember guys you don't need pornstar size knifes, a 6" knife is also great in the kitchen.
xD
There's nothing you can't do with a wicked sharp paring knife. All those extra inches are wasted if you've got no clue. Just a lot of knees bent, running about....
I only have a 4" knife, but when you rub it ..... it turns into a sword
"pornstar size" knife lol
@@paulmelde2719 Unless you are trying to slice prime rib, for example. Or a watermelon.
A beautiful demonstration! To the point, information is perfectly disseminated & expressed in precise clear easy to understand verbiage. From start to finish you made selecting my next knives stress free, saved money, & no guess work that usually leads to purchasing the worse product. Your presentation rocks & so do you Will ! Thx
You could say he just cut to the case 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I beg your pardon 🙇♂️
Thanks, now I got what it need for my knife.
Material - Stainless steel (yeah i hate maintenance)
Flexibility - Hard (better chip knife than bend knife)
Shape - Round Belly (I use rocking technique)
Thickness - Thicc (I like them extra thicc)
Bevel- Double (Single bevel are so much hassle)
Handle - Full Tang (I got 12 hidden tang knife, 5 of them busted)
Balance - Blade Heavy (I usually put blade on a plate or someting, if its handle heavier, it will drop... most of time.. this applies to fork and spoon)
Hahaha... This so much fun... Its like crafting note for forging a new weapon....
So refreshing to see knives put in context. The pros and cons of the different styles and materials. I've been cooking semi-pro and casually for about 4 decades and everything he said seemed to be spot on. Compromises everywhere.
I hope this convinces at least a few people to buy a damn fine chef knife over some woodblock of worthless knives.
Ｒｕｓｈｎｅｒｄ indeed,I would rather buy one 300$ japanese/german knife over some 50$ 3pack that you can buy at the mall that would break in a few months.
Marco Deo its not the blade thats the problem with cheap knives anyone can anyone can sharpen a knife hell even paper can cut,the real problem with them are the handles,most of them splits or become loose after a while.
Sound like Some fake Japanese AD on the fb to me lol
Mini Panini: While handle quality is important, I think the biggest difference between high and low quality knives are the steel used. For several months I've been sharpening a knife or two (JUNKY) from my church's kitchen, and find them consistently more difficult to get sharp compared to my personal (higher end) knives.
I've always felt that you buy the woodblock its self, and then buy the knives that fit your cooking methods to fill it
This was a fantastic video!!
No one appreciates this comment?
Ok.
Was watching this thinking, 'I wonder if Alec's seen this?'
Scrolling through the comments. 'Why yes he has!' :D
Hey Alec! not too surprised to see your comment here. Your most recent chef knife was quite stunning. Keep up the good work!!
Alec Steele I agree super helpful and well done
if Alec Steele approves, then everyone from the bladesmithing community should know it measures up.
If Wusthof is consistently used as the baseline, I'd say Wusthof is a solid go-to for your kitchen knife collection.
yup. I got one, smaller. Nothing wrong with it. Not overly expensive, solidly decent, works, sturdy, applicable to most tasks. If you don´t know what to buy, you make nothing wrong with a Wüsthoff. Make sure you are comfortable with the german-style rounded belly, heavy blade and balance towards the handle, though!
@@paavobergmann4920 what's the edge retention like? Are they easy to sharpen? Looking at the silver point.
yep, 6 of wusthof, 1/2 dozen of henckel, and knife or two in HAP 40 and ZDP189, and you're all set forever.
@@johnbluebeard4355 Henckels* knives
@@Gunzee Edge retention on Wüsthofs is decent, not exceptional. They are super easy to sharpen, especially the one without a bolster, so you can sharpen the full length of the edge.
This is the most detailed and accurate knife guide I have seen. I was just clicking things and ended here. Thumbs up!
I don't know how TH-cam decided to put this video in my recommended section, but this was very interesting indeed! Will sure knows his knives and hid hands tell you he's the real deal :)
Oh, 8:18 for all the Teken fans ;)
Yeah, same here. It showed up on my recommended section and I'm glad I watched. I had NO idea all the different choices.
*Tekken
same here probably youtube gone full sellout they do from time to time
It seems to be a Wusthof commercial. Very well done with interesting info
I thought yoshimitsu use blade
Gotta love Japan and Germany! From knives to cars!
And the Axis of Power!
@Brad Viviviyal underrated comment xD
And racial purity :)
Remember the last time they got together?
A long long time ago there was great steel comming out of Sheffield, England. You might find antique cutlery with that stamp.
I like how everything is compared to the Wusthof. Not that it's a better knife but it is among the best examples of a western style knife with a belly made for rocking so it is an excellent knife to compare with other types of knives. Which knife is better for you depends on your needs and style of cooking among other things. This video reminds me of why I bought ny Wusthofs.
Yes, nearly all of my parents knifes are wüstofs, I miss them a bit after moving out a few months ago and only taking their "spare" knifes with me :(
One of the best presented/edited videos of all time, any subject.
Concise, informative. You knew the knife was the star, not the host...thank you
Not sure who the few boneheads are that dislike this... By far the most concise video I've seen that covers the majority of points folks need to know about knives, without being biased one way or another toward a particular style or steel. Really well done.
Same here.
I agree, they all Dice Slice and have Links . Ronco meets Bob Ross .
Well it was definitely an advert for wustof but the information itself was pretty unbiased
I Think the biggest problem is that he didn't point out that bolsters are a tool of the knife, not a safety feature. They're used to crack lobster/crab shells, to pop oysters, crack nuts, and pretty much every task that the tip of the knife is too fragile for, or where you wouldn't be able to get the proper leverage/pressure with the tip of the knife, but still need a fine point to get the job done.
Brought to you by Wüsthof
really. i was just writing a comment about this. hes comparing different knife with the wüsthof. the comparison is always the wüsthof.
It's such a robust and very robust, robust knife.
If it's good enough for phantom limb it's good enough for everybody
If you're looking to spend the money on a custom made knife, chances are very good that you've at some point owned a Wusthof knife. They're one of the most well known brands of cutlery available, so most people at this stage of buying will be familiar with them.
They are considered some of the finest knives.
When he's waving the knives around and waving his hand around the blades so closely it makes my butt clench.
he needs to earn those scars on his hand
Reminds you of your time in prison
Me too. I spent the whole time going "CUT GLOVE DAMNIT!"
dude is a legit butt triggerer
When you spend a long time handling a knife, or knives, you adapt to the risk from the sharp edge. 25 years of cooking with more than one type if knife style. Although, I do not own tge Sakuma single bevel knife.
Magnificent exposition because it is clear, exact, orderly and brief. He had to dedicate a lot of time to make it with these characteristics. Congratulations!👍🥂
I"ve been a chef for over 30 years. Big fan of Euro style Japanese knifes. I learnt a lot from this video. Thanks man.
The bolster is not just a safety feature. It’s there to crack things like bones or nuts, which goes along with the theme that western knives are generally less delicate than Japanese. The curve of the bolster also makes gripping a western knife more comfortable for most people. Low maintenance, durability, good performance, and comfort are reasons why Wusthof and Henckels are such great options for most home cooks’ first serious knife.
I’m a chef, the bolster is probably the biggest annoyance a knife can have in terms of sharpening and retaining a straight edge
@@ryanward4565 --- Btw, one big problem is people who use metal or ceramic hones, and put concave edges on their knives, then wonder why they won't dice and mince. Butchers do not use abrasive "hones", they use non-abrasive, smooth, "steels". The purpose of a steel is to straighten rolled edges of the soft steel they prefer, not to sharpen. They'll sharpen on whetstones once a week, whetting away "tired" steel. I took in a friend's santoku to sharpen. It had a badly concave edge, sharp, but concave. I got it flat, to original profile, but I'm never doing that again! A concave edge is like one huge very long chip!
This is a superb film. Thank you. It's a great mix of good, solid, useful data and yet still wholly comprehensible by people like me who are enthusiastic home cooks but not knife makers or enthusiasts.
Last night, I knocked a pan over on my stove and in the resulting mayhem I set the handle of my knife alight so you have helped me a lot in my choice for a replacement.
In fact, you have lifted my spirits so much that I might even try to replace the handle myself!
I’m just someone that stops on a random videos. I am not a chef but someone who appreciates a sharp knife. Your presentation was very informative. I prefer an 8” chef knife for most general cooking needs. More fore someone with big hands. Thank you for a great generalization of the differs knives
The vid was very informative.
I had no idea that I needed to know this much about knives!
this is just scratching the surface
You don't. Just start using knives and you'll learn as you go. I worked in kitchens, chopping bags of onions, as I got better at chopping, slicing, whatever, I found what shape of knife suited me best.
The same will work for you.
All knife works for me as long as it can cut. But he forget to mention one more thing, the grind on the knife. There's flat grind(commonly put on chef knife), hollow grind(most of my knife have that), chisel grind/single grind, scandi grind and double grind. I don't make knife but I have been sharpening and using knife for 3 years. I'm 15 years old.
Knowledge is as you say: "Knife cuts stuff"
Wisdom is: "Not using a paring knife to butcher a cow."
It's not pretentious to know stuff about knives...
Lost me -- skipped ahead and I am so glad I did.
Why was this in my notifications?
Why did I watch it??
Why did I ENJOY IT?!?!?
that is why it was in your notifications.....
you can thank the zucc
Because you have to put the instant ramen away and start cooking!
It was in your recommendations because TH-cam knew you would like it
This has to be the greatest knife tutorial ever made. Absolutely fantastic.
I thought this was an excellent discussion presentation of the various types of chef knives, the various features, benefits & drawbacks of each. This was an excellent presentation. And as far as the Wustof, it's the knife perhaps most widely available, most widely owned in America. It is sold in every single kitchen store, Costco and most hardware stores. It was a great choice to compare the others to.
I’ve been lucky enough to have 2 wusthofs and now 2 Japanese knives.
And I love them both. These 4 knives cover everything I’m ever going to do in the kitchen & both styles have their advantages & work extremely well.
I just watched a man explain the intricacies of knives for 15 minutes at 11 at night
What has my life become
lol
same here
Your life has become similar to that of millions of us (yes, I'm another) who can't bear to look away if we're taking in information. But hey, is that a bad thing? I've learned a massive amount from YT and will hopefully go on doing so. When you say, _"What has my life become?"_ ... are you seriously trying to tell us that it used to be _better_ than this? Really?
Theorist number 1 1 😂 Exactly!
A life of a nerd, or a mad knife murderer. Kinda depends on the number of bodies in your basement.
I'm at 2 am. Really getting the most out of summer
He sure had a lot to say about 6" being better than 8... I'm on his side tho
The best comment has been made and liked mostly. This video gives most clear information without making watchers bored. I appreciate 🙏🏻
I would like to point out a slight misrepresentation in your explanation of single beveled blades, where you state that they have cuts that wander and curve inwards.. That's only if you're cutting slabs of material (4mm or thicker; not sure if this would be called a slab, but this is what I mean); if you are cutting very thin slices off of a hard material (such as daikon, potato, carrots, and things like that) a single beveled blade is the blade that won't wander, while the double-beveled blade does. Try slicing paper thin slices of daikon using a double beveled blade. The inner bevel rides against the hard material you're trying to slice, causing the cut to wander out, so you end up with thin wedges rather than slices. On a single-beveled blade, the inner surface has no bevel, so it doesn't push the cut outwards. In the example you gave, the cut wandered because the material you were cutting wasn't really thin slices off of a hard material. Try slicing 1mm slices off of a daikon, and you'll see the difference.
The concave inside is to prevent adhesion; an air pocket forms, preventing the blade from sticking to the food. But the user must hold the blade in such a way that doesn't press the blade against the food if there is a concave portion; if you do press the blade against the main chunk of the food, the curvature seems to contribute to the cut zone wandering inwards. Not all Japanese blades with single bevels have this inner concave part. I have a single beveled santoku from Kamikoto that doesn't have this feature.
My yanagi doesn't wander when I use it to cut steaks, could be because of the meat isn't as hard, which probably also has a lot to say. The concave bit also helps to do touch ups on the back side faster when sharpening.
Illuminating, thank you for the added information regarding single beveled blades, I appreciate you taking the time to share your insights. I'll have to consider this when prepping meals now. :) Cheers.
the concave part is just a sharpening feature
just take a look at a oldfashioned straight razor and you will understand
Thank you for pointing this out. As someone unfamiliar with using a single-bevel, both the presenter's remarks and your points are helpful.
jan van ruth Exactly, it's meant to be sharpened on the back side very quickly.
Next: John Wick explains difference between pencils.
amzn.to/2RPoVZK click to link and see a great set of knife
I do love a good 2H.
@@sandybutt9898 Bonded lead of course...
@@sandybutt9898 i prefer EE. it's thick, thrusts better into meat, but soft enough it will break inside the meat.
my h1 all the way trough h6 are for fine lines. great to do some initial sketching while not permanenly putting those lines down.. however I you feel bold you could go for a hb or even b2. If you are really going for the crayon kind of creative outburst or need to fill in those dark shadows then go for b6...
when you have a test tomorrow, but end up watching knife comparing videos wtf
me rn
Hands off the best video I have seen on the subject. All the major aspects explained in 15 min…
Many years ago I bought a 10" IC chef's knife at a thrift store for $1. Though I have a number of knives, that is the one I use every day for all sorts of tasks. I sharpened it to the point that it can shave my arm hair and it has held that edge for years. Never know what you'll find in thrift stores or Goodwills.
Japan: Here, alot of knives for specific stuff!
Germany: *Messer ist Messer!* (Knife is Knife!)
*grabs Kriegsmesser*
Germany: 🎵 Nana nanara... Knife is knife!
I've worked with knives for along time in the food industry. this guy knows his blades ,very informative
Bubacat 1 well said just found this video it’s very helpful
The fact that he compares everything against the Wüsthof makes me glad that I've got a Wüsthof.
I was about to write the exact same comment!
Spencer Petersen I love my Wustof. Just an amazing piece of art.
Occidental Wave its a tool not art
Maybe but I’d still take a Victorinox with a rosewood any day of the week
h h everything that is created can be considered art.
Next talk about appropriate cutting boards.
Neli wooden not plastic. That's it.
A nice heavy not stained wood block, to be washed by hand and pat dried as best as possible, a s left to open air dry in the light until completely dry, so it doesn't bend it grow bacteria in the wood.
Saw a video where the guy explained how a softer board should be better for your knife, but the knife would stick easier. Would still recommend a hard/semi-hardwood board. Don't use: Glass, stone, plastic (not hygienic). And just my opinion, not Bamboo either. It's just not as good as wood (yup, in case you didn't know, bamboo is not wood)
The best is synthetic rubber
Basically this is the answer, and it isn't what some people like to hear. Plastic is better only of you wash with sanitizers, if you wash with just soap and water they are less safe. Plastic is pretty good for the knife, but it picks up every cut you put in it and it is difficult to repair that. Basically you get rid of them when worn, they start getting really unsafe when very worn.The cuts you make trap bacteria in it and sometimes simple sanitizing isn't enough to get at the trapped and sealed in. Rubber is about the same as plastic but gives a bit more. Glass and Marble are easy to clean, but kills your knives, use marble for dough, cool it down with ice and it's wonderful, but for cutting, it has no use. Glass is pretty, but that is about it, great for serving. Wood composite seem great, I think it is a happy medium but isn't perfect, because they are a bit hard. Can be cleaned with harsh sanitizers without much damage or cracking, but it would probably react with the tannin and make it inhibit the bacteria less. It is light and strong. If you hate how wood is so heavy, go with these. Wood is great but not all woods are the same, you want medium hardwoods, hard will wear down the knives, and soft will get cut with deeper groves and make it harder to clean, picking up stains and bacteria more readily. They can't be sanitized well(requirement in professional kitchens) without damaging it along with the wood's natural bacterial inhibitors. End grains are a bit better, because simply, you can cut deeper without the wood being damaged or dulling blade as much. The edge grain cutting boards pick up more damage, but are much cheaper because they are less labor intensive to make. However end grains are harder to make well, and you often get what you pay for. Be careful about going for the bargains because the poorly made ones crack even with careful handling. Wash as needed but keep try and give an oil rub now and then. Water will help the bacteria if left on and make your board warp, strain, crack, and stain, so dry quickly and never use a dishwasher.
The bolster is very important in strengthening the blade. It makes the blade stronger and more rigid. So under certain circumstances, the ut will be straighter. But there are times that you need a knife without a bolster such as boning knives or filleting knives in circumstances. And the bolster can be used to break through or chop things like thin bones.
Bolster is super outdated.
Great, clear video describing the differences and pros and cons of the kind of knife most people would have as standard in their kitchen. The trusty chef's knife. I bought my friend a Wusthof as a present and they love it. I've got some knock-off in my kitchen and it does the trick.
Truly humbling to learn that so much thought has been put into something I use every day.
My thoughts exactly. I love finding stuff like this where I learn that there's so much more to know about seemingly simple everyday things.
I feel I completed in PHD in knife thank you.. Your video are soo good and informative and main thing is very easy to understand with your examples and being practical... Thank you so much
You didn't 😂 maybe a college/school level qualification
That was AMAZING, your knowledge of knives should be put on a Webinar at Culinary Institutes. Thank you for this most informative video.
As a former hotelier who is also trained in the kitchen I found this TH-cam Video Excellent and for budding Chefs and Hotel Students at College and University this Video should be a must to watch in my opinion.
I thought that was a very professional discussion of knives.Thank you so much.
Thank you for a very informative lesson. Unfortunately almost all of mine are hand-me-downs so nothing may fit my style perfectly. I love my 4th gen German Ernst Rottgen steel blade of the French-style. a bit long, but it can get really sharp from tip to handle. When I need to shave off veal cutlets, I use a hand held whetstone for a couple minutes on my US Chicago Cutlery blade in the Wusthof design and good old American stainless can get some really nice and thin cutlets. Not feasible in a commercial kitchen, but fun and workable at home. Thank you again!!
In the market for upgrading my knife collection and this is by far the most relevant, to the point, extremely informative video I've watch so far. Thanks for being so insightful and thoughtful in your review. 🙏🤟
What did you end up upgrading to? I’ve recently developed an interest in both diamond stone sharpening and a well made chefs knife.
Perfect. He covered all the knives I have including specifically the Victorinox, and he explained to me why my favorite knife to use in the kitchen is my 5 in. ceramic knife that I bought in France for 5€.
For novice cooks, this is the best video by far, for explaining the differences in knives and reasons behind it.
Knife maker... not chef, the cuts on his hands are testament to that. Accidents do happen, but the goal as a cook is to not get human blood in the food.
Thank you sir, this was very informative.
my favorite thing about my wustof is that there’s a little flat ridge underneath the blade that connects to the handle, so i’m able to safely really dig my knife into the cutting board without hurting myself
What a GREAT presentation! For the record, knives with bonded handles can be "kashered" - i.e., made kosher, by simply immersing them in boiling water ("hagola"). Knives with riveted handles cannot be kashered without drilling out the rivets and removing the handles before immersion. When I started keeping kosher I did that to my favorite knife - but I'd never do it again since there are so many top-rated knives available these days with 1-piece bonded handles.
I don't understand how anyone could dislike a video like this.
Huadong Feng inches
I don't quite understand....
I have a feeling it's from the idiots chiming "Wusthof commercial!" over and over again. It's as if these idiots have never worked in more than one or two kitchens, that were most likely low-level dives. Every single mid-tier to high-end restaurant I've worked at has had Wusthof knives. Most chefs I've worked under have at least one Wusthof knife. They're everywhere and they're popular for a very good reason: they're excellent and versatile knives. The naysayers are like those dorks that go around rolling their eyes at anyone that plays a Fender Stratocaster or Giobson Les Paul.
Man, I still don't understand what are you guys are talking about... I'm not very knowledgeable about kitchen knives. I bought a pair of Victorinox kitchen knife, then I throw away all my other knives, did not know good kitchen knives were that sharp and make life that much easier.
Probably that sissy mayor of London.⚔🚫
I took the wife to a high end culinary retailer with a wide selection of knives. I asked her to pick them up and tell me which one feels the best in your hand. That made the decision easy. She could have picked any of them and I would be fine, but if I picked what I liked, she would very likely have not wanted to use them. My hand is much larger and the feel I like isn't the feel she likes. She settled on Wusthof Ikon, and I can say she always gravitates to smaller knives. I got the 6" chef's knife knowing she might actually use it where the 8" or 10" blades would be for me alone. I also recently got a Wicked Edge sharpening system, and it completely changed maintaining the blades. I couldn't be happier now.
Never stop with great videos like this and so many others! Epicurious and Bon Appetit are incredible, and reminds me of what Food Network used to be like when it first premiered, and not the low-brow, useless programming that is produced these days.
This was extremely helpful. I'm fed up with my knife set, looking for my first ever high-quality knife. Trying to do a lot of research because I won't be able to handle them in person. So far the Wusthof 8-inch knife has been my forerunner. Very lucky that this video compared other knives to it so often!
I'm feeling more confident with my decision now, as it seems like a good, well-rounded knife that can do everything while I start building a nice little collection.
when u are looking for a German style knife u could also like Zwilling or when u want more of a hybride Nesmuk is a great knife that is fusing Japanese bladestyle with German easy to use robust steal and a rundet cutting surface.
Anyone else hearing a calmer, more relaxed Bryan Callen? Lovely video.
I could hear this guy say,
"First Rule of Knife Club..."
Shhh they are watching you
10kitchen.com/best-chef-knives/
He's litteraly the definition of
Mom : "don't play with knives its dangerous"
Him : no ❤️
This video is so well done, I could listen to this guy talk about knives forever
This was a very well made and well hosted video...very well shot and really good graphic work...and the information...i feel like this was the perfect video to start my research with for buying my first chefs knife...i went and measured the 2 chefs knives that my father has at home...and i did that at 2 in the night...very informative video done in a no-airs, down to earth and to the point sort of a way...pure! and the graphics and cinematography...oof...this is how you do info videos!