Kitchen knife options

[Bobby O'Neal]

What does it cost to get good kitchen knives and what do you recommend? I'd like to find a good chef's knife for my wife but dont know much about cutlery. Thanks.

[Andrew Fleck]

Wusthoff makes excellent kitchen knives, but you are going to pay for it. That is the only brand we buy now. They sharpen well and they hold a great edge.

[Mike Henderson]

I much prefer the Japanese chef's knives. They're thinner and the center is a harder steel than in the German knives. One issue is the handle. Japanese chef's knives come with western handles (which I prefer) or Asian handles. Different people like different handles.

You sharpen a chef's knife just like a chisel or plane iron. Once I got mine to the angle I like, I power hone it when it gets dull.

A good Japanese chef's knife should cost you maybe $100 - about the same as a German chef's knife. Below is a picture of mine.

Mike

276861

[David Weaver]

By a chef's knife, you mean literally a chef's knife like an 8" larger do-all knife?

For inexpensive, there are a lot of medium carbon chinese-made knives that are a little soft but otherwise follow a pattern of good german knives. Ginsu chikara is an example, one that I've used quite a bit as I've got the set and used it as a starting point and for practical purposes, the only difference between it and nicer german knives is that they're a little soft.

For medium cost, a chef knife of henckels friodur made in germany is nice, though it depends on what you call medium cost. I'd say $75 for a chef's knife is medium cost. Friodur used to be a cryo treated 440C variant (maybe it still is - the german makers can be horrible about telling you what's actually in a knife), and henckels used it in razors, too. It's nice. Wusthof is another german knife maker of the same patterns, but it looks like they use a very high chromium 0.5% carbon steel (a medium carbon steel that might be referred to in ad copy as high carbon steel, but I wouldn't consider it such - it still makes a usable knife, though - just not as good as 440C).

Medium cost japanese (actually inexpensive for japanese) would be a VG10 core (if stainless) knife or something like blue steel II (if not stainless) in a santoku also for about $75. Only drawback of the better japanese knives is they go to the stones to get sharpened, never a steel, so if you're used to maintaining one of the above softer types on a steel, it's a no no.

If you want to go higher range than that, the sky is the limit. There is a difference between a $75 blue steel knife and a $75 german knife in terms of how acute you can make the angle and get away with it, but the differences above the german knife for practical purposes are very subtle (to an average non-professional chef).

[Dan Hintz]

Found a nice set of Ginsu steak knives on Woot (or some similar site), so I bought two. No serrations, so sharpening is easy, just a few runs of the hone usually does a good job. I want to say I paid about $75/each for the Ginsu sets. For a quality Chef's blade (and a few others to get a good set), expect to spend $100+/blade. David mentioned some high quality brands. for whatever reason, I simply have not purchased any of the bigger knives, but I mean to every time I come across one. Guess I just haven't found a good enough deal yet.

[David Weaver]

If you painted "germany" on the ginsu chikara knives and took off the ginsu logo, and then gave them to someone who doesn't abuse knives, you could convince them they are pretty good knives. I don't know what their hardness is, but it's hard enough that they will work well even though they're soft compared to our tools.

At any rate, they steel well, they're forged (which is the reason I picked them, they were the cheapest forged knives with a solid bolster that I could find), and they sharpen well.

I got them because I don't love to spend money on knives and admit that the rest of my purchases really aren't necessary. I keep the parer of the chikara knife set very sharp (same with the chef's knife) and neither of them really shows any sign that they wouldn't last 50 years at that sharpness before they were unaccpetably misshapen.

[David Weaver]

I much prefer the Japanese chef's knives. They're thinner and the center is a harder steel than in the German knives. One issue is the handle. Japanese chef's knives come with western handles (which I prefer) or Asian handles. Different people like different handles.

You sharpen a chef's knife just like a chisel or plane iron. Once I got mine to the angle I like, I power hone it when it gets dull.

A good Japanese chef's knife should cost you maybe $100 - about the same as a German chef's knife. Below is a picture of mine.

Mike

276861

Mike, is that a tanaka knife? My santoku (with traditional japanese handle) is tanaka, and it was about $55, blue #2 and almost criminally good for the price. My wife will not allow it to be accessible because she thinks it's too sharp and she runs into trouble when she uses it.

[Doug W Swanson]

When I got married 15 years ago, I talked my wife into a set of Wusthof knives. She thought I was crazy spending that much but since I had worked for 10 years as a cook, she gave in. Now I think she loves them as much as I do.

If the Japanese knives had been around when I purchased the Wusthof set I would have considered them. I did buy a Santuko style knife (don't remember the brand off hand) a few years ago and I do like the shape and feel of the thinner blade.

[Mike Henderson]

Mike, is that a tanaka knife? My santoku (with traditional japanese handle) is tanaka, and it was about $55, blue #2 and almost criminally good for the price. My wife will not allow it to be accessible because she thinks it's too sharp and she runs into trouble when she uses it.
Sorry, I don't remember much about this knife. I've had it for a while now and like it, but I don't even remember where I bought it (maybe Amazon).

Mike

[Brian Elfert]

I bought a set of Victronix kitchen knives with Fibrox handles a few years back. Way, way better than the cheap Farberware knifes I had. Probably not the best for someone who cooks all the time, but they are good for occasional use. A small set of four knives is around $80. An 8" chef's knife is $40.

[Stephen Cherry]

One thing to remember is that a good knife will cut you very quickly. If you are not used to using sharp knives, and don't have a sense of awareness of the blade, it's all too easy to cut yourself. (don't ask me how I know this)

[Myk Rian]

We bought a set of Rada knives several months ago. Brushed aluminum handles, and are holding their edges very well.
Got them on Amazon. Search for rada cutlery.
We also bought several sets for gifts.

[Mike Henderson]

One thing to remember is that a good knife will cut you very quickly. If you are not used to using sharp knives, and don't have a sense of awareness of the blade, it's all too easy to cut yourself. (don't ask me how I know this)

Yeah, my wife won't use my knives because they're so sharp. She uses some dull junk knives. I've tried to tell her that sharp knives are safer than dull knives but...

Mike

[Jim Koepke]

My wife and I bought ourselves Wusthoff knives at $130 for the pair many years ago.

The sales person showed us how to pick the size. The end of the handle is placed against the bent arm and reaches to the biceps at the elbow. The pointed end should then be in the center of the palm.

Our knives have been great.

We also have a bunch of lesser knives that also work well.

jtk

[Bobby O'Neal]

Thanks for all the help thus far.

David, yes, I'm thinking a do all around 8" Chef's knife. My wife has stated in the past that she'd prefer one really good knife over a set of not so good bed bath and beyond blades like we have. Do you freehand on stones with knives?

[Mac McQuinn]

I've been a fan of Warther Knives for sometime, made in USA, Hold a edge well and just feel right in my hand when cooking.
Warther Cutlery
Mac

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Add another to the Wusthof crowd. We bought from http://www.thebestthings.com/knives/knives.htm they have plenty of options and info, and are excellent to deal with.

[Raymond Fries]

Wustof classic here. We have many and they are excellent.

[Andrew Hughes]

JA Henckels,guy here I do have couple Wustoff they are just as good as it gets.

[Bobby O'Neal]

Any Shun users?

I have a cousin who in who is a culinary professional and is a big fan of Shun. He prefers Japanese in general, for the thin blade. I believe the Shun Classic is a VG10 core...

[Peter Kelly]

The MAC Santoku is excellent: http://www.cutleryandmore.com/mac-superior/santoku-knife-p18084?gclid=CJKg5OLxqbsCFYVZ7AodWhYAdQ

[John Pratt]

The MAC Santoku is excellent: http://www.cutleryandmore.com/mac-superior/santoku-knife-p18084?gclid=CJKg5OLxqbsCFYVZ7AodWhYAdQ

Not very well known but this is an excellent knife. In fact, voted the best knife on the market a few years ago.

In addition to being a flashlight fanatic, I really like knives. I think I have 40 or so ranging from $40-$300 per knife. All the brands mentioned are quality knives and will make the user happy if used properly. There is sometimes a learning curve if you are used to dull knives. I think the hardest thing to teach my wife was proper care of good knives. No dishwasher, no "knife drawer" where everything is just chucked in with other silverware. If you spend good money on a quality knife, I would recommend getting knife blade guards to go with each knife if you don't have a dedicated knife block to store the knives.

[Al Launier]

I'm not a chef, so I have no desire for a "professional" set of knives. However, I do appreciate a reasonable set of quality knives for our kitchen at a reasonable cost. I use & like the Zwilling J.A. Henkels knives that I purchase at a local Bed Bath & Beyond store. They are sharp and stay sharp with normal steeling. The shape of the handles are very comfortable. They are well made.

[Frank Drew]

I have a couple of Wustofs that I'm happy with, and that I think are good tools, but my culinary needs (and skills) don't demand knives any better than that; unlike with woodworking, I'm not spending 8-12 hours a day in the kitchen preparing meals.

[Chris Kennedy]

Wusthof and Globals. I prefer the Wusthof, but my wife has significantly smaller hands and the Global handle works really well for her.

Chris

[Chris Griggs]

Any Shun users?

I have a cousin who in who is a culinary professional and is a big fan of Shun. He prefers Japanese in general, for the thin blade. I believe the Shun Classic is a VG10 core...

I have a Shun 10" Chef Knife. The Shuns are fantastic. I have several Wustofs and they are great knives but the thinner blade and balance on the Shun makes is a nicer knife to use. They also come far sharper when new. Of all the knives and edge tools I've purchased its the only one that could pop hairs off my arm out of the box.

Bang for buck on readily available brands that are easy to care for and maintain I'd say go with Wustof though. I actually use those the most and tend to pamper my Shun.

In the inexpensive area, the Forschners by Victorinox are really nice. They are stamped, not forged blades, and aren't all that pretty, but they are quality kitchen tools. This bread knife (http://www.cutleryandmore.com/victorinox-forschner-fibrox/bread-knife-p1759) is what I have in that line and its IMHO one of the best on the market. Bread knives are one place where its not worth it to spend a ton of dough, since they can't readily be rehoned. That Forshner one I linked to come quite sharp. I've had it for several years and it is staying strong. Also, the design is great because the blade is long and the subtle curve of blade combined with its depth give you plenty of knuckle clearance. I like this bread knife much better than any of the Wustoff bread knives I've used.

Edit: Holy cow the price on that bread knife I linked to has really gone up. Mine was under $30 and I see they are now $50. Still not a bad buy for a good bread knife but not the bang for buck that it once was.

[David Weaver]

Do you freehand on stones with knives?

Absolutely. The couple of japanese knives get done on japanese stones, but only because I have them (stones as in the kind that come out of the ground), but they could be maintained on oilstones just fine because they're not super super hardness like the top quality tools are - they're more like 60-62 hardness, and if cared for, sharpening has to do very little metal removal to keep them in shape.

I sharpen the german and the ginsu knives like someone would sharpen a razor (except they don't have a spine, you set the angle by muscle memory). One hand, edge into the stone - if you're the only one sharpening the knife, you end up doing it the same way every time and it's quick and easy, especially if you use a fast stone like a diamond stone. We all have a very solid ability to do that over and over as long as we don't think too much about whether the angle is perfect. The issue gets complicated, though, if more than one person sharpens a knife.

Doing it that way takes about 2 minutes on a german or chinese knife to go from start to finish where finished edge is pretty sharp but not polished. Add a couple of minutes if you want to use a polish stone to bring the knife edge up to easy hair shaving (i generally don't do that because it's not needed and my wife will not tolerate knives that sharp - she gets in trouble with them, and so do her friends, and so does her mother...btdt).

I personally also expect that doing the sharpening freehand allows you to less-than-consciously find the right angle where the knife is very sharp but the edge doesn't break down. That is a steeper angle for german knives than japanese knives. The santoku is sharpened with two hands and the bevel is barely steeper than the grind. It's all very intuitive, satisfying and quick, and like sharpening a razor, if you have the patience to get the knife set up just so it's ready to just need indefinite touch ups (i.e., don't rush setting the bevel the first time, even if it takes 10 minutes to get the factory hone transformed into what you want), then the knife stays at a high level of sharpness for a long time with very little metal removal. Even on softer knives like the ginsu chikaras, you can make a set last a lifetime at home- no problem.

[Stew Hagerty]

I have both J A Henckels and Wusthof knives. Seriously, they are both fantastic. Japanese knives are supposed to be amazing, and the layering of the steel is beautiful, but I'm a practical guy and I'm a home cook not a professional chef.

I think of it just like I do in woodworking. I'm a serious hobbyist rather than a professional. As such, I find that the HF DC works just fine for my needs and is far less expensive than a big Oneida or Tempest Cyclone. I also find that my 1980's vintage Craftsman saw with a U50 Vega Fence and a couple of high end miter gauges is all I need for my work, although I admit I've always lusted after a Unisaw. And I get along just fine with my Porter Cable Circular saw in lieu of a Festool Tracksaw.

All that said... I think one of the really good (as opposed to the infomercial variety) Japanese ceramic knives wold be so cool to have!!!

[Mel Fulks]

Few years back needing some Christmas gifts I came across some 12 inch (yes, 12 inch BLADE) chefs knives ,got about five of them for 2$ each. Backs are over 3/16 thick. They seem to be NOS ,had just a little surface rust .One was marked JAPAN but the others had no marks. Great buy on last minute carbon steel.

[David Weaver]

Even if you wanted to get a japanese knife, the basic inexpensive ones really give you a feel for the difference between the two types (and the difference is nearly entirely in the hardness of the steel and what that allows for a final bevel angle in a light-medium duty knife).

Fortunately, that's available for HF price (lots of sellers on ebay with entry level tanaka knives, etc), but on what is my favorite (a white #2 or blue #2 knife) it does come with the condition that you can tolerate the fact that carbon steel will develop patina from acids, etc, and that you have to hand dry the knife every time.

The more expensive knives are a lot like japanese tools - there are a lot of things that cost a lot of money either for style or name or purity of steel that really don't add up to much in use. But purists are always the one chasing that something perfect without regard for price. Fortunately, this is a case where nearly purist quality can be had for about fifty or sixty bucks.

(not that I'm implying that everyone has to experiment - a decent chinese knife will do everything anyone ever needs to)

[Mike Henderson]

All that said... I think one of the really good (as opposed to the infomercial variety) Japanese ceramic knives wold be so cool to have!!!
I'm not a big fan of ceramic knives. They do hold an edge but they fail by chipping and they tend to stain. You can remove the stain with something like Bartender's friend. They have to be sharpened with diamond material. And they can break. I don't know what they sell for now, but they used to be very expensive.

After using a variety of chef's knives over a good many years, I prefer a good Japanese knife with a western handle. Japanese knives are thinner and the steel in the center is harder than western knives. The edge on western knives tends to roll over, which is why steeling a western knife improves the edge. Steeling simply straightens the edge - it does not remove any significant amount of metal to sharpen the knife.

Additionally, because the steel in a western knife is softer, the included angle of the edge must be fairly large to provide strength to the edge. It's just like a chisel, if you sharpen a chisel to a 20 degree bevel, the edge will fail quicker than if you sharpen it to a 30 degree bevel.

Because of the harder steel, I find a Japanese knife stays sharp longer than a western knife and can be sharpened to a smaller included angle. The smaller included angle makes for better slicing, in my opinion.

To sharpen my Japanese knives, I use a power honing wheel, which is a leather rimmed wheel charged with honing compound. When I feel that a knife is not cutting as well as it should, I take it to my shop and hone it on the honing wheel. Because it's a powered wheel, honing only takes a minute or two and doesn't remove much steel so the knife has a long life. (If I had serious damage to the edge, I'd sharpen on my Shapton water stones first, before honing.)

I still have a couple of western chef's knives (which I use for rough work) but mainly reach for my Japanese chef's knife.

Mike

[Some people will tell you that you should use a coarse stone (or diamond) to sharpen kitchen knives so that the edge is serrated. They feel that the knife will cut better that way. That is incorrect. Just like with chisels and plane blades, you should strive for a smooth, very sharp edge, which will cut anything quite well. If you want a serrated knife, buy a serrated knife. Don't try to turn your chef's knife into a serrated knife, or a saw.]

[David Weaver]

Steels are another topic - what I personally really want in a steel is literally a polished steel rod, and not a hardened metal groover that puts a hairy wire edge on a knife.

It seems like most things come with the latter, and the former can be really expensive if you don't shop around.

I fiddled for a while last year until I found a smooth F. Dick steel for a smidge over 20 bucks, and it's very near a polish. The premium ones are a hundred bucks, they might be a purer polish on the rod, but the inexpensive one is good enough and miles away from the metal shredder types. (I added the creek tag to the link in case anyone has an interest, though I have no skin in the game and not insisting anyone buys the steel - but it would bring a trickle back to the creek because of the tag).

http://www.amazon.com/F-Dick-Polished-Stainless-Packing/dp/B00063QBI6/ref=as_li_wdgt_ex?&linkCode=wsw&tag=wwwnorthwinda-20

Of course, a polished steel assumes that the person using it will have stones available at the time of need. The serrated steels will probably allow people to enjoy a duller knife longer, not something I'm shooting for, but practical for someone who doesn't want to use stones.

[Bobby O'Neal]

How is a steel any different from a burnisher?

[David Weaver]

It's tapered and longer, but otherwise the same kind of idea. The longer length makes it easier to use reflexively, though.

I'd imagine whatever the finish is on the F. Dick steel, if one wanted to go with that one but get the polish of a high class knife steel, it could be sanded with wet and dry up through a very fine grit and then polished with autosol or something similar.

[Kevin Groenke]

I like nice tools more that a lot of folks and we've got several Wusthof and other "high end" knifes: they're generally great and worth the $ (don't have anything really expensive).

That said, the knife I reach for more than any other is an Ikea Gynnsam 6" chefs knife (http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/categories/series/14565/).
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=225324&d=1330300647&thumb=1 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=225324&d=1330300647)
This knife has a GREAT feel/balance, undoubtedly they are not of the best steel, but I can put a keen edge on them very quickly with ceramic V rods and the edge holds up well compared to the Wustof's. This knife is worth much more than it's $17 price tag to me.

There is also an 8" chefs, fillet, paring and bread knife of the same design, all five would set you back $62... or ~2/3 of a single Wustof Classic 6" chefs knife. I would consider these a fantastic gateway drug: when/if one gets more serious, they can do the requisite research/hands-on testing and buy the knives they really covet.


-kg

[Dan Hintz]

I was asked via PM what set I picked up... I did a quick search on Amazon, and while I don't see the exact set I picked up, I believe it was a member of the Sofuto sets (solid handle, not riveted). The set came with a 5" santoku, chef's knife, 6 steak knives, a paring knife, and a utility knife.

[Don Morris]

My wife does a lot of cooking and we eat all sorts of meats that seem to require different types of knifes to prepare each to it's best presentation. Fish for example and Ham knifes. I wouldn't use a Chef's knife to prepare a trout. The Chefs knife is a great all around knife. We have several Henkel's and one Wusthoff running around somewhere. I wasn't aware of the Japanese Chef knifes at the time we did the original buying but I'd look into them now. There are a others that have been mentioned on the creek in posts that have some favor. The critical point to LOML, is how sharp I keep the blades. I have the larger Tormek and when she feels her knifes aren't efficient, she has me hone them just a little. A sharp blade, no matter whether it's a Henkels, Wusthoff, Japanese or Ace Hardware, to a good Chef, makes a world of difference. The harder metals are just harder to sharpen, but I guess hold their edge longer. With the Tormek I can set my angle to make the cuts sharper and more efficient, but I just have to re-do them more often. To my wife, she's OK with that. Bottom line: Keep 'em sharp no matter what brand.

[Don Morris]

Just talked to LOML about this and she added, the balance of the blade in her hand is important for the task at hand. Chopping for instance. For her, a heavier handled knife is better when doing a lot of chopping. So, one knife doesn't cut it for all things. And I understand professional Chefs use several knifes to suit the task at hand. Also, to destroy one myth, the one older professional Chef we know says, "Yes, they cut themselves on rare occasion too" He's driven himself to the ER a couple times in fact.

[Pat Barry]

We bought a set of Miracle Blade knives from Chef Tony years ago. A whole set with 8 steak knives, 1 chef's knife, 1 chopper, 2 bread slicing knives, and a wooden knife block. They have held up really well. The whole set was less than one of those fancy knives and they are dishwasher safe. I haven't needed to cut open a can like they did on TV and then slice tomatoes but I suppose I could still do it in a pinch. You'd never even think of doing that with a fancy Japanese knife. TY Chef Tony!

[Mike Henderson]

I had some knife salesperson come to my house one time - selling some cheap knives. He had a rope and asked me which did I think would cut it better, his knife or mine. I said mine. Now, his knife was sharpened with serrations so it would work more like a saw, and on a rope that would cut the rope better than a regular knife.

So he sat the rope down on a cutting board and told me to cut it with my chef's knife. Before he could react, I took my chef's knife raised it and chopped downward severing the rope in two. He was astonished. He had expected me to attempt to slice it.

That was the end of his knife demonstration.

But his "demonstration" was nonsense. You don't use a kitchen knife to cut rope - you use it to cut meat and vegetables. A proper demonstration would have involved cutting those, rather than rope.

Mike

[Jim Koepke]

You don't use a kitchen knife to cut rope

I usually cut rope with a chisel and a mallet.

jtk

[Dave Kirby]

Wusthoff or J. Henckels are The best knives I've ever owned. I'd highly recommend either of them. They are pricey but worth it and will serve you well for a lifetime!

[Justin Ludwig]

Yeah, my wife won't use my knives because they're so sharp. She uses some dull junk knives. I've tried to tell her that sharp knives are safer than dull knives but...

Mike

My wife was the same way until we cooked a meal at my parent's place and she was subjected to using their "butter" knives. She doesn't complain anymore about me keeping them all able to shave.

[Jim Becker]

My favorite knives are Global...all metal and very well balanced. While I have a "chef's knife", my favorite go-to knife is a santoku...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21PD8H5G2XL._SX300_.jpg

[Mike Henderson]

My wife was the same way until we cooked a meal at my parent's place and she was subjected to using their "butter" knives. She doesn't complain anymore about me keeping them all able to shave.

My wife and I went to a couple's home for Thanksgiving dinner and they asked me to carve the turkey. Their knife was so bad, I drove home to get my own (luckily we were close). Then, later, I volunteered to sharpen their knives.

Mike

[Greg Portland]

What does it cost to get good kitchen knives and what do you recommend? I'd like to find a good chef's knife for my wife but dont know much about cutlery. Thanks.
Get a knife steel with the knife to maintain the edge. I own knives from various manufacturers and it really depends on your hand & how you use the knife (e.g. it's not one size fits all). I think this article has a lot of great suggestions (both how to buy and on brand selection): http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to-choose-chefs-knife.aspx . My wife prefers a Santoku-style knife over a traditional Chef's knife.

If this is for Christmas maybe you should give your wife a gift cert to Sur La Table (they let you test the knives). Something decent will run you between $100 and $150.

[Greg Portland]

Wusthoff or J. Henckels are The best knives I've ever owned. I'd highly recommend either of them. They are pricey but worth it and will serve you well for a lifetime!
Both of these brands offer cheap stamped blades in addition to their better knives so know what you're looking at. If you want a stamped blade there are equivalent but cheaper options.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Nothing better than Grohman knives. Made in canada

[Eric DeSilva]

I have a Shun 10" Chef Knife. The Shuns are fantastic. I have several Wustofs and they are great knives but the thinner blade and balance on the Shun makes is a nicer knife to use. They also come far sharper when new. Of all the knives and edge tools I've purchased its the only one that could pop hairs off my arm out of the box.

Bang for buck on readily available brands that are easy to care for and maintain I'd say go with Wustof though. I actually use those the most and tend to pamper my Shun.

I love my Shun knives, but they are pretty pricy. But, the weight and design feels better in my hands than any others I've used. Interestingly Woot! seems to sell them off at a fraction of retail on a regular basis.

Unlike most people, I seem to favor a traditional Chef's over the Santoku. My Japanese mother used a Santoku and that's what I grew up with and initially those were the types of knifes I bought. But a few years ago I bought a 10" chef's on a Woot! deal on a lark and I've never gone back. I just find it easier to use for my style of cutting and cooking.

Someone mentioned having one good knife versus having a collection--couldn't agree more. I think the traditional wisdom is good Chef's or Santoku, good bread knife and good paring knife, but I'd actually advise putting 90% of the budget to a good Chef/Santoku. I've got a bread knife and understand that having a serrated knife is handy, but unless you bake bread, that one doesn't seem like a real priority to me. As far as paring knives, I frankly like the Kuhn Rikon $5 plastic ones--quite sharp, really thin blades and, at that price, basically disposable.

[Bobby O'Neal]

Thanks for all the advise. I wound up going with a Shun Classic, in a western style. I did get a steel as well with the advise that her current (no good) steel likely would not be hard enough to do anything to the Shun anyway. About $250 out the door but unless she hates the setup, likely the last one we'll buy.