“Evil Clowns Under the Bed”

That's the band name of Daphne (one of my feline roomies, who delights in the world under the bed).

How very university student!

😂

Turn that into a beat-box.

Nuts nuts nuts warm nuts nuts nuts …

NOTES ON MANUFACTURERS

Global
Made in Niigata, Japan
Cromova 18 Stainless Steel is a patented blend of 18% Chromium, Molybdenum, and Vanadium
No bolster.
Edge is ground to a point as opposed to a bevel, resulting in a sharper blade that holds its edge longer.
Handle is hollow and filled with sand.
G, GS, GF, and GSF series, G and GS are lighter blades.

Kyocera
Ceramic, 10x longer lasting
Light, balanced, rust-proof, germ resistant
lifetime sharpening

Miyabi
Made in Seiki, Japan
Stainless Steel
Sandblasted ‘katana’ edges.

Shun
Made in Seiki City, Japan
Damascus-clad steel. Blend of Damascus and stainless produces a katana-like ‘hamon’ (tempering) line.
Free sharpening for life of blade

Wusthof
Made in Solingen, Germany
Precision Edge Technology - robotic sharpening, ’20% sharper’ than manually sharpened blades.

Zwilling
Made in Solingen, Germany
Angled bolster, contoured grip for better handling

My personal knife kit uses Wusthof blades (8" Chef's Knife, Serrated Bread Knife, Paring Knife, Japanese-style Honesuki (Boning)). The knives in our kitchen are an Anolon 14-piece set (Chef's Knife, Santoku, Paring, Bread Knife, Carving Knife, Tomato Knife, six steak knives, shears, honing steel).

I like Wusthof knives for their weight, but also because they have a thick bolster and the heel of the blade is not sharpened.

Definitely make sure that the knife you choose is full-tang - either a handle with scales held together by visible pins, or a through-tang with a metal butt cap. If you can't see the edges and/or there's not a butt cap, the blade may be a tapered 'rat tail' tang, which is prone to breaking at the heel.

Don't feel obligated to get a multi-piece set. Your basic knife kit is a chef's knife, a bread knife, and a paring knife. Williams-Sonoma has this for $165.

You also might want to look at Pots&Pans.com. I believe this is the online outlet for Meyer Cookware, which makes Anolon, Ayesha Curry, Rachael Ray, etc.

Trusted Brands for Every Kitchen | PotsandPans

For over 20 years, PotsandPans.com has been keeping home cooks in the know with the latest cooking innovations from the most trusted kitchenware brands. Shop now.

^PotsandPans

Definitely make sure that the knife you choose is full-tang

Much more robust. The balance is better also.

Much more robust. The balance is better also.

One of the reasons I like Wusthof.

Thanks Everyone on this advice, especially the details @Bob Lai on the various brands. Now I have a good starting place.

I knew about the full Tang consideration, having many years ago used a some cheap blades that did not hold up as it did not have a full tang and did indeed snap on me at a bad time (this was back in my convention days, and the only time I ever had a blade break on me when cutting a loaf of bread up).

Before I officially got the instructor's position, I was teaching the knife skills class. (Having taken over for the prior instructor who resigned after a rough weekend of regular classes - he went long in his first class, which left him no time to prepare for his second, etc.)

The manufacturers' notes are because all employees were supposed to be conversant on major products, and, being the knife guy, I had to know the subject.