Knife set???

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I reccomend not buying a big set, but rather spend most of your money on 1 chef's knife.

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i agree with this suggestion. i invested in three knives from Global that i use pretty much everyday. A nice chef's knife is a must, I would buy that first.

you can get a Global Chef's knife in the 100$ to 150$ range, depending on what size you want (8'' to 11''). You can also find three knife Global sets that include a Chef's knife, a paring knife, and a third knife (the third one varies from set to set) for 160$ to 200$.

i don't know how those prices compare to other top brands.

i'll just add: most reviews will tell you that you can't go wrong with any of the top brands. the big difference is the feel of the knives. you want one that feels right in your hand. the best thing you can do is go to a store that sells a variety of top chef's knifes and actually hold a bunch of different knives.

I also recommend to buy individual knives instead of the sets. Also, purchase a sharpening steel that is at least as long as your longest knife. The steel hones the knifes edge and should not be mistaken for a yearly sharpening of your knives.

I really like Forschner knives. I know they are stamped, but they get a lot of great reviews from professional chefs and are a great value for what you get.

not to thread hijack, but i have a knife question. i was given a set of henckels knives as a wedding present, i always wondered if these were top of the line knives, or just good knives? thanks.

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not to thread hijack, but i have a knife question. i was given a set of henckels knives as a wedding present, i always wondered if these were top of the line knives, or just good knives? thanks.

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depends; Henckel has traditionally been considered one of the better German knife makers. This is still true of some of their lines. they have, however, introduced lines of cheaper, stamped knives and outsourced some of these lines to China. so, it really depends on which Henckels you have.

If you decide to go for good individual knives as opposed to a set, I agree a good chef's knife is a must. Others I use a lot:

--small paring knife
--serated utility knife (great for tomatoes & bread)

I have a Henckel's 4-star set, but that's because I got a great deal on it. As my cooking has matured, I might have gone for Wusthoff or a different brand. (Nothing wrong with Henckel, though.) I agree with the poster who said go for what feels good in your hand.