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I luurrrve my Wusthoff 8" chef's knife. The main thing I look for is a good reputation, followed by how it feels in my hand. I like a heavy knife, but that's just me. Get thee to the knife store and try a few out! Wusthoff is a good brand, so is Henkels (sp?), not sure what else.

I received a Global chef's knife as a present a year or two ago, and I am still madly and desperately in love with it. If they weren't almost prohibitively expensive, I'd probably own the whole set, including the steak knives. I use my Global all the time -- it is so beautifully balanced, and very nice to look at too. Prior to the Global I had used miscellaneous Henckels, which are also quite nice but I think I've become a Global user for life.

I have a Global also, and really love it. Sometimes I cook at my boyfriend's house, too, and I have to bring my knife along because it's a pain to use anything else.

Heather,

If you like the way your knife feels in your hand, you probably just need to get it sharpened. Find someone reputable to do it for you about twice a year or learn to do it yourself (Get someone who knows what they're doing to teach you. Boyscouts often know how). Some people say knife sharpening machines are good, but I can't help but feel they're just grinding the poor blade off and that I could do a better job myself.

Another piece of maintenance that you should do every time is use a steel (that long thing that most people call a sharpener that probably came in your knife block). If you can find it, Alton Brown did an episode of Good Eats about knives and showed how to use one.

The best knife in the world is the one you'll use and most of the time, steel is steel so go looking for one that feels great in your hand if you hate your current one. Any knife can be good if you maintain it properly, use the steel regularly and sharpen it when it starts to get dull.

That said, I adore my Henckles (sp?) 8" and 10" chef's knives.

I have the 10-inch Victorinox, and it's a great knife. I was a little bit scared because it was so economical (compared to, say, my all-clad pots and pans) but in the last five months that I've used it I've been surprised by how sharp the knife remains. So, even with the price, it's not cheap & flimsy.

I have the Global G2 Chef's knife, the G6 slicing knife and the santoku. It is really a joy to work with Global knives. It fits in my hand correctly and the weight is just right. You have to try the knives yourself and find one just right. The people who sold me my knives were very helpful and didn't even try to push me to get the most expensive but explained in detail about the weight, the materials and the technology behind each breands.
Recently I was shopping for a new chinese Cleaver and thought the Global was prohibitively expensive - it is Euro129.00 in NL - so I shopped around for other brands. I ended up getting a TwinPollux Zwilling. The weight and the feel of the handle was just right - it is not as big as the other cleavers but because the steel was hard enough it does a great job chopping chicken, which I do a lot for curry and stews.
Getting the right knife is a very personal thing. You should shop around, feel all the knives that caught your fancy - swing them around and imagine you are working in your kitchen. And get them from the most helpful shop assistants - you will not only get tips on how to care for your knives but where to get them sharpen etc.

I recommend the Victorinox knife. I have the 8 inch one and it's great. I've used Henckels chef's knife and prefer mine. It's very sharp, durable, not too heavy, the handle is comfortable, and the price is great.

Just yesterday - I ordered a chef's knife as an anniversary gift for my BF. I did my research and decided to go with the Japanese style over the western style since the BF is big into Japanese karate and Asian cuisine. I went with the Hattori HD6 gyuto which is a bit shorter in the blade than I think he would like but unlike the other sizes, wasn't out of stock - I also picked up the HD1 since I was ordering direct from Japan I though I might as well get something else. http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/HDSeries.html

The knife that feels the most comfortable in your hand is the best. This can be a cheapy $8 knife from K-Mart, or a $100 knife from Henckels. If it doesn't feel good in your hand, you won't use it as effectively, and you are at great risk of injury. So, go on your instincts.

Personally, I heart my 6" Henckels Pro S. Years ago when I moved into my first apartment I had little money but had invested in this single knife. It was my only knife for a long time, and it served me very well. Since then, I have a completed 9-piece set and the 6" is what I reach for most.

I agree with ilovebutter (I love butter too!) I personally prefer my Oxo knives, they just feel more comfortable to use - and since they're not expensive, I'm not broken hearted over the chip here or the rust there.

Cheap knifes are dangerous! Do not buy the $8 Kmart special no matter how good it feels in your hand!

One the most important things is the tang. Get a knife with a full tang. That means that the metal of the knife runs down the length of the knife , it doesn't just stop at the handle.

Get a Global, Henckles, Wusthof, Shun or Furi.

I have a Global 8-inch chefs knife. I also have a 8-inch Furi Santoku.

I just bought a Global santuko after taking a knife skills class and trying out several different brands. I love it. I can't believe I used an Ikea knife for as long as I did.

You can't go wrong with the two knives above.

They both handle differently so hold them in the store and see which one suits you.

Second the suggestion that you might just need your existing knives sharpened and honed. You could go into a knife shop for a honing steel and quick lesson. If you do buy a new one, again, make sure you go to the shop and see how well you can balance it in your hand. I heartily agree with Faith's suggestion for a Victorinox/Forschner--they're light, but tough, and easy to hone. I keep mine in my knife kit, and a LOT of the pro cooks I know use them, too. It's also the knife my chef instructors heavily advise unless you're doing some delicate knife work, since it has a bit of a thicker blade. I can do fairly fine knife work with mine, though. It gives awesome bang for your buck. I also have an 8" Henckels on my knife bar at home--again, it's light, reliable, easy to hone, and well-balanced.

I also have the Victorinox knife, 10-inches. Just got it for my birthday, and while I was a little nervous about how light it would be, I have to say I love it. It's also the first 10-inch knife I've had, and I'm so glad I made the change (before I had an 8-inch high-end Sabatier, and an 8-inch Calphalon santoku. Kept the Sabatier, C-listed the santoku).

I disagree that larger hands need larger knives. I think it has more to do with what feels right to you and how you work. If you're generally not at ease with your knife skills, then I'd recommend staying at 8 (or 6), no matter how big your hands are. The move up to 10 is more personal preference; the handles aren't really any bigger, and the clearance between the handle and the board is actually larger on my 8-inch knife. I have tiny hands (seriously, like a child), but I marvel at how much more comfortable the bigger knife is.

I also disagree that cheap knives are dangerous. If the blade is jiggling out of the handle, obviously that's dangerous, but it it's solid and sharp, it's not inherently more dangerous. Any dull knife is dangerous, of course.

One of these days, though, I'd like to try out one of the very high end knives, but not until I can afford to buy one. I'm sure they are a joy to use, but I have to realize that it's normal for someone my age to not have every piece of kitchen equipment at the top of the line. All-Clad, someday you will be mine.

Alton Brown on honing:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lRUYAgrsoLw

Renata, thanks for linking that! It never occured to me to look when I said he'd done an episode on it and I couldn't have gotten there from work anyway. That episode and my Dad taught me a lot about knives

Finally someone not recommending that people buy a quality knife that is over $100, merely because it is over $100! I commend you. From what I have read (my experience is limited), fit in your hand is the most important thing, as long as the knife is reasonable in quality (like your victorinox). I use a calphalon santoku that was a gift from my girlfriend. I enjoy it quite a bit. And like you said, keeping it sharp is key.
The New Cook

I can't reccomend a ceramic knife enough: as long as you're not cutting bone, they're sharper than steel, never need sharpening and cut absolutely beautifully.

just don't drop them...

I am lucky to have married into a good set of knives. :) My husband used to be a Cutco salesman. And while it is kind of a knife-selling cult, man, those things are good. I use the chef's knife everyday for everything, and (at least according to Josh's previous knife-selling spiel) they have some sort of magic voodoo that makes them rarely ever get dull. Has worked well for me so far, and you can't argue with a nice set of knives that we didn't have to pay for...

I love my Wusthof :)

I really have to learn how to use the sharpener though, it could use it... my poor knife is neglected

I have two Global knives: a 7" santoku and the 4" asian parer, and I can't say enough great things about them. I especially love that the steel flows seamlessly from the blade through the handle, which makes it really easy to clean. The santoku is exactly the right size and weight for a small girl with small hands, and if you were to own only one knife I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

Knives are a personal thing. Buy one from a store that lets you hold it and see how it feels. I like the feel of a Global but it is light and some people don't like them. My favorite knife these days is the Kikuichi (www.kikuichi.net). Lots of varieties to choose from. The santoku knife is the one I use the most. I think the Victoronox knife is the best deal for the price.


Heather, if you live in NYC, bring your knife to me to sharpen. I also sharpen twice a year in Berkeley and Oakland CA.

Margery
www.samuraisharpening.com

Can i third or fourth the sharpening! My Wusthof will start to suck if i let it get dull.

That said be leery of buying a whole block of knives again. Most people will find that a good chefs knife, a paring knife and bread knife are all they need. In my house the knives I have beyond those three are for the hubby to use when cutting packaging open and doing other tasks that you just should not use a knife for. I also keep an extra paring knife on hand in case I need a little help peeling apples ;-) If you do a lot of steak/whole meat eating then a set of steak knives is nice. If you have a small kitchen however they will get in they way more than they are used.

Good luck and have fun! You will be buying a tool that should serve you for life.

We use Globals and LOVE them!!!!

www.chezus.com

Thanks Margery! After I buy my knife, I will definitely stop by.

We use a Korin chef's knife, and love it.

Chiming in with some love for my Global chef's knife. My husband and I handled several at Broadway Panhandler and both liked this best. We just got it back from sharpening and our love has been renewed (we waited too long). While I think it's certainly true that you could find a good chef's knife for less money, the fact that we paid a lot for it makes us take better care of it. Unlike our cheaper knives, we wash our Global as soon as we're done with it and, I believe, I handle it more carefully (good for my fingers, too!) when using it because I know what it costs.

purchasing a knife is very personal. it should be based on what type and how often you use it, what you use it for, weight and overall shape for handling.

you cannot go wrong with a long-time brand but understand that each brand brings something slightly different to the table. i purchased an 8" wustof chef's knife for myself 3 years ago and have noticed that it dulls very quickly and a professional sharpening job only keeps it up for a couple of weeks.

i also noticed that with my small wrist, it was far too heavy for not even being all that large! perfect for cutting up squash and what not but awful for things like processing vegetables.

after coming back from japan i cannot stop raving about my folded steel knives. i got a cheap one and an expensive one and the cheap one is working wonders. super light, super sharp, and a very hard edge means it's keeping up beautifully. the only way i knew this would be the perfect match was by making the mistake.

i say go and try out some of your friends' knives for a whole meal of cooking (i'm sure they wouldn't mind you cooking a meal for them in return ;) and you'll get a good feel for what works for you and what doesn't. you can compare and contrast the differences and then walk into a knife shop armed with knowledge about what your preferences really are.

but the basics are important, like a full tang and good balance.

I heard a chef say the other day, if you buy Wusthof you'll never have to buy another knife like that again.

I've never used a Global, but I've had a Wüsthof 8" for 6 years now – it was my first good knife – and I doubt I'll ever want to change. I've never even had to sharpen it, just a tune up with the sharpening stake every now and then, and I'm a vegetarian so it's been pressed into some heavy-duty chopping. I also have their Santoku which is fabulous and better suited for more finessed work.

I find German knives to have way to much metal for everyday tasks. They're good in the 10" size for heavy-duty chopping. I love my Suisin 8". It's as light and easy to handle as the Global but much sharper and without the coldness. It's light, super-sharp and the handle is easy for my small hands to grip.
http://undercovercook.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-life-will-never-be-same-again-as-ive.html