Where to get a Good Butcher Knife set that will hold an edge

[Down South]

Thanks for the replies. I just got finished cooking catffish and crappie that I caught, cleaned and cooked. That is the kind of guy that I am. I'm now checking out most of the replies that I've gotten from this thread.
As mentioned in one reply in this thread, and I already knew this, that I may have to purchase each knife that I want individually. I will do this if it it is what it takes to get a set of knives that will take me from skinning a deer/Elk to finished processing. To cleaning fish and other game.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Lot of good suggestions so far. Not generally considered kitchen knives but Mora and Martinii use some pretty good steel. Chicago Cutlery reviews are mixed but I recently got an older 6" boning knife from a yard sale that is excellent.

[Blammer]

you guys are BAAAAAD!

knives on the way for me from Santa, (a tad late... )

[M-Tecs]

I use Victorinox and F. Dick. Both are great knives. However I do not recommend the rosewood Victorinox. They are made in Brazil and they are not the same quality as the normal Victorinox.

http://www.butchersupply.net/

[tygar]

J. A. Henckels 2 man or 3 man marked knives will last you a lifetime if cared for properly
Hint 3 man marked are higher priced and better quality
These are not cheap by any means but are worth it

Yep, about the best you can buy without spending a fortune.

Or, have a Blacksmith great uncle that made a set of carbon steel knives for his niece (my mother) in the 30s which have been passed down to me & although they have been reduced in size a little due to sharpening over the decades, will take a razor edge with a couple passes over a fine steel sharpener.

[GhostHawk]

Old Hickory are my preferred choice for combination of price and utility.
I also have 3 old Remington Hammersmith butcherknives that I picked up off ebay cheap. Think it was 12$ for all 3 and 6$ shipping.

Same knife cleaned up sells for 50-200$

So I cleaned the green verdigris off the brass rivets, they shined right up. Polished the blades around a couple of lightly rusted spots, sharpened and oiled them. My wife doesn't like them, they are not "pretty" but they cut like a dream. She mostly uses Chicago Cutlery overpriced stainless, and that is fine. I prefer she abuse them rather than my good knives.

I also have original Rapala knives in 3 sizes hanging on my fridge and if I need really sharp I reach for one of them.

[PULSARNC]

Been using some reclaimed knives from a commercial poultry processing plant for the last 20 years or so they are Victorianox commercial knives Have bought several more over the years but my best knife is one I made from a 100 year old crosscut blade

[MaryB]

If you want a good starter set for ALL kinds of kitchen tasks the Forschner Fibrox are decent http://www.cutleryandmore.com/victor...ase-set-p16736 I have that set and it is over 10 years old.

[USMC87]

I guess since I am a knife maker I would have to agree on the high carbon blades, They are easier to sharpen and depending on the heat treat they can and should hold a good edge. As far as high carbon 1095 will do just fine and won't break the bank, I make a lot of hunting knives and my customers always say they want stainless steel so it won't rust, It is exactly that it stains less but will rust if not taken care of and is hard to sharpen. I can say a good ole high carbon saw blade knife or one of 1095 will last a life time and will perform to your standards. The Old Hickory knives are high carbon and are probably the most used and known but there are a lot of choices to pick from so do some searches and check reviews.

[smokeywolf]

For butchering in the field I use an early 1940s Randall and a mid 1960s Case folding knife. At home I use one of 2 Shun knives that get daily use in the kitchen.

I'm with the others in this thread who have counciled you to buy knives individually rather than in set$.

[str8shot426]

I remember mom having a carving set she got out every thanksgiving. The knife, fork and steel were all stag handled and wore a Sheffield England hallmark.
That was one sharp knife!

[Frank46]

I have some of the Old Hickory knives that are well over 30 years old. Still easy to sharpen and take a good edge. My wife is the only person that can take a a freshly sharpened knife and reduce it's cutting edge to something that won't cut butter in less time than it took to post this. Dexter is another brand I've seen many a butcher whip out a sharpening steel and proceed to cut meat. Frank

[David2011]

On the recommendation of a friend who is a chef in Houston I bought some Calphalon Katana series knives. They're folded Damascus style high carbon stainless steel, beautifully balanced and slice like a dream. The sharpen easily and hold an edge well but will rust if not washed and dried promptly after use. You can get them at Bed, Bath and Beyond so if you get on their e-mail list you can get 20% off coupons. They're not cheap but not as spendy as some chef's knives and you can buy them individually.

David

[leftiye]

Ed wusthoff simply the best. Holds an edge even better than Henkels. Stainless, not too hard to sharpen, but it is hard steel, and needs diamond sharpeners. If it sharpens easily, it is soft, and won't hold the edge.

[bob208]

i use old hickory . anything else you are just paying for the name.

[bassnbuck]

My wife is the only person that can take a a freshly sharpened knife and reduce it's cutting edge to something that won't cut butter in less time than it took to post this. Frank

WRONG.... My wife specializes in knife destruction, she can dull a knife faster than your wife.

[Love Life]

WRONG.... My wife specializes in knife destruction, she can dull a knife faster than your wife.

That's why all the glass cutting boards got lost in the last move.

[dbh1956]

We use the Victorinox with the Kraton handles. Have had our set for 12 years, gave each of the daughters a set when they left home. Use the chefs and paring the most.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I have always used Old Hickory for a long time. Carbon steel sharpens easily and holds an edge for a reasonable time depending on what you are cutting and for how long. They are reasonably priced and do a good job. LLS

[gwpercle]

My brother is a butcher and he gave me a boning knife made by Forschner, these are the knives they use in the butcher shop, by far the best butcher knife I own, easy to sharpen and stays sharp. It is made of a stainless type steel but sharpens and holds an edge like carbon steel. I will be buying more , they are sweet knives.
Gary