medium priced camp kitchen knife set...

[theksmith]

warning... the following is not suitable for serious knife connoisseur ;)

I've seen quite a wide diversity in price for what people carry as camp kitchen knives... everything from Victorinox professional knives in a dedicated knife roll to the trusty pocket knife that was just used to cut a tire-plug now serving steak.

I've been looking for something in the middle for a while now and ran across what seems the perfect answer at Walmart tonight.

For $6.97 each I picked up one general purpose 5" Serrated Knife and one 5" Santoko Knife, both medium sized and complete with sheath.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_xkFrXZhchqE/Si3vWfte5sI/AAAAAAAAH3o/bTtetGyEtnE/s800/P1020346.JPG

The knives are Farberware and the included specific-sized sheath with each knife was the main selling point for me. That, and the 2 seemed like together they could accomplish most any task without the need for 10 knives.

The 5" Santoku is intended for chopping, dicing and mincing. The Serrated one is for fruits, vegetables and bread. You can still use your pocket knife for trimming tire plugs!

They both feature:
- high carbon stainless steel blades
- tight fitting plastic sheath
- balanced plastic handles
- eco friendly construction (uses less fossil fuels to make the plastic as it is 70% plant material and 30% traditional plastic)

They are also a combination of black and a not-to-annoying bright green. The bright green should help you see them around camp at least.

I'll let you know how they hold up over time... but for $14, how can you loose?

[RgrBox]

Victorinox is the best kitchen knife on the market. I have a Canadian friend who's also a Pro. Chief. He taught at the Lausanne School here in Switzerland which is one of the top Cooking Schools in the world. Anyway, he tells me that they are the best. I myself have a set of Cold Steel Knives.. they work very well for me. But I have to sharpen them a lot.

RB

[Mike_rupp]

Victorinox is the best kitchen knife on the market.

The best? While I'm sure that they are really decent knives, it is really hard to say with certainty that they are the best. Eric Ripert and Thomas Keller both claim that MAC knives are the best. Plenty of other top chefs like other knives.
Unless you give some sort of reasoning for saying why one is the best, it's pretty silly to do so.

[BKCowGod]

Mike - he did give reasoning. Expert testimony from someone whose resume implies that his opinion has some weight to it.

Anyway, I personally use Henckels knives at home (though I have found that you have to be careful which series you buy these days). For field knives, I actually go down to my local Marshalls/TJMaxx. Sometimes there's nothing, but I have gotten All-Clad, Lodge, Henckels, Wustholf, Kuhn-Rikon, and many others for pennies on the dollar.

I agree on the sheath - by far the best selling point for a camp knife.

[muskyman]

just saw a intresting review on kitchen knives

they compared knife sets from $50 to $300 from all the big names

the winner was the chicago cutlery full tang set with a SRP of 69.99

I think its kinda funny because when I was married 18 years ago we recieved 2 complete knife sets. one chicago cutlery and one Zwilling J.A. Henckels

I voted for the Henckels and my bride wanted the chicago cutlery, we kept the Henckels and they turned out to be total crap. Over the years we have replaced them one by one with ...you guessed it the chicago cutlery and those knives are awesome. they hold a great edge and actually sharpen with the whitestone back to the initial sharpness.

I carry a pair of chicago cutlery knives in my camp kitchen 61S & 63S and am very happy with them. The one thing that I really like is that the wood handles are not as slick when working in the rain or wet conditions a camp often brings.

[Hank]

Saying what knife is "best" is silly. That's like saying a DT is better than an ARB; or that Ford is better then Chevy.

[rusty_tlc]

I think it is a waste to buy really good knives for camping. Kind of like buying top quality tools that don't see daily use. For most of us Craftsman will do the job and then some.

That said, as I upgrade my household knives the older lower quality knives go into the camping bin.

[Hank]

Why does your camping knife need to be the old stuff or of lesser quality of that you would use in your home? Do you also take your old tent camping or your old boots hiking?

A good knife is essential both at home and in the field.

[theksmith]

Why does your camping knife need to be the old stuff or of lesser quality of that you would use in your home? Do you also take your old tent camping or your old boots hiking?

A good knife is essential both at home and in the field.

essential depending on what you are attempting to prepare... i doubt much of anything other than a pot, a fire, and a stick are essential to the average person's camp meal!

apparently many of you missed my first sentence: "warning... the following is not suitable for serious knife connoisseur"

it's funny how people get carried away with different gear.. for example: i don't care at all about the knives, i only picked these up to get the girlfriend to stop complaining about the crappy $2 knife i used to pack! however i am a flashlight geek (candlepowerforums style), and i do appreciate the best in tools (but just can't afford snap-on or mac right now).

some people have the absolute best of everything, but for most of us mortals, we pick our passions.

[dieselcruiserhead]

If it helps I've found that T.J. Maxx around here is an excellent source of high end cutlery for not a lot of money at all. I would guess its closeout or surplus. My vote is stock your kitchen with the good stuff, I think a good block or magnet similar to home is a good approach if you ask me. One of my favorite knives is a Cuisinart that I think was only $7 at T.J. Maxx that is sort of my go to versus even the fancy schmancy Wusthof or whatever our home set is.

[dieselcruiserhead]

That is great info if you ask me. I do like that they come with sheaths...


warning... the following is not suitable for serious knife connoisseur ;)

I've seen quite a wide diversity in price for what people carry as camp kitchen knives... everything from Victorinox professional knives in a dedicated knife roll to the trusty pocket knife that was just used to cut a tire-plug now serving steak.

I've been looking for something in the middle for a while now and ran across what seems the perfect answer at Walmart tonight.

For $6.97 each I picked up one general purpose 5" Serrated Knife and one 5" Santoko Knife, both medium sized and complete with sheath.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_xkFrXZhchqE/Si3vWfte5sI/AAAAAAAAH3o/bTtetGyEtnE/s800/P1020346.JPG

The knives are Farberware and the included specific-sized sheath with each knife was the main selling point for me. That, and the 2 seemed like together they could accomplish most any task without the need for 10 knives.

The 5" Santoku is intended for chopping, dicing and mincing. The Serrated one is for fruits, vegetables and bread. You can still use your pocket knife for trimming tire plugs!

They both feature:
- high carbon stainless steel blades
- tight fitting plastic sheath
- balanced plastic handles
- eco friendly construction (uses less fossil fuels to make the plastic as it is 70% plant material and 30% traditional plastic)

They are also a combination of black and a not-to-annoying bright green. The bright green should help you see them around camp at least.

I'll let you know how they hold up over time... but for $14, how can you loose?

[Mike_rupp]

For all of you leave the good stuff at home and bring the old stuff along types:

"A sharp knife is a must.

A dull knife, as any line cook knows, leaves a bigger nastier wound - and worst of all, does a lousy job. If there is one investment that you absolutely cannot live without, one thing you need above all else, it is a decent knife ..."

-Anthony Bourdain, Les Halles Cookbook

[Desert Dan]

I have some old "Ginsu" steak knives in my camping kitchen but also have other special purpose "blades" around camp.

[mudbutt]

Great info!

While Faberware might not be considered top-of-the-line, I was given a used set of pots and pans as a bachelor 25 years ago. After I got married they were moved to the tent trailer. Then moved through 2 more trailers and used outdoors for the last 15 years. They are still there and get used camping about once a month.

Sounds like a great deal on a decent knife to me....

[rusty_tlc]

For all of you leave the good stuff at home and bring the old stuff along types:

"A sharp knife is a must.

A dull knife, as any line cook knows, leaves a bigger nastier wound - and worst of all, does a lousy job. If there is one investment that you absolutely cannot live without, one thing you need above all else, it is a decent knife ..."

-Anthony Bourdain, Les Halles Cookbook
Even an expensive knife will get dull, with out the skill to sharpen a knife the best in the world is no better than the cheapest.

Properly sharpened the cheapest can be as good as the best.

So one could argue that the ability to sharpen a knife is more important than the knife itself.

[6Pins]

I come from a family of Chef's (last count was 10), and by Chefs I mean classically trained, CIA, Johnson & Wales, Sorbonne, etc. men and women. If you want to start a knock down, drag out fight, you sit down and say XYZ makes the best knives and watch the sparks fly.

Most Chef's I know use a hodgepodge of knives, depending on what the task is at hand. My wife loves a knife she bought me for Christmas a while back, and I hate it. Blade isn't tall enough to keep me from rapping my knuckles on the board, handle is too slick, blade is too long, etc.

Personally, as long as the knife is sharp and fits my hand, I'm okay with it.

[Spur]

Okay. I'll offer my expert opinion. I'm a chef. I went to the CIA. I've worked in high-end restaurants and have been a private chef for the last few years. There's my resume.

I've got a lot of knives. I mean, a lot. Mostly, I use Henckels Professional S line. Why? Because it's a good knife and IT FITS MY HAND. That's the most important thing. Once you get into the upper end brands, it really comes down to what fits you well. Henckels, Wustoff, Messermeister, Sabatier, Global, whatever. They're all great knives, but you need to try them out to see what feels the best.

As to the question of taking good knives overlanding, I guess it boils down to what you'll be doing and how you'll be treating them. Personally, my knives are my livelihood and they don't come camping with me. I only take one knife when I camp and it's this one:

http://int.jahenckels.com/357jahenckels_international

The cheapest chef's knife that Henckels makes. If you know what you're doing and it's sharp, a chef's knife is all you really need.

Bottom line. Knives are a very personal choice. Try out all the top brands and choose what fits you well. Keep em sharp and treat them with care.


EDIT: In regards to the original post. I don't think cheap knives are bad; they just don't last. Those Faberware knives are probably just fine. But I wouldn't count on them to hold an edge or to last for too many years. Cheap knives are disposable, which isn't always a bad thing. Professional kitchens always have a lot of cheap knives floating around. You can give them to the 14 year old prep cook, open cans with them, throw them at the waiters, etc.

[Mike_rupp]

Even an expensive knife will get dull, with out the skill to sharpen a knife the best in the world is no better than the cheapest.

Properly sharpened the cheapest can be as good as the best.

So one could argue that the ability to sharpen a knife is more important than the knife itself.

I knew that I should have included the rest of the quote. He went on to discuss having a wet stone as well.

I was trying to make two points in this thead:

1. It is silly to call a certain knife "the best". It is silly to say that because someone is a chef and they claim that a certain knife is the best makes it so.

2. I find it odd that someone's standards suddenly change when they head into the outdoors. If you have high standards for a knife in the home, why would that change? If money is a concern, bring your home knife along camping. Is that so hard?

[Spur]

One more thing:

If you're not using a knife that has an integrated sheath, like the ones in the OP, you need a guard.

I use these. I have them in all sizes.

http://chefdepot.net/knifeguards.htm

[rusty_tlc]

I knew that I should have included the rest of the quote. He went on to discuss having a wet stone as well.

I was trying to make two points in this thead:

1. It is silly to call a certain knife "the best". It is silly to say that because someone is a chef and they claim that a certain knife is the best makes it so.

2. I find it odd that someone's standards suddenly change when they head into the outdoors. If you have high standards for a knife in the home, why would that change? If money is a concern, bring your home knife along camping. Is that so hard?
1) Agreed, as spur said "best" is a relative term. What ever suits your needs is "best".

2) How so? Camp is not home, the conditions are very different. And also consider style, I try to avoid meals that involve a lot of prep when camping. I'd rather spend the time on other activities:campfire:. I know a lot of people who make more elaborate meals in camp than they do at home. Naturally the two styles needs will be different.

[Mike_rupp]

2) How so? Camp is not home, the conditions are very different. And also consider style, I try to avoid meals that involve a lot of prep when camping. I'd rather spend the time on other activities:campfire:. I know a lot of people who make more elaborate meals in camp than they do at home. Naturally the two styles needs will be different.

How are the conditions different? More specifically, if you are dicing an onion in camp, how is that different from cutting an onion at home?

[RgrBox]

Sorry if I made any of you feel that my opinion was bigger better or faster then anyone elses.. I never said that this was the BEST knife myself. Hell the only Swiss knife I own I got when I first joined the Army in a small survival kit fromt eh Supply Sgt of my first unit. I still have it an dit's hell to sharpen. I agree with what most has been said here. I sell knives here, and have some experince with them. I've been using knives for many years now, and know what I prefer in a knife, and what works for ME. I was just trying to help th eforst poster out with a suggestion from a friend of mine who gave me this same advice when I asked him.. Anyway, what I prefer in a knife depends on the job at hand. But firstly it must be Sharp. A Knife that sharp is a tool, and Knife that isn't sharp is just a piece of metal..

I use mostly a Ray Mears, Andy Woods made knife . And my Fallkniven Idun I carry with me all the time. These are the knives I use for the Survival and outdoor course I teach. And anytime I'm outdoors etc.. For house /Kitchen knives, I have a set of Cold Steel. But they don't hold an edge.. I have to re sharpen them all fo the time..

I use Japanese Wet stones 800 and 1200 grit stones. Along with an old leather belt to stromp then with when I'm finished. I use a ceramic stone for my cerated knives.. all work well for me. Kinves are personal. So what I'm saying so no one gets confused is that this is a private thing.. what works for you may not work for someone else.. but I suggest you get something of good quality.. that way it lasts, holds an edge, and you will be more carful not to loose it..

RB

[Spur]

How are the conditions different? More specifically, if you are dicing an onion in camp, how is that different from cutting an onion at home?

I think you make a valid point and you're not wrong. Good gear is good gear, whether at home or in the field.

For me, the level of abuse that a camping knife is subjected would be unacceptable for my professional knives. I like to be able to throw my cheap Henckel in with the rest of my camping gear and not worry about it. I'm very careful and take very good care of my professional knives. That doesn't always happen when I'm camping.

Case in point: I went camping over memorial day weekend with a bunch of people. We had a huge BBQ pit with all kinds of great meat and several coolers full of tasty beverages. When I woke up in the morning, my cheap Henckel was stabbed into a cutting board, completely covered with food. A friend, after a few beers, thought that was a good way to store the knife. I didn't care though. It's a $20 knife. If somebody had done that to my $100 professional knife, I'd be pretty riled up.

[Mike_rupp]

I understand the concern about keeping the good stuff safe.

The way I approach things is to cook & clean in the field the same way that I do when I'm at home. When I'm at home, I immediately clean my knife when I'm done using it and it goes back in the block. In the field, when I'm done, I clean it up, put the guard on, and toss it in the roll. The last thing I want is to have a drunk friend of mine wielding a 10" chef's knife. At home, my concern is my 4 year old grabbing the thing.

When you bring the good stuff, you will step up your game. It's that simple.

[Spur]

I think this whole discussion really speaks to the differences in philosophy about how people gear themselves. At one end are people who bring the very best gear they can afford and care for it accordingly. At the other end are people who bring the cheapest gear they can live with so that if it gets damaged/lost/stolen the consequences aren't so dire.

I don't think either way is right or wrong. They both have their advantages and their pitfalls. I probably fall more into the latter category, but there are lots of things that I won't compromise on.

For example, I buy the cheapest electronics I can live with. They are too easily stolen or broken. And if that doesn't happen, they are outdated in a couple years. However, I'll spend a small fortune on backpacking gear, because I put a high value on super lightweight gear. Priorities are different for everyone.

Sorry for the hijack. This thread now has nothing to do with the OP and I'm partly responsible for that. Apologies.

[Hank]

For some things, the cheap pots and pans will do just fine:


http://sv4w.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/Vacation_078_%28Small%29.jpg

For other jobs, a nicer pot or pan is works out better:


http://expeditionexchange.com/ics6/ics6001%20142.jpg

Sometimes a cheap knife is fine:


http://expeditionexchange.com/ics6/IMG_3148%20(Medium).JPG

Other times a good knife is required:


http://expeditionexchange.com/engel/DSC07818.jpg

If you're eating hot dogs in camp, those Fiberware knives will be just fine. But for others they just don't get the job done.

[Mike_rupp]

All-clad on the trail? Isn't that a bit over the top?

[Hank]

Well, it's not copper core :)

[6Pins]

Yeah, but he's close enough to Pittsburgh that you can pick that up pretty cheap at the annual All Clad Factory Sale :).

[konagold]

I never leave home with out two knifes a 9" chief knife and a paring knife . I camp with them, I go to my mother in laws with them I will not go anywhere with out them. I can not stand being some where trying to cook and prep with a GINZU knife. I went as far as buying a set to leave at my in laws house only to come back to find that someone took them to a grinder ($300.00). I love to cook, I have been on many a camping/hunting trips in Alaska because I can cook on anything that produces heat but I can not prep with crap knifes and enjoy it if I had the choice to use something else. JMO

[rusty_tlc]

I think this whole discussion really speaks to the differences in philosophy about how people gear themselves. At one end are people who bring the very best gear they can afford and care for it accordingly. At the other end are people who bring the cheapest gear they can live with so that if it gets damaged/lost/stolen the consequences aren't so dire.

I don't think either way is right or wrong. They both have their advantages and their pitfalls. I probably fall more into the latter category, but there are lots of things that I won't compromise on.

For example, I buy the cheapest electronics I can live with. They are too easily stolen or broken. And if that doesn't happen, they are outdated in a couple years. However, I'll spend a small fortune on backpacking gear, because I put a high value on super lightweight gear. Priorities are different for everyone.

Sorry for the hijack. This thread now has nothing to do with the OP and I'm partly responsible for that. Apologies.
I can not stand to use cheap electronics, I can live with "okay" knives. So maybe it's not so much a global difference in philosophy as a priority difference? We spend more on those things that are important to us.

[THATSALEXUS?]

At home I use Wusthof and Henckels but I'm not about to take them out on the trail. I found a great set of santoku's at Costco a few years ago. They were marketed under the Michael Chiarello (food tv) name. They will rust if you leave them wet for too long, but they all came with hard plastic sheaths and they sharpen really well. I prefer bigger knives, 6" and up and the set came with 4,6 and 9" knives for about $40. A great deal. Here's the only pic I could find of one:

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/mrarlo2u/12-08112.jpg

[Joanne]

This is a fun topic for me. Like many of you, I have a number of knives that I like to use.

I've used my friend's forged Messermeister knives in cooking school and I really loved them, but wouldn't consider taking them camping! I currently have a mixed set of stamped Henckels that work pretty well. I keep them in Forschner Blade-Safes so the edges (as well as fingers) are safe from harm.

http://www.camp-cook.com/postings/blade_safe_1.jpg

http://www.camp-cook.com/postings/blade_safe_2.jpg

My daughter has decided she wants to learn to cook so I bought her a set of Forschner (by Victorinox) knives. While I was online I decided to buy a set for my trailer as well. I've used a Santuko style knife for quite a while now but am going back to a traditional French knife so I can get the rocking action that I like.

I bought the stamped steel knives with Fibrox handles. I figure they are good enough to enjoy cooking with but low cost enough that if they get stolen or lost I won't be out a ton of money. My set is a 10" chef's, a 6" boning, 3" paring (it's a bit small for me) and a 10" bread knife (since I like to bake bread in my Dutch ovens). My daughter got the same thing but with an 8" chefs knife. Somehow it slipped my mind to order a steel for each of us so I'm going to go back and order up a couple.

I realize that knives don't make the food taste any better, but it sure makes the prep a lot more enjoyable.

Joanne

[Mike_rupp]

Joanne, if you want a knife that is good for rocking, go for a German blade. The German chef's knife has a more pronounced curve to the blade which is ideal for rocking. The French chef's knife has a straighter edge which is more suited to slicing cuts.

[off-roader]

Those faberware knives look good enough although I wonder about the apparent (from what I can see) plastic handles. But then again these are camping knives right?

Maybe it's just my style of camping (mostly 2-7 day trips) and cooking but I do most of my food prep at home and make copious use of ziploc bags and either a cooler or fridge to keep the pre-sliced veggies, onions, meats, etc. fresh.

This includes dishes such as stews, steaks, stir fry, chinese orange beef, etc.

The only time I recall having to use a knife camping was to cut my steak or slice a sausage link which can easily be done with a basic serated steak knife or even my leatherman.:chef:

While I love cooking and the process involved, at the end of a long day of exploring or driving, I'd rather just eat after 15min versus an hour of cooking... but that's probably just me.

I know many find cooking an activity that relaxes them much like sitting in a comfy chair in front of a warm fire chatting with friends relaxes me. :ylsmoke:

[RHINO]

i bought one of these 3 yrs ago or so specifically for camping and its my favorite knife.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10099878

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: Years ago, my wife and I set up our TENTRAX trailer for Light, quick camping

We got these kitchen utensils from Costco and they've been flawless for 2 1/2 years


http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm83/jimbowby/IMGP0643-2.jpg

The utensil bag has full compliments for four people and the Blade set on the side, has 8 stainless steel blades for EVERYTHING, with two removable handles-still razor sharp, including the fillet knife-priceless

:costumed-smiley-007:coffee::safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO

[calamaridog]

The utensil set pictured is made by Coast and is still available. I have added a couple items to my set but overall, I'm very happy with it.

[Fireman78]

I remember seeing a kitchen knife/cutting boad combo somewhere, but I can't recall it. I THINK it was Snow Peak. Very nice set and the knife set into the board as it folded around it? Does this ring a bell to anyone? I haven't had much luck google-ing it.

[robert]

Amateurs- I only use Takeda knives for all of my camp chores. :chef: Yeah right, I've got one of those Farberware Santokus with my camping gear and the rest are just my old kitchen knives. I've had it for over a year now and used it a pretty good bit with no issues other than needing frequent sharpening.

[dbreid]

I remember seeing a kitchen knife/cutting boad combo somewhere, but I can't recall it. I THINK it was Snow Peak. Very nice set and the knife set into the board as it folded around it? Does this ring a bell to anyone? I haven't had much luck google-ing it.


http://www.snowpeak.com/images/product_img/cutlery/CS-204.jpg

Snow Peak makes it. Chopping Board Set.

http://www.snowpeak.com/lux/kitchen/dishes/knifes.html#

[NikonRon]

warning... the following is not suitable for serious knife connoisseur ;)

I've seen quite a wide diversity in price for what people carry as camp kitchen knives... everything from Victorinox professional knives in a dedicated knife roll to the trusty pocket knife that was just used to cut a tire-plug now serving steak.

I've been looking for something in the middle for a while now and ran across what seems the perfect answer at Walmart tonight.

For $6.97 each I picked up one general purpose 5" Serrated Knife and one 5" Santoko Knife, both medium sized and complete with sheath.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_xkFrXZhchqE/Si3vWfte5sI/AAAAAAAAH3o/bTtetGyEtnE/s800/P1020346.JPG

The knives are Farberware and the included specific-sized sheath with each knife was the main selling point for me. That, and the 2 seemed like together they could accomplish most any task without the need for 10 knives.

The 5" Santoku is intended for chopping, dicing and mincing. The Serrated one is for fruits, vegetables and bread. You can still use your pocket knife for trimming tire plugs!

They both feature:
- high carbon stainless steel blades
- tight fitting plastic sheath
- balanced plastic handles
- eco friendly construction (uses less fossil fuels to make the plastic as it is 70% plant material and 30% traditional plastic)

They are also a combination of black and a not-to-annoying bright green. The bright green should help you see them around camp at least.

I'll let you know how they hold up over time... but for $14, how can you loose?

Wish I could find these knives, not available at our local Walmart and can't find them anywhere on-line either. Anyone else tried to locate a set? Ron

[RHINO]

my wal mart has them, they are not where the other knives are but over an isle or two on a strip clip display