The Sharpest Knife In The Block

The word Chef has several meanings. In the dictionary, it means the chief cook in a restaurant or hotel. In France and much of Europe, the word has a much different meaning. It is a person in charge of the kitchen but with years of experience and copious amounts of knowledge on food, cooking, wine and beverages. This is a person who has devoted their life to preparing and serving food. One who holds an extremely high standard for the quality of the products used and on the preparation and service of those products. For years, I called myself a Chef but after traveling to Europe and eating and drinking in the restaurants there, I realize I'm a cook, a good cook but a cook nonetheless, not a Chef.   

After I sold my restaurant on Captiva, I was having a conversation with one of my former employees and he addressed me as Chef. I told him that since I had sold the restaurant I was no longer a Chef, so he didn't need to call me that. He said, "You’re always going to be Chef. That’s not a title. That’s who you are.” He had never traveled to Europe, so I can't fault him for his definition of the word.

In my path to becoming a Chef or cook as it may be, I realized that in the day to day operation of a kitchen, cooks utilized certain tools. One of these tools is a knife. A cook uses a knife probably more than any other tool. I have developed a respect and appreciation for knives, professional knives. 

My first professional knife was given to me by a chef friend in Vermont. It was a Sabatier, which is French. The friend was also a drinking buddy and worked for Mount Snow Resort. In our conversations while imbibing, he could tell I was really interested in cooking. 

He determined I needed a real knife if I was going to pursue this interest. He bought me an 8-inch chef's knife and sharpening steel. At the time, I knew nothing about the knives used in restaurant kitchens. I had helped doing prep work in some of the restaurants I had worked in and just used whatever knife was available. Most of these kitchens had commercial kitchen knives purchased from a restaurant supply company. As you can imagine these knives were inexpensive and made with low quality steel. Because of this they failed to hold an edge and needed to be sharpened constantly. 

My friend informed me that in fine dining kitchens a cook or chef was expected to bring his or her own knives to work. They were also expected to maintain those knives and keep them sharp. A sharp knife is a safe knife.  A dull knife makes you use more force to cut the food item, thus increasing the chance of a slip or accident.  

A carpenter has his or her own hammers. A mechanic has his or her own wrenches. It makes sense that a chef would have his or her own knives. I learned that it was a point of pride to have a high quality well maintained set of knives. These were carried around in a bag or roll. 

I would like to say that getting this knife was an epiphany for me where kitchen knives are concerned but sadly it was not. I did not immediately go out and buy additional Sabatier knives to make a complete set. I was still working in the front of the house in restaurants and would not progress to the back of the house for several years. I was developing an interest in cooking but it was relegated mostly to my home kitchen. This knife was also relegated mostly to my home kitchen. 

When I opened my first restaurant, The Iron Gate House, I purchased an old butcher block at an auction of a butchering facility. It was old and in bad shape with a pronounced low spot in the middle where most of the meat cleavering must have taken place.  My equipment man, Carlton Smart told me he knew a man who could fix it. The gentleman came by and put the 400lb. block in the back of his truck. He returned about 2 weeks later. He had ground the top so it was flat, beveled the edge, tightened the metal bolts that held it together, and replaced all 4 of the wooden legs. It looked great. I have used it in every restaurant I have owned. 

As I was paying him the modest amount he charged for doing all this, he mentioned his main business was knife sharpening and rentals. He would provide me with an 8 inch chef's knife, a boning knife, a serrated bread knife, a 10 inch slicing knife and a 4 inch paring knife for $5 a week. He would stop by each week and bring freshly sharpened knives to replace the used set. His knives all had a notch in the butt end of the knife, so he knew which knives in the kitchen were his. He carried them around in a rectangular wooden box. Each restaurant he serviced had their own box. I thought this was a great idea, so I joined his list of about 300 restaurants. 

We had opened on a really tight budget. We had $13 in our checking account the day we opened. We were lucky and started making money immediately. We used some of that money on equipment upgrades. Some of that was professional knives. Life was good.

I had no formal culinary training or education. I was constantly reading food magazines and cookbooks, trying to learn as much as I could. In the mid 1970's, the food world in America was in flux. The classical cooking of France still held sway, but change was in the wind. A lot of traditional cooking was replaced with nouvelle cuisine, and California cooking began to rival that in New York. 

In addition to reading, I stole with my eyes. I went to restaurants in my local area and in New York and California. I always ended up back in the kitchen talking to the Chefs and cooks. I noticed a lot of Zwilling J. A. Henckels knives. This is a company from Solingen Germany. They were very impressive knives, so I purchased a bread knife, a boning knife, a 10 inch slicing knife and an 8 inch chef's knife. These knives were heavier than my rental knives and felt solid in my hand. I liked them.

In the late 70's or early 80's, prior to a trip to New York, in one of my food magazines there was an article on everything a foodie needed to do in the city. It listed Bridge Kitchenware, Balducci's, Zabar's, JB Prince, Russ & Daughters and a knife shop in Greenwich Village that I can't remember the name of. Getting old has it's disadvantages. 

I do remember the shop itself and the old gentleman behind the counter. The storefront was dated and cluttered. There was a counter that ran down the right side as you entered and in the back were two huge grinding wheels with two men working steadily sharpening knives. There were cutting implements everywhere, not just kitchen knives but knives of all persuasions, scissors, cleavers, and hatchets. There were also knife blocks, rolls and bags. There was a fine dust on most surfaces, probably from the grinding. Cleaning wasn't high on their list of priorities. 

This was not a fancy display shop like you see in most of New York. There didn't appear to be plan as to the location of items. I'm sure there was but it wasn't evident to me. Customers came in, asked for something, it was quickly given to them, they paid and left, so they had a system. A large portion of the customers were chefs, cooks and culinary students. This was a big plus for me.   

I got into a conversation with the old man behind the counter. He said, "Why are you here?" 

I said, "I want to purchase some Henckels knives." I thought it was time I filled out my set of professional knives. I also told him I was the chef in my own small restaurant in Virginia. 

He said, "Why Henckels?" 

I said, "I like the way they feel in my hand, they hold an edge for a long time and they have a lifetime guarantee." 

He said, "Don't get me wrong Henckels is a fine knife but..." (the infamous 'but' that negates everything a person just said) ... "Wusthof is better." 

I said, "In what way?"

He said, "This is my opinion and opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one..." I was beginning to really like this crusty old guy. "Wusthof is still family owned. Henckels has been sold and is now owned by a big corporation. That makes a difference. I've noticed some changes in how the knives are made." 

"Like what?"

"Look at these two knives." He laid a 8 inch Henckels Professional S chef's knife and a 8 inch Wusthof Classic chef's knife, side by side on the counter. They looked almost identical. 

 "Both companies are from Solingen, Germany, The City of Blades. They both have been making knives for over two centuries. Both knives are made from the same high carbon rust-resistant steel, X50 Cr MoV 15. Both come with a limited lifetime warranty on defects in materials and craftsmanship. Both have a bolster and full tang which accounts for that feel in your hand. Both are hand wash only but that's the case with any quality knife."

"So they are practically the same knife?"

"Yes and no. The forging processes are different so the Wusthof is a bit harder, a 58 on the hardness scale to a 57 for the Henckels, so they will hold an edge a bit longer. Wusthof cuts their edges at 14 degrees instead of Henckels 15 degrees, so they are a bit sharper. You can see the handles are a little different. The Wusthof's is a little thicker and the bolster is shaped with an slight slope instead of a 90 degree angle like the Henckels."

I picked up both knives and held them. "There's a slight difference in the feel but they both feel great. What about price?"

The old man shook his head and said, "Yes, it always gets down to that doesn't it. Neither one of these are inexpensive but they will last you a lifetime. I've had customers who bring in Wusthof and Henckels knives to be sharpened that were owned by their mothers or fathers, some even grandmothers or grandfathers. I will also tell you, you will find both these knives at Macy's or Bloomingdale's on sale for a lot less than you are going to pay here." I like an honest man. "You will find the Henckels less expensive than the Wusthof."

"So, I should buy the Henckels at Macy's."

"That's your choice but look here. Do you see that slightly darker edge where the handle fits next to the bolster on this Henckels knife? They have used putty on it because it didn't fit perfectly. You don't see that on the Wusthof knife. I'm a suspicious old man. If the large corporation that owns Henckels is doing that what else are they doing that I can't see?"

I bought 3 knives from the old man. The knives were all Wusthof. I spent about $250 and that was a lot of money back then. I became a Wusthof convert and I like supporting small independent businesses so I bought them from the old man. I like old men who speak the truth no matter what. The last trip I took to New York the shop was no longer there. That made me sad. 

During my career, I learned how to sharpen my knives. I started with an oil stone and went to an electric sharpener for a brief while but found it took off too much metal. I have settled on a whetstone system now and am very happy with it. I only need to do this about twice a year now that I'm retired. I use a diamond sharpening rod for my serrated knives. It is very time consuming but does a great job. I use a diamond honing rod for daily aligning of the edge. 

If you look at my knife block, on the lower right you will see three Global Classic series knives from Japan, an 8 inch Chef's knife, a 5.5 inch Vegetable knife and a 4 inch Paring knife. My love of cooking and food keeps me constantly reading, researching and seeking knowledge on anything food related. I try to keep an open mind. 

A few years ago I started to see a lot of interest in knives from Japan. I think this resulted from the discovery and popularity of Sushi and Kobe beef but I could be wrong. 

I saw the Global knives in a shop in San Francisco and tried one out. It was the 8 inch chef's knife. It was much lighter than my Wusthof (5.5 ounces compared to 8 ounces) but still well balanced and easy to handle. I liked it so when I got home I researched Global. I found that these knives were different than their German competitors.

Global started in 1983, so a fairly new company. Although the knives appear to be a single piece of steel they are not. The German knives are thicker and have a full tang, one solid piece of metal with handles attached with rivets. They also have a bolster between the blade and handle which gives it balance and keeps your hand from slipping. 

The Global knives are stamped out of a different alloy of steel, CROMOVA 18 Stainless Steel. The knives are made of 3 separate pieces and TIG welded together, 2 pieces for the handle and 1 for the blade. The handle is injected with sand which gives it a perfect balance and has black painted dimples to keep it from slipping. The knife has a hardness of 56-58 on the Rockwell scale. The edge is ground straight not on a bevel like the German knives. 

The Global knives are not as expensive as their German competitors. I purchased the 3 knives as a set and spent about $150. I like them for certain jobs in the kitchen. My wife likes them because they are lighter than my Wusthof or Henckels knives. They too have a limited lifetime warranty. 

I have had most of my kitchen knives for at least 30 years, some longer. With the Wusthof and Global, I have never used the lifetime warranty. My wife accidentally dropped the Henckels serrated bread knife onto our tile floor. It landed right on the point and the blade snapped in two. Big rule in my kitchens is you never catch a falling knife. Knives can be replaced, fingers not so much. I called the Henckels people and explained what happened. They said box it up and send it to them. I explained I had no receipt. They said that doesn't matter. I sent them the knife and 2 weeks later I received a brand new knife. I did have to pay to ship it to them but nothing else. I like a company that honors their commitments.        

People are always asking me, "Why do you have so many different knives?" The simple answer is each knife is designed for a specific purpose and it does it better than any other knife in the block. Most people can get by with just 3 knives, an 8 inch chefs knife, a serrated bread knife and a 4 inch paring knife. Chefs or cooks as the case may be are a fanatical group. They want the best knife for each task in the kitchen, sometimes 2 of them. 

I currently have 25 different kitchen cutting tools ranging from a 2.5 inch bird's beak paring knife to a 15 inch slicing knife that does a fine job on large watermelons and whole prime ribs. In my life I have easily spent over $2000 on kitchen knives. Excessive? You bet! But to a cooks mind totally necessary. I might not be the sharpest knife in the block but I certainly know how to take a dull one and make it the sharpest one. 

I really love cooking. I love the feel of a professional kitchen knife in my hand. It feels like it belongs there. I bet the old man knew that.