I love cooking but struggle to find a decent set of knives. Any budding chef's out there that can recommend anything. Money no object.

Personally, I'd look at some Sabatiers. And if you can, try to find someone who'll show you how to use a steel properly to sharpen them, as it's way better than the pull-through sharpeners.

What specific job can't you find a knife to do ?

There are several high street specialist cooks suppliers who will sell you professional equipment for whatever price you want to pay and if you're happy to do that then fine, but there aren't that many domestic cooking jobs that need a £200 knife when a £10 one will do - are you regularly de-boned joints of meat or fish ?

My mother-in-law made the most blissful range of savoury and sweet pies all of her life with the same bone-handled dinner knife on a table top that was only three feet square

I agree that spending a few quid on buying a butcher a couple of pints is worth it to learn how to keep an edge on a blade but if that blade ever loses its edge, there isn't a steel in the world that will give you it back. The blade will need to be re-ground.

I have a [url=http://www.cookware-online.co.uk/shop/cooks-knives/knife-sharpeners-and-accessories/minosharp-plus-3-ceramic-sharpener-537902.htmlMino-Sharp Plus 3[/url pull-through ceramic sharpener that I use on my Global & Satake knives. If I'm using my filleting knife ([url=http://www.allcocksoutdoorstore.co.uk/store/product/9314/Marttiini-Classic-Fillet-Knife-7.5%22/Marttiini[/url) or using my Satake sashimi knife (single honed edge), I use a wetstone and finish with a steel. I also give a couple of strokes with the steel between each job.

Most professional kitchens now rent knives and use a sharpening service from someone like [url=http://www.nellacut.com/KnifeSharpening.htmlNella[/url

See all those expensive knives you see top chefs promoting and using on TV? In real life they wouldn't touch them with a barge pole, as Coddy has said they use decent quality knives that get sharpened often.

I'd go for a mid-price set of Sabatier and a decent sharpener rather than pay a small fortune for stuff like Global, they don't make the food taste any better.

Two of my best knives are vintage carbon steel: one a boning knife, the other a salmon knife, they keep an edge beautifully. Both were bought from an old geezer who used to sell previously-owned knives at the Yorkshire Steam Fair at Harewood and can't have cost more than a fiver each.

That Marttiini filleting knife was about £40 but was well worth the money. I mostly require a flexible-bladed knife when filleting fish because I want as much meat on my plate as I can get off the bone. Mind you, sod-all is wasted, the heads and frames are either boiled or roasted and the meat recovered from them too

I have a vision of you as Kevin Costner in that marvellous success of a film of his, "Waterworld", dressed from head to foot in fish skins.

I've got a sharkskin suit, does that count?

Real Mad Man me

Ceramic knives - any good?

Try dropping one and then come back

Stick with steel

I have a large Sabatier, about 17 years old and it is very good. I use one of the sharpeners with stone wheels (wetting the blade massively improves the edge). However, I recently bought a Robert Welch knife to replace a knife I accidentally mangled, and it's spectacular. Balance and feel are superb, the best knife I have ever used. It's also frighteningly sharp, the weight of the blade will slice carrots and onions. I have had the odd accident, cutting right through my finger nail more than once. It was reasonably priced and looks like it will last a long time.

Fair enough.

Anyone ever used wusthofs?

Quote ="THECherry&Whites"I love cooking but struggle to find a decent set of knives. Any budding chef's out there that can recommend anything. Money no object.'" www.amazon.co.uk/James-Martin-Sa ... 32&sr=8-15 Cheap end of the market but i know how to use a steele and re-sharpen them, they are very good for the money. No doubt you can do better and it'll depend on how much use they get.

Quote ="THECherry&Whites"I love cooking but struggle to find a decent set of knives. Any budding chef's out there that can recommend anything. Money no object.'" www.amazon.co.uk/James-Martin-Sa ... 32&sr=8-15 Cheap end of the market but i know how to use a steele and re-sharpen them, they are very good for the money. No doubt you can do better and it'll depend on how much use they get.

Not sure I'd recommend a Santoku set as an only set to buy they just aren't as robust as regular knives, they are great for slicing mind.

Unless your a budding chef you don't really need to spend a fortune on knives. When I was a chef I had loads of different knives from Global to sabatier. A couple of years ago we got a cheap set from Ikea just for a stop gap. Absolutely fantastic knives. Keep and edge really well, good weight and balance.

Don't be fooled into thinking you need to spend loads on a trendy looking global etc....

Indeed, trendy knives don't make the food taste better

In fact a better investment would be some knife skills training, either by DVD or online course.

I have a couple of wusthof knives, had them just over two years and find them excellent!

Fully agree there fella. I was taught the traditional way, the classical way. It's stuff i'll always remeber and use religiously when in the kitchen. If you have these skills than any knife ( as long as its Sharp) will do.

On a side note global knives and similar smooth all metal knives look uber cool. However as a chef I ended up getting rid of them. They were to smooth and useless in a pro kitchen once your hands got greasy or wet. As the often did when doing prep like filleting fish, chickens etc...

Yup.
Most of our knives are Sabatier, with a couple of tiny lightweight Victorinox nonsense (with which I just cannot get along but La Senora uses very frequently) and a couple of Wusthofs more recently added.
The Wusthofs are my favourite but not so much that I'd chuck out the Sabatiers.

It has to be borne in mind that Wusthof is a brand whereas Sabatier is more generic and can be made by various makers.

Also, when buying Sabatiers, I look for the words "Fully forged" (just a bloke thing, blokes like "proper" kit).
Reason being that "fully forged" means that all the metal blade, bolster and tang are one piece giving a better balance, whereas the absence of "Fully forged" on the label may mean that the bolster is simply an alloy collar rather than part of the blade-and-tang forging, making for a less expensive knife with not quite as good a balance ... but, hey, you probably won't even notice.

The tang is the bit that looks like an extension of the blade that is sandwiched and riveted between the halves of the handle.
The bolster is the thicker bit of the forging between the blade and the tang where the blade meets the handle.

Apart from nailing them to the wall with one, does anyone have advice for convincing others living in your house to put knives in the knife drawer and not the knife blunting / general drawer?

Nope, got me beat, that one.
Have you tried begging them?

Quote ="vbfg"Apart from nailing them to the wall with one, does anyone have advice for convincing others living in your house to put knives in the knife drawer and not the knife blunting / general poop drawer?'" We use a knife block you can pick them up cheap enough or if you wanna get all gadgety the this is what I have my eye on www.lakeland.co.uk/12303/Kapoosh ... nife-Block

Quote ="vbfg"Apart from nailing them to the wall with one, does anyone have advice for convincing others living in your house to put knives in the knife drawer and not the knife blunting / general poop drawer?'" We use a knife block you can pick them up cheap enough or if you wanna get all gadgety the this is what I have my eye on www.lakeland.co.uk/12303/Kapoosh ... nife-Block

I've got an empty one next to my microwave. I can't handle low technology. And besides, it's a battle of wills and I'm in too deep to let it go now.

Aha !! got it ... just nick all the knives and put them in your very own personal knife roll ... you know, those canvas roll-up things that you can buy from cheffie shops.

Arbitration and Conciliation negotiations can then be initiated for the return of the hostaged knives.

Meantime, you can easily transport them to and from the kitchen as and when YOU require to use them.

That is both passive aggressive and non-confrontational at the same time. Perfect.