When we're talking knife blades, it pretty much comes down to 3 things.
1. How sharp can you get it?
2. How long will it stay sharp?
3. How long can it keep it's edge straight?
Quote:
Originally Posted by PuYang
unless you dont mind paying others to sharpen your knives).
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I get this guy to sharpen my knives:
http://www3.telus.net/public/kitano/
Called him up, he came, picked up my knives. Told him what I want and what I use it for. He came by in a couple days to drop of my RAZOR sharp knives.[/quote]
Quote:
Originally Posted by PuYang
the tomato trick is also a scam. tomatos are fricken easy to cut. i can throw a tomato (with a certain amount of force) on a butter knife and have it cut through.
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ish? but I think that's a bad analogy.
Tomato skin isn't aren't easy to cut with normal knife. That's why there are dedicated tomato knives.
You can easily sharpen a $20 knife so that it's like a razor and can go through tomato skin with ease, but how long until you have to sharpen it again?
Quote:
Originally Posted by PuYang
the "sharpening steel" is actually only used to hone the edge, to maintain its sharpness. as you use your knife, the edge of it starts to bend/curl, which is the cause of dullness. the steel is simply used to push it back up/unroll the edge to bring it back to the sharp point.
but once your knife becomes actually dull, the sharpening steel isnt going to bring that edge back. in which case, an actual sharpener is used to physically SHAVE off that curved/round dull edge off, leaving a new edge.
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+1
Sharpening steel is actually a misnomer.
What people refer to as sharpening steels are actually honing rods.
It pretty much smoothes out a wrinkled, but sharpe blade edge. Youtube it.
Now to answer your original question:
Globals are pretty good, you can get them pretty dang sharp.
For normal home use, they will hold their edge for quite a while.
I have owned a couple Globals.
Some people love their handles, some hate them, and it depends how you're using that specific knife.
ex. I had no issues with my slicer or, but my 7" santoku, I always used with wet hands.
Paired with the angle of my table, I didn't like the feel of the grip and always found myself reaching for my Wusthof even though the knife itself isn't as good.
So if you can, try it before you buy it.
I sold them both off after getting my gyuto. I did however keep 5" mini santoku, love the size, love the shape.
I also have a Shun kaji cleaver.
The Kaji line is a Williams Sonoma exclusive, they are essentially Elites (same powered SG2 blade core with the false damascus cladding), just with redesigned handles.
I don't really like Shun's normal handles that much.
It definately feels more solid than the globals, but aside from that, when properly sharp, they both cut the same.
If you want to go blow some dough, you can go to Epicurean Edge in Kirkland near Seattle.
That's where I got my 240mm Yoshikane Gyuto.
Honestly though, I've found that you only need to start with 3 knives.
All purpose chef's or gyuto
paring knife
bread knife