[Culverin]

Ok, let's take what I say with a hefty grain of salt. I'm a home cook and definitely far from a pro. What I've learned is from youtube and goofing off at home and at church.

- Global knives with their VG10 core get crazy sharp, have a decent balance between a thin blade and a strong bland and retain their edge very well. Their non-forged cooks knife is one of the better bang-for-buck pieces out there. I have a japanese hand forged custom (~$250), a global 5" mini santoku and a shun Kaji Cleaver (SG-2 core from their elite line). If I had to, I would go with a single global knife. But from what I've heard, the handle is either a love-it or hate-it deal. I'm close to loving it, but it's just a touch small for me.

- Get a cheap paring knife and just sharpen it yourself frequently.

- Get a decent sharpening stone at home and just touch up your knives frequently.

- Get a honing rod. When you try going through tomatoes with an un-honed knife, you'll see when the honing rod comes into play. It's a night and day difference.

- Spend the bit of extra money on blade guards, it'll cost you less than 1/2 a lunch each, and gives you safety and confidence in taking your kit everywhere you go. Also your edges won't get nicked. Prevention is better than having to do repair.

- Sturdy tools are nice, a sturdy tool will have predictable behavior and won't flex at the weirdest of times.

- I'm not sure how it is at VCC, but just kill me now if I don't have access to a decent kitchen towel. I've definitely gotten accustomed to the one I use at home. Is it taken as tacky if you bring your own?

- Spoon for tasting and plating.

- Tongs, find something that suits you. You'll probable need a long pair for a very hot stove top and a shorter one for more detail work.

- A small/medium sized whisk. I don't know what the pros use to make a vinaigrette, but after you've whisked eggs and dressings with a true baloon whisk, a fork just doesn't quite cut it anymore.

- Bread knife. Try cutting a harder ciabatta with a chefs knife. You're going to hate it if have to do anything more than 2 loaves. Even a cheap bread knife is better than none at all.