Alton, all of us at Carter Cutlery are so honored to have had your support for almost 25 years. We are proud of our blades that are serving you faithfully. Thank you for how you generously share your hard-earned knowledge with the world. Stay safe and sound! Sincerely, Murray Carter
Hey man, your knife looked beautiful and I'm sure the quality is top notch. Our kitchen closed for the outbreak, but hopefully when we get back to work I can save up some and purchase one of your blades.
A knife is like any other tool- cost and value are not the same thing. A professional mechanic, chef, or photographer will invest in the best, most comfortable, most effective tools. A person who uses a knife for hours at a time, every day, has an entirely different idea of what makes a good knife versus somebody who just need to cut something now and then. But it only takes *anyone about 30 seconds with a high end knife to realize they are worth what they cost.
If Alton Brown says he doesn't have time to show you his knife collection in the middle of a 9 month lockdown... Well, that actually MIGHT count as a knife problem.
Lenny: "Geez, Homer, I thought someone with two wives would be happy. " Karl: "Nah, you're thinking of someone with two knives. " Moe: [holding two knives] "I gotta tell you, this is pretty terrific."
"I believe that tools you like to look at, you will also use more" Something I have been battling for so long. I'm very emotional with the things I create with. I will pay a bit more for something I like to look at. Didn't know right away if I was shallow or something
@@earthknight60 Overpriced for what they are; stock removal flat ground 52100 and the handles don't even have decent contour. Plenty of amazing bladesmiths out there that can make you a better knife for the same price point.
So not for nothin’ but showing you’re $2000 knife set during a time when many people can’t even afford $20.00 in food is in poor taste. I like Alton but this was a misstep in my opinion.
I am so happy you use Carter Cutlery knives. Stumbled across him many years back on a family trip in Oregon, been watching him since and seeing him grow. Such amazing knives. His neck knife, such a handy tool when camping.
Oh no, what did Shun do to piss you off?! I grew my cooking skills on Good Eats and when I could afford it, Shun was the way I went primarily due to the fit in my hand and the edge they come with and maintain. I am certainly not opposed to other knifes, but my shun collection grows piece by piece as the need arises.
Victorinox Forschner Fibrox knives, while not ten dollars, are very inexpensive when compared to other brand names thrown around. Their paring knife is just under ten bucks. Victorinox knives are routinely use in "America's Test Kitchen" and "Cook's Country." And those people can have whatever they want. They continually rate well in their knife tests as well. They're also ground to a fifteen degree bevel, which means that they cut a lot better than knives ground to the standard American twenty degree bevel.
Knowing that knives are not everyday purchases it is not weird to have a $200 blade especially for a professional. I'd never tell someone they should have that but I will say I like my shun chef's knife way more than my $50 Mercer chef's knife. Moral don't skimp on the chef's knife that one should cost a bit.
this is always been my favorite show along with unwrapped, I gave him 101 percent respect for not only coming back on air, admitting the things he outgrew and relearn, but the fact that he's willing to be out publicly do so
Yeah it's "your fault" that my husband campaigned for a solid YEAR for us to get a Nakiri. It's not a fancy one, it's a kinda mid-range one because we are extremely poor, but he was bound and effing DETERMINED about that knife. Also, when told "you can only take one knife:" Hold up the bone cleaver and say "Make me stick to just one." :P
I was given an absolutely beautiful hand forge Japanese folded steel Nakiri, and for years I used it as a display piece and never actually used it. Then one day I don’t know why I grabbed it off my magnetic knife board and started using it, I fell in love. The Nakiri is now my go to knife for anything I need to cut or chop. This may not be true for all Nakiri but mine holds an incredible edge.
Anything that's good for removing big sections of beef, or opening coconuts, is great for perpetrating OR defending a home invasion. Cleaver, machete, 357 Magnum, they all work.
Alton I noticed yourTechnivorm Mocca Master in the background. The sign of a true coffee aficionado!! Plus I love your knives too! I have a stamped 10 inch Victorinox chef knife with a Rosewood handle. It’s been with me for over 30 years and can handle everything I throw at it!
As would I. It's too bad he didn't mention them because there is a reason he still has their serrated knife. I haven't seen another one with the same type of sharpened edge and it works very well.
I was so hoping it wasn't shun. I remember he made a video of years ago before I actually got my first good knife as a gift from my brother which happened to be a Shun so I was excited.... I feel fractionally lost because that video he did with Shun years ago is what I told my brother about and got him to buy me my first good knives for Christmas.😔
The Wusthof Classic demi-bolster series is as good as any knives made anywhere on Earth. Made (forged, actually) in Solingen, Germany (the city of knives) since 1814. The demi-bolster means you can both use and sharpen the entire blade tip to heel. Handles are super comfortable as well as great looking in a butcher block. I'd confidently put these up against any knife from the far east any day if the week.
Knives are the best tools ever created by man for many reasons and one of the oldest tools period. I can not say I love all knives because I get very picky but I honestly have more knives than I can count. I very much love my custom knives because they are made by people I really respect a lot and it's nice to own a knife that you designed that was created for you. I can honestly say that I can't see my life without knives especially now that I've recently become a butcher.
Sherie Vaughn See I love carbon steel as well but I wouldn’t be caught dead with out my hard anodized nonstick pans as well. There are some things good ol’ steel pans just don’t fare as well against.
I don't know if you have one near you, but if you have a restaurant supply store near you, buy pans from there. They're made to take a serious daily beating and last a while. If it can be used in a commercial kitchen, then they can take home use a lot better. Plus they're relatively inexpensive.
Awesome video on kitchen knives, Alton.. PS - He really does love knives. There are numerous photos of him at Blade Show in Atlanta buying all manner of sharp pointy things.. :-)
At 0:50 when you said use it as a lever , I was fully expecting LEVERMAN to pop up ... The I remembered oh yeah quarantine.... Even superheroes need to be safe👍 Just came to mind , Oh My God , what about the WAFFLER ??? Has anyone checked in on the WAFFLER... A.B. We need to find the WAFFLER.. He must be safe at all cost😀
I have a motley collection of knives, mostly family cast-offs from when I went to college, but I do have one really nice chef's knife. It's a Kikuichi Swedish Warikomi Damascus gyuto. Super thin, super light (
still the best in the biz Alton I too have a crippling addiction to Murray's work.... Sure, i dont get to eat nearly as often, but when i do, i look damn fine doing it.
I’m starting to get a “knife problem “ I bought my first personal chef’s knife about 6 months ago , now i got three chefs knives at home , a knife set coming in next week , and i just ordered a Japanese Guyuto Knife two days ago !
NoZenith guyuto is a chefs knife with a japanese style , it’s lighter and a little bit more delicate than stainless steel knifes , and it’s sharper . And honestly i haven’t found a specific knife that i prefer over anything else, so at this stage I’m trying different models from different companies, different styles and different types metals until I land on my favorite,
Pretty sure that's a Kai/Shun bread knife he was mad at. I remember him being a fan of them before. I wonder what the steel on the 2 Cut knives is. My chef knife is made from 14c28n and my paring is BD1N, both great nitrogen stainless steels with high hardness, good edge retention, decent toughness and ease of sharpening. Don't have a Carter kitchen knife but I do have a small fixed blade in White steel and it's a joy to use. Very comfortable handle and useful design.
I did this so many times, because you said you read all the comments, but you seem to COW TOW the critique and not to your real fans who want to just be with the real you. Anyone who is a real Alton fan, welcomes you. PHUK! Anything thereafter. Much Love, DAWN
Being Asian I was raised to use only one knife for EVERYTHING-thats the cleaver. Slicing, dicing, chopping, cutting, skinning, etc etc. My folks always taught us that you should hone your skill using one tool to apply for many things and when you want to switch to using that tool your experience will carry you. Throughout these years I have bought many decently made knives for different purposes but I always end up going back to my cleaver lol
They pissed me off too. I send my knives to them once a year for sharpening and this last time they broke my salmon slicer and said they couldn't replace it because it was discontinued. Says a lot about a company that makes the knives but can't fix them.
That's sad. Although Cutco isn't the best knife in the world, I sent them a 20+ year old Chef's knife with a cracked handle. They sent me a new one. My favorite blade is a no name filet knife that I bought at a bait shop in the 1980s. It's still serving me well for everything from cleaning a fish to slicing a roast.
@@NoZenith It's Shun. AB is the reason i bought them. I still love the knives. Not many companies will sharpen them for free for life like Shun does, but don't get attached to a specific knife. They did give me a credit to buy a new knife for free and I picked up a very nice boning knife. I live on the south end of lake Michigan and I used that salmon knife all year long.
I didn't know that they sharpen for free... I have an Alton's angle that was made before the endorsement. Never been sharpened and is just getting to the point where I feel it's unsafe. My issue is that I have a dozen Shun classics but several of my favorite knives are set aside because they have serious dents in the blade and a few have chips on the cutting edge. Any idea if they repair or replace? All of them were gifts from my dad and I know they all came from Williams and Sonoma.
I'm kind of surprised you don't mention Stainless Steel vs High Carbon Steel knives. I own a Bob Kramer 10" Chef's knife and it's to die for. Most of my other knives are higher end Henckel's knives. All in all though, good video on what the basic knives you should have.
I would really like to see Alton revise his knife sharpening advice, so many people I know go in a frenzy trying to find a professional knife sharpener.
I did that around the time I started building out my knife roll, and came to realize that a pro sharpening company is *very* not cheap in my area. I bought a stone, learned to do it myself and never looked back. Now (about 20 years on) my coworkers at the restaurant I work at (including my boss) bring me their knives and ask me to sharpen them for them.
I just saw the recent episode on eggs. I'm curious as to your opinion on the way Ramsay does scrambled eggs. I don't usually like scrambled eggs, but I do like his version on toast.
The only my thing in my kitchen I value more than my knives is my son. He cooks with me (and he’s been watching AB since he was only a couple months old) and he sharpens my knives.
This knife company that made you mad... do you still think they make good knives? I've started building my kitchen knife set, and I started with that brand. If you think I should go somewhere else I would love recommendations.
@@jackxiao9702 If you read my comment you'll see that I already have two of their knives. Alton didn't want to specifically name the brand, so I was playing along. Thanks for the comments on the other knives though.
Anyone know what happened between Alton and shun? I went into this thinking i was gonna see a lot of their knives, was surprised when he said they dont work together anymore and they pissed him off.
Ooooh! You didn't have to name them. You've got a secret beef with Shun knives don't you?! I know it will never happen, but now I need to know about it. The WORLD (of culinary and knife nerds) needs to know.
@@AltonBrown I can imagine. That knife is absolutely a thing of beauty. I am long overdue in upgrading mine and am looking for something of decent quality, but within a lower budget. Any recommendations? Also, thank you for replying to me!
I know we're talking knives here, but I'm still glad to see you also like good coffee! I've had that same (albeit silver) model moccamaster for the past decade or so with 0 complaints.
I got my Moccamaster last year as a Drop.com deal for like $220 (with the round tank, not square). Worth every dime, but I would gladly pay full price for one. It even made the parent's Maxwell House coffee taste good. Okay, so I lied about that. But it was markedly improved.
I agree about the need for a good pair of shears. However, i respectfully disagree with your preference. I love my J.A. Henckels International Robust Kitchen Shears. They're a great all around pair of shears that work well in the kitchen and elsewhere in the home.
KAI USA seems to have burned a lot of bridges. Alton used to carry/use their Kershaw and Zero Tolerance pocketknives on his shows. Now, even Ken Onion (the knife designer) isn't with KAI anymore. I'm sure Alton Brown was compensated for his endorsements back in the day, but something tells me the company decided it wasn't worth keeping up the contracts despite the fact they're still banking on the reputations of their former representatives. (Japanese knives are overrated nowadays anyhow. The market figured out most of the best tricks from elite designs and incorporated them into mass-produced knives. Even Mercer's student knives cut well now.)
@@JacksonKnives Most high end Japanese knives are high maintenance knives. You have to take much care to ensure they don't rust and their high Rockwell Hardness (60 to 66) makes their edges very chippy. Even a grain of salt could easily chip their edge and now you're having to resharpen your blade.
@@frogfoot198 yeah, I was referring to Shun when I said the market has caught up with Japanese knives. Saying Japanese knives have RC 66 blades is like saying American cars have 900 HP motors. :D Thin grinds and 15° edges are brilliant, even for most amateur chefs; extra-hard tool steel most people can do without.
ty! when you was live i musta said show me your knives 20 times, but the chat was flying and you didnt see it. love those cut brookyn knives, would love to see your sharpening stones and your methods on keepin em sharp :)
Shuns aren't a bad knife, but they are like the Apple of knives now, overcharging based on their brand name alone. And the VG10s are known for micro chipping, which isn't too bad compared to other knives, but for the price it's bad. When there are better alternatives now.
@@neoasura I’m lucky I got most of my Shuns for less than MSRP. I’ve definitely noticed the micro chipping, the edge is so fine and brittle that it’s does not feel good when your doing a cut that requires you to pivot on the edge. I just picked up a set of Bob Kramer knives so I’ll see how those compare. Also did not pay anywhere near MSRP for them either.
The 7" Santoku I bought in 2009 was $89. Now they are $156. I've had it sharpened by Shun 3 times. The only time it has ever chipped us when the wife used it with improper form (she drags the blade a LOT). It's overdue for another sharpening. They charge $5 to sharpen.
For me it's chef > paring/utility > shears > serrated > boning. There's not a lot you can do with a boning knife that you can't do with a chef's knife or a paring knife, the boning knife just does it easier, better, and more efficiently. Same with serrated, really. And the shears. But there are things you can do with a paring knife that... I mean you COULD do with a chefs knife, but I wouldn't WANT to. Like hulling a strawberry, or peeling an apple (or a carrot or potato). A good chef and utility/paring knife duo will handle 99.9% of your eviscerating needs. From there it's a question not just of which can do more things better, but how often am I likely to run into those situations? I, personally, am MUCH more likely to want to cut a loaf of bread without squishing it than flawlessly debone a chicken. Also disagree with knife size comment at the beginning, especially if you've got limited space (or are just a smaller person). An 8 inch chefs knife that you love to hold and doesn't tire you out is WAY better for a 5'4" girl in a studio apartment than than a 10 or 12 inch beast that you wanna put down halfway through the prep. Other than that I agree with the choices and assessment, and just a great video! Love you as always, AB!
My grandfather was looking through the ashes of this butcher place that burned down and found a big butchers knife so he took it home and put a handle on it and left it to me when he passed
Is that a Shun bread knife? Also, I wonder where'd Alton heard about Cut Brooklyn? I've always wanted one of his knives. I learned about Cut Brooklyn on Chowhound's obsessives episode. I own a fair amount of knives; Shun, Miyabi, Masamoto, Bob Kramer, Kuma... I suppose I'm a bit of a knife fanatic. I love to sharpen them too using various stones in various grits and strops. Would love to see how Alton get his knives sharpened--if he does them himself or sends them out.
Andy C I’m convinced that’s a Shun handle lol I used to sell them at Williams Sonoma. Very curious to know why his opinion has changed about the company
How do we get a RUclips series like this? I want something like the gadget corner from America's Test Kitchen, but with 100% Alton Brown recommendations on products/brands.
Chef's knife length is very much a personal preference. A good length to start is equal to your hand from heel to tip of longest finger. Keep them sharp! Dull knives need more pressure and motion to do their job. Knives cut, cleavers chop. Helen Renne has an excellent video on sharpening your knives.
Exactly. I've got a 8 inch, 10 inch and a couple 12-13inch. I like the 8 inch best because you don't need a lot of space. I do have around 25 knives total
Hehehe, yeah. My one serrated knife is a novelty one I got for $6 that was designed for slicing watermelon. It's got a green handle, red blade with fake seeds painted on it and a red protective sheath with holes in it so you can see the the seeds through it. Large, sharply pointed teeth that look like someone took a hole puncher to the blade edge. But it's beveled on both sides of the blade, very sharp, and makes short work of watermelons, breads, anything I can think to cut. It works WONDERS on tomatoes, no matter how soft or firm. I've had other blades just slide off the tomatoes, even if the teeth on it look like they should have worked. This watermelon knife though, I don't even have to press on the knife to cut through the tomatoes. I can just move the blade back and forth and the knife's own weight sends it through. For everything else, I either used my Washington Forge 9 inch Santoku style chefs knife (About $30) and a little paring knife I got from a box of someones garage sale failures made by some company called "Veriverisharp" lol. And it lives up to it's name, I only sharpen it maybe once a year.
college grad started cooking since quarantine, would love an in-depth video on knife techniques! (wouldnt mind over 10min vids from you ...to help pass the time)
A1BASE - an 8” Chef is more than enough for 99% of home cooking. A 10 or 12 feels like a sword on a kitchen counter. Most people don’t even own a board big enough for one of those.
The one time so far I've cut myself really badly in the kitchen (and hopefully last!) was in using a knife to do a scissors job. Also, rushing with kids running around didn't help. Also also, getting stitches in your finger is not fun.
E Currie I use a “reverse scallop” serrated knife for tomatoes and other fine-skinned fruits & veggies. Mine isn’t the one linked here, but the idea is the same. www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Gourmet-6-Inch-Serrated-Utility/dp/B0000DJYEQ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Reverse+scallop+tomato+knife&qid=1586240802&s=home-garden&sr=1-1
@@2adamast depending on the steel and heat treat, many appropriately sized blades shouldn't be used on a hard bread unless they're serrated. I'm sure the man can sharpen on stones to fix microchipping but there's a purpose for every tool.
Get him interested in knife sharpening. He'll learn. However, you may also end up with him spending hundreds on stones and taking years to learn to use them properly. Depends on your priorities, I suppose.
What is the best way to store knives? I don’t like the blocks that most come in, and concerned how certain knives that get rust spots while in them. But I don’t have wall space to put them up. 🤔🤔🤔. Thanks for the video😊
Having a knife problem is not a “problem”. Not having enough knife storage, though. That’s a crisis.
Ryky has entered the chat
@@blacksnow7106 🤣
Oh god I relate to this so hard
Josh Wood this is very very accurate
whats your knife holder besides a knife block??
Alton, all of us at Carter Cutlery are so honored to have had your support for almost 25 years. We are proud of our blades that are serving you faithfully. Thank you for how you generously share your hard-earned knowledge with the world. Stay safe and sound! Sincerely, Murray Carter
a link please?
@@jakethomas4314 just google carter cutlery.
Hey man, your knife looked beautiful and I'm sure the quality is top notch. Our kitchen closed for the outbreak, but hopefully when we get back to work I can save up some and purchase one of your blades.
can I have a free boning or serrated knife?
Looking into getting one of your knives! Cheers 😎🔪
"Cheap knives have a place. This one, for example, is $60." .....I'm over here with my $5 paring knife
Kinda puts it in to perspective when he says the other knife is "a bit pricey"
/me reading the Consumer Reports knife ratings
1: fancy German set for like $500, 97%
2: Ginsu, $100, 95%
Been like 10 years and they work great.
should I not tell you that chef knife from cut brooklyn is like $700...
@@awmustang i mean, you can look at cutbrooklyn's site, looks like his gyuto was probably about $750
A knife is like any other tool- cost and value are not the same thing. A professional mechanic, chef, or photographer will invest in the best, most comfortable, most effective tools. A person who uses a knife for hours at a time, every day, has an entirely different idea of what makes a good knife versus somebody who just need to cut something now and then. But it only takes *anyone about 30 seconds with a high end knife to realize they are worth what they cost.
Alton, we NEED to see the whole collection. Come on, man. We have time, you have time... show us.
Yo Mama i cant, its snowing.
Asking a chef to see all his knives is like asking a DnD player to see all their dice.
If Alton Brown says he doesn't have time to show you his knife collection in the middle of a 9 month lockdown... Well, that actually MIGHT count as a knife problem.
@@MauiWowieOwie do you want to see all of my dice?
because i willl show you all of my dice.
Lenny: "Geez, Homer, I thought someone with two wives would be happy.
"
Karl: "Nah, you're thinking of someone with two knives.
"
Moe: [holding two knives] "I gotta tell you, this is pretty terrific."
Frostbyt3z Gaming When this is read with the voices, you can't help but laugh.
Can't help BUT read this in the voices lol
ruclips.net/video/tagnCKatOsg/видео.html
Hahaha, yeah!
Alton Brown in Knives Out: A cut above the rest.
The shear audacity of this title has left me cropped for words.
Name buddy!
he is a knives out character
Harumph. Polanski got by with just one Knife on the Water.
What did shun do to him ☹️
AB: “this is not a forging, this is... well we’re not going to get into the metallurgy.”
Me, a metallurgist: 😟😟. 😭😭
Me a welder who's getting into blacksmithing/bladesmithing 😢😢
@@mikeford963 a grinder and paint...😅
@@rhubarbpie2027 Makes some the welders they ain't!!
Me, a blacksmith
Me, a teacher who got bit by the knife bug 🤩🤩🤩
"Not going to say I have a knife problem. But I kinda have a knife problem." I know that feeling.
In the words of keanu Reeves... "Knives. Lots of knives"
Surviving Edged Weapons: Alton Brown Edition.
There is no surviving Mr. Brown.
SMENS
Slice
Mince
Evaluate
Neutralize
Scan
I never thought I've see a Red Letter Media reference in an Alton Brown video. The internet must be leaking.
Oh that there's a ceremonial chef's knife.
@@keeleye7225 that video predates RLM
I’m so happy you featured “Cut’s” products. Joel is a great guy and does some amazing work. Thanks for showcasing a great local (NY) knife maker!
My chef’s knife was made for me by a local guy. It, alongside my grandmother’s Griswold pans, are the most important pieces in my kitchen.
"I believe that tools you like to look at, you will also use more"
Something I have been battling for so long. I'm very emotional with the things I create with. I will pay a bit more for something I like to look at. Didn't know right away if I was shallow or something
Just in case anyone was wondering, looks like chef knifes from Cut Brooklyn are around 750$ 😩
Boo thats out of my league
yup, just looked it up.... Ummm I'm out... LOL
A bit less than that depending on where you buy them - $350-$575. Still expensive though.
uncrate.com/cut-brooklyn-knives/
@@earthknight60 Overpriced for what they are; stock removal flat ground 52100 and the handles don't even have decent contour. Plenty of amazing bladesmiths out there that can make you a better knife for the same price point.
So not for nothin’ but showing you’re $2000 knife set during a time when many people can’t even afford $20.00 in food is in poor taste. I like Alton but this was a misstep in my opinion.
If you have kids. Kitchen shears are a must have. It makes cutting up their food so easy.
Ok now I need the AB/ shun beef details!
That looked like a shun. I wonder what happened? I am currently looking to upgrade my knives and shun was an option.
I second that!
AB/Shun had a collaboration about a decade ago.....I want to know what happened too!!!!
I love my "Alton's Angle" Shun knives!
I was wondering the same thing
I am so happy you use Carter Cutlery knives. Stumbled across him many years back on a family trip in Oregon, been watching him since and seeing him grow. Such amazing knives. His neck knife, such a handy tool when camping.
Oh no, what did Shun do to piss you off?! I grew my cooking skills on Good Eats and when I could afford it, Shun was the way I went primarily due to the fit in my hand and the edge they come with and maintain. I am certainly not opposed to other knifes, but my shun collection grows piece by piece as the need arises.
I have had a set of Voctorinox knives for ten years. Redwood handle ones. They have served me well for a decade.
"there's a place for cheap knives in your collection"
also: "this is cheap.. like 50 dollars"
me: "cheap it 10 bucks at most"
"Cheap" is relative.
Victorinox Forschner Fibrox knives, while not ten dollars, are very inexpensive when compared to other brand names thrown around. Their paring knife is just under ten bucks. Victorinox knives are routinely use in "America's Test Kitchen" and "Cook's Country." And those people can have whatever they want. They continually rate well in their knife tests as well. They're also ground to a fifteen degree bevel, which means that they cut a lot better than knives ground to the standard American twenty degree bevel.
I'm poor asfuck.. But I also blacksmith. so I'm gonna say yes, but actually no, it's cheap but it could be cheaper
He really overpriced that knife, they are going for $25 on Amazon right now.
Knowing that knives are not everyday purchases it is not weird to have a $200 blade especially for a professional. I'd never tell someone they should have that but I will say I like my shun chef's knife way more than my $50 Mercer chef's knife. Moral don't skimp on the chef's knife that one should cost a bit.
this is always been my favorite show along with unwrapped, I gave him 101 percent respect for not only coming back on air, admitting the things he outgrew and relearn, but the fact that he's willing to be out publicly do so
Yeah it's "your fault" that my husband campaigned for a solid YEAR for us to get a Nakiri. It's not a fancy one, it's a kinda mid-range one because we are extremely poor, but he was bound and effing DETERMINED about that knife.
Also, when told "you can only take one knife:" Hold up the bone cleaver and say "Make me stick to just one." :P
I was given an absolutely beautiful hand forge Japanese folded steel Nakiri, and for years I used it as a display piece and never actually used it. Then one day I don’t know why I grabbed it off my magnetic knife board and started using it, I fell in love. The Nakiri is now my go to knife for anything I need to cut or chop. This may not be true for all Nakiri but mine holds an incredible edge.
"Also good for home invasion."
So it's good to use when invading homes?
Or pillaging villages by the looks of it. That thing's large.
This just in: Alton Brown advocates for using cleavers to invade people's homes 😱
He probably takes along Scabigail for attack dog duty whilst pillaging.
Anything that's good for removing big sections of beef, or opening coconuts, is great for perpetrating OR defending a home invasion. Cleaver, machete, 357 Magnum, they all work.
I'm pretty sure he meant to say "home defense".
Alton I noticed yourTechnivorm Mocca Master in the background. The sign of a true coffee aficionado!! Plus I love your knives too! I have a stamped 10 inch Victorinox chef knife with a Rosewood handle. It’s been with me for over 30 years and can handle everything I throw at it!
I'd like to know what went down with Shun!
As would I. It's too bad he didn't mention them because there is a reason he still has their serrated knife. I haven't seen another one with the same type of sharpened edge and it works very well.
@@77Brainfreeze the shun bread knives really are great
"A company that I won't mention" Sorry to hear that partnership went sour, I'd always wondered what happened there.
He’s talking about Shun, right?
Yea, absolutely.
I was so hoping it wasn't shun. I remember he made a video of years ago before I actually got my first good knife as a gift from my brother which happened to be a Shun so I was excited.... I feel fractionally lost because that video he did with Shun years ago is what I told my brother about and got him to buy me my first good knives for Christmas.😔
Anyone know what happened? I love my Shun knives!
100% Shun, but not really. That was a Shun Classic. However, I am pretty sure they and Kershaw are owned by Kai now. Might be issues with Kai
What happened with you and Kershaw Shun? I bought a set of them per your recommendation back in the early 2000's.
The Wusthof Classic demi-bolster series is as good as any knives made anywhere on Earth. Made (forged, actually) in Solingen, Germany (the city of knives) since 1814. The demi-bolster means you can both use and sharpen the entire blade tip to heel. Handles are super comfortable as well as great looking in a butcher block. I'd confidently put these up against any knife from the far east any day if the week.
4:30 I can see Alton saying to the invader, "That's not a knife. This is a knife."
Knives are the best tools ever created by man for many reasons and one of the oldest tools period. I can not say I love all knives because I get very picky but I honestly have more knives than I can count.
I very much love my custom knives because they are made by people I really respect a lot and it's nice to own a knife that you designed that was created for you.
I can honestly say that I can't see my life without knives especially now that I've recently become a butcher.
I was worried AB would start juggling them at the end
You ought to be in quarantine a few times a year. This content over the last couple of weeks has been priceless.
I want to hear more about his pans lol. I cannot for the life of me find decent pans :(
Check out Vollrath. It’s commercial grade, not overly expensive, and works well
He likes the carbon steel pans.
I've seen him use All-Clad quite frequently.
Sherie Vaughn See I love carbon steel as well but I wouldn’t be caught dead with out my hard anodized nonstick pans as well.
There are some things good ol’ steel pans just don’t fare as well against.
I don't know if you have one near you, but if you have a restaurant supply store near you, buy pans from there. They're made to take a serious daily beating and last a while. If it can be used in a commercial kitchen, then they can take home use a lot better. Plus they're relatively inexpensive.
Only one knife I remember AB working with and doesn't anymore...Shun. I own that knife. It's gorgeous
Awesome video on kitchen knives, Alton..
PS - He really does love knives. There are numerous photos of him at Blade Show in Atlanta buying all manner of sharp pointy things.. :-)
My dad has that exact same boning knife! A must have
At 0:50 when you said use it as a lever , I was fully expecting LEVERMAN to pop up ...
The I remembered oh yeah quarantine.... Even superheroes need to be safe👍
Just came to mind , Oh My God , what about the WAFFLER ??? Has anyone checked in on the WAFFLER...
A.B. We need to find the WAFFLER.. He must be safe at all cost😀
Cocoa Carl is probably really feeling it, not being able to sell his wares on the corner
I have a motley collection of knives, mostly family cast-offs from when I went to college, but I do have one really nice chef's knife. It's a Kikuichi Swedish Warikomi Damascus gyuto. Super thin, super light (
Been looking forward to your recent uploads every day. Can we expect a follow up video on how to take care of and sharpen knives?
still the best in the biz Alton
I too have a crippling addiction to Murray's work....
Sure, i dont get to eat nearly as often, but when i do, i look damn fine doing it.
I’m starting to get a “knife problem “
I bought my first personal chef’s knife about 6 months ago , now i got three chefs knives at home , a knife set coming in next week , and i just ordered a Japanese Guyuto Knife two days ago !
What benefit are you expecting from the guyuto over your chef knife? I was looking at one of those Ryky posted that has a flaw in the blade
NoZenith guyuto is a chefs knife with a japanese style , it’s lighter and a little bit more delicate than stainless steel knifes , and it’s sharper .
And honestly i haven’t found a specific knife that i prefer over anything else, so at this stage I’m trying different models from different companies, different styles and different types metals until I land on my favorite,
Welcome to the knife club. The knives aren't the problem. The storage issue, however, is.
Pretty sure that's a Kai/Shun bread knife he was mad at. I remember him being a fan of them before. I wonder what the steel on the 2 Cut knives is. My chef knife is made from 14c28n and my paring is BD1N, both great nitrogen stainless steels with high hardness, good edge retention, decent toughness and ease of sharpening. Don't have a Carter kitchen knife but I do have a small fixed blade in White steel and it's a joy to use. Very comfortable handle and useful design.
A well-kept, well-used set of blades. Thank you for the advice, Alton.
I did this so many times, because you said you read all the comments, but you seem to COW TOW the critique and not to your real fans who want to just be with the real you. Anyone who is a real Alton fan, welcomes you. PHUK! Anything thereafter. Much Love, DAWN
Alton! is the serated knife a shun? I know you said you were upset with the company, but does that have to do with the product or the management?
Being Asian I was raised to use only one knife for EVERYTHING-thats the cleaver. Slicing, dicing, chopping, cutting, skinning, etc etc. My folks always taught us that you should hone your skill using one tool to apply for many things and when you want to switch to using that tool your experience will carry you. Throughout these years I have bought many decently made knives for different purposes but I always end up going back to my cleaver lol
They pissed me off too. I send my knives to them once a year for sharpening and this last time they broke my salmon slicer and said they couldn't replace it because it was discontinued. Says a lot about a company that makes the knives but can't fix them.
That's sad.
Although Cutco isn't the best knife in the world, I sent them a 20+ year old Chef's knife with a cracked handle. They sent me a new one.
My favorite blade is a no name filet knife that I bought at a bait shop in the 1980s. It's still serving me well for everything from cleaning a fish to slicing a roast.
Can you say the name so I'll avoid them?
NoZenith I think it’s a Shun knife
@@NoZenith It's Shun. AB is the reason i bought them. I still love the knives. Not many companies will sharpen them for free for life like Shun does, but don't get attached to a specific knife. They did give me a credit to buy a new knife for free and I picked up a very nice boning knife. I live on the south end of lake Michigan and I used that salmon knife all year long.
I didn't know that they sharpen for free... I have an Alton's angle that was made before the endorsement. Never been sharpened and is just getting to the point where I feel it's unsafe.
My issue is that I have a dozen Shun classics but several of my favorite knives are set aside because they have serious dents in the blade and a few have chips on the cutting edge. Any idea if they repair or replace? All of them were gifts from my dad and I know they all came from Williams and Sonoma.
I feel like he could talk about paint drawing and I would still be fully engaged and entertained.
As a knifemaker I can appreciate your desire for good knives.
I'm kind of surprised you don't mention Stainless Steel vs High Carbon Steel knives. I own a Bob Kramer 10" Chef's knife and it's to die for. Most of my other knives are higher end Henckel's knives.
All in all though, good video on what the basic knives you should have.
Alton Brown: making me feel better about my love for knives since 2020.
Oh no... how did Shun do you wrong, AB?
I would really like to see Alton revise his knife sharpening advice, so many people I know go in a frenzy trying to find a professional knife sharpener.
I did that around the time I started building out my knife roll, and came to realize that a pro sharpening company is *very* not cheap in my area. I bought a stone, learned to do it myself and never looked back. Now (about 20 years on) my coworkers at the restaurant I work at (including my boss) bring me their knives and ask me to sharpen them for them.
I just saw the recent episode on eggs. I'm curious as to your opinion on the way Ramsay does scrambled eggs. I don't usually like scrambled eggs, but I do like his version on toast.
What did shun knives do to piss of Alton?
He realized they aren't the cream of the crop.
I’d be lost without scissors in my kitchen.
The only my thing in my kitchen I value more than my knives is my son. He cooks with me (and he’s been watching AB since he was only a couple months old) and he sharpens my knives.
Now we all want to know the story of how you and Shun became enemies
I love Alton Brown and his one scarf
silent grey alpaca Is it a scarf or an ascot?
JED DEJ it’s a scarf
This knife company that made you mad... do you still think they make good knives? I've started building my kitchen knife set, and I started with that brand. If you think I should go somewhere else I would love recommendations.
Same!
He's talking about Shun. I have their Nakiri, it's pretty good. Though I think Tojiro, Wustof and Global knives are better
@@jackxiao9702 If you read my comment you'll see that I already have two of their knives. Alton didn't want to specifically name the brand, so I was playing along. Thanks for the comments on the other knives though.
3:15 Uh-oh I wonder what the fallout AB had with Shun was
Anyone know what happened between Alton and shun? I went into this thinking i was gonna see a lot of their knives, was surprised when he said they dont work together anymore and they pissed him off.
I'm loving these videos lately. Keep it up AB! You're helping to keep us sane in this odd time.
Oh my goodness you should do a video with Joshua Weissman...on knives and food!
Ooooh! You didn't have to name them. You've got a secret beef with Shun knives don't you?! I know it will never happen, but now I need to know about it. The WORLD (of culinary and knife nerds) needs to know.
Those Cut Brooklyn knives are gorgeous. I just looked at their website. You have very good (and very pricey) taste.
I think of these pieces as investments and I treat them thusly. I will probably die before I need another chef's knife.
@@AltonBrown I can imagine. That knife is absolutely a thing of beauty. I am long overdue in upgrading mine and am looking for something of decent quality, but within a lower budget. Any recommendations? Also, thank you for replying to me!
I know we're talking knives here, but I'm still glad to see you also like good coffee! I've had that same (albeit silver) model moccamaster for the past decade or so with 0 complaints.
I got my Moccamaster last year as a Drop.com deal for like $220 (with the round tank, not square). Worth every dime, but I would gladly pay full price for one. It even made the parent's Maxwell House coffee taste good. Okay, so I lied about that. But it was markedly improved.
I agree about the need for a good pair of shears. However, i respectfully disagree with your preference. I love my J.A. Henckels International Robust Kitchen Shears. They're a great all around pair of shears that work well in the kitchen and elsewhere in the home.
So glad to see LamsonSharp getting some love these days! My favorite knives - been collecting since college - and really nice people to boot.
Thank you for spelling that brand name
These videos have honestly been the best content I have watched during the pandemic.
That Chef's knife is a beauty. Not that the rest aren't nice as well (specially the nakiri) but that chef's knife made me drool a little.
What happened with Shun that made him so mad?
Inquiring minds want to know!
I smell lawsuit.
KAI USA seems to have burned a lot of bridges. Alton used to carry/use their Kershaw and Zero Tolerance pocketknives on his shows.
Now, even Ken Onion (the knife designer) isn't with KAI anymore.
I'm sure Alton Brown was compensated for his endorsements back in the day, but something tells me the company decided it wasn't worth keeping up the contracts despite the fact they're still banking on the reputations of their former representatives.
(Japanese knives are overrated nowadays anyhow. The market figured out most of the best tricks from elite designs and incorporated them into mass-produced knives. Even Mercer's student knives cut well now.)
@@JacksonKnives Most high end Japanese knives are high maintenance knives. You have to take much care to ensure they don't rust and their high Rockwell Hardness (60 to 66) makes their edges very chippy. Even a grain of salt could easily chip their edge and now you're having to resharpen your blade.
@@frogfoot198 yeah, I was referring to Shun when I said the market has caught up with Japanese knives. Saying Japanese knives have RC 66 blades is like saying American cars have 900 HP motors. :D
Thin grinds and 15° edges are brilliant, even for most amateur chefs; extra-hard tool steel most people can do without.
ty! when you was live i musta said show me your knives 20 times, but the chat was flying and you didnt see it. love those cut brookyn knives, would love to see your sharpening stones and your methods on keepin em sharp :)
What did shun do to make Alton mad?
No no, I’ve got an entire block of Shun and I like them. Spill the beans Brown, I need to know if I shouldn’t give them any more of my money.
Shuns aren't a bad knife, but they are like the Apple of knives now, overcharging based on their brand name alone. And the VG10s are known for micro chipping, which isn't too bad compared to other knives, but for the price it's bad. When there are better alternatives now.
@@neoasura I’m lucky I got most of my Shuns for less than MSRP. I’ve definitely noticed the micro chipping, the edge is so fine and brittle that it’s does not feel good when your doing a cut that requires you to pivot on the edge. I just picked up a set of Bob Kramer knives so I’ll see how those compare. Also did not pay anywhere near MSRP for them either.
The 7" Santoku I bought in 2009 was $89. Now they are $156. I've had it sharpened by Shun 3 times. The only time it has ever chipped us when the wife used it with improper form (she drags the blade a LOT). It's overdue for another sharpening. They charge $5 to sharpen.
Never bring a knife to a gunfight. AB pulls out his bone cleaver "wanna bet"?
Alton, please keep the knife videos coming! We want to see your collection!
For me it's chef > paring/utility > shears > serrated > boning. There's not a lot you can do with a boning knife that you can't do with a chef's knife or a paring knife, the boning knife just does it easier, better, and more efficiently. Same with serrated, really. And the shears. But there are things you can do with a paring knife that... I mean you COULD do with a chefs knife, but I wouldn't WANT to. Like hulling a strawberry, or peeling an apple (or a carrot or potato). A good chef and utility/paring knife duo will handle 99.9% of your eviscerating needs. From there it's a question not just of which can do more things better, but how often am I likely to run into those situations? I, personally, am MUCH more likely to want to cut a loaf of bread without squishing it than flawlessly debone a chicken.
Also disagree with knife size comment at the beginning, especially if you've got limited space (or are just a smaller person). An 8 inch chefs knife that you love to hold and doesn't tire you out is WAY better for a 5'4" girl in a studio apartment than than a 10 or 12 inch beast that you wanna put down halfway through the prep.
Other than that I agree with the choices and assessment, and just a great video! Love you as always, AB!
After my chef's knife my favorite is a 5 inch serrated utility knife.
"...also good for home invasion." LMAO
My grandfather was looking through the ashes of this butcher place that burned down and found a big butchers knife so he took it home and put a handle on it and left it to me when he passed
Is that a Shun bread knife? Also, I wonder where'd Alton heard about Cut Brooklyn? I've always wanted one of his knives. I learned about Cut Brooklyn on Chowhound's obsessives episode. I own a fair amount of knives; Shun, Miyabi, Masamoto, Bob Kramer, Kuma... I suppose I'm a bit of a knife fanatic. I love to sharpen them too using various stones in various grits and strops. Would love to see how Alton get his knives sharpened--if he does them himself or sends them out.
Andy C - Alton truly is a blade geek. He attends knife shows and seeks out makers.
Andy C I’m convinced that’s a Shun handle lol I used to sell them at Williams Sonoma. Very curious to know why his opinion has changed about the company
that smile going away at the very end lmao
Alton Brown: "Its really old."
Me, a West Wing fan: "It was made by a Boston Silversmith named Paul Revere."
Kirbyoh , one of my favorite scenes on that show!
@@tomgio1 He gave him the kniiiife 😭
How do we get a RUclips series like this? I want something like the gadget corner from America's Test Kitchen, but with 100% Alton Brown recommendations on products/brands.
I know your serrated knife sir. I love it, but I hate that the "company" did ya wrong. :-(
I'd love to see a knife sharpening video. I've tried and don't think I'm doing it right. They're improved but not as sharp as I think they could be
On the show, he said you should only have your knives sharpend by a professional.
Chef's knife length is very much a personal preference. A good length to start is equal to your hand from heel to tip of longest finger. Keep them sharp! Dull knives need more pressure and motion to do their job. Knives cut, cleavers chop.
Helen Renne has an excellent video on sharpening your knives.
Exactly. I've got a 8 inch, 10 inch and a couple 12-13inch. I like the 8 inch best because you don't need a lot of space. I do have around 25 knives total
an 8” is perfect for cooking at home. a 10 or 12 feels like a sword on a kitchen counter
The company he's mad at... probably Shun. Looks like a Shun, and he used to be a spokesman.
Not sure what happened that they fell out.
While everyone else is buying bog roll AB is buying knives 🤣
I know what bog roll is because of Gavin Free!! Thank you, Roosterteeth.
@@dmsmhic 7 8th 7877 8th 7777777 8th 77
@@dmsmhic 789777777 that I 7th 99.8
I wonder if he still uses shun knives.That's one brand i seen him use before that makes me want to try them out.
Hehehe, yeah. My one serrated knife is a novelty one I got for $6 that was designed for slicing watermelon. It's got a green handle, red blade with fake seeds painted on it and a red protective sheath with holes in it so you can see the the seeds through it. Large, sharply pointed teeth that look like someone took a hole puncher to the blade edge. But it's beveled on both sides of the blade, very sharp, and makes short work of watermelons, breads, anything I can think to cut. It works WONDERS on tomatoes, no matter how soft or firm. I've had other blades just slide off the tomatoes, even if the teeth on it look like they should have worked. This watermelon knife though, I don't even have to press on the knife to cut through the tomatoes. I can just move the blade back and forth and the knife's own weight sends it through.
For everything else, I either used my Washington Forge 9 inch Santoku style chefs knife (About $30) and a little paring knife I got from a box of someones garage sale failures made by some company called "Veriverisharp" lol. And it lives up to it's name, I only sharpen it maybe once a year.
Christopher Morin I have this as well! I love it for squash too
@@sarapoeta1938 You have what? The Watermelon knife? Hehehe
I am absolutely delighted by the conversation of knife knerds. Seriously! I was getting depressed until I found this thread. Thanks!
college grad started cooking since quarantine, would love an in-depth video on knife techniques! (wouldnt mind over 10min vids from you ...to help pass the time)
A 7” santoku has replaced my chefs knife for almost everything. There are VERY few things I need a 10 or 12” blade for, I’m finding.
A1BASE - an 8” Chef is more than enough for 99% of home cooking. A 10 or 12 feels like a sword on a kitchen counter. Most people don’t even own a board big enough for one of those.
The one time so far I've cut myself really badly in the kitchen (and hopefully last!) was in using a knife to do a scissors job. Also, rushing with kids running around didn't help. Also also, getting stitches in your finger is not fun.
"Finally someone that understands serration is only good for bread"
Well, and pastries in general.
Or tomatoes...at least for me.
His 10” chef knife looked perfectly capable of cutting bread, unless he can’t sharpen
E Currie I use a “reverse scallop” serrated knife for tomatoes and other fine-skinned fruits & veggies. Mine isn’t the one linked here, but the idea is the same. www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Gourmet-6-Inch-Serrated-Utility/dp/B0000DJYEQ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Reverse+scallop+tomato+knife&qid=1586240802&s=home-garden&sr=1-1
@@2adamast depending on the steel and heat treat, many appropriately sized blades shouldn't be used on a hard bread unless they're serrated. I'm sure the man can sharpen on stones to fix microchipping but there's a purpose for every tool.
Hey Alton! I watched good eats since I was little. It was one of my favorite cooking shows, thanks for making it!
Now...how do I get the husband to STOP USING MY STEAK KNIVES to pare/chop with?!
Get him one he likes better.
Get him interested in knife sharpening. He'll learn.
However, you may also end up with him spending hundreds on stones and taking years to learn to use them properly. Depends on your priorities, I suppose.
What is the best way to store knives? I don’t like the blocks that most come in, and concerned how certain knives that get rust spots while in them. But I don’t have wall space to put them up. 🤔🤔🤔. Thanks for the video😊
“Also good for home invasions” 😂 automatically like the video.
I also like that he never said whether the cleaver is useful in thwarting a home invasion or in committing one.
Please make more knife videos. Like knife techniques, sharpening, care, storage, features to look for in a knife...