We have an old set that was pretty cheap to begin with, it was a set one of my old roommates got at Walmart where everything fits into the wood block. It leaves a lot to be desired and I would like to get a new set but I’m not sure how much a decent set costs. We are not cooks by any means but we do enjoy a good meal with an occasional steak so a set of steak knives would be necessary.

Any suggestions for my targeted budget range?

Guy who sharpened my folding knives said Victorinox knives are a good value.

Yes, very decent- Victorinox and Dexter are both very decent as are Wusthoff Gourmets......but they're all stamped (stainless) steel and won't hold an edge as long as forged and lack the weight of forged, don't get me wrong they're still good knives and better than most of the crap people use in their kitchen.

Id recommend a different route. Get a few Bed Bath and Beyond coupons (20% off) and buy a Wusthoff classic 7" santoku, 4" paring knife and a 6" utility knife for the same money and build from there. I've also bought some Wusthoff Classics off of EBAY that were new and good prices. I bought my set in 2011 and they're still perfect, so I'm more from the buy once, cry one and take care of them.

For budget steak knives, the Henkels that BB+B sells that are all stainless steel (handle and all) and sold in a 4 set, you might have to order them. Here's the 8 piece set for $90, the 20% off coupon brings them down do $72. There are some of the best rated steak knives you will find and an incredible deal for the money. Note the unique blade shape as they make a similar one in S/S that's not as good. For some reason they're out of stock of the 4 piece.

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.c...=henkel-steak-knives

ALSO, pick up and handle the different brands and types of knives you're going to buy. I was all set to buy the Henkel 4 star set, until I handled them and the end of the handle is too short and digs into my pinky. Same with the Shun's, I have large hands and don't like the diameter and feel of the oval handles. The balance and feel of the handle are both very important.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jimmy123x,

This old mans suggestion is to treat yourself to some quality knives.
The knife sharpener had good suggestion .
I personally like Wusthof classic.
Bought a set decades ago and threw the Chicago crap in the garbage can.

Depends on your definition of decent.
At that price range I'd shop garage sales in really nice neighborhoods or Estate sales.

quote:

Is it possible to get a decent kitchen knife set for <$125-150?

Yes. But, this is the Pistols section, not Knives.

A chef's knife and a paring knife, between them, will do at least a pretty good job of virtually every kitchen knife task, and you can get by without the paring knife if you have to.

Everything after that is pretty much a specialty tool to make certain tasks a little easier.

On a limited budget, I'd spend more per knife on 2-3 knives rather than buying a set.

Build your set a few pieces at a time. I would recommend starting off with a Wusthof Classic 6” chef knife. It is the most versatile knife I own. Add in a paring knife and you are off to a good start. For some steak knives, just grab a set if the Langouilles from a Home Goods or Marshall’s for about $20.

Yeah the Victorinox knives are really nice for the price. We have German Henkel Twin 4 star and they are great but you would only be able to get a few in your price range. Beware that Henkel and others make more than a few grades of knives these days so that they can be sold in Walmart, etc. We have a few 4.5 inch serrated Victorinox round edge knives that we use all the time for various thinks including bread, steak, and tomatoes and they are terrific for the price.

https://www.amazon.com/Victori...6529437&sr=8-14&th=1

We gave these as a wedding gift recently and they were warmly received and look well made..

https://www.costco.com/cangsha...oduct.100494285.html

In your price range, I'd try this.

https://www.amazon.com/Chicago...k%2Caps%2C141&sr=1-5

A lot of knives and decent (but not top) quality. Seem like a good value.

I knew a professional chef a while back. We discussed knives. I had a good source for Chicago Cutlery back then, and asked him what he thought about them. He liked them for decent quality cheaper knives, if someone didn't want to spring for top quality German (Henkels, Wustof) or Japanese knives.

I bought a set of Anolon knives over a decade ago because I really liked the look of them. I am still very happy with them today. They hold a great edge, touch up easy and have been very durable.

I have the suregrip set in black which I don't see for sale anywhere any more, but still see them in brown and grey. The suregrip is a rubber coating on the handle that I worried about durability, but it still looks like new even with daily use. I always hand wash them.

You can find them for around $150 for a set.

I have this set. It’s quality is comparable to some Wusthof knives I have. https://www.amazon.com/Cuisina...s%2C150&sr=8-24&th=1

This Tojiro set is on sale. They are awesome high quality knives. I guarantee you will be happy with this and it’s right in your price.

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tojiro3pcset.html

Yes you can. I got my best friend a Zwilling 4 star set for $150.

I do everything with an 8" Wüsthof chefs knife and a 6" Cutco serrated utility knife. A little tough to get both for under $150, but with the right coupons and sales, it can be done.

My knives are about 125-150 a piece, I purchased individually so I don't get gimmicky knives I never would have used anyway.

What does that get me? A little bit nicer materials, nicer aesthetics, and about 6 or 8 months between sharpening as opposed to 3 to 5 weeks.

The knives are superior but usage is the same as my old wustoff classic set after I sharpened the wustoffs. I had to set the bevels and then polish them. They are quality but no where near as nice as the new set of Yaxel.

As far as cutting and usage, A dollar store knife will perform the same as a 400 dollar knife. The only problem is it will only do it the first 2 or 3 cuts where as the superior quality steels of more expensive knives can do it for 100's if not closer to 1000.

That's why its important to buy a quality sharpening system and learn to sharpen.

For that I've found the tspro from russia to be the single most useful sharpening system I've tried. I've tried all the hand systems and most belt and even some of those pull through pieces of junk.

What kitchen knives do you really use?

For me, I use a chef's knife for almost everything. I bought a nice one of those. I have a decent pairing knife but really I wanted a good chiefs knife as it's what I use 90% of the time.

Those sets are nice but really how often will you use most of the knives.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG4EVA:
Yes you can. I got my best friend a Zwilling 4 star set for $150.

You have to be careful with the Henckels they sell several lines the Pro S series are the ones I always get. My mom bought me an entire set of Henckels for less than I purchased my chef knife for.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

Originally posted by SIG4EVA:
Yes you can. I got my best friend a Zwilling 4 star set for $150.

You have to be careful with the Henckels they sell several lines the Pro S series are the ones I always get. My mom bought me an entire set of Henckels for less than I purchased my chef knife for.

The good hecnkels have 2 men in the logo on the blade. The logo with a single man in it is junk.

The knives I use the most (in order):
Victorinox Fibrox Pro Santoku Knife
Victorinox Fibrox 6" Boning Knife
Victorinox Paring Knife
Victorinox Fibrox Pro Slicing Knife

IIRC total cost was approximately $130

Bought them last year & they are still very sharp (cut myself again).