I've purchased numerous sets of steak knives over the years. All had very positive reviews. All were shit that couldn't hold an edge. Granted, I may be more demanding that I should be, but I like a knife that cuts smoothly and easily. I don't like what I perceive as less than sharp knives cutting my steak. Especially when they are challenged with maillard reaction. I like non-serrated along those lines as well.

I'm tired of buying steak knives. I was just about to buy a mora knife but it sounds like they don't recommend it (scandi edge) for steaks or kitchen work.

I don't need a set - we rarely have guests and rarely have steaks when we do. I just need one knife. I'm thinking a paring knife, possibly the Mercer Renaissance.

I'm open to suggestions for a sharp, forged, non-serrated knife that will hold an edge that I can use for steaks, pork chops, chicken at the dinner table. Cheap is good (say, less than $50) but willing to spend more if necessary.

We've got good knives and older knives, butcher, slicer, bread, paring, fruit, chef, boning, etc., all accumulated over our 40+ years of marriage, but have never found any steak knife to equal the inexpensive little Ginsu steak knives. Yep, Ginsu! Yep, it has a serrated blade. I have a little nameless sharpener that lets me run the serrated blades through a time or two and they stay very sharp for a long time.

Now if you were to have company and have to use these knives, you might feel embarrassed, but, for us, we like the fact that the cheap little things work and work well.

I'm sure we could spend more $ on steak knives, but I really doubt any would cut any better.

Bob

I have some very nice steak knives that I had to touchup all the time, then I figured out it was the Correlle dinner plates beating up my knives. Those knives are reserved for dinners with guests and we use knives with a small serration for daily use.

I have used a Morakniv Companion with the stainless-steel blade as a steak knife a bunch of times.

$20 or less. Works for me.

quote:

Originally posted by mark60:
I have some very nice steak knives that I had to touchup all the time, then I figured out it was the Correlle dinner plates beating up my knives. Those knives are reserved for dinners with guests and we use knives with a small serration for daily use.

That's what we do too.

Plates really do a number on knife edges

quote:

Originally posted by Patrick-SP2022:
I have used a Morakniv Companion with the stainless-steel blade as a steak knife a bunch of times.

$20 or less. Works for me.

That’s what I was thinking but the webz says it would not cut steak smoothly. I’ll try it out.

I did the same thing. I bought 8.
They look so nice I never use them, I bet they would be wonderful!

I don’t think the handle on the Morakniv knives lend themselves to steak knife use. It’s too thick to let you use most of the blade’s cutting edge.

I also agree that plates are hard on knives.

I’d look at the Mercer M13760B or M21921.

If you’re set on Mora, look at the Comfort 90 and the one flat grind in the craft line series. Both are nice and slicey, though they have finger guards that will hinder use. They also don’t have enough belly to the blade for work on a flat plate or cutting board full time. A Mora/Frost butcher knife would do the trick, if overkill. No matter what, a ceramic plate will dull a knife.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:

I don't need a set - we rarely have guests and rarely have steaks when we do. I just need one knife. I'm thinking a paring knife, possibly the Mercer Renaissance.

I'm open to suggestions for a sharp, forged, non-serrated knife that will hold an edge that I can use for steaks, pork chops, chicken at the dinner table. Cheap is good (say, less than $50) but willing to spend more if necessary.

For a FORGED knife the Mercer Renaissance might be your best bet. x50crmo15 Steel is the same as you'll find in Wustoff chef knives and is a solid choice. I wouldn't think a paring knife would be the way to go though. Maybe a 6" Chef or petty knife.

They make a 5" utility:

https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-...s%2C243&sr=8-17&th=1


They also make a steak knife set but it doesn't say exactly what steel they use:

https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-...s%2C243&sr=8-17&th=1

They make a nice little 6" Genesis chefs knife that might work nicely for you:

https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-...ps%2C217&sr=8-7&th=1

You can get the same in the Renaissance line for a little bit more. I just saw this review of the Genesis 6" knife and thought it sounded like a nice knife especially for the price:

https://youtu.be/oBLfBLQ5ibQ?si=sOhWjes7gAtsEfT4

Ikea has carried a couple different lines of VG-10 Damascus knives that you might find near your price range. VG-10 is a harder better steel than the X30 or X50's in the Mercers but finding them in stock can be iffy.

The other brand you might be able to find a forged knife in your range is Cangshan. I have a couple of their knives in 14c28N steel and like them. They take an extra fine edge but might not hold it as long as higher end steel. They even have several Steak knife sets that are reasonably priced:

https://www.amazon.com/Cangsha...%2Caps%2C243&sr=8-16


If you are set on a Forged knife in your price range the Taiwanese or Chinese brands might be your only choice under $50. The Mora's, Victorinox etc are stamped. The Wustoff's etc are 2-3 times the price.

I've had very good luck with Mercer's, especially for the price and have used them quite a bit even though I have other knives at 3 to 10 times the cost. I haven't used the Cangshan's as much but they are good for the money to. I "think" that Mercer's are Taiwanese and the Cangshan's Chinese if that makes any difference to you. (Don't be mad if I remembered that wrong).

Anyway good luck I hope the links might help in your search!

............DJ

Thanks guys. I’m gonna try the Mercer renaissance. Recommended by ATK as well (not that I really listen to their gear recommendations but at least it wasn’t poorly received).

Victorinox?

https://www.victorinox.com/en-...UT_SteakPizzaKnives/

Have a set. Rated well by ATK. Hate them. . Also have wursthof. Hated them too.

Go to a rest restaurant supply store and ask them.

Eat your steak off a cutting board. Ceramic rods are used to sharpen knives. Dinner plates are the same thing as running your cutting edge on a sharpening rod. Or...switch to serrated edges for steak knives. (that's why steakhouses use them)

Have some fun, shop here!
https://eatingtools.com/collections/table-knives

We have "company" steak knives, for everyday use I have a couple from a deceased knifemaker,Dave Murphy, that work well. They were inexpensive back in the '90s.

I have a set of Wustof straight edge steak knives (I hate serrated blades). My plates will dull them up, but I just use a pull through sharpener on them and it keeps them up to snuff. Every once in awhile I'll put them of the TS Prof and bring them back to factory sharp or better, but it's kind of a waste of time as the first time you drag it across the plate you lose that edge. For a time I was looking for some nice wooden plates for steaks, but never found ones that I liked.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Have a set. Rated well by ATK. Hate them. . Also have wursthof. Hated them too.

Hmmmm. The Mercer has the same steel as their Chef's knives. If you hated Wustof chef knives you might not like the Mercer at 1/3 the price.....

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer: For a time I was looking for some nice wooden plates for steaks, but never found ones that I liked.

I thought the same thing and still may find nice wooden plates someday but I keep thinking how sad I'll be if some family member grabs a serrated blade knife and saws the hell out of my lovely wooden plates.

Until then it's either the cutting board for sharp knives or serrated knives on ceramic plates. Even Murray Carter mentioned using serrated knives on ceramic plates.........DJ

quote:

Originally posted by UTsig:
Have some fun, shop here!
https://eatingtools.com/collections/table-knives

We have "company" steak knives, for everyday use I have a couple from a deceased knifemaker,Dave Murphy, that work well. They were inexpensive back in the '90s.

Interesting! I can't afford a single item on their website. I probably couldn't even afford shipping. Cool items though.