medium priced camp kitchen knife set...

[rusty_tlc]

I think this whole discussion really speaks to the differences in philosophy about how people gear themselves. At one end are people who bring the very best gear they can afford and care for it accordingly. At the other end are people who bring the cheapest gear they can live with so that if it gets damaged/lost/stolen the consequences aren't so dire.

I don't think either way is right or wrong. They both have their advantages and their pitfalls. I probably fall more into the latter category, but there are lots of things that I won't compromise on.

For example, I buy the cheapest electronics I can live with. They are too easily stolen or broken. And if that doesn't happen, they are outdated in a couple years. However, I'll spend a small fortune on backpacking gear, because I put a high value on super lightweight gear. Priorities are different for everyone.

Sorry for the hijack. This thread now has nothing to do with the OP and I'm partly responsible for that. Apologies.

I can not stand to use cheap electronics, I can live with "okay" knives. So maybe it's not so much a global difference in philosophy as a priority difference? We spend more on those things that are important to us.

 

[THATSALEXUS?]

At home I use Wusthof and Henckels but I'm not about to take them out on the trail. I found a great set of santoku's at Costco a few years ago. They were marketed under the Michael Chiarello (food tv) name. They will rust if you leave them wet for too long, but they all came with hard plastic sheaths and they sharpen really well. I prefer bigger knives, 6" and up and the set came with 4,6 and 9" knives for about $40. A great deal. Here's the only pic I could find of one:

 

[Joanne]

This is a fun topic for me. Like many of you, I have a number of knives that I like to use.

I've used my friend's forged Messermeister knives in cooking school and I really loved them, but wouldn't consider taking them camping! I currently have a mixed set of stamped Henckels that work pretty well. I keep them in Forschner Blade-Safes so the edges (as well as fingers) are safe from harm.

My daughter has decided she wants to learn to cook so I bought her a set of Forschner (by Victorinox) knives. While I was online I decided to buy a set for my trailer as well. I've used a Santuko style knife for quite a while now but am going back to a traditional French knife so I can get the rocking action that I like.

I bought the stamped steel knives with Fibrox handles. I figure they are good enough to enjoy cooking with but low cost enough that if they get stolen or lost I won't be out a ton of money. My set is a 10" chef's, a 6" boning, 3" paring (it's a bit small for me) and a 10" bread knife (since I like to bake bread in my Dutch ovens). My daughter got the same thing but with an 8" chefs knife. Somehow it slipped my mind to order a steel for each of us so I'm going to go back and order up a couple.

I realize that knives don't make the food taste any better, but it sure makes the prep a lot more enjoyable.

Joanne

 

[Mike_rupp]

Joanne, if you want a knife that is good for rocking, go for a German blade. The German chef's knife has a more pronounced curve to the blade which is ideal for rocking. The French chef's knife has a straighter edge which is more suited to slicing cuts.

 

[off-roader]

Those faberware knives look good enough although I wonder about the apparent (from what I can see) plastic handles. But then again these are camping knives right?

Maybe it's just my style of camping (mostly 2-7 day trips) and cooking but I do most of my food prep at home and make copious use of ziploc bags and either a cooler or fridge to keep the pre-sliced veggies, onions, meats, etc. fresh.

This includes dishes such as stews, steaks, stir fry, chinese orange beef, etc.

The only time I recall having to use a knife camping was to cut my steak or slice a sausage link which can easily be done with a basic serated steak knife or even my leatherman.:chef:

While I love cooking and the process involved, at the end of a long day of exploring or driving, I'd rather just eat after 15min versus an hour of cooking... but that's probably just me.

I know many find cooking an activity that relaxes them much like sitting in a comfy chair in front of a warm fire chatting with friends relaxes me. :ylsmoke:

 

[RHINO]

i bought one of these 3 yrs ago or so specifically for camping and its my favorite knife.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10099878

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: Years ago, my wife and I set up our TENTRAX trailer for Light, quick camping

We got these kitchen utensils from Costco and they've been flawless for 2 1/2 years

The utensil bag has full compliments for four people and the Blade set on the side, has 8 stainless steel blades for EVERYTHING, with two removable handles-still razor sharp, including the fillet knife-priceless

:costumed-smiley-007:safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO

 

[calamaridog]

The utensil set pictured is made by Coast and is still available. I have added a couple items to my set but overall, I'm very happy with it.

 

[Fireman78]

Knife/cutting board combo?

I remember seeing a kitchen knife/cutting boad combo somewhere, but I can't recall it. I THINK it was Snow Peak. Very nice set and the knife set into the board as it folded around it? Does this ring a bell to anyone? I haven't had much luck google-ing it.

 

[robert]

Amateurs- I only use Takeda knives for all of my camp chores. :chef: Yeah right, I've got one of those Farberware Santokus with my camping gear and the rest are just my old kitchen knives. I've had it for over a year now and used it a pretty good bit with no issues other than needing frequent sharpening.

 

[dbreid]

I remember seeing a kitchen knife/cutting boad combo somewhere, but I can't recall it. I THINK it was Snow Peak. Very nice set and the knife set into the board as it folded around it? Does this ring a bell to anyone? I haven't had much luck google-ing it.

Snow Peak makes it. Chopping Board Set.

http://www.snowpeak.com/lux/kitchen/dishes/knifes.html#

 

[NikonRon]

warning... the following is not suitable for serious knife connoisseur

I've seen quite a wide diversity in price for what people carry as camp kitchen knives... everything from Victorinox professional knives in a dedicated knife roll to the trusty pocket knife that was just used to cut a tire-plug now serving steak.

I've been looking for something in the middle for a while now and ran across what seems the perfect answer at Walmart tonight.

For $6.97 each I picked up one general purpose 5" Serrated Knife and one 5" Santoko Knife, both medium sized and complete with sheath.

The knives are Farberware and the included specific-sized sheath with each knife was the main selling point for me. That, and the 2 seemed like together they could accomplish most any task without the need for 10 knives.

The 5" Santoku is intended for chopping, dicing and mincing. The Serrated one is for fruits, vegetables and bread. You can still use your pocket knife for trimming tire plugs!

They both feature:
- high carbon stainless steel blades
- tight fitting plastic sheath
- balanced plastic handles
- eco friendly construction (uses less fossil fuels to make the plastic as it is 70% plant material and 30% traditional plastic)

They are also a combination of black and a not-to-annoying bright green. The bright green should help you see them around camp at least.

I'll let you know how they hold up over time... but for $14, how can you loose?

Wish I could find these knives, not available at our local Walmart and can't find them anywhere on-line either. Anyone else tried to locate a set? Ron

 

[RHINO]

my wal mart has them, they are not where the other knives are but over an isle or two on a strip clip display