Steak Knives

[robin3mj]

We got serrated Henckels for our wedding, and have added 4 non serrated Le Thiers with wood handles, which are miles better. They cut like the proverbial hot knife through butter. I hand wash them.

The Laguoile are nice- you see them or knockoffs thereof in many restaurants in France.
If the Opine, are as good as their pocketknives, they're worth a shot too.

[Willie1]

I started making my own knives and plan to do a whole set of steak knives. I am using 1080 steel, heat treated and tempered, full tang, and have a selection of hardwoods to make handles with.

[Bingomck]

Thanks for the info Bobonli. Will make sure I treat the nice ones better...

[maunahaole]

I have always thought that if you need a steak knife to cut your steak then there is a problem with the steak.

[lala]

I have always thought that if you need a steak knife to cut your steak then there is a problem with the steak.

Exactly, I was always told that "you either need good knives or good steak, but not both"

... But I must admit that I am a belt and braces guy, so I ignore my own advice.

[dang]

I have always thought that if you need a steak knife to cut your steak then there is a problem with the steak.

So . . . with a t bone or a ribeye . . . you hack away with a fish knife or a butter knife or you braise it?

[Bobonli]

Apparently suburban NYC is experiencing a steak knife shortage after the holidays. None of the usual brick and mortar shops have stock to inspect/fondle. So online it will have to be...

Any other recommendations other than the ones listed above?

[twowheels]

I've got a set of these, which I picked up a few years back at the kershaw warehouse sale for about 40% of the WS advertised price.

Shun Classic Steak Knives, Set of 4 | Williams-Sonoma

You can find them on line reasonably if you look.

They are great knives.

[dang]

Apparently suburban NYC is experiencing a steak knife shortage after the holidays. None of the usual brick and mortar shops have stock to inspect/fondle. So online it will have to be...

Any other recommendations other than the ones listed above?

We have two of the ones listed above, both received as gifts. One set -- when we got married -- comes from Henckels. Plastic handles, very fine serrations, cuts well enough (still . . . and no, not the way a properly sharp chef's knife cuts), but the rivets have fallen out on two of the knives. Cheap, doesn't look great, but in their defense, functional and . . . well, I'd never put a chef's knife or a paring knife in the dishwasher, but I do it with most of our table cutlery and view these as table cutlery, so they've been through it. The other set is Laguiole. My brother and his wife had some blowout excursion to the Inn at Little Washington -- he liked the knives and thought I'd like them and bought a set as a gift. And I do like them. They're much nicer than the Henckels, IMO -- both the blade and the overall fit and finish of the knife . . . but, then, I looked on-line recently and they're considerably more expensive. But lots of things work fine and, as folks have said, it's a steak knife to hand to family and friends, who will cut through meat to the plate, not a fine utility knife that you're going to use at the table. Trade-offs are inevitable.

[maunahaole]

So . . . with a t bone or a ribeye . . . you hack away with a fish knife or a butter knife or you braise it?

Ribeye: pick up the bone with my hands and gnaw on it caveman style.

T-bone: I avoid t-bone as it’s a vertebra bone and mad cow is spread through the spinal fluid. I’m not harboring any delusion about the sani protocol on meat packing. Call me overly cautious.