If you’re going cheap, the only one I’ve used and found satisfactory is dexter. I bought one about two years ago because I see them recommended all over the web and wanted to see where they sat between junk and quality. I’ll say, for a sub $50 knife they’re pretty bloody good. Nowhere near top shelf but they hold an edge better then most and don’t chip. It’s much better than the northarm kermode I see recommended above.
The northarms I’ve got in s35vn must be the worst heat treated knives I’ve ever seen or owned. I wouldn’t recommend them at any price and with the two knives I own from them I wouldn’t buy more to see if it was an anomaly.
The other question about how long should an edge last? Depends on the knife. My custom will process a couple hundred kg of fish without losing a shaving edge. That includes cutting through rib bones thicker than a wooden match. I can stick it in a fish and push it wherever I want to cut, no effort or slicing required.
Each of us has to buy a level of performance we can live with.
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