I love Chicago Cutlery's Landmark series. The knives are extremely sharp, and rarely need sharpening. I have an entire set of the wooden handled, original Chicago Cutlery knives, which were never even close to this sharp, even though I thought they were OK (I didn't know what I was missing)! These are exceptional, as is the price for this kind of quality. The black and silver look is elegant. I own the 5-inch slicer, 8-inch slicer and chef's knife, and bought the larger knives because the 5-inch slicer had become my main utility knife that I used for almost everything unless it required a parer. Highly recommended.
I have owned this knife for 4 or 5 years now. It is a wonderful addition to the kitchen. Previously I had a semblance of a chef knife that was part of a set we received as a wedding present. As I started cooking more seriously a proper knife for the work was needed.
Having worked a bit in a couple of industrial kitchens and learned a few things from the chefs and my own methods of trial and error here's the short list:
First, the knife handle has to be comfortable, balance is important, but so is the shape of the handle. Many knives out there have blocked handles, which are squared off and after cutting/chopping for a while they tend to be uncomfortable in the hand. Believe it. We chopped and cut a lot of veggies and if the handle is rounded and ergonomic it really does make a difference.
Secondly, 12 inch vs 8 inch blades...the knife has to be easy to work with. I have tried 12 inch knives and they were too long. I have a 12 inch poly handle which is now used to cut pizza; it is just too cumbersome to effectively manage on the cutting board. The 8 inch model is perfect for me and something that everyone should at least try. Now a 12 inch knife delivers good results cutting up bulk material but... the blades on 12 inch knives are usually thinner to keep the weight manageable and the length of the 12 inches does not lend itself to the cutting boards that are generally sold. The 8 inch Chicago Landmark has a good weight which is desirable and actually safer as you use as the weight to drive the blade and not physical force. If you have to use force or bear down on the knife to make the cut, you are asking for an accident to happen. Weighty, stout blades are safer! Believe it.
Third, the cost. This knife is very affordable. After making my collection of Chicago Landmark's I almost scoff at those "premium" knives that are over One Hundred Dollars. I don't think they're worth it, paying for the signature name usually drives the cost beyond affordable.
Fourth, and this is a safety warning. Have good lighting, a good poly cutting board, concentrate on what you are doing, get rid of distractions like kids running around, or watching TV, or jiving to the tunes on the radio, AND WEAR SHOES. These knives are SHARP, if you are not paying attention you WILL cut yourself in a split second. Drop the blade on an exposed foot and you are going to draw blood. I cannot stress this enough, culinary arts textbooks talk about it, and the pros know all about this and exercise caution around kitchen tools.
Fifth, buy a quality "steel" to keep the edge up; at least 14 inches with a hand guard. This are not sharpeners, the steel is used to take the "roundness" out of the edge. As you cut the edge rounds out a bit; steel brings the edge back into shape. And I would not recommend a miracle knife sharpener, use a stone or diamond flat and work the blade correctly. Consult a Gisslen textbook or some other text that will show you how to put that knife edge back into proper form. To be perfectly honest, I have stoned my Landmark 8 inch only once in the 4 or 5 years I have been using it. I use the steel almost anytime the knife comes out.
That should do it from me. I sincerely hope this has been helpful. BTW I know a few really good cooks out there who have spent some time in the industrial side of the business and have switched to this particular knife after using mine. They are wonderful, dishwasher safe, durable, and hold a good edge.
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This knife is the ONLY knife I need in the kitchen. It's not so big that I ever want to use a smaller one. It stays sharp for a long time, in this house in a busy week I have to sharpen it weekly. But that is the equivalent of about 3-4 solid hours chopping & cutting with it! It cuts right through frozen foods (bananas, steaks, chicken), fresh vegetables & fruits, I use it to slice pizzas, and for just about EVERYTHING including butchering & piecing whole chickens. It's excellent for free-hand drawing of lines in pastry dough because it is light and precise with a thin grip. Because of the grip design it cleans SO easily I have no worries about debris being stuck in the hilt, it's smooth and sleep and still has a good grip. The weight is heavy enough to work with you making your cutting easier but not too heavy to wear out your wrist with long chopping sessions.
I've been using this for 2 years now, it has a special place in my cutting board drawer to protect it. I have been writing a cookbook for almost a year now, and have put in hundreds of hours chopping, cutting, dicing and all sorts of smither-eening with this knife and I certainly can't live without it! I feel it's as good as the first day I got it still and look forward to many years to go.
I would gift one to everyone I know if I could! Enjoy!
A simple plastic knife sharpener like the Smith Abrasives 10 second sharpener is all you need to go along with this knife.
http://www.amazon.com/Smith-Abrasives-10-Second-Scissors-Sharpener/dp/B0018VL3JW/ref=sr_1_22?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1328027301&sr=1-22
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Very sharp, it really feels high quality and cuts with ease. I will be buying more since the knife has become very popular in my household.
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Pretty sharp, not super sharp. Decent weight and balance. My mistake, this is too long of a knife for my kitchen. Measure your existing knife to make sure you are buying the right size.
These knives are beautiful and well worth the price. I've received many complements from the ladies in the lunch room at work. Bought the matching forks and spoons and can alternate colors which is helpful since I choose to hand wash them (recommended too).
