Knife and Sharpener Data From Comments.... THANK YOU ALL.

 

  Here's what I extrapolated from the comments.

From here I will narrow down the choices. For the record, I enjoy cooking more so in the fall and winter. Large pots of soup, with a pile of leftovers.  

Balancing cost budget and ease of maintaining an edge will be my criteria on final decisions.

This is not a professional level operation at the bunker :)

Again, thank you all so much. I'm sure many of you that read the other comments got some

good information. That's what this is all about.

Have a Great Thanksgiving!!

 

 

 

 

 "Largemarge" left a very detailed comment on becoming a Zen master knife warrior :)

My history:
* I owned a restaurant business for ten years.
* I grew-up on a farm, my four grandparents lived next door.
* We operate a small organic teaching farm near the outskirts of Eugene, Oregon.
* During each period, I processed/process meat from a bled carcass to table-ready.
.
I also worked cadavers during medical school.
A good blade saves time, and is inherently safer than a dulled edge.
.
At the farm, I teach knives.
.
My suggestion:
* Forget the 'set' mentality.
* Doubly forget any set with a wood display block for the kitchen counter.
.
Go to a restaurant supply, look for the NSF cert (the National Sanitation Foundation establishes sanitation standards, no grocery-store level knife from Bed Bath Beyond has this. Clue?).
.
Depending on the hand size of the operator, get (1) 8" or 10" chef knife.
Get (1) 4" paring knife.
Expect to invest about us$45 or so for the 10", about us$12 for the 4".
Get (1) ceramic steel.
.
Optional:
Get (1) off-set serrated 'sandwich' knife.
.
If you own a boat and process a lot of fish, get (2,3,4) 8" boning knives.
Why so many?
Fish scales are murder on an edge, shark may as well be metal roofing.
.
Get (1) *Maple* cutting board, about 12" x 20".
Or, if you prefer, get a bamboo cutting board.
I prefer Maple because it is inherently anti-microbial.
Irregardless, you will bleach your board after each use; rinse, air dry on its side.
.
.
Using your steel:
To freshen an edge, *lightly* drag the cutting edge FROM the guard at your hand TO the tip of the steel.
Time the motion so you run out of steel simultaneously with running out of knife.
Do this *once* on each side.
The steeling motion is the reverse of a cutting motion.
.
Do not slice down the steel toward your hand.
Limit the freshening to one drag per side.
.
*** Do not merrily slice each side a dozen-and-a-half times toward your hand absent-mindedly chatting and watching televisionprogramming or any other distraction. ***
This is a sacred meditation.
As the caretaker of the blade, enter the steel universe, become one with the blade.
.
.
In some cultures (Commercial Kitchens!), blades are sacred.
Never touch another man's blade.
If offered, thank him... and do not touch his blade.
.
If you are visiting a kitchen, instead of asking to borrow a knife, ask the resident cook to cut something for you.
This courtesy earns respect.
After enough respect, maybe you earned the right to ask if you could borrow a knife.
But I would wait.
It is a cultural thing.
.
.
For professional scrounges:
I check the bins at second-hand stores.
I can sift my hands through dozens of grocery-store level knives with absolute confidence in never getting cut.
People buy disposable junk knives, then dispose of them after they are unable to get a respectable edge.
.
If you go the second-hand route, look for antique high-carbon blades.
These heirlooms will be homely and mottled, and were probably discarded by recipients of the estate after the old folks passed.
Grab any you see!
A good knife is as valuable as seasoned cast-iron.
.
Nobody wills Teflon-coated aluminum.
.
My suggestion:
* Invest up-front in quality.
* Invest in learning the trade of handling knives.
* Invest in mentoring.

 

  This video test of multiple systems was also mentioned in the comments: