G'day Folks,
Yep, many words of wisdom & fine choices there, Granny C.
Green River knives have been a part of my family for at least three generations. I'm a bit of a traditionalist & like the timber handles (more character) as oppossed to the plastic one's that legislation now requires many proffesionals to use. They do have their advantages though, some being not as slippery (moulded handles made of varying compounds of plastic & rubber, texture etc) & perhaps a little more 'tolerant'!! .
It's a bit of a can of worms though & all the posts so far I think, have been quite good.
I agree, brand aside, buy the best you can afford & as Muzz has indicated they will last a lifetime when not used in a proffesional occupation. The better ones, you'll find, will hang onto that edge longer & are a pleasure to sharpen & work with.
I personally tend to lean towards Solingen steel & have an old 'Tree Brand' Boker, three blade folder which is a bueatiful little knife.
When I was at Tech a 'mate' said "Can I have a quick loan of ya pocket knife?" Which I handed over. He promtly returned it with the tip snapped off after he tried to lever the badge off an engine we were working on

Christ, talk about cranky

Needless ta say, lesson learnt at an early age

Speaking of Muzz earlier, after he posted that photo, I no longer have to wonder what become of me good 'skinner'.

At least it looks as though ya take'in good care of it Muzz

I have a Wusthof knife block in the kitchen, & they have been quite good - a Solingen product.
Skip mentioed that he is using some Global knives & I nearly bought a set of those, as I like the concept. The handles are quite slim though & they may not suit those with larger hands - not that I have large hands, I could use the Global products without issue.
Has anyone tried any of the ceramic products? I wouldn't expect ta see'em in this game, but being a bit of an 'edge enthusiest' I'd like ta give one a go!
If I were buying again, I think I'd lean towards a fully moulded handle as oppossed to a riveted one, because they seem a little more 'fuller' in the grip - that is, if I were buying another block.
You really need to go with what FEELS right for you.
Remember the golden rule though - no quality knives in the dishwasher. In particular, the high heat & caustic action of the washing agent eats the crap out of the rivets in the handles & attacks a good edge.
I have noticed that "Peters of Kensington' always seems to have very competitive prices & good products. They will also ship anywhere for only $6!, despite the size of the parcel. 'The Minister' bought a large (dare I say it) Scan Wear wok, & they shipped it up in the post - $6 to Singleton from Sydney.
Even though I've bought a bit of product from King of Knives, & I always visit their shops, I've found that they can be WAY overpriced with some of their stuff - just an observation, others may not agree.
I also think that there's merit in a knife roll- even though it may be a little bulky (pending what's in it), you've got all ya gear together in one convenient bundle.
Having said that, I don't personally have one.
The downside is though, it's a big loss if some 'low down' swipes it

A lot of folks have knives in individual scabbards that they've more than likely made themselves. Having collected their knives gradually, over a period of time.
One things a 'cert I reckon - a good bread knife should be part of every tucker box or kit. I went against my better judgement & boughta cheap one the other day, just ta throw in the box & where I nearly ended up throw'in it was up a bloody gully

It certainly looked the goods but alas - it was rubbish.
Anyway, that's enough yap from me, so it's-
Hooroo for now
TP