Looking for a brisket knife

[Meat Man]

I'm want to replace my current brisket knife. It's got too much flex. It's a forschner, and I really like their knives, but I want one that will hold a line a little better. Suggestions?
I like the looks and feel of the messermeister knives, but I'm not sure if their big slicers have a lot of flex.

 

[TentHunter]

I generally just use my largest Chef knife, but then again, I'm not trying to cut slices for competition turn-in boxes.

I seem to remember a lot of folks in another thread really liking the Messermeister brand.

 

[Really Nice!]

Messermeister is adequate but it does has some flex to it, at least the one I received in culinary school does. I don't recall which product line it's from as there are several and each have different metal formulas (different ratios of carbon, nickel, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, etc.) to achieve the characteristic of whatever it is the manufacturer wants. The one I have comes in at about 55-56 on the Rockwell C Scale (Rc), which means it's a softer blade that will need sharpening a little more often, about once every year or two, depending on how often you use it. But if you correctly hone it before each use and treat it properly it'll last for years.

IIRC, the Victorinox Slicer Knife is a good and sturdy 10" slicer that can be purchased at around $50. This knife also resisters at about 55-56 on the Rc.

I also like Global knives, they are in the range of 56-58 Rc and hold their edge a little better. Their knives are very light compared to others as the handles are filled with sand. I think the flexibility is limited, but it’s also about twice the price of the Victorinox.

Higher scaled knives will hold an edge longer, such as the Shun knives that are in the low 60s Rc, but they are also more brittle and tend to chip if you mishandle them.

The thing I like about the Messermeister, Victorinox, and Global is the handle. All feel very comfortable in my hand.

No matter what you purchase, when you go knife shopping always get the knife in your hand and get a feel for it. Don't buy it without putting it in your hand first. Go through the slicing motions, feel the weight of it, get a sense of how comfortable it is in your hand, etc. If it doesn't feel right it'll just sit in the knife block and you'll never use it.

 

[Big Poppa]

meat come to my trailer next comp....I have a good selection....also messermeister has three grades the park place is the bottom and is comparable to the forschner....generally the height determines the flex the short skinny ones have flex and the taller ones are very rigid

 

[So Cal Smoker]

Hey Really Nice, thanks for the knife lesson. I really enjoyed your input and also, welcome to the forum, you're going to fit right in. Good luck and good smoking.

 

[jimsbarbecue]

I use a Messermeister 14 inch I purchased from Big Poppa Smokers. Works good and even better when I sharpened it with the Apex.

 

[Saxguy]

My Shuns are my favorite knives. That being said, I agree with Nice!, my wife tends to put knives in the sink after she uses them. I wash them, dry them and put them away. Guess how most of my Shuns ended up with chipped blades.

 

[Big Poppa]

it comes down to the hardening....I own all of the above I chose to sell the messermeister....

The shuns are crazy sharp and good looking but you cannot bring the edge back and they rust and chip They are wonderful when new...The idea os a soft temper is that I can actually get my messermeisters sharper than factory and that is sharp!

 

[Saxguy]

BP, I just picked up two knives from you last night - great special, BTW!

 

[TrickyDick]

Would love to buy some Shuns but my wife would end up with serious injury.
I have a cheap Victorinox Slicer I use for slicing brisket. Works pretty well, and no complaints. Thats about all I use it for so hasn't required any sharpening to date, but I've only had it for about a year now. Not quite ready to shell out the $$ for messermeisters, but I've been eyeing them for a long time, but have several side projects going on now (dry cure chamber, home brewery equipment upgrades, etc) knives are low on the priority list, but the BPS sale was VERY tempting!

TD

 

[jimsbarbecue]

We own a lot of Shuns and like them. They do chip and are tough to maintain. Right now the pair BP has on sale, I could use just those two and be happy 90% of the time and BP is correct that they come sharp and you can make them scary shape if you want.

 

[Saxguy]

How, exactly, does this happen (yes the blade is creased and has a harline crack)? I'm sure this time it was not just left in the sink. My favorite knife - my Shun Pro Nakiri with a single bevel edge. I just ordered the Messermeister Elite Vegetable Knife from BP to replace it. Hopefully I'll have better luck. I need to buy a safe for my knives.

 

[Big Poppa]

somebody did something....that is too hard of steel to have that...

 

[Saxguy]

Short of trying to cut another knife I have no idea how that could have occurred.

 

[scooter]

This is what likely occurred: Someone used it, rinsed it off under the kitchen faucet, then with a solid up/down action tried to get the water off it and accidentally hit the faucet, sink, or counter tile. Check them for a nice ding that would correspond with your knife blade ding.
Please don't ask how I came up with that scenario...