Last week I showed a picture of this new knife I got from Lamson & Goodnow’s “Lamsonsharp PRO” line. I’ve had a week to play with it now, so I can tell you what I think about it.
What does “Pro” mean?
First, I need to explain something about “Pro” tools: Usually if they have to tell you it’s the pro line, it’s not something you’ll see professionals using. This is just as true of power tools as it is kitchen tools, by the way.
For instance I love my KitchenAid stand mixer
It’s a funny thing, though. Sometimes professionals are using less expensive equipment than home cooks. If you go into the kitchen at a chain restaurant — the kind of place without celebrity chefs, where the management supplies the equipment — you’re likely to see stamped knives instead of forged. Sometimes with ugly white polypropylene handles.
These high-volume kitchens are hard on people and equipment alike. So for the expensive stuff like mixers you want something way more durable than the home cook would ever need. But knives are — or can be — relatively cheap. You can keep a half-dozen spares in the closet, and just pull out a new one if you need it.
The Lamsonsharp PRO line? This is the stuff you’re going to see in a restaurant kitchen.
How careful are you?
When you’re considering dropping a hundred dollars or more on a single knife, you should try to be honest with yourself. Do you really take care of knives the way you should? Do you hone them before each use? Do you never put them in the sink or dishwasher? Do you have them professionally sharpened every six months?
If you do, then a high-end forged knife isn’t just a luxury. It’s a good investment. But if you’re a bit more casual with your cutlery, you might be better off with something more durable. And that, finally, takes me to the Lamsonsharp PRO walnut handle chef knife.
Not like you’re used to
I guess there’s not a case to go with it, because it was shipped with just a silicone coating protecting the blade. Once I peeled it off, there’s no convenient way to store it.
Looks like I need to get that magnetic knife holder sooner rather than later.
The overall length is about the same as my 8-inch chef knife, but the handle is above the blade instead of behind it. That means the cutting edge is significantly longer.
The shape is also a bit different. It’s more curved along its entire length, without the mostly-straight edge of a traditional knife.
I don’t know if it’s more because of the placement of the handle, or the shape of the edge, but I felt awkward using it at first. I’ve been using the same basic style of knife for years, and using it has become automatic. This new shape has me thinking about what I’m doing and trying to reinvent the rules.
One thing that’s surprisingly easier is chopping herbs. I know! This huge knife for herbs? But it allows a nice rocking motion over a really large area. If you’ve got a lot of herbs to do, or garlic and onions, this makes quick work of them. Once you get the hang of the motion, that is.
Then there’s the stuff you can do with this that you can’t do with your regular knife.
You can, but maybe you shouldn’t
I suspected that having my hand directly above the edge would let me do some cutting I normally wouldn’t be able to do. And wanted to give this thing a real test. So I got a slab of ribs and asked them not to “crack the back”.
If you look from the edge of the rack, you can see a bone on the top-left that’s running crosswise to the ribs.
They usually take a few shots at this with a cleaver in the back of the shop, before wrapping it up and sending it home with you. If they don’t, you end up with this huge bone across the end of the three or four largest ribs.
I had to tell them three times that yes, I really did want them to leave it in one piece, so I could try out my new knife.
I got it home, put my hand right over the bone, and …
Well how about that. You can see I’ve got a bit of a white-knuckle grip on it to keep it from falling over to the side, but it worked.
It got a little harder as the bone got thicker, but I got through it every time with a bit of work.
Next time I’ll let them do it for me, but it’s nice to know I’ve got the option if I need it.
The verdict
If you’re already good with a traditionally-shaped chef knife, you’re going to feel awkward at first using the Lamsonsharp PRO walnut handle chef knife. But with a bit of practice it can make quick work of dicing large quantities of aromatics. The size is also perfect for home-made pizza.
It’s sturdy enough for cutting through bones and connective tissue. (I can’t wait to try it out on Thanksgiving.) And it’s durable enough to stand up to pretty severe abuse.
For only $35, that’s a pretty good deal.
If you want one, you can order it in my new store.
Want more like this? For more recipes like this, that you can hold right in your hands, and write on, take notes, tear pages out if you want (Gosh, you're tough on books, aren't you?) you might be interested in How To Cook Like Your Grandmother, 2nd edition, Illustrated. Or to learn your way around the kitchen, check out Starting From Scratch: The Owner's Manual for Your Kitchen.
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12 Comments
I would recommend the magnetic knife holder ASAP! I bought one a few months ago and I LOVE it! No more sticking my hand in the knife drawer and hoping not to slice my finger. I can fit about 7 widely spaced or about 10 really close together. It would of course depend on your knives though. I got mine at BB&B. It was only about15 bucks( I used one of their widely available 20% off coupons). Here is the link to the one I have. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=11083404
Cool! Kind of like a cross between a knife and a mezzaluna.
Sarah, there’s one I heard about that I’m looking for. It’s got the magnet completely encased in the wood, so the knives aren’t up against the metal edge. That one you linked to isn’t bad, though.
Jenni, exactly what I was thinking. Now why didn’t I write that down when it crossed my mind?
Try this one- magnet is hidden in the bamboo….just a little more expensive- but it looks great!
http://www.amazon.com/Better-Houseware-2404-12-Magnetic/dp/B001J5XHK0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1276867943&sr=8-4
and this one is made of a magnet covered with black rubber
http://www.amazon.com/Bisbell-Magmate-Magnetic-Knife-Rack/dp/B0028O8800/ref=sr_1_31?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1276868031&sr=8-31
Ooh, those are both nice. A little short for the price, though. But then, the space where I want to hang it isn’t that big. Guess I better measure it.
That’s one scary piece of kit! Don’t answer the door brandishing it.
I have no idea where I’d keep it – my knives (Henkels) all sit in a block on the counter. I do care for them in exactly the manner you described, except I don’t have them professionally sharpened – I sharpen them myself with a set of Japanese water stones. It’s extremely therapeutic.
Ali, quick story from my college days working at a restaurant/bar.
One Saturday night toward the end of the dinner rush — still plenty of orders coming in, but the drunks were already filling up the place — I heard a page over the intercom that there was a fight on the main floor. I hurried out and saw two groups facing off, and recognized them as a couple of guys each from the football team and the lacrosse team.
I stepped between the two main antagonists and told them to knock it off before I called the cops and had them all arrested. Everyone sit down and shut up. As I walked back to the kitchen, I thought, “That was strange. Usually when they’re all bigger than me I have to wait for backup.”
Then I realized what I looked like: Long hair in a pony tail, bandanna, goatee plus about a week’s growth, apron and t-shirt covered with blood from slicing roast beef that morning … and the chef’s knife in my right hand that I forgot to put down before walking into a fight.
“Oops” doesn’t quite cover it.
A few minutes later the manager walked in. “Hey, uh, Drew?”
“Yes, but it was an accident.”
“Oh … don’t do that again.”
“You got it.”
Jan, most knife fetishists say you should never use a block. The knives rest in the edge, plus the inside of the block is a perfect place for growth of bacteria. But yes, I use a block, too.
Really! I did not know that a block could harbor bacteria. Guess I will have to talk the hubs into another DIY project for a knife strip.
Check out the proper storage section on Andrew’s knife page. That long magnetic strip is the length I’d like to find, but covered in wood or rubber like the two Sarah linked to. The custom wooden rack is also cool, but my wife would never let me put it in our kitchen window. Besides which, if we put it there we wouldn’t be able to open the window.
Great story! lol
I WAN this knife. I am usually the main chef at home and this knife looks like it will work wonders for me. I have a smaller version of the knife that came with a set uf Ginsu’s I bought about 15 to 20 years ago. Although smnaller, it certainly is usefull.
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[...] I didn’t have any beef broth, and wasn’t really in the mood for soup anyway. Then I remembered the three racks of ribs I had just bought so I could test my new knife. [...]