Cheap kitchen knives under $20

I was intending to post this on another forum in comments but the article had already gotten stale and sure few would see it.  Few see it here but it will remain easy to find cause I dont post that much and nobody else so far has felt any desire to post though unlike most sites I dont ask you to join the forum to post.  I will if I ever start getting bunch spam nonsense, but so far none or none I remember, so dont make a problem where there isnt one.

First and foremost knowing how to properly sharpen a knife is the true way to pleasant kitchen knife experience.  That is more important than the brand or the qualities of the steel or anything else.  Any sharp knife is better than any dull knife.  But keeping it sharp enough to cut sheet copy paper held out in front of you is the minimum standard far as I am concerned.  This youtube guy gets it.  Most knife reviews dont and if you notice they get a kickback via their links to new knives.  No incentive to tell you to just sharpen what you already have or go look for a better thrift store or ebay used knife.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtAU51AEzho

Now I am a fan of the German and Spanish forged Henckels knives But they are pricey new and far above the $20 level.  Maybe avoid the Chinese Henckels.  You can find used ones under $20, may not be pretty, broken tip or something, but seriously worth sharpening.  They are pleasant to use once sharp.  The used Wusthofs tend to be pricier and pretty much same thing as high end Henckels but if you want a Wusthof, buy a Wusthof, its a good knife.  There are other used knives some even under $10 that can be quite nice.  I currently been playing with a 10in “Old Homestead” and a 9in “Maxam."  Made in Japan in 60s and 70s for export to western markets so these are very western style knives.  Be aware same knives sold under other brands at some point, but those are the popular brands.  However if its a Japan knife that looks similar, it probably same knife, or at least same blade, different handle.   I like both.  Maxam used to brag about their 420 steel, think you can assume both are 420HC (high carbon) steel, not best steel, but seem to sharpen and cut just fine once sharpened.  Can easily be found under $10, even on ebay.  Amazingly most for sale look close to pristine, like at most people wore down factory edge then never resharpened them??? The wood handles can be crappy washed out looking cause yea, some people insist on putting sharp knives in dishwasher. The old USA made Chicago Cutlery 42s also nice though USA made Chicago Cutlery has a certain following so finding one super cheap little harder.  Though they made gazillion of them so they are out there.  Case knives and Ekco Flint Arrowhead knives also nice.  Some are from times when Flint Arrowhead was independent company, some when it was top Ekco line of knives. On older knives, look for bragging about vanadium or molybdenum or mirilium stamped into the blade along with name and USA, Japan, etc. Things like "stainless steel" or "surgical steel" have no meaning just marketing hyperbole. "High carbon steel" be least you look for.

So looking more for knives BRAND NEW under $20 with actual "X50 Cr Mo V15" steel (like the high end German knives).  Might look at the “forged” Winco Acero KFP-100. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C0N782I/ref=twister_B00CLSKVQC? Good reviews, to me if its as good as review, would say comparable to the Spanish Henckels “Classic”. It sure looks like a knockoff of such.  I dont know that cause I have not used or sharpened one of these.  You sharpen a knife you quickly get a feel of what it will be like to use.  Especially if you have kinda made sharpening a hobby and have sharpened a wide variety of knives.  Course I have some knives with very sharp edge that are pigs to use, profile and tapered thinness wrong.  The 6in and 8in chef knife are under $20 on Amazon.  The 10in is wee bit over $20.  I would imagine sharpness from factory is luck of the draw like most cheap knives, again you really need to be able to sharpen any knife new or used for best effect.  Thats why all those knife reviews that focus on factory sharpness are stupid.  Get one sharpened as well as it can be sharpened, THEN test how long that edge lasts under similar use conditions, with edge only touching food or maple cutting board.  Thats real test.

And I mentioned industrial production knives like used in big restaurant.   Well found Humbee Chef “Cuisine Pro”. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B5RP2P8/?  Its plastic handle stamped steel.  But its "X50 Cr Mo V15" steel which is very good sign.   Most of these production knives are lesser steels.  No reviews that I found, but at $15 on Amazon, I would gamble on it.  Be aware both these knives are of course low buck Chinese and no guarantee of sharpness new out of package or of quality of the steel or how well its tempered.  Compromises tend to be made for various price points.  But if you look at many Chinese knives, they are NOT 'X50 Cr Mo V15', they use similar looking number system but are in fact just equivalent of usual 420 steel at best and junk mystery scrap at worst.  The devil is in the details, always.

Oh and if you really understand the extra maintenance necessary for an old fashion 100% carbon steel knife there is the Ontario “Old Hickory” https://www.baryonyxknife.com/oldhichkn.html

From reading his various posts on Amercian made scythes, this guy is real deal.  He actually gives a damn not just selling stuff to sell stuff.  And this is an actual USA made knife.  I give link cause it might be helpful, you decide.  Like say the 100% factory version is available Amazon same basic price and free shipping.  He doesnt know me from Sam Hill, and I sure am not getting any kickback.  Meaning his base unaltered price is same as on Amazon, but if I were you, pay this man the extra optional $5 for prepping the knife and maybe best $5 you spend.  Cheap knives are rarely optimized, and alas in 2021, $20 is a cheap knife….  The $5 you spend extra will transform another cheap knife into a better one.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUhJr1w8BAw&t=8s