Product Review: AG Russell Folding Cook's Knife II

If you followed my blog at all during my trip, you will know that for the first two weeks I was staying in a small one room apartment in Firenze, where I often prepared my own lunches and post-ride snacks from food gathered from the culinary utopia that is the Mercato Centrale. When I was planning my trip with this in mind, I wondered if there was a chef's knife that I could easily travel with. One would think that an item such as this would be readily available, produced by more than a few companies, but surprisingly the only one I could find was this AG Russell Folding Cook's Knife II. Luckily, it seemed like the perfect knife for my trip.

It might seem a bit crazy to spend $80 on a travel knife, but after a little deliberation, I decided I had to have it. And I can say that I am very glad I decided to purchase it.

The Folding Cook's Knife II is the updated version of, you guessed it, AG Russell's original Folding Cook's Knife. Influenced by the request of infamous Food Network personality Alton Brown to add handle scales to it, AG Russell decided to completely redesign the original knife. The result is a folding 4-1/2" Santoku. It's a beautifully made knife worthy of use both in travels around the world and in your home kitchen.

My initial impression of the knife before I even flipped it open and cut anything with it was it's weight. It's a nice hefty knife and once I opened it and put it on the cutting board, I could tell that the weight was nicely balanced. This is the first santoku that I have ever used, so coming off using exclusively french style chef's knives, it took a bit to get used to. Also, santokus, including this one, typically have shorter blades than the 12" knife I'm used to working with at home, so that threw me a bit as well. But, that said, once I got used to it, the knife handled very well.

As for the blade, AG Russell is highly regarded for their knives and make some seriously expensive pocket knives. However, I was actually a bit disappointed by the sharpness of the blade right out of the box. Before I left for Italy, I didn't take the time to sharpen the blade any further but it was plenty sharp to do everything short of slicing pomodorini efficiently, something that is best suited to a serrated knife anyhow. The quality of the blade is better than that of any other knife I own, so I am sure that when I get around to sharpening it, it will sharpen perfectly.

If you are planning on traveling and cooking and don't want to rely on the cutlery that you'll find in a rented apartment when you get there, or if you camp often, or even if you often find yourself cooking in a kitchen other than your own, the AG Russell Cook's Knife II is a great item to have on hand. I know mine will see plenty of use this holiday season. And speaking of which, this is a great stocking stuffer for that chef in your life.