Comments on: Cheap Knives and Borborygmi

By: twin

twin — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:06:09 +0000

Steve,
We have had Old Hickory knives in our kitchen for 50+ years. Some 30+years ago my wife took a week to visit her family and while she was gone I gave all the Old Hickory knives a preservative treatment. I put about two inches of water in a large pressure cooker, put the knives handle down in a coffee can containing enough boiled linseed oil to cover the wood handles, and then ran them through two cycles of pressure at 15LB of steam. After this treatment they can go through a dishwasher with no ill effects and the handles still look good and have a slightly waxy feel to them. I don’t know if this helped them last, but they have been through the dishwasher many times with the handles still in good condition.

Oh, and I have been thinking of making a cozy for my vise.

By: Steve H.

Steve H. — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:57:56 +0000

It helps if you squint.

By: krm

krm — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:53:38 +0000

If anything you do makes yuo look like Bruce Lee, then the weightloss plan has gone way too far. That dude was way too thin.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:54:30 +0000

Over the years of reading your blog, I have come to the conclusion that you gravitate to the dumbest women on earth. How could someone mistake a cleaver for a spatula? I think you’re hanging around the wrong gals. Does it really stand to to reason that a majority are incompetent with knives? We’ve been cooking your food for time out of mind.

I learned how to sharpen knives from my grandmother. I still use her whetstone. While it’s true that I can’t think of any other women who keep their knives sharp, it’s also true that most of them don’t know how to cook, and didn’t learn how to manage a home kitchen from their mothers and grandmothers. To note that your average dude does not find proper kitchen maintenance to be of critical importance wouldn’t be hateful, would it? Because most men I know, unless they’re serious cooks, don’t keep their knives sharp as a matter of habit either.

I don’t have a cleaver, but upon cursory research I can see that one would be quite useful. I love carbon steel knives.

I worked in kitchens for many years; all chefs cut themselves sometimes. It happens when you hurry too much and don’t pay attention. At home I never hurry and so rarely cut myself. Burns are another story.

By: Ron

Ron — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:42:09 +0000

Julia Child said :
1. Use fresh
2. Have a sharp knife
3. Never apologize
.
I keep three knives (Chef-Paring-Utility) razor sharp in their sheath.
The Chef’s knife is used 90% of the time. They are hand washed, dried and stowed after each use.
.
Three women in the house.. not unusual to see a sliced finger.
.

By: Steve H.

Steve H. — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:40:18 +0000

Virgil likes it.

By: anne`

anne` — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:37:51 +0000

Except that I don’t really think you have a good generalization here.

By: Steve H.

Steve H. — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:42:19 +0000

Exceptions don’t disprove a good generalization.

By: Virgil

Virgil — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:31:19 +0000

Lit yourself a bit of a fire with the girls/women here Steve?

(BTW I agree with the women and sharp knife parable…but still I keep it to myself in public)

By: Steve H.

Steve H. — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:22:06 +0000

How about because it’s how you’re supposed to clean knives? Another reason: Shuns are advertised as “dishwasher-safe.”
.
Why should I spend $80 for a Japanese knife that won’t do anything a cheap Forschner won’t do AND has to be treated like an invalid with brittle-bone disease?
.
My cheap knives cut as well or better than Shuns, and I don’t have to baby them. What reason is there for buying Shuns?
.
If style and status are what you’re after, Shuns still fail. You can get much nicer Japanese knives for the same money.