Knives and plates? Or, What to do at the table.

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xylum

Joined
Dec 11, 2011
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187
I'm reluctant to use my knives on ceramic plates, but it's right there in my pocket, so convenient. My wife's been giving me a hard time about it. Yesterday she asked why I can't just get a knife that I can use on a plate. I'm thinking about my knives, and which one I'd sacrifice, while she's smiling at me until I come up with the answer. I need a new knife! She laughs at how long it took me to get there. Luckily, most of the cutting is on my 2 year old's plastic plates, so no worries.

So I've got two questions here:

1. Is it really that bad on the edge to use the knife on a plate? Should I get a less expensive knife for this, so that I can practice sharpening on a regular basis.

2. What do you do? How do you avoid using that S30V on ceramic, do you just cut very gently, not quite all the way through that juicy steak? Or do you just get a steak knife from the drawer and not worry?
 
xylum said:
1. Is it really that bad on the edge to use the knife on a plate? Should I get a less expensive knife for this, so that I can practice sharpening on a regular basis.
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Yes. Unless you prefer a dull knife.


2. What do you do? How do you avoid using that S30V on ceramic, do you just cut very gently, not quite all the way through that juicy steak? Or do you just get a steak knife from the drawer and not worry?
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I use kitchen knives on plates. Once in a while, I'll forget a knife and will use my pocket knife, but I try to have the edge "hover" just above the plate surface. Usually, I can manage it, since my pocket knives are usually sharper than the steak knives.


HOWEVER.... if you want a pocket knife you can use against a plate without worry, you either need a Victornox Soldier (has the serrations out near the tip) or something with full serrations, like a Spyderco Endura with "Spyderedge."
 
If I need to use my own carry knife, I'll place another piece of food underneath what I want to cut and do a perpendicular slice. Cut slowly and back off if you feel the plate.
 
I don't make it a habit but when I use my carry knife I cut 3/4 of the way through something and then lift the food up to go all the way through. The nice thing about using carry knives is that they're usually 20 times sharper then a regular eating knife so you don't have the need to press into the food/plate with the cut. A light slice usually goes through about anything food-wise.
 
Just learn to cut properly, then you won't scrape your edge off.
 
festerfromnzed said:
I use a carbon Opinel at the table...Theyre cheap,cut well and easy to sharpen........................FES
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Good choice here, they're OK in the stainless too, impeccable slicers.

Another handy knife in the pocket for this kind of task is a CASE Slimline Trapper in yellow delrin cv or stainless .Nice long blade, light in the pocket, inexpensive and easy to keep sharp. Talking of which, when you've finished your meat and find the blade a bit blunt, you can always up end the plate and re-touch the knife on the rough ceramic base! The wife and others will be thrilled at this resourcefulness:D:thumbup:
 
stabman

Just learn to cut properly, then you won't scrape your edge off.
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Are you just being a smart ass, or do have any technical advice on how to cut properly?
 
I melted a cutting board into a square plate thing. For a practical solution to your situation, I would get a set of wooden plates.

Also, if you're in a tight spot and need to use a good knife on a ceramic plate, just cut everything with the knife at a 45 degree angle to the plate (as though you were sharpening the knife). It can be a little awkward, but if you do it right you just might end up with a slightly sharper knife than when you started.
 
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Originally Posted by xylum
...Or do you just get a steak knife from the drawer and not worry?


knarfeng said:
Bingo.
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That made me laugh. Imagine going to the drawer and getting a purpose built blade assembly and using it for its intended purpose. Genius, I say.

Besides, I have never read or heard until I came on this forum of folks that eat food so tough, so poorly prepared as to have to pull out their hair shaving/atom splitting pocket knife to cut their food at the dinner table. My mother would have slapped me out of my chair from hauling out my pocket knife at her dinner table to cut something.

Seriously, what do some of you guys eat that a simple steak knife won't handle? I noted that the OP's wife was on him about that, so I am thinking he is referencing home cooking.

Time for some cooking lessons? :D

Just wondering out loud here ...

Robert
 
Eating at home, this should not be a problem.

Eating out, some people like to use a better knife, depending what they're eating. Not to sound too much like a snob, but some restaurant steak knives are pitiful cutting tools. A.G.Russell sells a few knives designed to use in restaurants. I think it's overkill, but I do like to have a gentleman's knife handy just in case.

* ****** **** ****** *

stabman said:
Just learn to cut properly, then you won't scrape your edge off.
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xylum said:
Are you just being a smart ass, or do have any technical advice on how to cut properly?
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Both of you should do better than that in polite company. Address the topic, not each other.
 
I eat my steaks rare and most of the time they are ox steaks, which when very raw as i like ir, are tough to cut. They are very hard to chew but I don't care, i enjoy it.

For that purpose I use my pocket knives. I've used opinels, my Boker whale which is perfect for that, my spyderco cat and my resilience or even the AFCK 806. 440 steels are best for me, or 8cr13Mov, cause its easy to sharpen, wont stain and hold a good edge long. The knifes do not get dull. Just cut over other food or at an angle or hover or whatever, i use all this and my knife is never dull, I use it regularly at least 3 times a week.
 
At home I usually do with steak knife. At restaurants, depending on the knives they provide, I may use my own knife. Usually a custom gentleman's knife or my fallkies WM1 or TK4, but cutting with extreme caution not to touch the ceramic plate.

I will never forget the flat section on my TK4 3G edge after cutting a steak on a ceramic plate....ouch

greetings from Catalonia
atspeed
 
I say use whatever knife you have and when you're done just sharpen it on the plate. Flip the dirty plate over right on the good linen table cloth and clean up the edge of your knife on the exposed ceramic ring on the bottom of the plate.

Bonus points if it's at a dinner party with company.
 
You could reverse your knive -edge up just as you do to open up a deer.
Eating out there's no problem with an all stainless knife .
 
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