- Joined
- Aug 30, 2008
- Messages
- 3,214
One of my most used tools in the kitchen is called a knife, but that's a bit of a stretch. It goes by several names: Dough knife, Dough scraper, Bench scraper (pic of mine attached). Call it what you will, but it is really useful for rough cutting, scraping surfaces, gathering/dividing dough, cleaning cutting boards, scooping up chopped food, etc.... I always have one on hand.
This morning I made some sourdough bread (it's rising now
) and as usual I reached for the scraper. And I thought, 'why isn't this made better?' The ones I have are "stainless steel" and have been imported. They cost next to nothing, maybe $7-10. So you can guess the quality of the steel. The design is simple, but limited by inferior materials.
Ideally, the scraper should have a thin blade with a flat edge. They aren't sharpened; really they are 'burnished' to a rolled edge -- 2 rolled edges, one on either face of the blade (see diagram stolen from somewhere on the web. Dimensions may not be ideal, but concept is the same.).
With cheap steel, these 'edges' are quickly worn and much of the utility is lost. A harder steel would perform better I think. Stainless might be preferable in the kitchen where knives and tools are subject to moisture and acidic foods, but I wouldn't mind a high-carbon version that developed a patina with age and use. Actually, I'd prefer that.
I've looked around, but haven't found a better made scraper. So, finally, my odd request is this: Is there a knife maker who would be willing to make a high quality Bench Scraper?
There may not be much interest in a simple 'knife' like this unless you have used one. Either by the maker or by the market. There aren't many design challenges here. (The handle could be improved) So I guess I'm hoping someone will be interested in making a quality tool that will be much used and valued by it's owner(s).
If there are others interested in a better Bench Scraper, please speak up. Maybe we can have some fun here while creating a quality tool.
Jack
*** Mods, if I put this in the wrong forum, please move it, sorry ***
This morning I made some sourdough bread (it's rising now
) and as usual I reached for the scraper. And I thought, 'why isn't this made better?' The ones I have are "stainless steel" and have been imported. They cost next to nothing, maybe $7-10. So you can guess the quality of the steel. The design is simple, but limited by inferior materials.Ideally, the scraper should have a thin blade with a flat edge. They aren't sharpened; really they are 'burnished' to a rolled edge -- 2 rolled edges, one on either face of the blade (see diagram stolen from somewhere on the web. Dimensions may not be ideal, but concept is the same.).
With cheap steel, these 'edges' are quickly worn and much of the utility is lost. A harder steel would perform better I think. Stainless might be preferable in the kitchen where knives and tools are subject to moisture and acidic foods, but I wouldn't mind a high-carbon version that developed a patina with age and use. Actually, I'd prefer that.
I've looked around, but haven't found a better made scraper. So, finally, my odd request is this: Is there a knife maker who would be willing to make a high quality Bench Scraper?
There may not be much interest in a simple 'knife' like this unless you have used one. Either by the maker or by the market. There aren't many design challenges here. (The handle could be improved) So I guess I'm hoping someone will be interested in making a quality tool that will be much used and valued by it's owner(s).
If there are others interested in a better Bench Scraper, please speak up. Maybe we can have some fun here while creating a quality tool.
Jack
*** Mods, if I put this in the wrong forum, please move it, sorry ***
