What I learned in World Foods.

[Daniel Moore]

I'm taking a World Foods course at school and I learned some very important tips on our first knife lesson day:

Knife quality:
-A quality knife will ALWAYS have three rivets.
-Quality knives are ALWAYS forged, and that makes them sturdier and less flexible than cheap stamped blades (I think the benefits of forged vs. stamped/stock removal was exaggerated with no mention of heat treating).
-A quality knife always has a full tang (which I agree with for fixed blades).

Knife sharpening:
-You should not sharpen your knives because they really won't need it.
-If you do sharpen your knives, they are to be sharpened at a 10 degree angle.
-A sign of a sharp knife is that it can cut paper (I swear to you, she folded a piece of paper in half, and drove the edge between the paper through the crease. I later did the same thing with the SPINE of my fixed blade )

It was also implied that carbon steels are cheaper/lesser than stainless, because she said stainless steels were just like carbon steels but don't rust

Now a lot of this is true, partially true, or at least good enough to get you by with as a general rule of thumb, and to her credit she has been praising the importance of knives and hasn't been condemning them or making a big deal about them and I appreciate that- but when you know a good bit about a topic, it's so hard to sit and let somebody (de-)educate you on it .

 

[KnifeAddictAK]

So did you correct her after class?

 

[shecky]

Regarding knife quality, the instructor is basically telling people not to buy junk. Very (overly)simple rule of thumb guidelines which I suppose will practically guarantee a quality knife, if followed. But jeeze, that can easily break the bank. Then again, it's entirely possible the instructor has no clue.

 

[Kaizen1]

These are one of those interesting and akward moments in life...

 

[Bob W]

-A quality knife will ALWAYS have three rivets.

I guess my Anzas should go out with tonight's trash.

-Quality knives are ALWAYS forged, and that makes them sturdier and less flexible than cheap stamped blades (I think the benefits of forged vs. stamped/stock removal was exaggerated with no mention of heat treating).

Bark Rivers are going out with the Anzas.

-A quality knife always has a full tang.

I mostly agree with that.

So did the instructor suggest any particular knives or brands that met her criteria?

-Bob

 

[Daniel Moore]

No,she doesn't use any pricey brands like Henckels. Some of them are Chicago Cutlery, which I've never heard of. The handles look just like wooden scales during the knifemaking process that have been roughly cut but not finished yet. They're too big, bulky, and square.

And as for correcting her, not yet. I am going to try to get her to let me sharpen her knives on my Sharpmaker just to show her what a sharp knife is. She's having one of her co-op students (co-op is like a study hall class where you basically do clerical work for a selected teacher) sharpen her knives freehand on some poor equipment. It's not going to be pretty . But again, I do really appreciate the way she talks about knives, and how she stresses quality over crap, so even if she's off the mark in some places, I know I shouldn't be too picky It could be a LOT worse.

 

[mete]

Chicago Cutlery is not known for quality knives. Most professional knives have molded on handles as a requirement for sanitary reasons.Any cutting tool will wear and will have to be resharpened. It's easy to spot a dull knife on a cooking show ,the knife just doesn't cut cleanly or efficiently.

 

[Dog of War]

This woman sounds like she'd be dazzled by Chef Tony. I hope her knowledge of cuisine and other culinary skills is a bit better.

 

[symphonyincminor]

When the hell did chopping carrots and celery require full-tang construction?

 

[TorzJohnson]

When the hell did chopping carrots and celery require full-tang construction?

And don't forget choppin' broccoli.

-A sign of a sharp knife is that it can cut paper

LOL, according to your teacher then this must be the sharpest edge in the world:

 

[cjpgeyer]

Where's the UN...isn't the mandatory edge angle 22.5 degrees? Your knives could be subject to a grab by Kofi!

 

[Guyon]

You really want an earful about kitchen knives? Go over to KF and poke around in the "In the Kitchen" forum. Those folks are nuts about their kitchen cutlery. There is a pretty strong (understatement) bias toward the Japanese stuff. I have some decent Wusthofs, but I'm just about convinced to try a three piece set of the Tojiros.

 

[Guyon]

Where's the UN...isn't the mandatory edge angle 22.5 degrees? Your knives could be subject to a grab by Kofi!

Yeah, if Nordic Viking gets wind of this, he'll report your school to the authorities.

 

[huugh]

-If you do sharpen your knives, they are to be sharpened at a 10 degree angle..

Hmm, excluding everything else, this is good info that I'd never expect.


However it makes you think about all the other fields - how correct info are they providing ... (and you do NOT notice it :thumbup: )

 

[cgd160]

Needle, you should go talk to her, she seems like she might be receptive to any knowledge you have on the subject. If you thanked her first (to butter her up ) and told her what you have learned over the years, then point her in the right direction, you may be indirectly responsible for hundreds if not thousands of more knowledgeable knife people .

 

[Bob W]

Some of them are Chicago Cutlery, which I've never heard of. The handles look just like wooden scales during the knifemaking process that have been roughly cut but not finished yet. They're too big, bulky, and square.

I bet those are the Walnut Traditions series from Chicago Cutlery. They used to be made in the USA, by LamsonSharp or so I've read. Now they're all imported from China. They're actually decent knives if you can find the old American-made products. They hone very easily to a super-sharp edge, although they don't hold an edge like high-end modern kitchen knives. Full tangs, high-carbon stainless steel, and solid walnut handles.

I use Chicago Cutlery knives in the kitchen and in the shop. I'd buy more if I could be sure they were American-made.

I'd hope that a professional cook or instructor would know enough about knives not to judge them on supperficial appearances. I have a set of Camillus rosewood kitchen knives that also have full tangs, three rivets, and solid wood handle slabs. Compared to the Chicago Cutlery Walnut Traditions, the Camillus knives suck. They're hard to sharpen and don't hold an edge.

-Bob