Full Tang gives your handle more strength over the years. The bolster should not extend all the way to the bottom of the heel, because as you sharpen it, over the years, and the cutting edge and the belly get smaller, the bolster will actually interfere with knife operation.
Comfort is important. Get a knife that fits your grip
Metal Alloys used for Knife Blades
Steel plus a bit of iron
Carbon alloy helps make it hard
Chromium helps to harden and prevents corosion
Molybdenum allows a finer grain
Nickle adds to toughness + elasticity
Tungsten offers wear resistance
Vanadium
Silicon
Manganese
Choices for Cutting Boards
Wood Composite – good
Polyethelene – good
Rock Maple – good for Vegetables
Bamboo – good, but a bit slow surface – fibrous
Bad Choices
Glass
Metal
Granite
Marble
1. Use a Santuko Knife for delicate slicing, such as butterflying a breast. It is thinner than butcher knives. It’s not good for mincing though. Use a butcher knife for this.
2. When choosing a meat cleaver, get one with about 65% of the weight toward the front. A cheap option is a hatchet.
Knife Sharpening
Two things that you can do to a knife:
1. Sharpen
2. Hone
Sharpening:
Use only a professional knife sharpener
Sharpen for (1) long lasting or (2) sharpest edge
The BITE is the ability to hold an edgeHoning:
Use a sharpening steel to realign.
Does not actually sharpen
5 both directions, then 3, then 2, then 1
Really dull knives
1. Belt sander
2. Grinding wheel
Cutting board
Don’t use glass
Don’t wash in dishwasher
Do keep clean
Do use steel every time you use the knife
Do use wood or poly cutting board
Do store in a safe place
20º utility blade – not as sharp, but will not dull as quickly
15º sharp blade – very sharp, but will dull more quickly
Top knife sharpeners
Get one with a high guide hip – minimizes wiggle
- #1 Chef’s Choice Trizor XV edge $150
- #2 Chef’s Choice – Electric – Diamond 316 Asian Knife Sharpener – $80
- #3 Chef’s Choice – Manual – Pronto diamond hone Asian Knife Sharpener – routine sharpener – $50
Three types of sharpeners
- Carbide
- Ceramic
- Diamond
The Knife House
Having it done for you
This is actually advisable. The job will be much better than you doing it yourself.
Here in Phoenix, us The Knife House near Indian School Road and 40th Street.
