Kitchen samurai.... Please fall-in.
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lennyl
New Member
Something 'life changing' happened on Wednesday.
That sounds interesting, but I guess you're keeping the info private? I hope congratulations are in order and not condolences. In any case, glad you haven't left this site entirely.
KopiOkaya
Deregistered
I am still in the process of writing and editing. I will post here probably by next week.
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KopiOkaya
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Kitchen Samurai Theory 101 - Honing on a steady steel.
In the kitchen, honing is done with a steel. A steel is a metal rod with handle. Although these are sometimes called sharpening steels, they do not remove the cutting edge., because they shave very little or literally no metal - they simply straighten the burr.
A traditional steel is a round rod with shallow grooves running along its length. Some steels have a flattened cross section. The 'steel' I use in this demonstration is made of finely ground ceramic rod (by Kyocera). No matter what type of steel you have, they are all used in the same manner and purpose; to straighten the burr on a cutting edge.
To alleviate the fear of steeling, I have devised this virtually foolproof method of honing, which is best suited for the Kitchen Samurai rookie.
[ATTENTION: Do not hone single bevel knives (eg: traditional Japanese knives) using this method. Such knives would be easier to maintain the sharpness against a whetstone.]
1. Hold the knife and the steel in each hand. There is no strict rule on which side of the knife gets hone first. Here, I will start with the left (my left).
2. With one hand, hold the steel firmly at 90° to the work surface. Place a clean dishcloth underneath the tip of the steel to stop it from slipping.
3. To obtain the correct angle, lower the steel to roughly 45°.
4. Then rise the steel by half of 45°. Now the steel is angled roughly at 67.5°. Grasp the knife low on the handle with the other hand firmly. Point the cutting edge straight down.
5. Start with the heel of the blade near the base of the steel, draw the blade steadily down the steel pulling the knife towards you. Work in a slow and rhythmic pace. You do not need to apply too much force.
[CONT]
In the kitchen, honing is done with a steel. A steel is a metal rod with handle. Although these are sometimes called sharpening steels, they do not remove the cutting edge., because they shave very little or literally no metal - they simply straighten the burr.
A traditional steel is a round rod with shallow grooves running along its length. Some steels have a flattened cross section. The 'steel' I use in this demonstration is made of finely ground ceramic rod (by Kyocera). No matter what type of steel you have, they are all used in the same manner and purpose; to straighten the burr on a cutting edge.
To alleviate the fear of steeling, I have devised this virtually foolproof method of honing, which is best suited for the Kitchen Samurai rookie.
[ATTENTION: Do not hone single bevel knives (eg: traditional Japanese knives) using this method. Such knives would be easier to maintain the sharpness against a whetstone.]
1. Hold the knife and the steel in each hand. There is no strict rule on which side of the knife gets hone first. Here, I will start with the left (my left).
2. With one hand, hold the steel firmly at 90° to the work surface. Place a clean dishcloth underneath the tip of the steel to stop it from slipping.
3. To obtain the correct angle, lower the steel to roughly 45°.
4. Then rise the steel by half of 45°. Now the steel is angled roughly at 67.5°. Grasp the knife low on the handle with the other hand firmly. Point the cutting edge straight down.
5. Start with the heel of the blade near the base of the steel, draw the blade steadily down the steel pulling the knife towards you. Work in a slow and rhythmic pace. You do not need to apply too much force.
[CONT]
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KopiOkaya
Deregistered
6. With the knife blade maintaining straight angle as the cutting edge travels across the steel.
7. When the tip of the blade is near the tip of the steel, pull the blade smoothly off. Repeat steps 4 to 7 at least 3 to 5 times on each side of the blade.
8. Once you have completed the honing cycle on one side, switch hands to the alternate side (my right).
9. Repeat steps 1 to 7.
10. Remember to keep your blade straight and cutting edge point down.
[CONT]
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KopiOkaya
Deregistered
11. Maintain consistent pressure across length of the steel. Again, repeat the honing cycle 3 to 5 times.
12. Once complete, wipe your knife with a clean dishcloth. [photos: KopiOkaya]
How often should you steel your knives? It all depends on how often you use your knives. Chefs traditionally steel their knives before each use. They then steel the knives again as soon as they begin to feel the least bit dull, which, depending on what is being cut, may be quite often. All knives, except those with serrated edge, should be steeled before use.
Even if you steel your knives often, you will sooner or later notice that they do not cut as easily as they did when they were new. All knives will eventually dull from use. When this happens, it is time to sharpen your knives on a whetstone. The difference between steeling and sharpening a knife is that steeling only straightens the burr, whereas sharpening actually removes metal and, in doing so, creates a new cutting edge.
[END]
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KopiOkaya
Deregistered
Recently, I received a PM from an avid Kitchen Samurai who wanted to know more about Chinese cleavers.
Basically there are two types of cleavers - one with thick and heavy blade for demolishing bones and hacking through very tough meat, and the other with thinner and lighter blade for very fine, precise cuts of vegetables and meats. Make sure you buy the right cleaver for the right tasks. Never use a thin blade cleaver on bones.
The best of Chinese cleavers are those made from carbon-steel, not stainless steel, and are manufactured in Hong Kong. Most cleavers from Mainland China are made of stainless steel. They are reasonably priced. Base on my experience, such cleavers do not hold their edges as well as those carbon-steel ones from the Special Administrative Region. Thus, frequent sharpening is required.
Basically there are two types of cleavers - one with thick and heavy blade for demolishing bones and hacking through very tough meat, and the other with thinner and lighter blade for very fine, precise cuts of vegetables and meats. Make sure you buy the right cleaver for the right tasks. Never use a thin blade cleaver on bones.
The best of Chinese cleavers are those made from carbon-steel, not stainless steel, and are manufactured in Hong Kong. Most cleavers from Mainland China are made of stainless steel. They are reasonably priced. Base on my experience, such cleavers do not hold their edges as well as those carbon-steel ones from the Special Administrative Region. Thus, frequent sharpening is required.
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KopiOkaya
Deregistered
Thanks for the info about steeling - you make it look so easy
Thanks for the compliment. I try to make steeling as effortless as possible.
KopiOkaya
Deregistered
A pair of beauties have arrived our shores.
JCK KnifeForum Hattori FH-170mm santoku
JCK KnifeForum Hattori FH-240mm gyuto
The JCK FH series is the result of years of the collaborative work with the KnifeForums "In the Kitchen" members and the premier knifemaker, Ichiro Hattori.
KnifeForums 'KF' insignia
This was the project to design the most practical kitchen knives by the knife enthusiasts for the knife enthusiasts, and members all got together to brainstorm the best sizes, shapes, balances etc for each knife. They finally determined the most essential knife designs, and chosen Ichiro Hattori to make these knives to ensure the world's finest quality.
Ichiro Hattori's renown craftsmanship [photos: Japanesechefsknife.com]
Each knife is custom-made to KnifeForums' members specifications. For the blade steel, Hattori has selected VG-10 cobalt steel. The handle is made from black linen Micarta with stainless steel bolster and rivets.
The entire project was very unique in that members at Knifeforums.com “In The Kitchen” were given the opportunity to design their own expert line of knives and have them made by Ichiro Hattori, one of the best knife makers in the world. These knives Hattori made are stunning and have the highest quality craftsmanship in any knife.
[excerpt from Japanesechefsknife.com]
Both beauties are available at RazorSharp. If these knives are what you have been looking for, price-wise, the santoku costs $390 and the gyuto costs S$420 (with GST). Quantity is limited.
JCK KnifeForum Hattori FH-170mm santoku
JCK KnifeForum Hattori FH-240mm gyuto
The JCK FH series is the result of years of the collaborative work with the KnifeForums "In the Kitchen" members and the premier knifemaker, Ichiro Hattori.
KnifeForums 'KF' insignia
This was the project to design the most practical kitchen knives by the knife enthusiasts for the knife enthusiasts, and members all got together to brainstorm the best sizes, shapes, balances etc for each knife. They finally determined the most essential knife designs, and chosen Ichiro Hattori to make these knives to ensure the world's finest quality.
Ichiro Hattori's renown craftsmanship [photos: Japanesechefsknife.com]
Each knife is custom-made to KnifeForums' members specifications. For the blade steel, Hattori has selected VG-10 cobalt steel. The handle is made from black linen Micarta with stainless steel bolster and rivets.
The entire project was very unique in that members at Knifeforums.com “In The Kitchen” were given the opportunity to design their own expert line of knives and have them made by Ichiro Hattori, one of the best knife makers in the world. These knives Hattori made are stunning and have the highest quality craftsmanship in any knife.
[excerpt from Japanesechefsknife.com]
Both beauties are available at RazorSharp. If these knives are what you have been looking for, price-wise, the santoku costs $390 and the gyuto costs S$420 (with GST). Quantity is limited.
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Fireemblem
New Member
Hi there,
fellow kitchen samurai falling in.
nice to see there are still people around who appreciate a good quality knife since usual comment i get from people is dun need so good and expensive knife one lah, cheap cheap can already.......but there is so much difference.
really love the almost slicing thru thin air feeling when using a better quality knife than struggling to slice thru some meat with a blunt knife. The meat texture itself is destroyed even if i managed to sliced it in the end.
Owns a henckels twin pollux cleaver and a henckels 5 star slicing knife, but due to my newbieness when i had my first quality knife, I had done a really bad sharping on a coarse stone and sorta spoiled the slicing knife already. This thread really provide insight that it can be rescued, so am really interested to learn how to do a proper sharpening. If the TS is willing to teach, i have the 2 hours ready to learn.
fellow kitchen samurai falling in.
nice to see there are still people around who appreciate a good quality knife since usual comment i get from people is dun need so good and expensive knife one lah, cheap cheap can already.......but there is so much difference.
really love the almost slicing thru thin air feeling when using a better quality knife than struggling to slice thru some meat with a blunt knife. The meat texture itself is destroyed even if i managed to sliced it in the end.
Owns a henckels twin pollux cleaver and a henckels 5 star slicing knife, but due to my newbieness when i had my first quality knife, I had done a really bad sharping on a coarse stone and sorta spoiled the slicing knife already. This thread really provide insight that it can be rescued, so am really interested to learn how to do a proper sharpening. If the TS is willing to teach, i have the 2 hours ready to learn.
KopiOkaya
Deregistered
Thank you so much for your kind words.
I am just merely trying my best to help fellow kitchen knife enthusiasts understand that owning a set of good knives is not enough; taking proper care of them is equally important.
I don't mind coming to you and show you how to sharpen your knives, BUT I did promise Sinseh David (of Razorsharp) that the 'student' must purchase a whetstone from him. As a samurai, I must honor my words.
Good whetstones are not cheap (prices ranging from S$130-S$300). If you would rather save your hard-earned money to purchase more quality knives, you can opt to have your knives sharpened professionally for a small fee.
If you really must learn the art and techniques of knife sharpening - 'the kitchen samurai' way, PM me and I will arrange a meeting with Sinseh David.
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raptor1988
Senior Member
very informative and interesting read.. :thumbsup: much to learn abt the world of knives. :bsmilie:
KopiOkaya
Deregistered
Thanks.
There are more to kitchen knives than just cutting tools. A good knife can lasts you more than ten years. My first J.A. Henckels knife is more than 20 years old.
KopiOkaya
Deregistered
Thanks. There are more to kitchen knives than just cutting tools. A good knife can lasts you for decades. My first J.A. Henckels knife is more than 20 years old.
newbie got question.
Q: when does a blade reach its end-of-life? i got a cheapo household parring knife that has got a few chipped points along the entire cutting edge, its been in service for years...
Q: oso is there a safe, proper way to dispose of a knife? or just anyhow throw (away)? :bsmilie:
Q: when does a blade reach its end-of-life? i got a cheapo household parring knife that has got a few chipped points along the entire cutting edge, its been in service for years...
Q: oso is there a safe, proper way to dispose of a knife? or just anyhow throw (away)? :bsmilie:
KopiOkaya
Deregistered
Wow, a truly educational thread. Can I ask, what would be a good knife to cut cheese? More specifically, cut cheese into small pieces as a dessert platter or for nibbling with wine, etc. Thanks
You can either use an utility knife or a cheese knife. I use an utility knife to cut my young Gouda (my all-time favorite cheese).
Wusthof Classic 6-inch utility knife
Wusthof Culinar soft cheese knife
Wusthof Culinar hard cheese knife [photos: cooking.com]
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KopiOkaya
Deregistered
Most kitchen knives can last a lifetime. In my grandmother's case, her kitchen knives exceed hers. Even the most expensive knives will chip, therefore, it is literally unavoidable.
You can always reprofile and resharpen a knife that is badly chipped or blunted (please read previous post #244). However, a snapped or cracked blade must be replaced immediately.
To dispose a kitchen knife, wrap the blade with thick paper cardboard (those used as backing for drawing block are good enough). Use masking tape to secure the cardboard to the handle. Wrap the whole knife in several layers of newspaper before disposal.
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thanks (eh) KopiOkaya...:embrass:
the modern 2-stage hone is not the right tool to re-profile the knife- i have tried & failed. besides, i think its too much effort for a knife under $10 & badly chipped. i'll gladly get my mum a new wan.
i have found a general hardware store that has a piece of very fine grinding block, it's only $6, but i did not buy it as there are surface imperfection (quite a deep hollow near 1/3 of the block). does it matter? its so fine there is a layer of powder... :sweat:
thanks again for your generousity in this thread, its very helpful to newbies & oldies. :thumbsup:
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