Knife Discussion.................and Keep Brian happy.

[BBQchef33]

I think those that have attended the Bashes or have been at my home, may have seen ny knife collection. I have 2 Blocks on either side of my stove, eachs with 6 knives in them. Why so many.. because if ya treat em right, they last.

1- When prepping, i may go thru 10-12 knives, just for speed sake, instead of washin, i just grab a seperate knife for the veggies after cuttin the chicken..(another idea i skipped in the contamination thread).

2 - I collected these over the past 20 years... and never have the heart to throw out a set if it still cuts.

3 - I NEVER put my knives in the dishwasher. Wash all by hand and dry before putting them in the block. I also dip the blocks in clorox solution at least weekly. Those slots can be breeding grounds for bacteria. (more for the ccontamination thread).

4 - The cleavers get a quick shot under a hot broiler or over a flame, to open the pores and make sure its 100%dry. Then get a coating of oil or Pam on them.

5 Although my favorites are my henkels(sp), i have 2 other sets of Brand X. I think as long as it a good quality stainless, and has the tang that goes all the way through the handle, its a decent knive. May not hold an edge for weeks(or days), but keep a stone nearby and give it a quick run on the stone before ya use it. Henkels are balanced and nice to work with, Keep an edge forever, and come off a stone like a razor, but if your just cuttin a tomatoe or a casual cook I cant see spening the $$. I think my Henkel set was like 600 bucks(Christmas gift).


Theres more, but i gotta do some work.. but this should get the discussion started.... now Brian is happy happy.. :)

[parrothead]

I have me a set of henckels in the kitchen also. Had 2 sets of decent knives, but one made their way to the chuckwagon.

I never machine wash either. Always hand wash and dry immediately. Just another quick note, I never put them in the sink when done. Always lay them next to it. Don't want any surprises when reaching into a sink.

[parrothead]

Dip the whole block in clorox solution? How long for? etc. Had thought of that harboring bacteria thing myself. In a commercial kitchen would is an absolute no-no.

[Oldtimer]

Will I have Chicago Cutlery and it sucks. I remember you all talking about henckels but could not recall the name, so the thread and it worked...ha. With reagrds to happy I'm always farking happy.

Let the cussion continue.

[parrothead]

Don't have a cleaver in my kitchen arsenal. Was looking at the henckel cleavers the other day and thought, man is that small. I looked at all the other brands, and they are all small also. What happened to the old, arm whacking off cleavers.

[rbinms33]

They're at your local Harbor Freight store......if you don't have one local then you can always order on line. Of course, at these prices, I'm sure you get what you pay for......

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=36804

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3182

[BBQchef33]

I'l admit, i have just poured clorox right down the slots and let it sit for a few secs and then shot hot water down the slots. Just as a quick shot. But usually, I dip it in a weak clorox solution for a minute or so. Then rinse it with very hot water. Be careful though, bleach can eat away at raw wood real quick so I dilute it alot(even though my blocks are sealed), (1/2 cup to a heavy gallon or so.) Also, from my homebrewing days, i know that chlorine beach is rendered dead above 110 degrees( I used to use bleach to sanitize the boittles.) So make sure you get it off the wood with hot water. Ya dont need more than 3--45 seconds. The wood blocks I have are sealed(poly urethane stuff or something). I've seen the raw wood ones and dont thing i would use this approach. I would thunk you can use any antibacterial solution soap, etc.

Brian, i think one of my brand X's is Chicago cuttlery.. They dont hold an edge for ****, but take well to a stone for a single meal use...

Also, I have that chefs choice knife sharpner(110 model). it dows a decent job of puttin new edges on the blades. Has 3 slots, one grinds down the old edge, one hones it to a new one and the third is like a regular sharpening rod, gives it a fine smooth edge. I use the third slot frequently in place of the rod, but every few months, if needed, i'll take the blades down and redo them.

[rbinms33]

Does anybody own (or used) any Wusthof knives? That's the brand I was looking for at one time.

[Oldtimer]

I'l Also, I have that chefs choice knife sharpner(110 model). it dows a decent job of puttin new edges on the blades. Has 3 slots, one grinds down the old edge, one hones it to a new one and the third is like a regular sharpening rod, gives it a fine smooth edge. I use the third slot frequently in place of the rod, but every few months, if needed, i'll take the blades down and redo them.

You have a electric sharpner ? If my Dad would see me with a electric sharpner he would roll over in the grave. He was a firm beleiver in wet stones, how ever failed to teach me the proper way. I was nevar worth a **** stoned.

[Wayne]

I mostly use Cutco knives because the are always sharp and handy. We also have a set of Goutterage knives from France. A gift from the in-laws long ago. I don't know if they are a good brand or not, but they have held up well and hold an edge. I usually use a butchers steel to keep them sharp. All of the knives go in the dishwasher. My wife is very rough on knives so you never know what kind of knicks you will find. The Goutterage have lasted a long time because she seldom uses them. She treats our Hasselblad cameras the same way. It's a wonder that anything works.

[Oldtimer]

Does anybody own (or used) any Wusthof knives? That's the brand I was looking for at one time.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2354033092

[david]

The Chigago knives aren't bad. You just gotta sharpen em a bit more often since the steel isn't as hard as the henckels or wustoff. Best thing about them, is that they are inexpensive so you don't have to worry if they take some abuse.

I just bought a japanese waterstone for my chisels, and man can that thing sharpen to a razor edge and literally leave a mirror finish. I shaved all the hair off of my left arm testing my chisels. I'm gonna take that stone to our kitchen knives this weekend.

[Oldtimer]

Where did you get the stone ?

[willkat98]

I got Chicago Cutlery (of course) and throw them in the dishwasher all the time. Never have the problems you guys discuss.

And I have never sharpened them, and they still will St. Louis a rack of spares in seconds. The gouges in my countertop attest to their sharpness.

Must have just gotten a good set or something.

[david]

Where did you get the stone ?
Find yourself a good woodworking shop. They should have some good combination water stones. The one I bought is 1200/6000 grit or something like that. For knives you don't need to go over about 1000 though. I would probably buy the combination stone like a 300/1000 if it were just for knives.

[david]

[quote="willkat98"]And I have never sharpened them, quote]
I'm guessing that you hit them with the steel alot though? If you do that, they won't need sharpening for a long time, but it will need to be honed with the steel almost every use.

[willkat98]

[quote=willkat98]And I have never sharpened them, quote]
I'm guessing that you hit them with the steel alot though? If you do that, they won't need sharpening for a long time, but it will need to be honed with the steel almost every use.

Nope. Don't even own one of those stones or steel rods, or even a can opener with the slots.

You'd probably think it was a butter knife, but it seems to work for me. I don't know.

[willkat98]

And I checked my other knife tonight, its a Harvard Cutlery stain free steel. I guess that means stainless.

Use an electric knife. Its like $10. Who the fark needs a $600 knife. And when my Q is done, and done right, you only need a fork (or a spoon) to cut it.

I got a McCulluh if I need real cutting power.

[Oldtimer]

Guess you never cleaned any of those chip munks you use to hit with a golf club ?

[willkat98]

shove'm on a stick and an open fire.

[Oldtimer]

Horizontral or Vertical ? What did you use for a drive motor and how many RPM ?

[willkat98]

Chip Munk Mod

[parrothead]

mcculluh mod

Fark that . I just got me a STIHL mod. 20 incher. been cutting down apple trees non stop. yeehah. Drunkin chainsawing is quite the thrill.

[rbinms33]

I just got me a STIHL mod. 20 incher.


Good equipment makes all the difference. My wife bought me a Stihl MS290 20" for Father's Day last year after watching me fight with a Craftsman for a few months. The difference was like day and night.

[willkat98]

Is it a gas Stihl, or electric?

[parrothead]

I didn't think stihl made electric

[willkat98]

I use to have a black and decker electric, with about a 12 inch blade.

That farking thing couldn't cut a turkey.

While cutting through an apple tree in the yard, the farker jammed halfway through it. Left it in there for about 4 years till the stump dried out and fell over.

[rbinms33]

The one I have is gas powered. I'm with Greg, I don't think Stihl makes electric stuff. None that I've seen anyway. Next on the list is a Stihl Weedeater.....the little Ryobi is about to bite the dust. Just thinking.....that 12 inch saw would have been perfect for putting on top of a pole and cutting limbs with.

[Oldtimer]

Just thinking.....that 12 inch saw would have been perfect for putting on top of a pole and cutting limbs with.

Yours or the tree ?

[parrothead]

that 12 inch saw would have been perfect for putting on top of a pole and cutting limbs with.

I have that with my john deere weed wacker. Has a 10' chainsaw attachment with an extra extension. Also has a leafblower that pops onto it. I love my toys.

[willkat98]

Knifes, to saws, to weed wackers, to leaf blowers.

Great Thread

[BBQchef33]

Knifes, to saws, to weed wackers, to leaf blowers.

Great ThreadAnd it all started with cleavers.

[willkat98]

Rusty Cleaver, Theodore's cousin

[Oldtimer]

Spaeking of Theodore had anyone seen any decent Beaver ?

[willkat98]

I haven't seen any good tail in a few days

[Oldtimer]

At my age any tail is good tail.

[willkat98]

From Cleavers to Beavers and still on topic.

[parrothead]

Brian, I was thoroughly expecting you to post a pic.
Spaeking of Theodore had anyone seen any decent Beaver ?

[Oldtimer]

Ah yes

[Mark]

Chicago Cutlery shifted manufacturing to China recently. The American made were forged. The Chinese are stamped. Each is dishwasher safe but the Chinese are lesser quality and don't hold an edge nearly as well. Telling the difference is easy; forged has a tang (thick part) between the blade and the handle whereas the Chinese are flat all the way from tip to end of handle.

Mark (STL)

[willkat98]

Thanks MArk
I'll check which ones I got.

I checked the edge, and you probably wouldn't use it to cut butter, so I guess I have been using force to cut, rather than a true sharp edge