Aug 7

For those of us who love a good sharp knife, whether it’s for cooking, fishing, camping or perhaps by simply being a knife enthusiast, its hard to know everything there is about every type of stainless knife. I know plenty of my friends need to know more about how to use and look after the knives in their kitchens!

Did you know that stainless steel was Originally called “rust-less steel” by its inventor Harry Brearley in the early 1900’s? The first stainless knives were a bit of a flop however and poor old Harry became known as the inventor of “the knife that would not cut”!

His successor W. H. Hatfield, had a bit more success In 1924, when he patented the 18-8 stainless steel, 18% chromium and 8% nickel that would soon become one of the most popular and widely used grades of stainless cutlery steel.

These days most stainless knives are 440 stainless which is a higher grade of steel used for cutlery, with more carbon in it, allowing much better edge retention. Due to its toughness and relatively low cost, it is used for replica swords or display knives. The 440-C grade of this steel is the strongest member of its family and is usually considered the most desirable choice for knife making.

So you can see there are quite a few things to know about your stainless knife, I tend to focus my attention on keeping my kitchen knives in top working order, although I have a few fishing / camping knives as well!

One excellent reference that I think every knife owner should have, that I recently finished reading, is called An Edge in the Kitchen by Chad Ward, I can’t seem to stop returning to it!

It covers what’s out there in the market, what you’ll need to know about your stainless knife, all the basics of knife use, a knife buyers guide, sharpening tops and an overview of essential knife skills such as chopping faster, slicing cleaner how to avoid having an accident with your knife. Also has a great section on getting and maintaining a better edge on your knife.

Make sure you know what you are paying for when shopping for your new stainless knife, and how to care for and use it properly once you’ve found your perfect match! It is one of the most enjoyable reads, with a witty style and professional attention to detail that will have you slicing like pro with your stainless knife in not time!

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Aug 21

Now its time for something a bit more entertaining! I’m sharing with you today a video by Dani Spies showcasing some stainless knife skills to improve your performance in the kitchen, the three knife techniques to look out for are:

The Draw: Finger on top of the blade for cutting slices by bringing the knife back toward you.

The Slice: Holding the knife handle gently like a tube of tooth paste (golf reference anyone?!) use your free hand to guide the knife along the food you’re slicing.

and The Chop: Leaving your free hand on the top of the knife and rotating the blade back and forth to dice things so they’re nice and small.

Enjoy!

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Aug 21

I got home from work today and you wouldn’t believe it, my sister has packed up the kitchen because she’s moving out! Thats only the beginning, she’s taken her stainless knife set with her! How am I going to prepare dinner? Luckily for me I remembered she bought me a stainless knife set block for christmas last year and it’s be waiting patiently to jump free of its box and start doing what it does best - chopping stuff!

So I dugg to the back of the cupboard and found it - Evans & Taylor ZHAR 5 piece knife set block!Made from 440 Stainless steel and are apparently “dishwasher safe” although I think I’ll give that a miss!

So my new stainless knife set contains 5 knives:

20cm (8inch) Chefs Knife - Great for dicing and slicing those vegetables for dinner!

20cm (8inch) Carving knife - For meats and those ornamental fruit craving weekends! haha…

20cm (8inch) Bread Knife - I’m not sure what I’ll use this one for, any ideas?

11cm(5inch) Utility Knife - Smaller and more versatile for cutting smaller meats or cheeses

and an 8cm (3.5inch) Paring Knife - For peeling those pesky onions and mushrooms.

So I took each knife out of its little cardboard wrapper and placed them upside down in the wooden block. They are very shiny, almost a shame to get them dirty but I can’t wait! I’ll keep you posted on how they go!

If you have any recommendations for a stainless knife set block, feel free to leave some comments as I’m sure our readers would love hear any extra information. Till next time keep choppin’!

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Aug 20

Stainless knife selection is a very personal thing, not every knife suits everyone. These few steps may help you in deciding on a stainless knife thats right for you.

The size: Look for a knife that suits your needs, but also suits you, there is a saying that the knife should be an extension or your body so pick a size that’s comfortable in you hand. Blade size is also important. With soft foods like meat the blade size isn’t really a factor but if you are weak or older then a thiner knife if better for you as there is less pressure required to cut hader foods like raw vegetables.

The Weight: Closely related to the size of the knife, the weight is also important. Pick a weight that you feel comfortable handling. Japanese knives are usually lighter than European knives so keep that in mind as you look around.

Sharpening: Do you know how to sharpen a stainless knife? If you’re a whizz with a whetstone or diamond knife sharpener then any steel type will be fine for you, but if you’ve never sharpened a knife before then you might want to choose a blade that doesn’t require sharpening every day! You local shop assistant should be able to help you with a knife that only requires occasional maintenance.

Stainless Knife Use: They type of knife you chosse will vary depending on the type of cutting you do, if you eat a lot of fish you might like to purchase a thin filleting knife that is flexible making fish preparation a breeze!

For more tips on knife selection and how to correctly use your knife check out An edge in the kitchen, a great guide on how to get the most out of your stainless knife and help you with your stainless knife selection.

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