![]() The cook's knife is moved straight up and down along the fingers with the tip of the knife always staying on the cutting board. So the knife makes a rocking movement. Home; Sharpeners. Kitchen Knife Sharpening Action Plan; The Sharpening Cycle; Why Use a Professional Knife Sharpening Service? Finding a Professional Sharpening Service. Careful Cutting: Knife Safety Tips, continued National Food Service Management Institute The University of Mississippi Fact Sheet Quick Tip: Use a knife, a cutting. Honing or sharpening a knife is not a science. You'll find different people do it in different ways, all of which can get the job done. Still, there is an easy and. Knife sets, whether they are a basic seven-piece knife or massive collection with 26 pieces, are convenient cutlery tools that make your slicing, cutting. Types of Kitchen Knives - How To Cooking Tips. Construction . It is also beneficial to be familiar with the varieties of knives that are available. The information below should be helpful in selecting and maintaining your knives. Knife Construction. Parts of a Knife. Tip. The tip of the knife is at the opposite end of the handle and is pointed, sharp and fairly thin. It is typically pointed but there are some knives with ends that are cut off straight, rounded or at a slant. The tip is used for cutting small items, cutting food into thin strips, and carving. It is also used for making incisions, such as would be used when making a slit in the side of pork chops or chicken breasts where stuffing would be added. Cutting Edge. The cutting edge is the bottom edge of the blade that runs from the heel to the tip of the blade. It is very sharp and can be straight cut or serrated. The cutting edge is used to slice, cut or chop food items both large and small, with the middle of the blade being used most often. The blade edges are available with different grinds, which have different purposes. See Blade Cutting Edges for the different grinds that are available. Spine or Back. The spine is the edge opposite the cutting edge on the blade. It is thicker than the cutting edge and adds strength to the blade. It has a smooth, blunt edge to allow the user to grip it with thumb and forefinger or to be able to apply pressure with fingers or the palm of a hand to add control to the task being performed. Heel. The heel is approximately the last two inches of the blade's cutting edge at the opposite end from the tip. It is used for cutting thick or coarse items that require extra pressure or strength. It assists in making faster more efficient cuts when the task calls for it. Bolster. A bolster is a thick piece of metal (collar or shank) that is at the end of the blade, just before the handle. It generally runs the full length from the spine of the blade down to the cutting edge. The bolster, along with the tang, gives the knife balance, which provides for better control of the knife when cutting. It also provides a place for fingers to be placed for comfort and also provides protection from the blade. The bolster is an indication that the blade was formed using the forged process rather than being stamped. Handle. The handle is the part of the knife that holds the blade. The tang of the blade extends down in the handle to attach the blade to the handle. The tang is riveted into the handle or is sometimes enclosed in a plastic or metal handle. It is important to get a good feel of the handle before purchasing a knife to be sure it fits your hand properly. If it is too big or small, it can result in inefficient use and can cause tired and aching hands. Tang. The tang is the part of the knife blade that extends into the handle. The better quality knives have a full tang that runs the entire length of the handle. It is sandwiched in between the outside layers of the handle and generally contains several holes where it is riveted to the handle for durability. The tang takes the same shape as the handle and can generally be seen on both edges. A full tang is best for adding strength and balance to the knife but there are also some good quality knives whose tang only runs part way into the handle. ![]() ![]() ![]() Molded handles contain a pointed rat tail tang, which is a long narrow shaft that is completely contained in the handle with which it forms a bond. This type of tang adds balance and strength to the knife but also provides for a little lighter weight knife. Butt. The butt end of the knife is at the opposite end of the tip. If the knife has a full tang it is where the tang ends. Sometimes the butt of the knife is used to tenderize or grind ingredients so it is important that the butt is of stable construction. Metal Rivets. Metal rivets are used to secure the tang to the handle of the knife. To prevent irritation to the hand, the rivets should be completely smooth and lie flush with the surface of the handle. In addition, this will help prevent debris and microorganisms from collecting in the spaces between the handle and the rivets. Blade Manufacturing. There are basically two methods that are used to manufacture blades. The blades are either forged or stamped. It is felt that the forging process produces a better quality blade. The two processes are explained below. Forged Knife Blades. In manufacturing a forged blade, a hot piece of steel is pressed into a blade mold and then hammered into shape. The blade goes through different processes that enhance its flexibility and hardness. The blade is machined into shape, which typically includes a bolster. The forged blade is generally thicker than a blade that has been stamped. Since 1979, Lansky’s legendary precision sharpening kits have put the perfect edge on knives across the world. The original sharpening aid, Lansky kits are the most.The thickness of the blade and the bolster of the forged blade add strength and balance to the knife. Not all forged blades have a bolster but generally a forged blade can be recognized by the presents of a bolster. Forged blades create better quality knives and are more expensive than stamped blade knives. Stamped Knife Blades. In manufacturing a stamped blade, the blade is cut out of a flat sheet of steel. The blade is then ground, tempered, polished and sharpened. Stamped blades are thinner and flatter than forged blades and will have a tendency to make the knife handle feel heavy and off balance. They are easier to sharpen than forged blades and easy to recognize because they do not have a bolster. A knife with a forged blade is thought to be better quality than a knife with a stamped blade but there are also some good quality knives with stamped blades. A stamped blade knife will generally be less expensive than a forged blade knife. Knife Blade Materials. The material a knife blade is made from will affect the durability and maintenance of the knife. Factors to consider when determining if the blade material will suit your needs are how the knife will be used, how easy it is to sharpen, how well it keeps a sharp edge, and how susceptible is it to corrosion. The information below should help in understanding the qualities of the most common blade materials available. High- Carbon Steel - Carbon Steel has been used in the making of blades for many years. Carbon steel blades are tough, can be very sharp, retain their sharp edge fairly well, and sharpen with little effort. They have a tendency to be brittle and can break under stress. Carbon steel blades discolor when they come in contact with foods that are high in acid, such as tomatoes and citrus fruit. The discoloration does not affect the quality of the knife. With proper care, discoloration and rusting of the blade can be avoided and it can be treated if it does occur. Wash and dry thoroughly after use. If the blade rusts, scour to remove rust and continue to use. A light polishing with fine grit steel wool or sandpaper can also be used to remove the stains and rust from the blade. Tip: When storing knives with carbon steel blades, lightly coat the blades with flavor free vegetable oil to help prevent discoloration and rust. High- Carbon Stainless Steel - A combination of the best attributes of carbon steel and stainless steel blades. They contain enough carbon to give them the toughness and ability to hold an edge, although not quite as well as high- carbons steel, and they contain enough chromium to make them stain and rust resistant, although they can discolor or rust under extreme conditions. High- carbon stainless steel blades are slightly harder to sharpen than high- carbon steel but they have become the most popular blade material used for high quality kitchen knives. Stainless Steel - Unlike high- carbon steel, stainless steel blades are highly resistant to discoloring or rusting, but if not cared for properly, they can stain. If over exposed to salt water, hard water, or acidic material such as, lemon juice or vinegar, it may discolor or rust. Dry thoroughly after washing to prevent discoloring and if the knife does discolor or rust, clean with a stainless steel cleaner or a light abrasive powder. Although the stainless steel blades have the ability to hold a sharp edge slightly longer, the stainless steel is so hard that it cannot be produced with as sharp an edge as high- carbon steel. When they dull, they are much harder to sharpen than the high- carbon steel. Titanium - Titanium blades are made from a mold of titanium and carbides. The carbides allow the blade to be heat treated, which produces a very strong and durable blade. When compared to steel, titanium is lighter, more wear resistant, corrosion resistant, holds its edge longer, and is fairly easy to sharpen. The titanium blade is more flexible than steel, making them a good choice for tasks such as boning and filleting. Beware that titanium coated or edged knife blades will not have the same qualities as knives that have blades made totally of titanium. The titanium coating on the cutting edge of the blade will be lost after sharpening several times. Ceramic - Ceramic blades are made of zirconium oxide and aluminum oxide. Zirconium oxide is the second hardest material available next to diamonds. It is very hard but is also brittle and can chip or break. The edge of a ceramic blade is much thinner than steel, which makes cutting through items much easier. Because the ceramic blades are brittle they must be used with caution. They should be used for slicing rather than chopping. Although they are much more brittle than steel knives, they tend to hold their edge up to 1. Once the blades have dulled, they must be sharpened by a professional with a diamond sharpener. Plastic - Plastic blades are used with the primary goal of preventing vegetables and such from becoming discolored from the blade of a knife. Plastic blades generally serrated and are not very sharp, requiring some force when cutting. Blade Cutting Edges. Ways to Sharpen a Knife. Start off on the rough grit side of the stone. Check the grit on your stone, or the packaging that came with the stone, to identify which is which. In general, whetstones and diamond stones each have different grits on either side. The rough grit side is used to grind the steel down, while the fine grit side is used to sharpen or hone the knife. The grinding process comes first, so you start on the rough grit side. Sharpen- a- Knife- Step- 4- preview- Version- 4. Sharpen- a- Knife- Step- 4- preview- Version- 4. Sharpen- a- Knife- Step- 4- preview- Version- 4. Sharpen- a- Knife- Step- 4- preview- Version- 4. Sharpen a Knife Step 4 Version 4.
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