Choosing your knives.
I like knives.
I like sharp knives.
I spent a long time wandering around the city trying to get my hands on as many knives as I could. There is something fascinating about how a knife feels in the hand; how it cuts and how it sharpens. I feel that having a very sharp knife makes you a better and safer cook.
When I enrolled in chefs school, I had already amassed a solid collection of blades. I was really surprised at the amount of pressure that the school put on new students to buy their ‘chefs kits.’ These kits came from a few manufactures and ranged in price from just over $100 to over $300. They were billed as an ‘everything’ solution for chefs in training. Each kit included a chefs knife, a bread, boning, and paring knife, and often included a steel and other ‘tools.’
What made it even more confusing is that they were being sold to students in the same area as the ‘must buy’ items such as uniforms. It seemed like there was a real push to get students to buy the student based kits.
After the first few days of school, you could see dozens and dozens of these kits being lugged around by students.
Outwardly, there is nothing wrong with these kits. They really do have the tools a student needs to get through the day. While the prices may be on the high side, and the overall quality questionable, they are a convenient way to get yourself set up. However, the real downer is every knife in your kit should feel like it picked you. It should fit your hand well, and be a joy to use. It should match your cutting style, and it should be tool you reach for when its called upon. Your knife roll should not be a selection of bulk packaged knives designed to fit the lowest common denominator of chef student.
Think about it, you will be using your knives LONG after you leave chefs school. Why not take the time to get the tools you want to use. As mentioned in a previous post, you don’t need a million items in your roll, and the two most important ones, your chefs knife and paring knife should be ones you really want to use. Not ones you simply have in your kit because they came with it.
At the end of the day, the school is making money from hawking these kits. They do not have your best interest at heart and really don’t care what knives you use. You will be spending a lot of hours holding and using your knives, do some research and find the tools that are right for you.
When choosing a knife:
Think about size.
Most kits seem to prefer a 10 inch chefs knife. If it does not fit in your hand comfortably and feels big and awkward, then it is. This is boarder line dangerous. Buy a knife that fits in your hand and feels comfortable.
Price
Knives can be expensive. You do, to some extent, get what you pay for. The issue with cheap knives is not that they aren’t sharp, but that once they dull, sharpening them is really hard. In chefs school you will be spending a lot of time slicing and dicing, sharpening your knife will be a daily occurrence. Essentially, what you pay for in more expensive knives, is the ability to keep your blade sharp. My advice is to shop around, try out a few knives from as many manufacturers as possible and buy the best you can comfortably afford.
Sharpening
There are two options here, a stone or a steel. A sharpening stone is a block of stone composed of a fixed coarse aggregate. They range from super coarse (like concrete) to super fine (silicone sand). They work buy removing bits of metal from your knife as you run them along the surface of the stone. The jury is out on which method works best but, again some research and personal preference go along way here. Bare in mind that a steel will only get you so far when it comes to sharpening. Think of it as blade maintenance. A stone will both maintain your blade and re sharpen it.
Wikipedia has a pretty good sharpening primer you can find here.
The anatomy of a knife. Note this image is of a French style chefs knife, but the diagram is applicable for most knives. Click on image to see full size.
A Point: The very end of the knife, which is used for piercing
B Tip: The first third of the blade (approximately), which is used for small or delicate work. Also known as belly or curve when curved, as on a chef’s knife.
C Edge: The entire cutting surface of the knife, which extends from the point to the heel. The edge may be beveled or symmetric.
D Heel: The rear part of the blade, used for cutting activities that require more force
E Spine: The top, thicker portion of the blade, which adds weight and strength
F Bolster: The thick metal portion joining the handle and the blade, which adds weight and balance and keeps the cook’s hand from slipping
G Finger Guard: The portion of the bolster that keeps the cook’s hand from slipping onto the blade
H Return: The point where the heel meets the bolster
J Tang: The portion of the metal blade that extends into the handle, giving the knife stability and extra weight
K Scales: The two portions of handle material (wood, plastic, composite, etc.) that are attached to either side of the tang
L Rivets: The metal pins (usually 3) that hold the scales to the tang
M Handle Guard: The lip below the butt of the handle, which gives the knife a better grip and prevents slipping
N Butt: The terminal end of the handle
The bottom line is simple, don’t buy a knife kit because the school says you should. Buy a knife kit that fits and works for you. They are going to be your tools that you are going to use for a long time, they might as well suit you.
Thanks to wikipedia for some great resources.