The Knife
KNIFE
What is a knife?
A thin flat metal blade fastened in a handle so that it can be used to cut or spread.
Knives have been around for thousands of years and have changed little since the Stone Age. Changes in materials and composition have evolved but the basic concept has not.
What makes the ideal material? We probably all remember the days not long ago when the blades went black. These were carbon steel. Very easily gain an edge, but lose it quite quickly, and the black would come off onto lemons and various foods. Some people look at the current knives and refer to them as “Stainless steel”. This is a misnomer. The current steel is known as Chrome-Molybdenum steel. This has the appearance of Stainless steel and if washed and cleaned correctly will react the same. The big ‘but’ is if not, it can still rust and pit.
We in the House of Knives prefer the statement “stain resistant” when describing the properties of the steel in our knives. The specialized high carbon, stain resistant alloy ensures that the critical characteristics of some German knives are there right from the beginning: Razor sharp Long lasting cutting edge Easily restorable edge High stain resistance
My advice to all purchasers of knives is to look at putting your biggest effort into purchasing Forged knives (ONE PIECE) as opposed to stamped and sintered knives. There should be found in the one piece construction of the forged knife: Balance Shape Precision forgings One piece from the tip of the blade to the heel of the handle Seamless handles Precision edge
Top quality knives that have sharp and precise edges are safe to use, but must also be the right knife for the task at hand.
“No need to fear the longer blades! Whether it be meats, breads, or vegetables, a faster, easier, and safer cut can be performed with a longer blade. One cut does it all”
My saying to all, “the sharper the knife, the safer the knife”
SELECTION
The number one knife in households and Chefs alike has to be:
COOKS KNIFE Best described as a knife with a blade approx. 26cm in length, 45/50 mm wide at the heel of the blade and 4-5 mm thick, parallel until approx half down the blade and then curved to the point. The back of the blade is also straight to approx. half way, and then dips to meet the cutting blade. Not as pronounced as curve from cutting edge side. Handle shape and length to suit, but I like them to be around 120mm long. Make sure the handles are hygienic and made from materials resistant to bacteria. Can be metal or special plastics and reinforced fibres. A good forged knife is tapered from the top of blade down to the cutting edge and also tapered from the handle to the tip. Generally used in a rocking motion and it is most often used with some part of the blade in contact with the board. No kitchen would be complete without at least one of these manually operated food processors. Can be used for coarse or fine cutting, mincing and dicing of virtually every kind of food. PERFECTLY BALANCED, AN EXTENSION OF YOUR HAND. My ideal length would be to have a blade approx 250mm long. The longer the knife, usually the safer and easier it is to use. You can do a small job with the large knife but it is unsafe to use a small knife to do a large job. Parsley and a range of herbs, as well as onions, pumpkin, potatoes, mushrooms, slicing and dicing carrots, shredding cabbage, etc etc are all within the Cooks Knife domain.
UTILITY KNIFE Around 16cm in blade length, and somewhat narrower than a cooks knife. Used extensively for salad type vegetables and fruits. Ideal for carving small chickens, and other meats, both hot and cold. Slices tomatoes, and very good on fruit salad duty. Easily taken in the picnic basket I have used this to peel such things as small melons, by cutting slice off the bottom to stop the fruit rocking, then peeling from top of fruit to bottom and then turning the fruit around as you go. Once peeled then same knife is use to slice and dice the fruit.
PARING KNIFE (sometimes known as OFFICE KNIFE) I like this to have a blade length of around 9cm and once again is narrower than the utility knife. Ideal for peeling small fruits or vegetables, trimming, topping and tailing, cleaning blemishes on fruits or vegetables. Decorating fruits and vegetables for appealing presentation and garnish. A big BUT: Don’t use to cut heavy or solid vegetables, such as pumpkin.
Sometimes this knife can be replaced by a curved bladed knife referred to as:
TURNING KNIFE or BEAK KNIFE. Used by chefs who are extensively peeling or turning small vegetables only. The blade is around 7 to 8 cm and looks like a birds beak.
CARVING KNIFE Around 26cm blade, narrower than our cooks knife and a little less rigid. Ideal for hot and cold meats, and very good for dicing raw meats.
Have seen it used on slicing raw and cooked fish. However, not good on heavy vegetables as it is thinner than a Cooks knife and can jam within the heavier vegetables.
BREAD or CONFECTIONERS KNIFE. With the advent of bread makers and the larger loaves, this knife should be around 26cm in blade length. This has the same sort of thickness as our carving knife, but a is lot wider. There are some manufacturers that produce a new serrated edge, which is referred to as a reverse scallop edge. This cuts down on the breadcrumbs and doesn’t rip the bread and can be used on hot meats as a carver. Ideal in Europe for ham carving. The extra length is an advantage when cutting large sponges for filling.
The best way of describing this knife may take 1/2 a page but here goes:
Blade length 26 cm, round tip with diameter 2cm, back of blade is not straight but dips in the middle down towards the cutting edge. The blade is 40mm wide at the heel and tapers to the tip as described.
The cutting edge on what we call the “SUPER SLICER” has a reverse serration and the edge is not straight but has a gentle curve away from the back edge. Can I say; bring in some fresh bread and try this knife out!
As far as basic knives are concerned, the above would be your starter set. However, we have found the following should be considered depending on your life style:
BONING KNIFE Blade length around 14/16 cm, about the width of a paring knife back towards the handle it widens to a “guard” type bolster. This is to allow the knife to be gripped and the hand, not slip on to the blade. Used for boning chicken or ham and for trimming fat and sinews. The tapered point blade is a necessity for working closely around joints. Have seen this knife used by many as a utility knife as they find the narrower blade useful.
FLEXIBLE FILLET KNIFE Some different ideas for ideal length, but in general, if for indoors use, most folks like it to be 16/18cm. However, some from Europe even use up to 20 cm. Blade is the same width as our carving knife but a lot thinner, so it can bend and ride over the bones of a fish and take off the flesh from them. Once removed, the knife is then taken from the tail end of the fish and the skin is removed from the flesh. Can be used on delicate fish or preparing Carpaccio - it is easier with this extra thin, flexible blade. A note of caution, don’t use this as a general purpose knife for obvious reasons!
CLEAVER This is the only “knife looking” item that should be used to cut bones. The blade is approx 16/18 cm long but 3/5 mm thick parallel side and 100 /120 deep. The sides, being parallel, produce a thicker edge that can with stand cutting through bones. Also has a use for tenderizing meat and crushing garlic.
SPATULA or PALETTE KNIFE Not correctly a knife as the edge is not normally sharp but will cut pastry. These come in various lengths and for general purpose use needs to be 23/26 cm long, 25/30 mm wide, and thin so that items can be lifted without damaging the underside. The degree of flexibility or rigidity will depend on the uses you have for the spatula.
FORK This should be strong, have 2 prongs, without a guard and be about 16/18 cm long. Use it to hold the meat while you cut downwards or away from the fork –never towards you. Has a use for serving cold meats, pulling meat in and out of the oven.
CHEESE KNIFE Now available in different shapes for: HARD Parmesan MEDIUM TEXTURED Edam, Colby, Cheddar styles SOFT Camembert and Brie Probably the one to cover most would be one that has an offset handle and blade length of around 120mm long with a non-stick edge. The advantage of off set handle is room for your knuckles as you slice down through the block of cheese, resulting in a clean cut and no sore knuckles.
There are many others to choose from but if you consider your usual fruits, vegetables and meats you can do a good job and enjoy yourself on the way.
STEEL This piece of equipment is essential to keep the edge honed or realigned, but won’t sharpen a blunt knife. This needs to be done regularly. In the case of home use, DAILY. In the case of Professional use, regularly throughout the day. The metal part of the steel needs to be as long as or longer the longest knife you are likely to own. As a general rule we try to get customers to buy a steel at least 32cm long.
Place the tip of the steel on a cutting board and hold the steel vertical. Take the knife and hold the edge against the steel, at the heel of the knife. Position the knife at 20 degrees to the steel. Gently pull the knife-edge into the steel as you pull the knife down and towards yourself. Once down one side and the next stroke on the other side. Do about 3 per side and then check for sharpness.
After a period of time, the steel won’t give you an edge. This is when you need to have it sharpened. I don’t intend going there into finer detail as it is quite involved. We at the house of knives have a professional service and the contractor; my son, can do sharpening and a limited amount of repairs.
STORAGE A very unique place to store our knives has been developed in New Zealand and it is to throw them in a knife draw… Just joking! (I hope!) There is no one correct method but the same applies in each case. Separate the edges Keep the knives clean Keep out of reach of children Avoid the edges coming in contact with the human flesh.
KNIFE BLOCKS Can be sloped or upright. Make sure the slots are wide enough and the length of the block will take the longest knife. Ensure there is enough room between the items so you can get knives out with no trouble. Blocks can be stored away in a cupboard after use, safe and sound.
MAGNETIC RACK Good for heavy knives. Always put the back edge on first and the twist to lay flat. When taking off twist the blade off, so the back edges are left and then take off, and make sure you place handles down the bottom Don’t place on a cupboard door as a slam could dislodge the items. Not all metal items will go on a magnetic holder.
EDGE GUARDS Ideal for those of you who want to take your knives from job to job, or maybe on holiday. They are open-sided, hard plastic sleeves that you can slip over the cutting edge. Please follow the instructions for the application of these guards. SIMPLE AND SAFE.
KNIFE ROLLS AND BRIEF CASES Place your knives in an edge guard and then transport in a roll or brief case. Protects both the knife and yourself.
CUTLERY DRAW Yes you can place knives in a draw, but first obtain a device that can be placed in the draw and it will then allow you to place the knives vertical into it. The blades will be held in such a manner that the sharp edge is pointing towards the bottom of the draw and the back of the knife is upper most, and the blades are held securely without excessive movement.
CLEAN KNIVES For hygiene sake, please clean your knife. After you have used your knives, rinse them IMMEDIATELY under cold water, or hot if you have been carving the roast. Place them at the back of the bench with the edge away from you. When you next run a sink of hot soapy water, clean the knives first. Usually, use a brush, clean the handle and then scrub the blade. Dry with soft cloth and place in storage. Make sure you run the blunt side of the knife nearest to your hand when pulling through the tea towel. IF THERE IS ANY POSSIBLITY OF DANGER TO OTHER PERSONS, DON’T leave on the bench, clean and put away immediately.
ALWAYS SHARP, ALWAYS CLEAN, ALWAYS SAFE AND WELL PROTECTED
Knives have been around for thousands of years and have changed little since the Stone Age. Changes in materials and composition have evolved but the basic concept has not.
What makes the ideal material? We probably all remember the days not long ago when the blades went black. These were carbon steel. Very easily gain an edge, but lose it quite quickly, and the black would come off onto lemons and various foods. Some people look at the current knives and refer to them as “Stainless steel”. This is a misnomer. The current steel is known as Chrome-Molybdenum steel. This has the appearance of Stainless steel and if washed and cleaned correctly will react the same. The big ‘but’ is if not, it can still rust and pit.
We in the House of Knives prefer the statement “stain resistant” when describing the properties of the steel in our knives. The specialized high carbon, stain resistant alloy ensures that the critical characteristics of some German knives are there right from the beginning: Razor sharp Long lasting cutting edge Easily restorable edge High stain resistance
My advice to all purchasers of knives is to look at putting your biggest effort into purchasing Forged knives (ONE PIECE) as opposed to stamped and sintered knives. There should be found in the one piece construction of the forged knife: Balance Shape Precision forgings One piece from the tip of the blade to the heel of the handle Seamless handles Precision edge
Top quality knives that have sharp and precise edges are safe to use, but must also be the right knife for the task at hand.
“No need to fear the longer blades! Whether it be meats, breads, or vegetables, a faster, easier, and safer cut can be performed with a longer blade. One cut does it all”
My saying to all, “the sharper the knife, the safer the knife”
SELECTION
The number one knife in households and Chefs alike has to be:
COOKS KNIFE Best described as a knife with a blade approx. 26cm in length, 45/50 mm wide at the heel of the blade and 4-5 mm thick, parallel until approx half down the blade and then curved to the point. The back of the blade is also straight to approx. half way, and then dips to meet the cutting blade. Not as pronounced as curve from cutting edge side. Handle shape and length to suit, but I like them to be around 120mm long. Make sure the handles are hygienic and made from materials resistant to bacteria. Can be metal or special plastics and reinforced fibres. A good forged knife is tapered from the top of blade down to the cutting edge and also tapered from the handle to the tip. Generally used in a rocking motion and it is most often used with some part of the blade in contact with the board. No kitchen would be complete without at least one of these manually operated food processors. Can be used for coarse or fine cutting, mincing and dicing of virtually every kind of food. PERFECTLY BALANCED, AN EXTENSION OF YOUR HAND. My ideal length would be to have a blade approx 250mm long. The longer the knife, usually the safer and easier it is to use. You can do a small job with the large knife but it is unsafe to use a small knife to do a large job. Parsley and a range of herbs, as well as onions, pumpkin, potatoes, mushrooms, slicing and dicing carrots, shredding cabbage, etc etc are all within the Cooks Knife domain.
UTILITY KNIFE Around 16cm in blade length, and somewhat narrower than a cooks knife. Used extensively for salad type vegetables and fruits. Ideal for carving small chickens, and other meats, both hot and cold. Slices tomatoes, and very good on fruit salad duty. Easily taken in the picnic basket I have used this to peel such things as small melons, by cutting slice off the bottom to stop the fruit rocking, then peeling from top of fruit to bottom and then turning the fruit around as you go. Once peeled then same knife is use to slice and dice the fruit.
PARING KNIFE (sometimes known as OFFICE KNIFE) I like this to have a blade length of around 9cm and once again is narrower than the utility knife. Ideal for peeling small fruits or vegetables, trimming, topping and tailing, cleaning blemishes on fruits or vegetables. Decorating fruits and vegetables for appealing presentation and garnish. A big BUT: Don’t use to cut heavy or solid vegetables, such as pumpkin.
Sometimes this knife can be replaced by a curved bladed knife referred to as:
TURNING KNIFE or BEAK KNIFE. Used by chefs who are extensively peeling or turning small vegetables only. The blade is around 7 to 8 cm and looks like a birds beak.
CARVING KNIFE Around 26cm blade, narrower than our cooks knife and a little less rigid. Ideal for hot and cold meats, and very good for dicing raw meats.
Have seen it used on slicing raw and cooked fish. However, not good on heavy vegetables as it is thinner than a Cooks knife and can jam within the heavier vegetables.
BREAD or CONFECTIONERS KNIFE. With the advent of bread makers and the larger loaves, this knife should be around 26cm in blade length. This has the same sort of thickness as our carving knife, but a is lot wider. There are some manufacturers that produce a new serrated edge, which is referred to as a reverse scallop edge. This cuts down on the breadcrumbs and doesn’t rip the bread and can be used on hot meats as a carver. Ideal in Europe for ham carving. The extra length is an advantage when cutting large sponges for filling.
The best way of describing this knife may take 1/2 a page but here goes:
Blade length 26 cm, round tip with diameter 2cm, back of blade is not straight but dips in the middle down towards the cutting edge. The blade is 40mm wide at the heel and tapers to the tip as described.
The cutting edge on what we call the “SUPER SLICER” has a reverse serration and the edge is not straight but has a gentle curve away from the back edge. Can I say; bring in some fresh bread and try this knife out!
As far as basic knives are concerned, the above would be your starter set. However, we have found the following should be considered depending on your life style:
BONING KNIFE Blade length around 14/16 cm, about the width of a paring knife back towards the handle it widens to a “guard” type bolster. This is to allow the knife to be gripped and the hand, not slip on to the blade. Used for boning chicken or ham and for trimming fat and sinews. The tapered point blade is a necessity for working closely around joints. Have seen this knife used by many as a utility knife as they find the narrower blade useful.
FLEXIBLE FILLET KNIFE Some different ideas for ideal length, but in general, if for indoors use, most folks like it to be 16/18cm. However, some from Europe even use up to 20 cm. Blade is the same width as our carving knife but a lot thinner, so it can bend and ride over the bones of a fish and take off the flesh from them. Once removed, the knife is then taken from the tail end of the fish and the skin is removed from the flesh. Can be used on delicate fish or preparing Carpaccio - it is easier with this extra thin, flexible blade. A note of caution, don’t use this as a general purpose knife for obvious reasons!
CLEAVER This is the only “knife looking” item that should be used to cut bones. The blade is approx 16/18 cm long but 3/5 mm thick parallel side and 100 /120 deep. The sides, being parallel, produce a thicker edge that can with stand cutting through bones. Also has a use for tenderizing meat and crushing garlic.
SPATULA or PALETTE KNIFE Not correctly a knife as the edge is not normally sharp but will cut pastry. These come in various lengths and for general purpose use needs to be 23/26 cm long, 25/30 mm wide, and thin so that items can be lifted without damaging the underside. The degree of flexibility or rigidity will depend on the uses you have for the spatula.
FORK This should be strong, have 2 prongs, without a guard and be about 16/18 cm long. Use it to hold the meat while you cut downwards or away from the fork –never towards you. Has a use for serving cold meats, pulling meat in and out of the oven.
CHEESE KNIFE Now available in different shapes for: HARD Parmesan MEDIUM TEXTURED Edam, Colby, Cheddar styles SOFT Camembert and Brie Probably the one to cover most would be one that has an offset handle and blade length of around 120mm long with a non-stick edge. The advantage of off set handle is room for your knuckles as you slice down through the block of cheese, resulting in a clean cut and no sore knuckles.
There are many others to choose from but if you consider your usual fruits, vegetables and meats you can do a good job and enjoy yourself on the way.
STEEL This piece of equipment is essential to keep the edge honed or realigned, but won’t sharpen a blunt knife. This needs to be done regularly. In the case of home use, DAILY. In the case of Professional use, regularly throughout the day. The metal part of the steel needs to be as long as or longer the longest knife you are likely to own. As a general rule we try to get customers to buy a steel at least 32cm long.
Place the tip of the steel on a cutting board and hold the steel vertical. Take the knife and hold the edge against the steel, at the heel of the knife. Position the knife at 20 degrees to the steel. Gently pull the knife-edge into the steel as you pull the knife down and towards yourself. Once down one side and the next stroke on the other side. Do about 3 per side and then check for sharpness.
After a period of time, the steel won’t give you an edge. This is when you need to have it sharpened. I don’t intend going there into finer detail as it is quite involved. We at the house of knives have a professional service and the contractor; my son, can do sharpening and a limited amount of repairs.
STORAGE A very unique place to store our knives has been developed in New Zealand and it is to throw them in a knife draw… Just joking! (I hope!) There is no one correct method but the same applies in each case. Separate the edges Keep the knives clean Keep out of reach of children Avoid the edges coming in contact with the human flesh.
KNIFE BLOCKS Can be sloped or upright. Make sure the slots are wide enough and the length of the block will take the longest knife. Ensure there is enough room between the items so you can get knives out with no trouble. Blocks can be stored away in a cupboard after use, safe and sound.
MAGNETIC RACK Good for heavy knives. Always put the back edge on first and the twist to lay flat. When taking off twist the blade off, so the back edges are left and then take off, and make sure you place handles down the bottom Don’t place on a cupboard door as a slam could dislodge the items. Not all metal items will go on a magnetic holder.
EDGE GUARDS Ideal for those of you who want to take your knives from job to job, or maybe on holiday. They are open-sided, hard plastic sleeves that you can slip over the cutting edge. Please follow the instructions for the application of these guards. SIMPLE AND SAFE.
KNIFE ROLLS AND BRIEF CASES Place your knives in an edge guard and then transport in a roll or brief case. Protects both the knife and yourself.
CUTLERY DRAW Yes you can place knives in a draw, but first obtain a device that can be placed in the draw and it will then allow you to place the knives vertical into it. The blades will be held in such a manner that the sharp edge is pointing towards the bottom of the draw and the back of the knife is upper most, and the blades are held securely without excessive movement.
CLEAN KNIVES For hygiene sake, please clean your knife. After you have used your knives, rinse them IMMEDIATELY under cold water, or hot if you have been carving the roast. Place them at the back of the bench with the edge away from you. When you next run a sink of hot soapy water, clean the knives first. Usually, use a brush, clean the handle and then scrub the blade. Dry with soft cloth and place in storage. Make sure you run the blunt side of the knife nearest to your hand when pulling through the tea towel. IF THERE IS ANY POSSIBLITY OF DANGER TO OTHER PERSONS, DON’T leave on the bench, clean and put away immediately.
ALWAYS SHARP, ALWAYS CLEAN, ALWAYS SAFE AND WELL PROTECTED
