A Good Work Around for Proper Knife Care

A knive is a tool, and most tools require proper use and care so that they can function at 100%.

The proper care of a knife is pretty basic really — just protect the edge, use it for just cutting, use the knife steel and sharpen as needed.

Simple really, and easily done. That is if you follow these points — less easily done if the knife is not always in your care...

My Hidden Knife Cache

Unfortunately — in my adobe — one of those is a BIG problem! I can't seem to be able to convince my housemates to handle the knives properly.

The last straw happened last month. I sharpened the santoku knife that is in the block on the counter visible in the picture above. Housemate left it in the sink, then a guest reached into the sink and received a rather nasty cut. Next me and him are in the bathroom getting a bandage for his finger.

My solution for that was to simply stop sharpening the knives — let the knives deteriorate. That worked for a while, but started to gnaw at my soul. Every time I tried to cut a strawberry or a tomato I suffered.

Hidden Knife with Sheath

Took me a while — but finally had an Eureka! moment!

I sell these nice knife sheaths, the sheaths are designed to slip onto the knife blade — as an option to protect the edge other than storing the knife in a block.

 I decided to hide the knives I wanted to use!

Knives in Sheaths Stored in Drawer

Now I have three or four of my knives — nice and sharp — stored safe and secure in a drawer.

More Vintage Knives!

I went to an estate sale and bought more stuff!

Vintage Dexter Knife Steel, Stanley Hatchet, Forschner Boning Knife, Chinese Chef's Knife

Here is a picture of the four items.

The Dexter knife sharpening steel is at the bottom of the photograph. I usually pick up any knife steels when I find them, as long as they are large, from a quality manufacturer, and look nice. This Dexter steel does. I keep a couple of steels at my mobile knife sharpening booth to both sell and to demonstrate.

Although I am calling this a knife sharpening steel I don't think that is a proper way to refer to it. I used knife sharpening steel as that is what Dexter calls it on their website. A steel does not sharpen a knife — it restores the knife edge, keeps it straight. A straight edge cuts better than if the edge was folded over — but know that a straight edge can still be dull. I will gladly talk to anybody about how a knife steel works, and the best way to use a knife steel — just stop by my mobile knife sharpening booth.

The next up is a Forschner 6" boning knife. The design of a boning knife is a thin blade, which allows  one to twist and turn the knife as one trims meat off of a bone.

Forschner knives are the knife of choice of professional meat cutters. I will probably end up selling this knife to one of the butchers at one of the supermarkets where I sharpen knives.

Estate Sale Knives

Next up from the bottom is the hatchet. This is a Stanley hatchet. I will sharpen the hatchet and just let the guy hang around. We are entering camping season — somebody will want it.

At the top is a Chinese chef's knife. Most people think this is a cleaver, it ain't. A cleaver has a much thicker blade to stand up to heavy chopping — a Chinese chef's knife is the same as any chef's knife, it's just wider and has no point.

I got this guy because of the wooded sheath. The picture above shows it half in the sheath.

Chinese Chef's Knife with Wooden Sheath

Here is the Chinese chef's knife in it's holder.

Chinese Chef's Knife

Here is the knife being pulled out.

The rust that is visible tells us that the knife is carbon steel (as opposed to stainless steel). I like carbon steel knives — they require different handling and use, kind of a throwback to simpler times.

I'll clean up, sharpen up this knife and see it anyone wants to take it home.

Recently Rustled Up Some Nice Used Kitchen Knives

I did a bit of horse trading, and some estate sale shopping recently.

Vintage Carbon Steel Dexter 4898 8" Chef's Knife

I found this bad boy at an estate sale today. It is a vintage carbon steel Dexter chef's knife, model #4898.

Carbon steel when new is a shiny steel color that everyone is familiar with — as it is used in the kitchen the steel gets a discolored coating or finish, which we call a patina. A patina is a normal occurrence with carbon steel. The patina is not rust. Rust is bad, patina is good.

People are no longer familiar with carbon steel — what with stainless steel dominating the marketplace —so when the knife gets a patina it seems to freak people out. All non-stainless steel will get a patina, think garden tools, manhole covers.

Rust should be kept away. A carbon steel knife needs to be stored dry. After using, wipe the knife dry and put away. Carbon steel knives require a bit more care than a similar stainless steel knife.

I guess using carbon steel knives are a throwback, a bit more of an art than stainless steel. Some people enjoy this — I do!

This knife is in excellent condition. I will sharpen it and sell it on eBay.

Wusthof 4518 Narrow Slicing Knife

Picked up this Wusthof 6" slicing knife. This knife would be used to slice small items such as onions, tomatoes and apples.

This Wusthof is in excellent condition. I will sharpen it and sell it on eBay.

Wusthof 4066 Paring Knife

And this Wusthof paring knife. This knife is probably the most worn of these three — but with that still in fine shape. None of the broken points, chips or other damage that so many people seem to inflict on their knives!

I will probably sharpen this little guy and offer it for sale at my mobile sharpening booth.

I also traded for a bunch of Henckel knives. I got a couple Henckel paring, a couple of slicing, and a couple Henckel chef's knives. I sold the six inch Henckel chef's knife — the rest are waiting to be sharpened.

Today is Friday, I'm always sharpening knives at two Zanotto's (San Jose, California) locations — Zanotto's Willow Glen in the morning, Zanotto's Rose Garden in the afternoon — look for these knives and more at my mobile knife sharpening stand!

F. Dick 1905 Paring Knife

A customer bought an F. Dick paring knife from me some time ago, and wanted two more. She wanted another one for herself and one for a gift.

F. Dick 1905 Paring Knives

Here they are — two beautiful F. Dick 1905 paring knives.

Vintage Garden Tools To Sharpen and Sell

I collected some more vintage garden tools.

Corona Loppers, Vintage Swiss Pruner, Reliance Compton U Set Shears

Here is a picture of the latest three pieces that I picked up.

Vintage Forged Corona Loppers with Wood Handles

These Corona loppers are not exactly rare, but I am definitely attracted to the old, forged Coronas with the wooden handles. I cleaned and sharpened, oiled and adjusted them, and they are all ready for use!

Vintage Swiss Made Hand Pruners

The vintage hand pruners are marked 'Made in Switzerland.' I can't quite read the name cast into the metal. These pruners are very heavy, thick forged metal, with big, long brass springs to hold the pruners open. It appears that these guys are designed to stay open — I don't see any latch to keep them closed. These are in excellent shape, with just a small chip on the lower, anvil part of the pruner.

Reliance Compton U Set Shears

Here are the shears.

They are — as I remember, they are not in front of me — are made by Reliance of Newark, New Jersey. They are in good shape, just a small part of one point was missing. I cleaned most of the rust off, sharpened and cleaned them up. I may keep these to use in the office.

I also have a nice, very old grass clipper and another hand pruner which I did not take pictures of, so more to follow!