Knives used in the kitchen or on the dinner table enjoy an unenviably life. They lie at the bottom of a sink full of dirty dishes or unappreciated in our knife drawer until they are called to service. Their task is the oldest that knives are called upon to do as the primary function of the cutting edge is food processing.
Despite exception, as a rule modern factory made kitchen knives are for the most part utilitarian and of poor quality. Some might even be described as disposable since they have no edge to start with, are incapable of taking a good edge, because the steel is too soft, or simply do not keep that edge should someone skilled actually manage to sharpen them.
They generally require more energy to use than they should and the blade is frequently too thin and flexible for their intended task. This results in guidance problems and requires more corrective effort for the user. Manufacturers do this in order to save on raw materials and because it makes the knife easier to sharpen.
Ironically a proper case knife should be almost as flexible as an artist's pallet knife and this was the way it was done up to the second world war. Modern factory cutlery makers choose cheap stainless steel for such knives reasoning that they will not be required to take an edge. Therefore they would break if made in the thin crossections required for a proper case knife and are too heavy and unyielding as result.
The Japanese have always had a particular talent with kitchen knives. Their traditional knives tend to be a bilaminate of high carbon and mild steel for an overly sturdy blade and remarkably sharp edge. Such edges generally rockwell in the sixty plus range. They are not easy to sharpen because the steel is hard but keep their edge for a long time.
Samurai of the Shinto period used to carry a little knife in their sword scabbard, for cutting up food. These kozuka were elaborately made and were about the same size as a modern day steak knife.
Custom Knifemakers tend to eschew the prosaic working life of the kitchen knife
for the more romantic allure of the dropoint hunter or the legendary Bowie.
Yet the Bowie in its simplest form is just a butcher knife with a clip and sometimes it doesn't
even have that.
It was not always so. Great makers such as Micheal Price and other American and Sheffield makers made their reputations producing quality kitchenware or tableware for appreciative clients. They recognised that here was a means of introducing quality blades to a wider public and give people who ordinarily might not care for knives the opportunity to see the difference. There are always people who will invest as much in a knife they use everyday as in a knife they use once in a blue moon, if ever.
This extended to the folding fruitknife which became popular as an accutrement for the peripatetic Lady or Gentleman in Georgian and Victorian times. Before the advent of stainless steel, fruit knives were almost entirely made of sterling silver as steel suffers in reaction to fruit acids.
The various kitchen knife patterns can be distilled into the following basic shapes.
Carving the Sunday roast is a time honored tradition. This blade should be relatively stiff. Usually used in conjunction with a two pronged fork.
Separating meat from bone is probably the first use the cutting edge was put to 2.5 million years ago. People are still at it. This blade needs a degree of relative flexibility.
The Asian version of the chopper tends to be wider than the Western but the general idea of a heavy wide blade with a straight edge is common to both. The blade length/width ratio facilitates scooping up the food for deposition in the pot. Narrower choppers facilitate slicing actions and are more versatile. Will be relatively stiff as a matter of course. A good one will have a ring to it when you tap near the edge with your fingernail.
Most bread knives carry a serrated edge though this is not needed if the edge is sharp. Unless the bread is real pap in which case its probably precut anyway. Sharp plain edges generate fewer crumbs than serrated edges. Should be fairly thin and can have a degree of relative flexibility.
A general purpose slicer can be found in most kitchens and is the most commonly used knife outside of the parer. Alfred Hitchcock created an iconic image which endures in the public consciousness when he chose this pattern for the shower scene in his movie "Psycho". This knife should be relatively inflexible.
Its a peeler. Its based on Alvin's version. So break out the spuds. Early potatoes grown in good ground can simply be washed and scrubbed.
The paring knife is the one most people reach for in the kitchen and is frequently used for tasks other than paring. Handy for chipping potatoes and light chopping tasks also.
Materials used in kitchen knives are many and varied. Because of the life they must endure 440C is particularly suitable as a blade steel. It is highly corrosion resistant, holds a good edge and is easy to sharpen. Handle materials run the gamut from wood to ivory but modern plastics rule the roost here with Zytel and G10 coming in neck and neck for a photo finish in the "which is best" stakes. Micarta is frequently found and is well suited to life in the kitchen. Corian is also usable as it can be made to match counter tops. Unfortunately it is somewhat brittle.
A cutting board should always be used to cut in the kitchen. It will save your edge. Make it wood and throw away the plastic one you got as a wedding present. Eventually cuts in the plastic harbor food and bacteria and are unsafe. A good wood board will have a surface composed of end grain which closes up after the cut is made. Also some woods are naturally antiseptic. Make sure you keep the board clean nevertheless.
Under no circumstances should you use a sharp knife on porcelain. The end result is always a ruined edge and sometimes a cut in the glaze.
If you have good knives in the kitchen resist the urge to take the easy way out by putting them in the dishwasher. Clean them yourself by hand. You will be rewarded for your diligence by knives that last you a lifetime.
Keep your best knives in a knife block. Never keep them in the kitchen drawer as they will rapidly lose their edge and occasion you more effort to sharpen.
