A couple quick knife questions...

[ACFCHEFKC]

I love santokus. I have had as many as 7 at one time, I currently have 4. We use them daily for veg and meat work, IF, it is in smaller quantities or to be cut very thin. Most of the members of the ACF hot food competetion team use them for the classic cut skills set.

The steel in your Berghoff set may not be hard enough for the knives. The blade should ring when stroked accross the steel, if it is a dull thud then the steel is not hard enough. F.Dick is synomous with the best steels in the world. For a long time they were more well known for their steels than their knives. They make a harder knife and very hard steels.

I use a lot of Japanese knives and I use one of the fine cut F.Dick oval steels for touch up. Most manufacturers make a steel that is commensotrate with their knives, but I have seen softer steels in Dexter/ Russell, Berghoff, ect.

Diamond steeels are really great for putting on that last little "sawtooth" edge, but they cannot be relied on solely; they will thin the edge out too much or wear it down prematurely. But they are great in an emergency, I carry a Wusthof oval diamond. In the kitchen I use water stones to set the edge befor a long day of cutting.

I'm glad you like your Berghoff knives and I think you are wise to use an 8" or even a Santoku on the line where space is limited.

KC

[Blade55440]

In reply to the "needs to ring when steeled", that's one thing I actually liked about the set, it rings about as stereotypically as a samurai drawing his sword in a cheesy b-budget film... in fact, when if it's REAL quiet at home when I do so, it's downright creepy how much the ring hangs in the air.

Thanks for the suggestion on the diamond steel and such, never realized they could eat away at a blade that quickly. I need to take my school kit to a professional and have them re-sharpened, even a steel isn't helping them much anymore.

[ACFCHEFKC]

Good For You,

Having Sharp Knives Makes The Work Go Better And Keeps The Food In Better Condition

Kc

[Blade55440]

not to mention keeps me from slicing off the tips of my thumb/pinky... although when it happens it's quick and **** near painless.

[ACFCHEFKC]

Well, you are supposed to keep those pulled back out of the way. Oh well, I guess after a couple of times you won't have to worry about them anymore..........

KC

[greenawalt87]

Originally Posted by kokopuffs

I use an old 10" Sabatier that has a carbon steel blade which stains but so what as long as it works well.

All my knives are Sabatiers from small paring to my big 14'' a collection of 8 all together use them everyday. These can be true the edge very easily.

[SushiGaijin]

I use a carbon steel sabatier 6" or a global 4" for most of my cutting. The shorter blades allow better tip control, and for brunoisses of garlic and shallots, or slicing soft things like mushrooms, the tip is the part I use. For larger things I reach for the 8" sabatier - slicing chives into little circular threads, for instance. There is no reason to use a bigger knife unless you like the bigger knife better, you certainly do not NEED a bigger knife. The only time I reach for a longer knife is for big proteins, like 300# whole tunas - for those I use a 12" forged global that has been sharpened down to a very sturdy shiv.

I stay away from diamond steels, no reason to destroy my carefully honed edges. I more often reach for the bottom of a coffee cup, the ceramic is very fine and will restore a sharp blade to very sharp, quickly.

Erik.