So you are among those countless who feel that a sharp knife is dangerous to use. It is true that anyone who is not accustomed to working with knives can hurt himself with a knife that is razor sharp but it is equally true that blunt knife is dangerous to use. In fact, there is a greater chance of hurting yourself with a blunt knife than with a sharp knife even if you are an expert chef. This is because a blunt knife makes a man exert more pressure than is necessary to perform a task of cutting, chopping or mincing with the result that the knife may suddenly hit your fingers with a great force and make you bleed. What happens is that increased pressure on your part plus the inability of the knife to cut through an object makes it slip and go in any direction where your fingers or any other part of the hand may be.

Blunt knife is dangerous; there can be no two words about it. For one, you think it is blunt as it cannot cut your vegetables properly. But mind you, it is still sharp enough to splice through your skin and injure you badly. This is why using a blunt knife is dangerous as it may not cut an onion or tomato and slip as you try to force your way.

It is really very irritating when you buy expensive meat from the market and you are not able to mince it properly as you find that your knife has gone dull. You obviously cannot complete the job, or are more likely to do a poor job which spoils the dish completely. You cannot throw away the knife as you know how expensive knives have become. What then is the answer to this problem? Of course you can take your knives to the market and give it to a professional sharpener or decide to do it on your own. Yes, I am talking about trying to sharpen the blunt knife at home. It is nothing new and millions are doing it routinely at home. Then why are you worried? If the thought that you might hurt yourself trying to sharpen the blunt knife is troubling you, it is really childish, as there are many new sharpening devices available in the markets which are absolutely safe and easy to operate. Well, if your grandfather could sharpen his razor on a stone and also the blunt knives of the house, why not new. Technological advances have made knife sharpening very easy and you can buy a sharpener from the market that matches your requirements and is simple enough for you to use.

Before buying a knife sharpener from the market, do give it a try at the counter itself to see if you can use it without any difficulty. Remember, blunt knife is dangerous and it is prudent to get it sharpened as soon as you notice any drop in its performance, and yes, before it hurts you in any way.

I purchased this product three years ago when I got serious about cooking to hold some of my then-new Forschner (now Victorinox) knives. I had one knife and block set we’d been given as a wedding gift (now 20 years ago), and another “regular” block I picked up on closeout somewhere, and both were full with my existing cutlery (yes, I’m a knife-nerd). The Kapoosh looked like a good way to store a wide variety of pieces in a relatively small space. The exterior finish is very nice, and the insertion/withdrawal angle is a little more comfortable for me at 6′2″ than my “standard” blocks.

Sadly, I can’t recommend this block to anyone who keeps a keen edge on their knives – the plastic “fingers” are easily cut and mine is beginning to become loose from the “shedding”. Another issue some have run into is sharp knives shaving bits of plastic finger on their way out, and what look like bits of pepper aren’t. Some have replaced the plastic insert with bamboo skewers, but that doesn’t seem like much of an improvement to me.

Another issue is the depth, or rather, the lack of it. My 8-inch chef’s knife will not insert completely into the Kapoosh, leaving about 1/2 inch of edge exposed – not great from a safety perspective. I’ve finally resorted to keeping my longer knives in magnetic covers laid atop the Kapoosh, and save the fingers for my cheap serrated steak knives and a couple of cleavers.

If you have a lot of small or serrated knives with no other home, the Kapoosh may work for you. — Great, flexible storage – for dull knives

Knife skills are an important technique to learn if you want to be safe in the kitchen. Chef Jason Hill shows you how to cut an onion with a chef’s knife. Today you’ll learn how to dice, how to slice and how to mince onions. For dicing, first remove the stem end of the onion. Set up and cut in half down through the root. Peel first layer of skin off. Leaving the root end on keeps the onion together while you are dicing. With your free hand, tucking your fingers, hold down the onion and begin to make cuts in the onion, using your free hand as a guide for your blade. For a finer dice, you can make a cut or two down the center of the onion. Again, tucking your fingers, hold down the onion and begin to dice the onion. Keep your fingers tucked at all times. To slice an onion, I remove the root end and remove the first layer of skin. Set the onion flat. You can turn the onion and begin slicing. This thickness works great for salads or fajitas. While we’re at it, you probably want to know how to mince garlic or shallots. I lay the garlic or shallot on its flat side and begin to make tiny 1/8th inch slices through the shallot. Carefully make several cross section cuts into the shallot, moving your fingertips backward as you cut. Finally, make 1/8th inch slices down the shallot. Now you are mincing! This method works great for garlic as well. Remember the speed will come with time. Thanks for watching.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 10th, 2010 at 2:12 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

I have used my Cutco Homemaker Set + 8 (16 knives, 2 carving forks)  for ten years.  Yes, ten lovely years!  The set comes with everything you need to cut your food.  Cutco also sells many other sets, including ice cream scoops ,super shears , and pizza cutters . 

(Homemaker + 8 piece set)

I divide my cooking and food preparation into two categories- Pre-Cutco and Post-Cutco.

Let me describe Pre-Cutco:

•  Sawing through food trying to get it into chunks that can easily fit into your mouth… much easier chewing than trying to cut, but you at least need it small enough to fit into your mouth
• Backaches from trying to cut your meat.  Yes, it is easier to pay a little bit more for the better cuts of meat, or just let a butcher do it for a little bit more
• Knife slipping and cutting you, and of course, it is a dull cut so it hurts like crazy.  You had to use so much pressure to cut that it is a pretty deep cut too (yes, somehow I still have all 10 fingers from pre Cutco life

Now, Post Cutco life (I have had the knife for ten years and wanted to write a review to let you all know how awesome they are!  I didn’t get anything free, but one lucky winner will!):

• Easily cuts food, little or no effot.  I can remember the first time I used it, I pushed so hard to cut the poor piece of meat and cut the whole piece in one slice, no kidding.  You will retrain yourself to use little or no effort.  Great for people with carpal tunnel or wrist problems.  Perhaps you can try to talk your insurance company into buying you Cutco
• No backaches or back spasms.  The most effortless cutting you will do
• The good news is that the knife will easily slide through food and you will LOVE your Cutco

Right now, Cutco is having a 10% or more sale for existing customers.  Click the image below for more information

Do you want to sell Cutco?  Go here for details: cutco.com/company/careers.jsp

You can order through their website here: cutco.com

Or you can order their catalog here: cutco.com/customer/catRequest.jsp

There is a FOREVER Guarantee on Cutco !  Yes, a FOREVER guarantee, except for misuse or abuse.  Details on the Forever Guarantee:

• If at any time you are not completely satisfied with the performance of your CUTCO product, we will correct the problem or replace the product.
• Simply send the product with an explanatory note to the address below.

• CUTCO knives with the Double-D® edge will remain sharp for many years, but after extended use they may need sharpening.
• For sharpening of Double-D® or straight-edged knives, send them along with a return shipping and handling fee of $6.00 (1-3 items) or $9.00 (4 or more items) to the CUTCO address below.

• Should you damage your CUTCO through misuse or abuse, we will replace the item for one half of the current retail price plus shipping/handling and tax.
• Send the product with an explanatory note to the CUTCO address below.

• If at any time within fifteen (15) days after receipt of your CUTCO you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason you may get a full refund of your purchase price by contacting CUTCO Customer Service at the address below.
• Engraved or monogrammed products cannot be returned under the Unconditional Money Back Guarantee. All other aspects of the Forever Guarantee do apply.

The CUTCO FOREVER GUARANTEE is intended solely for consumer/in-homeuse.
CUSTOMER SERVICE PLEDGE

AtCUTCO, our pledge is to guarantee our customers

GIVEAWAY DETAILS SWEEPSTAKES ENDED 5/4

Now that you are jealous of my Cutco knife set and you REALLY want to try the Cutco knife set out, this is what one lucky winner will win! The 4 piece table set, valued at $116.  And yes, you will have all the wonderful benefits of the Forever Guarantee

Visit  cutco.com   and tell me what knife set, gift set, accessory, etc that you would like to have from Cutco.com.  This entry must be done before any other entry.  If this isn’t done, all other entries will be deleted.

EXTRA ENTRIES.  Must leave comment for each additional entry

1 extra entry: Follow @rsmstahley on twitter and leave your twitter username in comment

1 extra entry per day: Tweet the following and leave twitter link in comment

#Win a @CUTCOCutlery 4 piece table knife set #giveaway ($116 value) @rsmstahley’s blog. Enter here: tinyurl.com/y2lnrw5 ends 5/4

5 extra entries: Follow @CUTCOCutlery and tweet about your favorite knife, accessory, hunting knife, etc and leave five comment with link

5 extra entries: Become a Fan of Cutco Cutlery on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall.  Leave five comments with the link

5 extra entries: Grab My button and leave 5 comments with the link where I can find it

<a href=”blog.brickwallbuster.com”><img alt=”" src=”images.quickblogcast.com/6/6/1/8/3/247812-238166/thumbnails/blogbutton.JPG?a=2035397438″ /></a>

5 extra entries: Subscribe through the following link and then 5 comments after you confirm your subscription:

10 extra entries: Blog about cutco.com (must be at least 250 words) and include the cutco.com link at least once in your blog.  Also leave a link to this review and contest: blog.brickwallbuster.com/2010/04/13/cutco-review-and-4-piece-knife-giveaway-116-value.aspx Leave ten comments with link to blog entry.Giveaway open to USA, aged 18 and older.  Giveaway will end 5/04 and winner will be chosen randomly through random.org.  No purchase necessary.  Purchase will not make your odds better for winning this prize.

Disclaimer: I was not paid, was not given a sample or any other reimbursement for this review.  Cutco.com will be sending the lucky winner their 4 pc table knife set.  The above opinion and review is 100% mine.  The product was paid for over 10 years ago, but I TRULY love Cutco and their company.

I am really excited that I have joined paletteknifepainters.blogspot.com blog. Seeing other artists’ work has made me think about my techniques/ I really do not have a technique – i tend to use palette knives and add details with brushes. In my new paintings I am trying to avoid using brushes for final touches and want to paint exclusively with palette knives. To help myself – I purchased Dick Blick  knife set for fine detail work and am testing them tonight!

In the past I have used plastic knives, fingers and even butter knives to paint with. One really does not need to use expensive tools to create a beautiful painting. But I must admit I am already loving these knives….

If you don’t have a knife sharpening kit and you’re in between taking knives down to the cutlery store to get sharpened, you can put a little bite back into your knife with a coffee mug.

Photo by Rhett Maxwell.

Over at the site DIYLife they highlight a way to sharpen the edge of a knife using a coffee mug:

It’s true, the bottom of most ceramic coffee mugs have a flat, unglazed ring that is the perfect surface for giving that dull knife a quick sharpening. Just run the blade across the bottom of the mug at a 45-degree angle, working from the butt up near the knife’s handle to the tip. Slide the blade downward in one direction, keeping your fingers out of the way as you work.

We’d definitely stress that this isn’t a perfect solution for continually sharpening your knives—if you want to sharpen your own knives the Spyderco Sharpmaker is an awesome at-home solution—but if you need to clean up the edge and buy yourself some more time before a proper sharpening, it’ll do in a pinch.

Check out the full article at the link below for additional information and tips on sharpening other kitchen implements. if you have a knife sharpening tip or trick to share, let’s hear about it in the comments.

Shun is for Closers

Guess I won second prize in the sales contest. Thanks, Mitch and Murray.

And thanks, anonymous foulmouthed motivator guy. It would’ve been nice to get that Cadillac Eldorado, but at least I didn’t “win” third prize.

And the set is really nice: four Kai MH-700 Shun knives, with VG-10 Super Steel cutting cores inside 32 layers of stainless steel. I’m the kind of guy who likes having ten complete fingers, so the asymmetrical bolster and D-shaped handles feel right for me. This is the kind of knife set that you keep in your kitchen for years and years. Or in your desk, like I do. If that guy ever comes back to motivate us again, I’d love to show him just how nice they are.

Warranty: Lifetime Kai USA

Features:

• Rockwell hardness of 61 ensures that it takes and holds its edge longer
• Seamless, one-piece stainless-steel bolster, handle and end cap
• Sharp, flexible Damascus-patterned steel ensures that foods stick less during slicing
• VG-10 “Super Steel” cutting core clad with 32 layers of SUS410 stainless
• “D” shaped stainless-steel handles
• Asymmetrical bolster to provide proper finger placement
• Kasumi Method
• Simple elegance and easy care
• Dishwasher safe, but hand washing recommended
• NSF approved

In the box:

• 4 Kai MH-700 Shun Steel Series 4 Steak Knives
• Bamboo Case with Molded Lining (Bamboo case shade and case lining color may vary from picture)

I’ve never used a mandoline, food processor, or electric kitchen slicer and the options are a bit overwhelming. I’d like the most versatile appliance with the least possibility of slicing off my fingers. I’m willing to spend money on a quality addition to my kitchen, but I don’t expect to slice pound upon pound of veggies every day. I’m really looking for thin, even slices for my new food dehydrator that I can’t quite seem to accomplish with my knife.

Category: Electric kitchen knives.