Edge damage question.

problem with chef's knives and kitchen knives, they are made to cut, and cut very well, that means as thin and sharp as possible... but even novices in the kitchen can now afford nice knives, but nice knives as tools require knowledge... I fix damage for free, but i don't replace a knife if i tested it and the heat treat and geometry is fine... i adapt it to the customers apparent levels of skill...
 
I wonder what was under the fish when he was cutting it up? Stainless steel table?

Or maybe cutting fish heads off bigger fish and torqued the blade on the spine. Salmon/striper etc. have some tough bones that could easily tweak an edge on a fillet knife.
 
Andre Grobler said:
problem with chef's knives and kitchen knives, they are made to cut, and cut very well, that means as thin and sharp as possible... but even novices in the kitchen can now afford nice knives, but nice knives as tools require knowledge... I fix damage for free, but i don't replace a knife if i tested it and the heat treat and geometry is fine... i adapt it to the customers apparent levels of skill...
Click to expand...
I have however learned my lesson... i do not force the issue about it being unsuitable use, i just say, i ground it a bit thin for their use, it is now more suitable to their typical use... then nobody feels they are being called out
 
This is something that has plagued knifemaking forever. Knives may be one of mankind’s oldest tools but it is also one of his most abused tools. Blatantly improper use goes beyond the simple inconvenience of having to repair or replace blades, it forces knifemakers to dumb down their products in order to safeguard against abuse. Imagine how fantastic we could make our knives in their specialized tasks if we knew they would be used properly for their intended use.

Like with almost everything, the answer is in education. Those of us who understand blades, their construction, properties and function, have a responsibility to educate the masses on their realistic use and not feed or encourage the problem. This is an even tougher job when our culture and media, from the big screen to the small one, is feeding them gross misinformation. We need to let all the new makers coming on the scene know that when they use cheesy marketing that promotes abuse, they may make a quick buck with their awful knives designed to do anything but cut, but they really hurt the entire craft in the long run.
 
Kevin R. Cashen said:
This is something that has plagued knifemaking forever. Knives may be one of mankind’s oldest tools but it is also one of his most abused tools. Blatantly improper use goes beyond the simple inconvenience of having to repair or replace blades, it forces knifemakers to dumb down their products in order to safeguard against abuse. Imagine how fantastic we could make our knives in their specialized tasks if we knew they would be used properly for their intended use.

Like with almost everything, the answer is in education. Those of us who understand blades, their construction, properties and function, have a responsibility to educate the masses on their realistic use and not feed or encourage the problem. This is an even tougher job when our culture and media, from the big screen to the small one, is feeding them gross misinformation. We need to let all the new makers coming on the scene know that when they use cheesy marketing that promotes abuse, they may make a quick buck with their awful knives designed to do anything but cut, but they really hurt the entire craft in the long run.
Click to expand...

1000%

I’m sure that everyone here is tagged endlessly on FB videos of makers using their knife to cut metal rods and chains. It is a difficult line to walk to be respectful of other makers while also explaining that this knife shaped tool is basically a cold chisel with a handle and that while it will slice paper, you’d have to beat it through a carrot with a baton.
 
Kevin R. Cashen said:
Those of us who understand blades, their construction, properties and function, have a responsibility to educate the masses on their realistic use and not feed or encourage the problem.
Click to expand...

When the mantra is FIF...FIF...FIF...this is extremely difficult to do. Since I am not a fan...I have gotten weary of even discussing knives with the general public. The minute anyone discovers that I don't bang hot metal the light goes outta their eyes...the more exuberant "knife enthusiast" will try to school me on how to forge based on the shows they've watched....what's worse that having to watch fine craftsmen being rushed through a build? Having to hear about it by someone with very little understanding of what they watched.

Only occasionally do I find someone that enjoys the finer details of knife use....and they're usually older than me. I started making the smallest niftiest knife I could design as my flagship. But it's a SLICER not a log wedge...I have one friend who is full throttle on everything he does and talks non stop...wants one of my knives very badly..and is saying "I'll REALLY put it to "the test" as an incentive for me..lol....So after he abuses a nice little knife and then talks crap about it publicly...I'm supposed view this as a help. Friendly guy that I would never want to loan any tool to...but he's a "knife guy"...



I don't know if this is true or not...but is seems that guys that like to bludgeon things gravitate one way and guys that like precision gravitate the other? Are we stuck with leading the proverbial horse to water?

It took many years for folks to wise up to orange county choppers...maybe we're in for a spell?

I do agree we need to educate...I'm just wrestling with how to be heard...
 
It may continue that way for a long time. FIF has created an audience that thinks a good knife can pierce gas cans, chop oak barrels and then slice rope and sugar cane. Anything else is less than a knife. IMHO
 
Kevin R. Cashen said:
This is something that has plagued knifemaking forever. Knives may be one of mankind’s oldest tools but it is also one of his most abused tools. Blatantly improper use goes beyond the simple inconvenience of having to repair or replace blades, it forces knifemakers to dumb down their products in order to safeguard against abuse. Imagine how fantastic we could make our knives in their specialized tasks if we knew they would be used properly for their intended use.

Like with almost everything, the answer is in education. Those of us who understand blades, their construction, properties and function, have a responsibility to educate the masses on their realistic use and not feed or encourage the problem. This is an even tougher job when our culture and media, from the big screen to the small one, is feeding them gross misinformation. We need to let all the new makers coming on the scene know that when they use cheesy marketing that promotes abuse, they may make a quick buck with their awful knives designed to do anything but cut, but they really hurt the entire craft in the long run.
Click to expand...
I wonder if this is why the Japanese “have a knife for every chore”.
 
This goes way back before FIF. I personally blame the survival shows. What began as an honest “IF you were stranded with ONLY a knife, you could accomplish some amazing things” devolved into the idea that ALL YOU NEED is a knife and, voilà, ...everything from a log cabin to a dugout canoe.

No show would be complete without chopping down a tree and batoning oak logs into firewood.
 
I can make a knife that will effectively baton wood and cut OK and I can make a knife that will slice your fingerprints off but it will not baton wood very well. It is up to the user to use the knife for what it was designed to do. I have really tried to get better about talking to customers about what they want the knife to be able to do so I can design it for that purpose. I do think that is why the Japanese have so many different kitchen knives. But I also believe they are disciplined enough to use a fish slicing knife ONLY for slicing fish. Here the mentality is more like a knife is a knife. Well, that and they do not have FIF in Japan...
 
Chris Railey said:
I can make a knife that will effectively baton wood and cut OK and I can make a knife that will slice your fingerprints off but it will not baton wood very well. It is up to the user to use the knife for what it was designed to do. I have really tried to get better about talking to customers about what they want the knife to be able to do so I can design it for that purpose. I do think that is why the Japanese have so many different kitchen knives. But I also believe they are disciplined enough to use a fish slicing knife ONLY for slicing fish. Here the mentality is more like a knife is a knife. Well, that and they do not have FIF in Japan...
Click to expand...
they don't????? How do they learn about knife making?
 
Smallshop said:
...I have gotten weary of even discussing knives with the general public...
Click to expand...

Ted, it is not any easier for many of us who do bang hot metal. After proudly devoting 40 years of my life to the craft I love, I will no longer tell people what I do for living, nor will I wear any bladesmith related clothing in public when not on business. And since that confession will probably upset some friends of mine, that is all I will say. But your post struck a chord. In the meantime, hang in there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top