Next time I'm traveling with my knives

[larry_stewart]

The knives that were available to me were so cheap, even a sharpener wouldnt have helped Aside from the dullness, the metal used was so flimsy, it would flex as i was cutting anything hard , like a potato, carrot...It was impossible to keep a straight cut. I was in fear of cutting my fingers . This knife had a mind of its own.

[Claire]

I always wind up cooking when I go to visit my parents. It never occurs to me to travel with my knife, until I get there and am stuck trying to do something with my parents' terrible selection of dull knives. Another place that drives me crazy is a local friend's house. I don't cook there, only help to present the meal or get my contribution last-minute ready. But she, although she is a great cook, doesn't have one single knife worthy of the name.

And, yes, a dull knife is much more dangerous than a good, sharp one. One day my mother was separating frozen sausages using one of her kitchen knives (this was in the 60s). It slipped and almost severed one of her fingers. The medics and doctor got her stitched back together. They gave her the usual bromides about not using a knife for that purpose (remember, this was before microwaves), but then said, "If you're going to slice your finger off, please use a sharper knife the next time, it'll make it easier to re-attach it."

[Claire]

Oh, yeah, the last time I looked, she still didn't have a decent knife in the house, even though her newest grand-son-in-law sells the ****ed stuff. She's an old-fashioned cook who does all her slicing in her hands (some of you know what I mean), so the short knives (what we would call either paring or utility knives) are sharp enough. But anything larger than a steak knife is ..... unusable.

[Claire]

Gee, I didn't know that was a bad word here. Sorry. Darned, gosh gee whiz!

[GB]

Originally Posted by Claire

And, yes, a dull knife is much more dangerous than a good, sharp one.

I actually do not agree with this statement. I do not think one is more dangerous than the other. It is true that with a dull knife you have less control and need to force the knife more which can lead to more accidents, but if you accidentally graze your finger with a dull knife there is a decent chance you will not cut yourself. If you do the same with one of my knives (which I keep extremely sharp) you have a good change of needing to go to the ER. A slip with a dull knife might not cut far enough to require more than a band-aid while a slip with a sharp knife make be deep enough to require stitches.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by GB

I actually do not agree with this statement. I do not think one is more dangerous than the other. It is true that with a dull knife you have less control and need to force the knife more which can lead to more accidents, but if you accidentally graze your finger with a dull knife there is a decent chance you will not cut yourself. If you do the same with one of my knives (which I keep extremely sharp) you have a good change of needing to go to the ER. A slip with a dull knife might not cut far enough to require more than a band-aid while a slip with a sharp knife make be deep enough to require stitches.

I agree.

Carelessness is why people cut themselves. As a knife gets duller, your brain automatically adjusts to the change and adjusts to the pressure needed to cut properly. Just as it does when you have your dull knives sharpened.