Can you, or someone else, recommend a specific ceramic honing rod on amazon thats in the 20-30 dollar range. Seems like alot of the well rated ones on Amazon are actually sharpeners, and are rated well by people that have no idea about knives..
ISO a low maintenance chef's knife
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Can you, or someone else, recommend a specific ceramic honing rod on amazon thats in the 20-30 dollar range. Seems like alot of the well rated ones on Amazon are actually sharpeners, and are rated well by people that have no idea about knives..
CraigC
Master Chef
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Is this a monel alloy? I can't seem to find any alloy in SS or monel with that designation.
tweakz
Assistant Cook
You can see with your naked eye when the edge of the knife needs honing -that's how important and effective it is! There's no point to owning an expensive metal knife if you're afraid to hone it! Build your muscle memory and skills on honing a cheap knife then come back and thank me for making your life easier.
The problem with Amazon is that many are mistakenly called sharpening rods (and there is a difference between sharpening and honing). The ones that come in sets are often cheap but effective (a trick used to imply that pieces per $ = value)
Ceramic knives are brittle, but can hold an edge 10x as long as metal. They also require a special sharpening method (using diamonds) which previously was only available through the manufacturer. There are differing durabilities of ceramic knives, but none would benefit from honing. They also tend to not have a piercing tip. My interest in ceramic knives is based on keeping metal out of my food, and it's inert nature of not causing lettuce to 'rust', or nutrients to decay.
The problem with Amazon is that many are mistakenly called sharpening rods (and there is a difference between sharpening and honing). The ones that come in sets are often cheap but effective (a trick used to imply that pieces per $ = value)
Ceramic knives are brittle, but can hold an edge 10x as long as metal. They also require a special sharpening method (using diamonds) which previously was only available through the manufacturer. There are differing durabilities of ceramic knives, but none would benefit from honing. They also tend to not have a piercing tip. My interest in ceramic knives is based on keeping metal out of my food, and it's inert nature of not causing lettuce to 'rust', or nutrients to decay.
You must have better eyes than me. On the other hand, I hone my knives every time I use them, so I guess mine never "need honing". It only takes a few seconds.
tweakz
Assistant Cook
I'm near-sited so I can see very well close up. I have been asked by co-workers how to hone, and showed them the edge of the knife before and after and they reported positively about seeing the change. Those were times when someone else had been using the knife though.
I don't use the cutting edge to scrape the cutting board, and I let the blade do the cutting. Just being aware of the blade edge folding can help keep the knife cutting good.
I don't use the cutting edge to scrape the cutting board, and I let the blade do the cutting. Just being aware of the blade edge folding can help keep the knife cutting good.
Thanks to Tweakz ----and thank you for joining this forum. Your obvious expertise is much appreciated by me, for sure.
I was going to ask the members how to keep lettuce from getting rust----- and now I know!
tweakz
Assistant Cook
Actually just read an enlightening thread about Ceramic knives and am a bit put off by them now. They're delicate, with inferior blade geometry, and what I learned is they're not as sharp. Some stainless steels are considered inert. Some cooks will rub lemon or lime juice on their blade to keep lettuce from rusting. I wouldn't consider myself an expert; as I'm mainly here to learn.
Maybe sharp enough to cut through lettuce? However the lemon juice might be just as good and not put one more item in my kitchen drawers.
Just had a thought---- I wonder if my "plastic cheese knife" would work for cutting lettuce and not promoting rust.
At least one reviewer on Amazon thought so.
I'll give it a try.
SFsc616171
Assistant Cook
I got a "Victorinox build" knife, in both a chef and a santoku design by Columbia Cutlery. I bought them each for $14.00. They hold an edge, take to a steel pretty well, and .... the place I bought them from, will receive them once a year, to put a professional edge on them, for almost nothing! The blades are wide enough to ensure you won't rap your knuckles when using them. Holding them in either 'the chef fashion', or as we of the home range do, they are still a 'quick in the hand' knife. The chef knife is an 8 inch length. The santoku, is 7 1/2 inches long, with the Granton dimples. They both arrived with a super-sharp edge, so just beware of that.
tweakz
Assistant Cook
Maybe sharp enough to cut through lettuce? However the lemon juice might be just as good and not put one more item in my kitchen drawers.
Just had a thought---- I wonder if my "plastic cheese knife" would work for cutting lettuce and not promoting rust.
At least one reviewer on Amazon thought so.
I'll give it a try.
Elsewhere I've seen a test of a ceramic vs metal knife on an apple. Comments from Chef's were that the metal blade was dull and is why the ceramic appeared to not rust the apple to the same degree. I'd be interested in your findings since bruising is claimed to be a factor. I remember seeing plastic knives for lettuce in the past.
I also had a concern about metal getting in food, but knowing ceramic can chip; I wonder what a sharp chip of ceramic would do inside us.
@SFsc616171 ; I keep seeing the forged, full tang, triple rivet mantra. I work in a kitchen where the knives that have none of these characteristics are often heavily abused. I've seen tips bent, dings in the blade edge, and many dropped, but never have I seen one break and become useless like the images of those $100+ knives including Damascus steal ones. Grats on your purchase. Even if they suck; you didn't go as wrong as someone who bought a premium knife and broke it within a year!
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Exposure to oxygen in the air causes discoloration of the cut surface of an apple. The makeup of the tool used to cut it has no bearing on this effect.
A sharp piece of ceramic could do serious damage requiring surgery to repair.
Maybe sharp enough to cut through lettuce? However the lemon juice might be just as good and not put one more item in my kitchen drawers.
Just had a thought---- I wonder if my "plastic cheese knife" would work for cutting lettuce and not promoting rust.
At least one reviewer on Amazon thought so.
I'll give it a try.
I did a test on some lettuce last night. Afterwards I wrapped it tightly in cling wrap, as I always do. Now to wait and see if rust appears as it sometimes does using a knife and wrapping the same way.
That plastic cheese knife was certainly sharp enough to cut the lettuce.
Rob Babcock
Head Chef
Sorry, I totally missed this question. M390 is a steel from Bohler-Uddeholm, a company formed by a merger between Bohler of Austria and Swedish Uddenholm. It's a pretty advanced steel allow. It's uncommon and expensive, and very few kitchen knife makers use it. I'm aware of just a couple including CKtG (made for them by Lamson of Vermont) and South African knifemaker Gareth Bull.
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