Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 6, 1994 TAG: 9404060092
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Check the quality of steel. Choose a knife made with high-carbon steel. Various minerals and elements added to metals change their characteristics. The addition of carbon produces an imperceptibly softer steel that is strong and resilient while taking and holding a much sharper edge.
Although Solingen steel - so named after the German city where much of the world's finest metal is produced - is a benchmark for quality, other alloys compete. American manufacturers such as Lamson & Goodnow Mfg. and Chef's Choice hold their proprietary formulas against Solingen.
Unfortunately, high-carbon steel can stain. Remember that fine knives are made from stain-resistant, but not stainless, steel. Kitchen cookware is typically stainless, but if you made knives out of that, it would make them too brittle, easily shattering or breaking during high-impact work such as chopping. And stainless does not take an edge easily.
Understand the relationship between the shape of a blade and its use. The tall, relatively heavy blade of a chef's (French) knife is designed to withstand the impact of pounding during chopping. An even taller mallet disburses the shock of heavy blows throughout the metal. Conversely, a thin, narrow blade that characterizes the carver/slicer is fashioned for the least resistance while cutting through dense or hard substances such as roasts or big melons. Smaller, gently curved boning knives afford better control while allowing the user a sense of where the knife's tip is going while concealed under skin or between meat and bone.
It's important to get a knife that's tapered from the thick, top side to the fine cutting edge. You don't want it thick all the way through with just a little edge. Those types become impossible to sharpen after awhile.
Consider whether you need stamped and forged. Forged knives are built from rods of steel that have been superheated, then pounded into a mold or die. The repeated pounding, today usually by machines, changes the molecular structure of the metal, yielding a stronger, denser steel that typically holds up better. Most knives with a thick end to the steel right before the handle begins are made by forging.
Stamped knives generally begin as thick sheets of steel that are cut and shaped before the cutting edge is ground and honed. Inexpensive knives, especially those on the low end of name brands, usually are stamped. In many cases, stamped knives cost close to half the price of forged knives.
Forging provides weight and better balance, and forged knives have the feel of quality in your hand; they simply look more like a better knife.
The rule of thumb as to which to buy is if you're buying a knife for chopping, invest in a forged knife, which is apt to stand up better to repeated blows. Stamped blades are fine for carver/slicers, bread knives and other blades used for slicing where the pounding motion isn't used.
After a well-crafted knife is shaped and ground, manufacturers expose the cutting edge to ultrahigh temperatures (upwards of 2,000 degrees). Through immediate cooling then supercooling (with ice or chemicals), then repetition of the process, the steel molecules are fused, creating an extremely hard, durable and minimally brittle blade that's less apt to chip or snap during repeated use. Tempering also increases stain resistance.
The bolster is the thick metal "stop" or "rest" that separates and connects the sharp end of the blade with the knife's handle. A feature of forged knives, many experts consider it useful because of the comfort it provides (as a place to rest your fingers), the safety (as a "stop" between blade and fingers) and a guide (a high bolster can help prevent your banging your fingers against the cutting board).
The tang is extension of the blade's metal that is fastened into a knife's handle. It's a crucial part of the knife because the tang can come loose or break in a poorly manufactured, ill-used or badly maintained knife. Which is why knife-shoppers repeatedly hear the phrase "full tang."
The easiest way to tell whether your selection has a full tang is by looking at a riveted-handle knife. A full tang extends all the way to the end of the handle, and can be seen from top and bottom. Rivets extend right through the tang and show through either side of the handle, assuring a solid fastener. But today, most major manufacturers produce alternative handles - fused or molded polypropylene, a form of plastic that many consider hygienically superior to riveted handles. The problem for tang-trained consumers is that they can't tell whether the tang is full or partial - and may worry that the metal may come loose.
The handle is half the "business end" of a fine knife. It must feel comfortable in your hand, provide sure grip even when wet, have no gaps that can harbor bits of food and bacteria - and appeal to you aesthetically.
The true rosewood handles of LamsonSharp knives appeal to many consumers, for sheer beauty, smooth finish and comfortable grips. An epoxy fills any crevices in the wood, helping to assure an impermeable bond. But Chef's Choice's and Henckels' fused polypropylene plastic handles are completely sealed against bacteria. The Chef's Choice knives have an almost rubberlike quality that provides a sure grip, and the Henckels brand is equally comfortable.
Use the right knife. In a pinch, any knife will do - some of the time. But avoid using a slicer variety for chopping purposes. Occasional small jobs probably won't hurt, but the blade of a carver/slicer is thinner and shorter than a chef's knife, which is expressly made for chopping. Under repeated or heavy use, you may chip or even break a blade.
by CNB