How to cut

Qbeam · Mar 9, 2019

Just got to thinking about blade edges and wondered if there was a proper way to cut things. With cooking there is the draw to you style, rocking the edge for slicing quickly, and so forth. Using serrated edge for certain ropes and such. Just watching how some of tbe younger scouts use edged tools, it may come in handy.

Q

willtill · Mar 10, 2019

It pains me to watch some people try to carve a steak. Instead of sawing nicely into the meat; I watch them just trying to push straight down with a knife.

.

Qbeam · Mar 10, 2019

Yeah, most people are not taught how to use a knife because it is "dangerous". I've seen 11 and 12 year olds use knives that I had to stop so they could keep their digits attached to their hands.

Q

mopar92 · Mar 10, 2019

Always cut towards your chum not your thumb.

Allium · Mar 10, 2019

https://meritbadge.org/wiki/images/a/a0/Totincard.jpg

Qbeam · Mar 10, 2019

Allium said:
https://meritbadge.org/wiki/images/a/a0/Totincard.jpg

Yeah, we know what it says, but I'm talking kids that have the chit, and still can't use a knife adequately. I didn't give them the cert.

Q

Allium · Mar 10, 2019

Qbeam said:
Yeah, we know what it says, but I'm talking kids that have the chit, and still can't use a knife adequately. I didn't give them the cert.

Q

with todays scout wouldnt be surprised if they taught with a rubber knife. Just saying they need to be taught these basic and we aint teaching them because you dont need to know how to light a one match fire if you are always indoors!

Qbeam · Mar 10, 2019

Allium said:
with todays scout wouldnt be surprised if they taught with a rubber knife. Just saying they need to be taught these basic and we aint teaching them because you dont need to know how to light a one match fire if you are always indoors!

Yeah, it's gotten that everything needs to be padded so little johnny doesn't fail on the first try.

Q

ToolAA · Mar 10, 2019

Having the proper tool matters a lot and having properly sharpened knives is also very important. For years my grandfather was the self appointed holiday meat carver. He would painstakingly sharpen his carving knife and try to make nice even slices to ham or turkey breast.

When he passed I was about 18-19 yrs old and had already been working in restaurant kitchens for a number of years, so I knew a little bit about proper kitchen knife use. Various family members tried to fill in as turkey carver but often shredded or destroyed perfectly cooked birds because the used the wrong cutlery or the knives were totally dull.

At some point the torch was passed to me. Now I’m sure to spend a good 5-10 min honing the blade on a fine stone before carving.

JoeRinMD · Mar 10, 2019

ToolAA said:
Having the proper tool matters a lot and having properly sharpened knives is also very important. For years my grandfather was the self appointed holiday meat carver. He would painstakingly sharpen his carving knife and try to make nice even slices to ham or turkey breast.

When he passed I was about 18-19 yrs old and had already been working in restaurant kitchens for a number of years, so I knew a little bit about proper kitchen knife use. Various family members tried to fill in as turkey carver but often shredded or destroyed perfectly cooked birds because the used the wrong cutlery or the knives were totally dull.

At some point the torch was passed to me. Now I’m sure to spend a good 5-10 min honing the blade on a fine stone before carving.

I'm the same way, the designated carver for most family gatherings. In fact, we just got back from a ski trip to a rented house in Utah. We all love to cook, but I'm the one who packed a recently sharpened set of knives in my luggage including an 8" chef's knife, a 10" bread knife and a 6" utility knife. It's so much easier, and safer, to use familiar tools that have an edge. From decades ago in Boy Scouts, the adage was that "a sharp knife is safer than a dull one." Don't they still teach that?

JoeR

ToolAA · Mar 10, 2019

Coincidentally I am making a chef’s knife for my son so I had the stones out to start the first pass of shaping the edge by hand. I realized the blade angle was not quite right so back to the belt grinder. However since I had the stones soaking for a while, I just decided to fix up the edge on a 34yr old knife I brought at the Hofritz store in the Annapolis mall as a teen. With a reshaped edge I can shave with it.

ras_oscar · Apr 24, 2019

Qbeam said:
Yeah, most people are not taught how to use a knife because it is "dangerous". I've seen 11 and 12 year olds use knives that I had to stop so they could keep their digits attached to their hands.
Q

My mom acted as daycare provider to my niece. When she was 14 mom asked her to cut an onion. She replied indignantly " I can't use a knife, I'm a child!!!!! Knife skills lessons ensued. I carried a pocket knife much younger than that. Guess my brother missed a few early life lessons with his daughter.

ras_oscar · Apr 24, 2019

ToolAA said:
Coincidentally I am making a chef’s knife for my son so I had the stones out to start the first pass of shaping the edge by hand. I realized the blade angle was not quite right so back to the belt grinder. However since I had the stones soaking for a while, I just decided to fix up the edge on a 34yr old knife I brought at the Hofritz store in the Annapolis mall as a teen. With a reshaped edge I can shave with it.

er..... there are several respectable companies that make edged implements to shave with. They're called razors. No need to make your own. :ninja:

Bountied · Apr 24, 2019

I prefer a sharp knife to a scalpel. My BIL uses a whetstone on his kitchen knives. If you drop a sheet of paper on them it'll cut into it. I don't think they need to be that sharp for kitchen use. I lost the tip of my finger cutting potatoes with his knife and hardly felt it, went through the nail too. My knives are sharp enough to slice tomatoes but I'll feel it if I make a mistake before I'm cut badly. I get distracted easily and making a lot of repetitious movements cutting up food you can lose focus, especially when the wife asks you a question while you're cutting.

outrider58 · Apr 25, 2019

I'll throw this in...

It's a dull knife that cuts you.

After years of working with razor knives as my main tool, getting cut is inevitable. Its like riding motorcycles. If you ride them, you'll wreck them.

willtill · Apr 27, 2019

outrider58 said:
I'll throw this in...

It's a dull knife that cuts you.

After years of working with razor knives as my main tool, getting cut is inevitable. Its like riding motorcycles. If you ride them, you'll wreck them.

Maybe more applicable to off road. We try our damnedest to not wreck them on the hardball. :innocent0

In most cases, still successful.

Sundazes · Apr 27, 2019

Allium said:
with todays scout wouldnt be surprised if they taught with a rubber knife. Just saying they need to be taught these basic and we aint teaching them because you dont need to know how to light a one match fire if you are always indoors!

Qbeam said:
Yeah, it's gotten that everything needs to be padded so little johnny doesn't fail on the first try.

Q

Not in our troop. They kids are taught properly. We will cut a corner off the patch if they do something stupid and are caught. If they loose 3 corners, they loose the privilege to use edged tools on Scout functions. Only seen it happen once.

outrider58 · Apr 27, 2019

One trick to cutting with knives is, say you're cutting a loop of rope. Often times the knife blade will be facing you. Very dangerous, but sometimes unavoidable. Any time you find yourself with the knife blade facing you, instead of pulling the knife towards your face or body, pull the piece you are cutting away from you while holding the knife rigidly.

Qbeam · Apr 27, 2019

sundazes said:
Not in our troop. They kids are taught properly. We will cut a corner off the patch if they do something stupid and are caught. If they loose 3 corners, they loose the privilege to use edged tools on Scout functions. Only seen it happen once.

Yeah, at Camporee here at Tracys Landing. Some can use a knife, others have other duties.

Q

toppkatt · Apr 27, 2019

JoeRinMD said:
I'm the same way, the designated carver for most family gatherings. In fact, we just got back from a ski trip to a rented house in Utah. We all love to cook, but I'm the one who packed a recently sharpened set of knives in my luggage including an 8" chef's knife, a 10" bread knife and a 6" utility knife. It's so much easier, and safer, to use familiar tools that have an edge. From decades ago in Boy Scouts, the adage was that "a sharp knife is safer than a dull one." Don't they still teach that?

JoeR

Yep, right there with you. I take my presharpened knives with me. I might leave them in the car, but if I do get asked, I go get a proper sharpened knife. I learned to let the blade cut and not to force it through. I can cut nice thin even slices of ham, roast, turkey, etc. My father would always sharpen the knife before carving but he hated to carve, When I was old enough he passed the job on to me. I don't mind, in fact I'd rather do it than try and eat a slice that is 3/4 of an inch on one side and 1/8 of an inch on the other :sad20:

That is just sad. Kinda like penmanship, some people have it and others don't. It's a learned skill.

How to cut

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