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Last night in class we were given a presentation from Bob Tate from Seattleknifesharpening.com. I was told he was coming in to our class a week before so last week I went out and snapped a few pictures of knives so that way when he came in I would have a post ready. Luckily, my school is right in the heart of downtown Seattle so I have quick access to just about anything within walking distance!

Bob Tate learned his knife sharpening skills from Bob Kramer who is a master knife maker. Bob Kramer has been featured in various magazines and you have probably seen his knives without realizing it. Well Bob Tate learned just about everything from Bob Kramer so we were getting the best information possible. What does this mean for you? Well, I’m going to tell you what you need to know about knives………We’re talking great stuff here!

Where do you start? Well, Bob Tate told us it’s all about comfort first. Yes, you can buy the $100-$1,000 knife but if it isn’t comfortable after you have been slicing 50 pounds of onions then what’s the point? I was in Seattle Cutlery and they have a massive selection of knives. I was able to try out a few and I found some knives that are super comfortable and if I had the money I would have purchased the entire set. They’re called Sha Ra Ku Mono knives and apparently they are exclusive to Seattle Cutlery. The thing I liked most about them is they have no bolster which makes it easier to sharpen and they are perfectly balanced in your hand which allows the knife to do the work, not you. Each knife runs about $100 so I’ll be saving my pennies, or just flat out begging with my sign………Will Cook Your Food (don’t steal that from me, it’s genius marketing).

What’s better, German or Japanese? Well that’s a great question but it really is up to personal preference. Sham Wow has taught us that Germans make good stuff and I agree. The knife I use at home is a 7 inch Santoku knife, it’s German grade metal with a Japanese name, talk about identity crisis. It’s a pretty sturdy knife and it has stood up to a lot of abuse from me over the years, I didn’t know half the stuff I do now about knives so it has seen a dishwasher here and there……yikes.  BACK ON TRACK!  So the Germans tend to make thicker knives which are great because if you’re going to spend a lot of money and have your knife sharpened every three months then you’re going to want to have a little extra meat behind your knife because everytime you sharpen your knife you’re going to lose a little metal here and there. The Japanese knives are very fine and tend to have a higher point on them so it’s important when buying a Japanese knife that you know a great person to sharpen them otherwise you will get about half the life from that expensive knife (I rhymed). So, German or Japanese? Personal preference!

How often do you need to sharpen? For a Chef with normal work they should be expected to sharpen their knives every 2-3 months. Obviously a little time with a ceramic steel is in order everyday just to adjust and mildly sharpen the knife but 2-3 months seems to be the sweet spot for sharpening the knives. The at-home consumer can probably get away with twice a year for their all-purpose knives.

Ceramic Steel what? Ok, you’ve probably seen a few fancy Chefs doing that trick with a steel (knife sharpener and adjuster) where they sit there for 5 minutes and run their blade this way and that way on the steel…..well those guys are idiots and they’re ruining their knives.  It doesn’t take more than 4-5 passes with light pressure at a 10-15 degree angle in order to reset and slightly sharpen your blade. Why a ceramic steel instead of a steel steel? Ceramic will lightly sharpen your blade while you run it against the steel. A steel steel will not.  Ceramic sounds expensive! $35…..stop whining!

How do you care for your knives once you have them sharpened? First and foremost what type of cutting board are you cutting on? If you answered bamboo then do yourself a favor and kick yourself in the shin. Bamboo cutting boards are too hard for knives and they will lead to your knife being dull a lot quicker. Essentially what you are doing is flattening your edge. Solution? If you can slice a piece off the edge of your cutting board then you have a great cutting board. Plastic, soft woods, or you can buy an Epicurean Cutting Board…it’s what I use and it is the best thing ever! I have the 18×13 black board. It’s dishwasher safe, NSF approved, and heat resistant. I can use this at home and at work so it’s the best of both worlds. They’re a little more than regular run of the mill cutting boards ($39) but it’s worth your time and money. Nurture and love your knife by buying a ceramic steel for every now and then sharpening, wash with warm soapy water, and keep your knife clean at all times. Ta-da!

I just got my knife sharpened and it’s sticking to the board when I cut!  Stop pushing so hard and let the knife do the work for you. That’s the whole point of getting your knife sharpened in the first place. I sharpened my own knife in class the other day and I had this same problem. Good thing Bob set me straight!

Where do I buy a knife? Well, like I said, it’s a comfort thing so you’ll want to try the knife out before you buy it. Places like Seattle’s own, Sur La Table, and Seattle Cutlery are great places to buy from because they know their stuff….they’re in the business of knives. If you want the best then visit Bob Kramer’s site and prepare to have your mind blown (CLICK HERE).

If you live in the Seattle area then you can give Bob a call at 206-465-6801 or visit his website at Seattleknifesharpening.com He has a 1-2 day turn around in the city. You can send your knives to him as well so if you live out of the Seattle area then he can work with you! Check out his site for rates, I would post them here but I want you to do something for yourself.

Thanks,

Eric

Watch your fingers!!