Introduction to Kitchen Blades Part 3
Boning Knives
What are the features of boning knives?
Length of blade: 5 to 6 inches. Blade flexibility varies, there are rigid ones and also semi-flexible versions. Blades with curved heel are available too.
Heel width: ¾ to ⅞ inch.
It is used for?
You can use it to remove meat from its bone. The knife can slice through joints very well, though it isn’t strong enough to cut through dense bones.
For cutting up or fabricating chicken in a very efficient way, you might want to try using a rigid boning knife that’s 5 inches in length. It is also great for preparing and Frenching a rack of lamb or crown roast of pork. Get a 6-inch semi-flexible boning knife to efficiently fillet small-sized fish.
In the above photo, there’s Wüsthof, a wooden-handled Dexter-Russell, two knives by F. Dick with ergonomically designed, dishwasher-safe handles, Victorinox, and Henckels. Several of the knives in the photo possess the classic curved heel, which is helpful especially for getting into areas that are curvy-shaped. A good example would be a chicken wing. The curved heel is not a must, but definitely good to have.
Filleting Knife
What are the features of a filleting knife?
Length of blade: 6 to 8 inches. It is vital for the blade to be thin with good flexibility yet sufficiently strong (certain filleting knives are able to bend at almost a right angle). Heel width: ¾ to ⅞ inch.
It is used for?
You can use it to easily carve as well as fillet fish meat, and even butterflying chicken breast.
Blade flexibility is critical due to the fact that the knife must possess the capability to cut along the fish’s bone structure. Please note that a filleting knife doesn't need to be entirely forged, but it is mandatory for the knife to hold a good edge and must also be able to be steeled in a fuss-free manner. You absolutely want this particular knife to be sharp always.
The blade needs to be of sufficient length in order to remove the skin, in addition to fillet and slice the fish into portion-size pieces. Why use multiple knives when the task can be executed with ease using just a single knife? If your filleting knife lacks flexibility, you may also utilize it as a carving knife for cutting up small-sized roasts.
Check out the image below which depicts from top to bottom, Victorinox, Henckels, Knife Pro (a hollow-ground version), Messermeister, Wüsthof, and Forschner.
What are the features of a filleting knife?
Length of blade: 6 to 8 inches. It is vital for the blade to be thin with good flexibility yet sufficiently strong (certain filleting knives are able to bend at almost a right angle). Heel width: ¾ to ⅞ inch.
It is used for?
You can use it to easily carve as well as fillet fish meat, and even butterflying chicken breast.
Blade flexibility is critical due to the fact that the knife must possess the capability to cut along the fish’s bone structure. Please note that a filleting knife doesn't need to be entirely forged, but it is mandatory for the knife to hold a good edge and must also be able to be steeled in a fuss-free manner. You absolutely want this particular knife to be sharp always.
The blade needs to be of sufficient length in order to remove the skin, in addition to fillet and slice the fish into portion-size pieces. Why use multiple knives when the task can be executed with ease using just a single knife? If your filleting knife lacks flexibility, you may also utilize it as a carving knife for cutting up small-sized roasts.
Check out the image below which depicts from top to bottom, Victorinox, Henckels, Knife Pro (a hollow-ground version), Messermeister, Wüsthof, and Forschner.
The blade of the Knife Pro hollow-ground knife depicted in the above image possesses a total of two tapers. The knife’s spine is the point where the polished section begins and it goes right to just approximately an inch of the edge. At that point, another unpolished taper commences and this time, it goes all the way to meet the edge of the knife.
Sheet steel that is very thin is used to stamp hollow-ground knives. This means the knives do not cost a lot to make, which sounds good, but they have such a tremendous drawback which is they are very hard to sharpen! That’s right, and the reason it is so is because hollow-ground knives are typically constructed of stainless steel that’s really tough. All in all, I do not recommend you buy a hollow-ground knife even though they can be purchased on the cheap. Save your money and buy a top-quality filleting knife instead.
Sheet steel that is very thin is used to stamp hollow-ground knives. This means the knives do not cost a lot to make, which sounds good, but they have such a tremendous drawback which is they are very hard to sharpen! That’s right, and the reason it is so is because hollow-ground knives are typically constructed of stainless steel that’s really tough. All in all, I do not recommend you buy a hollow-ground knife even though they can be purchased on the cheap. Save your money and buy a top-quality filleting knife instead.
Santoku Knife
What are the features of a Santoku knife?
A lightweight, bolsterless, thin blade whose spine curves steeply to the point.
It is used for?
It is used exclusively for cutting and slicing small items.
Look, I’m going to be honest with you guys. You see, I have quite a number of friends who swore by their Santoku knives, and they recommended that I buy one. So I actually went out and bought one and you know what? I’m not fan of it. I purchased my Santoku knife about a year ago and I’ve only used it like 3 or 4 times.
I happened to read a book about the history of Santoku knives and I learned that apparently, this Japan-made blade was invented for Japanese ladies who were interested in preparing Western dishes. A large company based here in the United States saw an opportunity to bring the Santoku knives to the American public and make plentiful of money in the process, so that’s what they did. Now we American folks can easily obtain a Santoku knife.
I mentioned earlier that I’m not a fan of the Santoku knife. Want to know why? Alright here are my reasons:
1) The blade length is pretty short
2) It doesn’t feel weighty enough – feels way too light as though I’m not even holding a knife in my hand!
3) The width of the blade is rather excessive to the point that you can’t even use it as though it is a paring or even a utility knife.
Fabricating a whole chicken with a Santoku knife is definitely possible, though I very much prefer to use my trusty Rapala Fish'n Fillet knife.
Presented in the photo below are Santoku knives crafted by three different manufacturers.
What are the features of a Santoku knife?
A lightweight, bolsterless, thin blade whose spine curves steeply to the point.
It is used for?
It is used exclusively for cutting and slicing small items.
Look, I’m going to be honest with you guys. You see, I have quite a number of friends who swore by their Santoku knives, and they recommended that I buy one. So I actually went out and bought one and you know what? I’m not fan of it. I purchased my Santoku knife about a year ago and I’ve only used it like 3 or 4 times.
I happened to read a book about the history of Santoku knives and I learned that apparently, this Japan-made blade was invented for Japanese ladies who were interested in preparing Western dishes. A large company based here in the United States saw an opportunity to bring the Santoku knives to the American public and make plentiful of money in the process, so that’s what they did. Now we American folks can easily obtain a Santoku knife.
I mentioned earlier that I’m not a fan of the Santoku knife. Want to know why? Alright here are my reasons:
1) The blade length is pretty short
2) It doesn’t feel weighty enough – feels way too light as though I’m not even holding a knife in my hand!
3) The width of the blade is rather excessive to the point that you can’t even use it as though it is a paring or even a utility knife.
Fabricating a whole chicken with a Santoku knife is definitely possible, though I very much prefer to use my trusty Rapala Fish'n Fillet knife.
Presented in the photo below are Santoku knives crafted by three different manufacturers.
Judging by the handles’ of these knives, I would say the Henckels version is the weightiest among the three. Still, it is probably the handle that holds the most weight, plus I don’t fancy the blade’s length at all because it is so short.
Offset Knife
What are the features of an offset knife?
Length of blade: There are variations of course, and they differ from manufacturer to manufacturer – usually 7 to 9½ inches.
Heel width: 1 inch.
It is used for?
You can use it to slice sandwiches that are too thick, pies, quiches, tarts and even baguettes too.
Take a really good look at the offset knives depicted in the image below.
What are the features of an offset knife?
Length of blade: There are variations of course, and they differ from manufacturer to manufacturer – usually 7 to 9½ inches.
Heel width: 1 inch.
It is used for?
You can use it to slice sandwiches that are too thick, pies, quiches, tarts and even baguettes too.
Take a really good look at the offset knives depicted in the image below.
Yep, based on this image, it is easy to see why this knife is called “offset.” Just under the handle, there’s a scalloped-edge set in place, effectively turning the whole unit into a tremendous big-bellied knife. You will have ample of clearance for your fingers when using this knife, which means you get to section cakes, pies and various pastries with remarkable ease.
Cheese Knives
What are the features of cheese knives?
Most cheese knives feature offset blades, along with fluted site which keeps cheese from sticking to the blade.
Refer the photo below and focus your attention on the bottom three which represent three distinctive styles of cheese knives. These are produced by Forschner, Wüsthof and my personal favorite, LamsonSharp.
What are the features of cheese knives?
Most cheese knives feature offset blades, along with fluted site which keeps cheese from sticking to the blade.
Refer the photo below and focus your attention on the bottom three which represent three distinctive styles of cheese knives. These are produced by Forschner, Wüsthof and my personal favorite, LamsonSharp.
For working on cheeses that are rather hard, I recommend using either the Wüsthof or the Forschner cheese knife. The LamsonSharp on the other hand, is best used on cheeses that are much softer.
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