On Mon, 4 Jan 2010 05:58:40 -0800 (PST), Cindy Hamilton
> wrote:

>On Jan 3, 8:59*pm, "Steve B" > wrote:
>> What is the situation at your house on sharp knives?
>>
>> I know we recently have an unnamed poster who has a bandaged hand from a
>> slicing accident.
>>
>> I can sharpen knives so I can shave with them, yet have limited my wife to
>> TWO knives she may use. *She's just too dangerous. *One is a Sandoku and the
>> other a Jenny Chin cleaver style Asian knife. *Both very sharp.
>>
>> I, on the other hand don't really know how many I have, as I buy them at
>> yard sales when I see R. H. Forschner and Dexter-Russell for sale for a buck
>> or two. *Now, I just buy them if it's an unusual knife I don't have. * I
>> have about four sets of vintage antler handled utensils, knife, steel, and
>> meat fork with fold up little thing to keep it from getting gravy on the
>> tablecloth like they used to come. *Got a couple in the box. *Makes a nice
>> presentation when doing holidays.
>>
>> I have a big EzeLap diamond stone, a fine Arkansas whetstone, and a couple
>> of vintage knife steels, and keep all my knives keen.
>>
>> I am fussy about my knives, and before I hand one to someone, I will quiz
>> them, and then either give them a good knife or a serrated Ginsu.
>>
>> How about you?
>
>I've got an assortment of kitchen knives.
>
>8", 10" and 12" chef's knives (two of 'em are Henckels, not sure about
>the other)
>12" plain and serrated slicers, from Gordon Food Service
>A boning knife about 8", probably Henckels
>A heavier slicer shaped similarly to the boning knife, from Gordon
>Food Service
>Five paring knives, probably all Henckels
>A santoku, probably Henckels
>Four steak knives (Chicago Cutlery, and they don't hold an edge very
>well--although
>that might be because they're usually used on a stoneware plate)
>A cleaver of some sort that is rarely used
>One of those thin-bladed things for sushi, kept in its box in a drawer
>
>The 8" chef's knife and the santoku probably see the most use.
>
>My husband sharpens them regularly, using a microscope to check for
>any
>divots in the edge. He uses one of those (Chef's Choice?) machines
>with
>two rotating grinding wheels.
>
>For us, knives are tools. We don't care what they look like, we don't
>collect
>them. They must be sharp and fit the hand comfortably. Three
>magnetic
>strips on the wall hold the entire collection plus the kitchen shears.
>
>We've got a one-butt kitchen, so I don't have to be fussy about
>knives. It's
>either me or him in the kitchen.
>
>
>
>I often cut myself, but they're minor and heal readily since the
>knives are
>so sharp.
>
>Cindy Hamilton

Sounds more like you need professional instruction on how to use
cutlery... no one should be cutting themselves often, in fact anyone
who works with kitchen knives on a regular basis should cut themselves
rarely if at all. I think one of your problems is that you're using
way too many knives... stick with a minimal number... they'll become
an extension of your hand, like wearing well broken in shoes always
feel just right. In over fifty years of kitchen work I cut myself
once (nothing serious), was last year when I was going to quarter a
large head of cabbage and didn't take the two seconds required to cut
a small flat at the stem end for stability... my own fault and nothing
to do with the knife being sharp or dull, and in fact it was a 12"
carbon steel chefs knife that was perfectly honed (were it dull I'd
probably had cut myself seriously). And I think checking kitchen
cutlery with a microscope is hilarious... wtf are you looking for,
microbes? The only time a kitchen knife needs sharpening is if it's
been abused... many of those so called sharpening gadgets abuse knives
far more than had they been left alone, especially those motorized
thingies, they over heat the edge and remove its temper, making the
knife Japanese (hunk-a-junk). The only times I've ever had to sharpen
a kitchen knife are those I picked up at yard sales that were
obviously abused... and then I use a machinists bench grinder to
reform the blade, an oilstone for polishing, and then only a steel for
regular burnishing... that's all a steel does, it burnishes; it
reforms the very edge, polishes and compresses the steel making it
harder... if one is attempting to sharpen a knife with a steel by
exerting any pressure at all they are making the knife duller... think
of steeling a knife as though you are a virtuoso violinist bowing a
strad. There are many types of knife steels, one should learn what
each is for, whould take too long for me to do that here, there are
books... but I will say those that usually come along with knife sets
are crapola. For those who actually sharpen their knives they'd be
safer to debur them outdoors by drawing the edge over a piece of
copper, a small length of copper plumbing pipe will work fine... you
don't want those burrs in your kitchen or they will find their way
into your food and/or under your skin... every time I see a foodtv
imbecile steel a knife over their food I shiver... none know how to
use a steel properly anyway. With proper use a kitchen knife should
never need sharpening, only regular steeling. Butchers and pro cooks
send out their knives for shrapening often because in their trade they
regularly abuse their knives (and they know it, but they are paid for
what they produce by the hour... most trades people regularly abuse
their tools for the exact same reason, time is money), by hacking into
bone, opening #10 cans, and regularly dropping cutlery onto hard work
surfaces/floors. Btw, when used properly a boning knife should never
cut into bone... better to leave a little extra meat, you don't want
to scrape off bone slivers anyway, and you certainly don't want to
chip off those microscopic bits of steel. The only two foodtv
personalities I've seen who know how to use a knife are Pepin and Yan.