Tomato Knives..

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I like cheap, poorly-made steak knives as tomato knives. I have seen them priced as low as four knives for $1.

That's exactly what we use for cutting tomatoes and peppers. They're lightweight and you never have to sharpen them. They also make it easier to cut very thin slices of 1/16".

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

I have half a dozen or so knives. But for 95% of the time I use my chef knife (picture below).
I keep it razor sharp. The measure of a knife's sharpness is to test it on tomato. It should cut through with least amount of pressure.

Gardeneer

My Chef Knife:
Sorry, I did not have a tomato to demonstrate, how I can slice it razor thin, like some thin cold cuts.

You dont have to prove anything to me.
A measure of a mans worth is how well he can sharpen a knife.
I use a chefs knife and my latest favorite the Japanese version of a chefs knife the Santuko knife.

""The Santoku knife is the Japanese version of the chef's knife. The santoku is excellent for chopping vegetables and the wide blade works well for scooping sliced food off a cutting board. The santoku can also be used to slice meat, and has a narrow spine for making thin cuts. The wide blade can be used to scoop diced vegetables or other ingredients into a pot or bowl and is also good for crushing garlic. The curved blade helps the rocking motion used for chopping food, and a santoku can be used on most ingredients such as fruit, vegetables, and even meat.""

Now that I have things squared away in the garage I am going to make one out of Damascus steel like this one.

[NarnianGarden]

Thanks everyone!

Gardeneer: that's what I am thinking - it does not have to be a serrated knife, does it? A razor sharp knife will do..
I do have several good knives of various sizes, just wondering, if a 'tomato knife' that is marketed as such, is anything special or just marketing jargon...

[taboule]

I too own serrated knives and use them often, mostly at the dinner table (cutting steak) and for some of the prep operations. However I most always prefer regular blades for general purpose work, something that I can sharpen. (I actually enjoy putting a sharp edge on my tools.) I prefer the feel of such cutting better that the "sawing" action that you get from a serrated blade. The latter also quickly tears up cutting boards more than non-serrated blades.

It's also functional for me, as I often follow up slicing with dicing and other operations, and nothing beats a large chef's knife for that -as both Gardeneer and Worth opined.

Lastly, I own and enjoy using "nice" (=expensive) knives, same as others like fancy guns and cars. I could never wear out the ones I have even if I lived 1000 years

[Worth1]

Over 36 years and still going strong.
Worth
IMG_20160528_24960.jpg

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Worth1

You dont have to prove anything to me.
A measure of a mans worth is how well he can sharpen a knife.
I use a chefs knife and my latest favorite the Japanese version of a chefs knife the Santuko knife.

""The Santoku knife is the Japanese version of the chef's knife. The santoku is excellent for chopping vegetables and the wide blade works well for scooping sliced food off a cutting board. The santoku can also be used to slice meat, and has a narrow spine for making thin cuts. The wide blade can be used to scoop diced vegetables or other ingredients into a pot or bowl and is also good for crushing garlic. The curved blade helps the rocking motion used for chopping food, and a santoku can be used on most ingredients such as fruit, vegetables, and even meat.""

Now that I have things squared away in the garage I am going to make one out of Damascus steel like this one.

I don't intend to prove anything.
I know how to sharpen a knife. That is how I have them razor sharp. I have several files and stone.

On the subject: If a knife can cut the skin of tomato without pushing it, then it is sharp.

PS: I don't use / have any serrated knives except for steaks.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

I don't intend to prove anything.
I know how to sharpen a knife. That is how I have them razor sharp. I have several files and stone.

On the subject: If a knife can cut the skin of tomato without pushing it, then it is sharp.

PS: I don't use / have any serrated knives except for steaks.

The statement was intended to convey great respect for your ability to sharpen knife.
The ability to hand sharpen a knife is something I hold in great regard for people like some folks hold in others as to what car they drive or the looks of their spouse or house.

My serrated design with the checkering file is angled on buth sides and can be sharpened.
As was stated before here, I dont like them as they eat up cutting boards.
My cutting boards are 35 years old too that I made for my wife.
They are worth more to me than any serrated knife.
Worth

[NarnianGarden]

Gardeneer! That bread! Now that's something real... Sourdough?

[imp]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Over 36 years and still going strong.
Worth
Attachment 61104

If those are carbon steel, we have some of the same knives. I have various knives and like most of them for different jobs, but do like the ease of getting a good straight and sharp edge on a knife with the ca4rbon steel. I do have one from my Mother that is wearing a bit thinner now, <smile>.

The balance and weight suits my hand. Or did.

[Adriana]

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

My friends kept telling me how wonderful this tomato knife was. My initial reaction was how good could a $5 knife be. I love this thing and would never slice a tomato with out it. I was glad to see Marsha's post on the ebay deal because I want to have a back up in case something ever happens to mine.

I used to have a cheap plastic one of these and loved it!

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by imp

If those are carbon steel, we have some of the same knives. I have various knives and like most of them for different jobs, but do like the ease of getting a good straight and sharp edge on a knife with the ca4rbon steel. I do have one from my Mother that is wearing a bit thinner now, <smile>.

The balance and weight suits my hand. Or did.

Imp they are carbon steel, nothing beats carbon steel for an edge, you just have to take care of them.
This set I now use for nothing but meat.

The one butchers knife in the pictuer almost got away from me.
I was fishing in lake Travis back in 83 and caught a snapping turtle so I stabbed it in the back and pinned it to the ground with the knife.
Then later I saw the top of the knife handle moving across the top of the lake like a periscope from a submarine.
I had to wade out and get my knife back because the turtle was making an escape.
Worth

[Cole_Robbie]

From what I understand, Samurai swords that are 600+ years old contain higher quality steel than what can be produced today, or at least what is produced today. Making them was a family trade, and the secrets of it have been lost. Before guns, the warrior whose blade was strongest would win the fight. Quality was a matter of life and death.

[BigVanVader]

I use this pampered chef one and love it.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

From what I understand, Samurai swords that are 600+ years old contain higher quality steel than what can be produced today, or at least what is produced today. Making them was a family trade, and the secrets of it have been lost. Before guns, the warrior whose blade was strongest would win the fight. Quality was a matter of life and death.

They haven't lost the secret, they still make that type of blade to this day but it is used in the kitchen not the battle field.

Some guy at a gun show was telling a costumer that slow rust blueing was a lost art.
Really, I interrupted I do it and so do many other people.

The steel is of two different harnesses folded and beaten together.
Before the advent of the Bessemer furnace, heating and beating iron over and over was the only way to get impurities out.

They also found a strange man made place in the south pacific somewhere on an island that they didn't know what it was.
It was on a cliff facing the prevailing winds.
As it turned out it was an ancient steel manufacturing site.
They would stack iron ore and wood and the wind created enough heat to burn out the impurities and make steel.
A prehistoric blast furnace.
I cant find anything on the internet about it.

Here are some old Japanese dudes making knives old school style.
I live and breath this stuff.
https://youtu.be/le8bmxQQ1KU
https://youtu.be/CmOykBxlicA
https://youtu.be/xkQSYdhOCb8

Worth

[Bipetual]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I like cheap, poorly-made steak knives as tomato knives. I have seen them priced as low as four knives for $1.

A man after my own heart! I use my dried up old wooden-handled steak knives for tomatoes and anytime I need to cut meat in smaller pieces for soups and stews. I have to admit, however, that the Rada knives look tempting...