I GOT THE POINT! DID YOU?
Dec 26 '01
The Bottom Line I wrote this review hoping to share my experience with various cutlery sets and possibly save someone else from injury.
I had the perfect set of knives - one for every purpose under Heaven. Or at least, I thought so! The disaster happened. I dropped on. Actually, here's what happened.
Cooking sausages and peppers, I placed a rinsed knife in the drainboard but accidently placed it on top of a large mixing spoon. Then I grabbed the spoon.
The knife went flying in the air and because the blade was heavier than the handle, it flipped in the air and soared POINT FIRST to the ground - directly into the arch of my foot!!! OUCH
The POINT (no pun intended) that I'm trying to make here is that it is not a bright idea to have the blade heavier than the handle. A perfectly balanced knife is just as effective and less dangerous than one with a light handle.
Now, that said, let's talk about handles. While wood handles look attractive at first, they cannot be placed in the dishwasher. The heat of the dryer selection will cause the wood to crack and the rivet to loosen. Thus the knife is now worthless. It just is entirely too damaged to safely be of any use. In addition to it being dangerous to use, the cracks in the wood are perfect breeding places for bacteria.
Plastic is much safer, but again, lightweight plastic will crack and become dangerous to handle. You can easily "pinch" your fingers and slice your skin with this cracked plastic while you're slicing your meats or breads. The most beneficial type of handle is made of corian or a similar substance. This hardened material won't crack or melt, is dishwasher safe and just light enough to make using the knife a piece of cake!
Moving down to the blade - many people prefer knives with serrated edges, while others prefer knives with straight blades. Actually, as long as you have a good knife sharpener, any blade will do your cutting (or slicing) job perfectly. Yes, straight edges are a bit sturdier, but honestly, they don't cut any better or any worse than serrated edges. It's all a matter of taste.
In most important thing to remember is to get a knife that is strong and not so flexible. What you don't what the knife to do is bend while you're using it. If it bends easily, it can break just as easily.
And finally, with any knife, before you actually make that purchase, HOLD it! See how it feels in your hand. Grab the handle for a firm fit! If the knife seems heavy or awkward to you, then imagine how it will feel while you're cutting your food.
You don't have to be a professional chef to feel comfortable while cooking. Just because a cutlery set is "branded" by a chef, doesn't make it "right" for you.
When it comes to choosing cutlery, the ONLY thing that should matter is how it FEELS TO YOU! After all, YOU ARE THE ONE USING IT. Cost is secondary and the "brand name" is of no consideration at all!
My final word is BE CAREFUL any time you handle it. I'm lucky that I only received two stitches in my foot. It could have been much worse!
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Epinions.com ID:
Donnie013
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Member: Margaret Brennan
Location: Punta Gorda Isles, FL
Reviews written: 450
Trusted by: 288 members
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