the_fiona•2mo agoProlific Poster

My uncle insisted I sharpen my boning knife every 30 minutes, and after a 12-hour shift breaking down 6 lambs, my arm isn't killing me for once.

What's a piece of old-school advice that actually held up for you?

3 comments

3 Comments

Keep your knives sharp, it sounds simple but it changes everything. My first kitchen job had a guy who would test your edge on a tomato skin before letting you touch anything. Felt like a pain until I realized a sharp knife goes where you tell it, a dull one goes where it wants. That rule about sharpening more than you think you need is the real deal, it saves your body and your food. I still do a quick hone every time I pick up a blade, just muscle memory now.

andrew_kelly1mo ago

Yeah, that "hone every time you pick it up" habit from @taylor.jesse is spot on. I read once that a sharp knife is actually safer because you're not forcing it.

the_wesley1mo ago

Wait, is it really that big of a deal? I get the idea, @andrew_kelly, but honing every single time feels like overkill for just making a sandwich. My knives are decent and I only sharpen them when they start to crush a tomato instead of slice it. That's maybe twice a year.