04-16-2017, 08:32 PM
“Should knives always have toothy edges?”
IMHO I would say no. Not all knives should have toothy edges, but many, or dare I say most, general purpose and kitchen knives benefit from a toothy edge.
Any knife used for slicing will generally benefit from a toothy edge because it helps to tear fibrous material and break the skin on things like tomatoes, broccoli stem, grapefruit skin, meat fibers, rope, cardboard and paper, etc. Ever had a knife ride on the surface of something when you tried to cut it? That’s exactly when a toothy edge will help.
Knives used for push cutting such as a cleaver or some vegetable chopping knives will not benefit from a toothy edge because they are not used for slicing. The same is true for chisels, plane blades, gouges and pizza wheels, etc. In those cases a polished edge and bevel is the way to go.
Of course this, like most things has some exceptions. I’ve heard that chef’s cutting sashimi want a super sharp polished edge precisely because they want a perfectly smooth cut and can't tolerate even the micro abrasion caused by a toothy edge. Really?
, but, OK, I'll believe it.
One year the weather was very bad for tomatoes all around the mid Michigan area. It was strange. The tomatoes had a tough, smooth skin but would not ripen. Left to get ripe they basically rotted on the inside before they turned red. It was weird, and most of the tomatoes were horrible to eat. But, they were most excellent for testing knives!
I’d get big bowls of them and see what it took to cut them without mashing them. Tough, smooth outer skin and soft mushy, almost rotten insides. Very difficult to cut.
A extremely sharp, polished edge worked well. The problem was the level of extreme sharpness was ephemeral at best. Soon the blade dulled just enough and the blade would ride on the skin. Apply more pressure to make the cut and it would squish the tomato.
Lightly serrated blades worked too, as long as they were very sharp and not so serrated that they caused excessive lateral pressure on the tomato which would cause it to just tear and spill its guts on the cutting board.
What worked best was a sharp, toothy edge. The best of both worlds.
I would say that general use and most kitchen knives will perform best with some tooth to the edge the majority of the time. Except for specific use blades I sharpen all my knives with a toothy edge.
The next time you notice your blade riding on the surface of something you are trying to slice through, try a nice, toothy edge. It might be just what you are looking for.
I little tooth can go a long way!
IMHO I would say no. Not all knives should have toothy edges, but many, or dare I say most, general purpose and kitchen knives benefit from a toothy edge.
Any knife used for slicing will generally benefit from a toothy edge because it helps to tear fibrous material and break the skin on things like tomatoes, broccoli stem, grapefruit skin, meat fibers, rope, cardboard and paper, etc. Ever had a knife ride on the surface of something when you tried to cut it? That’s exactly when a toothy edge will help.
Knives used for push cutting such as a cleaver or some vegetable chopping knives will not benefit from a toothy edge because they are not used for slicing. The same is true for chisels, plane blades, gouges and pizza wheels, etc. In those cases a polished edge and bevel is the way to go.
Of course this, like most things has some exceptions. I’ve heard that chef’s cutting sashimi want a super sharp polished edge precisely because they want a perfectly smooth cut and can't tolerate even the micro abrasion caused by a toothy edge. Really?
, but, OK, I'll believe it. One year the weather was very bad for tomatoes all around the mid Michigan area. It was strange. The tomatoes had a tough, smooth skin but would not ripen. Left to get ripe they basically rotted on the inside before they turned red. It was weird, and most of the tomatoes were horrible to eat. But, they were most excellent for testing knives!
I’d get big bowls of them and see what it took to cut them without mashing them. Tough, smooth outer skin and soft mushy, almost rotten insides. Very difficult to cut.
A extremely sharp, polished edge worked well. The problem was the level of extreme sharpness was ephemeral at best. Soon the blade dulled just enough and the blade would ride on the skin. Apply more pressure to make the cut and it would squish the tomato.
Lightly serrated blades worked too, as long as they were very sharp and not so serrated that they caused excessive lateral pressure on the tomato which would cause it to just tear and spill its guts on the cutting board.
What worked best was a sharp, toothy edge. The best of both worlds.
I would say that general use and most kitchen knives will perform best with some tooth to the edge the majority of the time. Except for specific use blades I sharpen all my knives with a toothy edge.
The next time you notice your blade riding on the surface of something you are trying to slice through, try a nice, toothy edge. It might be just what you are looking for.
I little tooth can go a long way!