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Knife Steel

June 29th, 2010 admin No comments

Knife Steel

Shun Classic 8 Inch Chef's Knife

When investing in a quality chefs knife, it pays to take care of it.

Regular sharpening will go a long way to prolonging the optimum performance of the most useful tool in the kitchen.

Here's what I do with my Shun Classic 8 Inch Chef's knife & a sharpening steel.

With your left hand (or your right hand if you're not right-handed), hold the sharpening steel point-down, with its tip resting firmly on a dry cutting board — as if it were a large nail you were about to hit into the board.

With your normal hand, hold the knife crossways against the steel with the back of the blade (the part nearest the handle) touching the steel. You're going to be pulling the knife back, toward you, so you want to start with most of the blade in front of the steel.

1.Tilt the knife so that its cutting edge meets the shaft of the sharpening steel at a 22 degree angle Not sure what that means ? Don't worry, just remember that 90 degrees is a right angle (or "T"), and 45 degrees is half of that. So 22½ degrees is half of that again. So with the Shun Classic 8 inch chefs knife, the gap between the sharpening steel and the top of the blade is about a finger width.

2.Now, maintaining this 22½-degree angle, gently pull the blade toward you while simultaneously gliding it downward along the shaft of the steel in a sort of up and across motion. You want to cover the entire length of the blade, keeping the blade at that 22½-degree angle the whole time. Do this step 15 times.

3.Switch to the other side of the blade, give it fifteen ten more strokes on the steel and you're done!

Some other things to consider

1.Make sure your sharpening steel is at least as long as the blade you are sharpening. For instance, if you are using a 10-inch chef's knife, your knife steel should be no shorter than 10 inches as well.

2.After using the sharpening steel, rinse and carefully wipe the blade dry with a towel so that any tiny metal filings on the knife's edge don't end up in the food you're about to work with.

3.Keep your knife steel handy while you're working in the kitchen. Just a few minutes of ordinary slicing on a wooden or plastic cutting board can knock your knife's delicate edge out of alignment. Once you're accustomed to the feel of a sharp knife, you'll feel the difference right away. When you do, just a few quick strokes on the steel will straighten it right out again, without having to grind away any more blade on a whetstone.

Shun utilise 32 layers of super sharp stainless steel on the Shun Classic 8 Inch Chefs knife when manufactured, so sharpening frequency should be lower. They are made in Seki City in Japan – also know as the samurai sword capital.

Made from VG-10 stainless steel, Shun knives are specially constructed to be harder, less brittle, but also more flexible than traditional steel formulations. The VG-10 core is clad with 16 full layers of SUS410 high-carbon stainless steel on each side, for a total of 33 layers, which means you'll spend more time chopping and less time sharpening

These layers not only protect the VG-10, they create an exquisitely-detailed surface reminiscent of Damascus or pattern-forged steel, the kind once used for Samurai swords. As a result, the knives are simply stunning to look at.

As an additional benefit, the slight patterning helps slice rather than crush delicate foods and keeps cut food from sticking to the blade. The large 8-inch blade of this Shun chef's knife makes it ideal for versatile slicing, chopping, dicing, and more.

The handle is made from ebony-colored PakkaWood, a fused blend of hardwood veneers imbued with waterproof resin that combines the warmth and traditional look and feel of wood but with the strength and durability of plastic. The offset stainless steel bolster is designed for ergonomic comfort and maximum safety, while a stainless-steel end cap provides the finishing touch. As sturdy as it is lovely, the chef's knife is officially safe to put in the dishwasher, however with this finely crafted masterpiece, you may choose a more gentle method of keeping it clean.

Shun knives carry a limited lifetime warranty.
About the Author

The Kitchenware Guru showcases "Best in Class" kitchenware and kitchen appliances at : http://www.kitchenwareguru.com

The Shun Classic 8 Inch Chefs Knife mentioned in this article can be found at http://www.kitchenwareguru.com/chefs-knives/shun-classic-8-inch-chefs-knife