Types of table knives and their choice

The history of the tool begins with the Paleolithic, Stone Age. The first blades were made of stone plates for use in hunting as weapons, as well as in times of war. They have also found widespread use in cooking.

Over time, for ease of use, wooden handles or bone handles began to be attached to the guns. Wooden handles have their origins since the days of the Vikings, such a handle did not burn the hand in severe frosts and did not slip when processing animal carcasses. As a person develops, mastering the art of metalworking appeared bronze, copper, gold products. The latter were used in various rituals. Silver or gold cutlery is hygienic, they do not rust, silver has disinfecting properties.

In the Iron Age, knives made of iron appeared. They were quite diverse, there were undulating and sickle-shaped options. Knives always concealed a mystical meaning, this gave rise to signs and superstitions. So, in some countries it is not customary to give a knife, but in Japan, on the contrary, a gift in the form of a blade means a wish for good luck and protection from negative factors.

In Russia and in European countries, the knife was an attribute of a free man, because only a person not burdened with slavery could carry a knife. Until the 17th century, knives were sharp. But there is a legend about how a table knife with a rounded tip appeared. Cardinal Richelieu was rather fastidious and very picky about food. Once during a meal, one of the guests after dinner began to brush his teeth with a sharp tip, which caused extreme indignation of the cardinal.

To avoid such scenes at his table, he ordered that all knives in the house be rounded off with blades. The inhabitants of France accepted this innovation as the last word of fashion, and the further spread of cutlery with a rounded tip was only a matter of time. Mass production of knives was established by the end of the XIX century. At the moment, the knives have a different design, so choosing a suitable knife is not so difficult.

Features of the table knife are a rounded blade, as well as a rounded end. The rounded blade is not sharpened. Such blunt blades are necessary for safety at the table, as well as for the preservation of the surfaces of dishes. For the convenience of cutting meat products and vegetables on the blade make notches.

By the type of design, the knives can be folding, with a fixed blade, bonded, with removable blades, skeletal. Folding hide the blade in the handle, when using the locking mechanism keeps the blade in working condition. Products with a fixed blade have a solid connection of the blade with the handle. Bogs have a corkscrew look. Skeletal ones are made entirely of steel, while the handle is often wrapped with a lace or other non-slip material.

Classification is also carried out according to the purpose of the products. There are knives for tourism and hunting, weapons, universal, kitchen and special purposes. Knives for hunting and tourism can be used both for attacking animals and for refreshing carcasses. Armory can be used for sapper work, in battles, when throwing, for self-defense.

Consider the most popular knives for home use, it can be table, fish, snack bars, dessert, fruit, for steak, butter, cheese, etc.

• Table knives are one of the main serving knives, designed for second courses, about 20 cm long.
• Fish has a wider blade, resembling a shoulder blade, designed for fish dishes.
• The snack bar is used for snacks, usually it is placed to the right of the fish knife.
• Dessert for cakes, various pies has a pointed tip.
• Fruit outwardly similar to dessert, but a little shorter.
• Steak knife is used for meat, meat dishes. It has a sharp end of the blade, slightly raised up, about 22 cm long.
• The butter knife is used to spread both butter and bread jams.
• Cheese has a forked blade end, used for slicing cheese.
• Boning allows you to separate the meat from the bones.
• Slicer allows you to thinly chop meat, sausage.
• Bread can cut bread without leaving crumbs.
• For children there are special children's knives that are safe to use and meet their purpose. They differ in small size, lightness, multi-colored handles are often found.

Widely used stainless steel knives. They are the most durable in use, suitable for daily use. Such products are protected from rust, durable, resistant to temperature changes, do not leave a smack on the products, the appearance remains brilliant even with prolonged use. However, such blades have disadvantages. The main disadvantage is rapid dulling.

They often have to be sharpened, which leads to thinning of the blade. In pursuit of cheaper production, manufacturers often use low-quality steel, which makes them bend when they come in contact with products.

Quality home knives must meet some criteria:

• the dimensions of the blade and handle should correspond to a ratio of 50: 50 or the blade may be slightly longer;
• a high-quality device has a hidden file, visible only on one side of the blade;
• the blade must be made of good steel; if it is bent, it should acquire its original shape;
• such a blade does not crack and does not become stained with rust;
• a good device must comply with the rules for fastening the blade, it must pass through the handle completely (inexpensive ones usually have a slightly wound blade in the cavity of the handle);
• the handle can be made of wood, metal or plastic, it must fit the palm of your hand and be made of quality materials;
• the cost of a kit for the home can not be low - high-quality processing of the blade and manufacturing materials are costly.

If the vaporization evenly covered the surface of the blade and evenly descended, then this indicates the uniformity of the steel. Hardening can be estimated by ringing, it is necessary to suspend the selected product by the handle and click on the blade with a fingernail. Hardened metal should sound like a high ping.

If you want to maintain the quality and appearance of the product, then you need to pay attention to the recommendations for the care of knives.

• Before first use, rinse the blade with hot water. After use, it is necessary to wash the knife with a small amount of detergent, then wipe it towards the blade with a soft cloth. Washing the knives in the dishwasher is not recommended, as this may dull the blade. Knives should be stored dried.
• Cleaning is done with a cork stopper from the bottle. It should be dipped in sunflower oil, then in salt and rub with a knife. Then rinse the device with cool water and wipe with a cloth. Also use special pastes for cleaning. They will save a brilliant look to all cutlery in your home.
• Glass or stone cutting boards blunt the knives, so it is recommended to use wooden or polypropylene boards. Store the product in a separate place from other cutlery. It can be wooden or metal blocks, which are distinguished by their compactness. Or you can use magnetic holders that are conveniently attached to the surface of furniture, walls.
• A sharpening stone is used to sharpen the blade. When choosing a stone, it is necessary to pay attention to the granularity: fine-grained ones are used for dressing knives, medium-grained ones are used for edge processing, rough-grain products are used to straighten the sharpening angle, to correct the shape of the blade. They also use musat; it is designed for straightening knives. If these products are not available, sandpaper can be used. For ease of use, waterproof emery is recommended, it must be fixed on a flat surface and sharpened.

In the next video, you can take a look at table knives from around the world.