Sharp Knives - Why the fuss?

Ever wonder why some people, Chefs, me and my colleagues who also have the knife sharpening OCD, make a big deal about having a sharp knife. Besides the obvious fact that a nice sharp edge enhances the food preparation process, besides that, is it important to have a sharp knife or is it just for certain people?


YES there is a reason that a sharp knife will not just make your time in the kitchen more pleasant, but it will make your food taste better. You don't believe me, how is that even possible you ask?

If you give me a dull knife for sharpening, and believe me, your knives are dull if I haven't sharpened them:), if you allow me the pleasure of sharpening your knives I can promise you several things, these extras are just part of the whole sharpening process, all bonuses.
1. Your knife will be sharper than any knife you have ever used, how can I say that you ask? Unless you have had it sharpened by someone using the same stones that I use and not a machine, then I will stick to my word. Remember, the sharpest knife most people have seen is when it was purchased, the factory edge.  Well, we can take it beyond that my friends, that is what people like me strive for and obsess over.
2. You will love to use your "new" knife in the kitchen, you will find yourself cutting vegetables just for the sake of cutting them because it feels so cool, you will be slicing your food instead of sawing it.
3. Your knife will stay sharp for some time if you maintain it with a steel or ceramic hone, if you don't, I can guarantee that in a few months it will lose that extremely sharp edge that I put on it for you. This is normal, the good news is that I can get it back again very quickly. Maintain that edge with a Hone.

Now how does a sharp knife improve the flavour of your food?

Have you ever cut yourself with a dull knife, it really hurts and it bleeds a lot right. Conversely, if you have every cut yourself with a very sharp knife, it doesn't hurt quite as bad and it doesn't bleed for as long. It heals quickly.

Now take a filet of salmon or other fish or a nice steak or any other food. When you cut that food with a dull knife you are cutting through the cell structure of the food and leaving an open grain, tearing the cell structure apart at the molecular level. Now, as a result,  the food is more open to oxidation, certain liquids, sauces, soy sauce for example will be absorbed by the food at a faster rate than desired. Your dull knife has created an open source for anything to be absorbed by the freshly torn and open cells. This is bad and yet almost everyone does this daily.

A very sharp knife, and I mean sharp like, razor sharp will slice through the food and leave very a tiny and tight, cohesive cell structure behind, there is no damage so to speak and the foods like soy sauce for example, lemon juice etc. will not be absorbed in such an extent so as to change the flavour of the food to a degree beyond what is intended.  This slicing action is just what you want. Japanese Sushi Chefs sharpen their knives daily, they get this and we can learn from it, I  certainly have.

This is yet another very important reason to use a sharp knife, you can't argue with this logic. I didn't make this stuff up. 


Pictures of my new stones coming soon, these are the pinnacle of Japanese Water Stones, here in my hands, purchased just to make your knives sharper. You are going to re-take that kitchen of yours. 

Thank you for being here.

Peter.