The Butcher Block.

[shooterrick]

SmokingOhioButcher has agreed to join our group and provide insight into this subject.  Thanks SOB!

 

[smokingohiobutcher]

Ok... Thanks Rick for the invite....I am not sure I will have the most knowledge but I will try to give you all the best of what I know. For all the hard questions I will have to see if pops can set me straight.

 If he has time!

SOB

 

[pops6927]

Always glad to help on anything as long as I can time it in between strokes, lol!

 

[africanmeat]

Thanks SOB and Pops

 

[solaryellow]

Let's start with something that may or may not be easy. Can you talk to us about your knives? What kind of knives do you use and when do you use them? Thanks!

 

[eman]

Always glad to help on anything as long as I can time it in between strokes, lol!

Now if i had the least bit of a dirty mind.That just wouldn't sound right at all.

 

[SmokinAl]

OK speaking of knives, I have a 6" boning knife & would like a smaller one. Maybe 3 to 4 inches. I have looked all over & haven't been able to find one. Is there a reason that they are all 6 to 8 inches in length?

 

[sound1]

Now if i had the least bit of a dirty mind.That just wouldn't sound right at all.

Agreed, it wouldn't take too much for this thread to go a totally different direction

 

 

[scarbelly]

OK speaking of knives, I have a 6" boning knife & would like a smaller one. Maybe 3 to 4 inches. I have looked all over & haven't been able to find one. Is there a reason that they are all 6 to 8 inches in length?

Hey Al - 

Here is one of several places I look for knives. This link is for a 4 or 5 " 

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/wusthof-classic/boning-knife-p1576

 

[africanmeat]

OK knifes i love knifes i am a knifeaholic i got over 30 knifes but i use regularly only few of than

for meat i use

for fish i us Japanese sushi knifes

for vegetables and fruits i use ceramic knifes

and for pastrami i use

Thanks

 

[SmokinAl]

Hey Al - 

Here is one of several places I look for knives. This link is for a 4 or 5 " 

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/wusthof-classic/boning-knife-p1576

Thanks, Gary I'll check it out!

 

[alelover]

 

[venture]

I know I will learn a lot from this interesting group.

A big thanks to the experts who signed on.  They have been a great help to many of us!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[venture]

Al, when I was in the market for a 6 inch boning knife, I checked with Pops.  He pointed me toward Dexter and the Forchner line by Victorinox for good quality knives at a very reasonable price.

The Forschner was available locally and I got one for a little under $25.  I have been very happy with it so far.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[jalan43]

My father is a jouneyman meat cutter. He owned three grocery stores and all of our butchers used Forchner knives. I love them, good knife for te right price!

 

[smokingohiobutcher]

Let's start with something that may or may not be easy. Can you talk to us about your knives? What kind of knives do you use and when do you use them? Thanks!

I use the Forschner and Dexter series by Victorinox at work. The Forschner are "The Bomb". The Dexter are their cheaper line, although I would still classify them as awesome knives. These are the knives I prefer...

 A 6" Semi-Stiff Curved Boner ( come on now lets hold the giggles till the end) for boning out meat and for detail work (trimming steaks, butterflying chops ,etc.).

I like a 12" curved Cimeter for breaking down larger primary cuts like Shoulder Clods, Chuck Rolls, Bottom Flats, to name a few. The wide blade of the cimeter works great for slicing nice straight portion cuts.

You will notice I prefer the Rosewood handles for my knives. I think they fit my hands just right, better than the fibrox handles. I like the control that the wood handles transfer to the blades. USDA says the wood handles breed more bacteria but I question that. I feel that if you use common sense in cleaning and maintaining your knives the wood handles are fine. Also Good knives have 2 rivets in the handle but awesome knives have 3 rivets. For most home enthusiast good knives will work, but if you are going to be using and sharpening your knives a lot?  Go for the awesome knives.

OK speaking of knives, I have a 6" boning knife & would like a smaller one. Maybe 3 to 4 inches. I have looked all over & haven't been able to find one. Is there a reason that they are all 6 to 8 inches in length?

Well now I can honestly say i am not sure on that. Pops might know that one. But I can tell you that I used to work with a guy that sharpened his knives too much and they would get shorter the more he sharpened them. Whenever I would pick up his shorter knives, to do something quick, I would cut myself. No... let me rephrase that, I would poke myself with the tip. I got to realize  that the shorter thinner tip was harder to see and easier to poke myself with. He said I was nuts but he was always jabbing and cutting himself the longer he used those knives.
 

Hope this answers your questions.

SOB

 

[scarbelly]

Those look like they came from New West Knifeworks.  Man they make beautiful knives

 

[venture]

SOB, I am with you on this one.  I could not use a 4 inch boning knife.

Having said that, everyones hands and techniques are different.  Because of that, I will never buy a knife that I haven't felt in my hand.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[shooterrick]

I keep a separate knife bag and have both Victorinox synthetic handles and Henkles and a cheap cleaver in it.   My work horses are the Victorinox a boning 6inch, 10 inch slicer,  10 inch bread slicer, 6 inch fillet, and Henkles, 3 inch paring, 10 inch chefs, 8 inch chefs, 5 inch utilit y.  My wife leaves em alone and I leave her pampered chef knives alone.  LOL

 

[venture]

Shooter makes a good point.

My other half knows what knives she can touch, and those she must leave alone.  If she ever touches them, I will know later, even if I didn't see her do it.

At least she gets the blame?

Good luck and good smoking.