Idea for times of lockdown and/or reduced activity: Experience and compare your Spydies in food-prep!

[Wartstein]

Like more and more in many other countries, here in Austria we are requested to stay at home or at least most people can´t go to work any more.

Now while I have always used my Spydies for food prep occasionally (but very rarely at home), in this times I sometimes really find joy in deliberately putting them to work and compare them to each other.

Let´s say I want to cut up some tomatoes, bread whatever:

For example I take a "thicker" bladed PE PM 2, a thin bladed PE Chap and an SE Endela, and/or knives that differ in their current amount of sharpness, and just compare and experience how each one feels and performs on different "food-materials" (so I use several folders for the same task consecutively)

Might sound weird, but having more time and much less social contacts, for me it definitely is something that brightens up my day a bit and brings interesting insights (for example:It is really interesting to actually directly experience, how a not too-sharp-any-more thin blade (Chap) outperforms a not-too-sharp-any-more thicker blade (PM2) in let´s say cutting up an apple. While the difference is not that noticeable when both are freshly sharpened.
Of course that is to be expected anyway, but to feel the direct contrast is what counts here).

Thought this might be something other "locked down Spyder-nuts" want to consider too... :)

[FK]

I much prefer the dedicated Spyderco kitchen knives.
Very thin blade stock with MBS-26 steel SE of course.
The older straight blade 10.3" is fantastic as a bread knife.

Regards,
FK

[tonijedi]

Used my PE H1 Dragonfly to slice 1kg of carrots, 1 onion and 3 potatoes to make a soup :D

[Evil D]

I've been looking for more torture tests for my Caribbean. Maybe I'll disinfect it and do some food prep with it.

[Wartstein]

I much prefer the dedicated Spyderco kitchen knives.
Very thin blade stock with MBS-26 steel SE of course.
The older straight blade 10.3" is fantastic as a bread knife.

Regards,
FK

Sure! No doubt those are the better choices for kitchen use!

But that´s not the point here: For me in times like this with reduced activities and contacts it is just fun getting to know your folders more detailled (or to put it better: Comparing them against each other, and experiencing the differences) exactly by using them on "materials" (various food) you normally would not...

[Wartstein]

I've been looking for more torture tests for my Caribbean. Maybe I'll disinfect it and do some food prep with it.

Yeah! Go for the coconut! :D

[Wartstein]

Used my PE H1 Dragonfly to slice 1kg of carrots, 1 onion and 3 potatoes to make a soup :D

Very cool! Though a larger onion is hard work with the small DFly, isn´t it ?

[jdw]

I am looking forward to my 10V PM2 to arrive. Food prep will be a fun way to start a nice patina!

[Nate]

As a special bonus, for those of us with kids at home with schools closed, we can use our Spydies to teach the little ones to cook and work in some maths at the same time. :)

Here are our Spydies that live in the kitchen:



Of course, there are plenty of folders around to bring to the party as well.

[derangedhermit]

It is somewhat of a surprise to me that my Native Chief is more comfortable and easy to use for food prep tasks than my Police 4 LW. It seems the handle shape of the Chief lets more of the edge toward the grip be more easily used when cutting on flat surfaces - a little more finger clearance from the surface. I figured the longer blade of the Police 4 would win out, but for me it isn't so. I still run out of edge length too soon on both of them, though. Neither is, of course, as good for use on a cutting board as a 5"-7" chef or Santoku knife. I would say they work about as well as a 3.5"-4" paring knife, unless you are holding something and peeling it.

Anyway, most days I use one of those two, or an Endura, for something in the kitchen.

I put a 15 degree per side bevel on all of them, and it seems to slice easier than the factory edges.

[DTPrime]

The counter puppy is my first actual kitchen knife from Spyderco and it's been great, definitely seeing lots of use the last couple weeks we've been home. It's a comfortable and fun design at a reasonable price, and the BD1N has performed really well making me re-appreciate the stock Para 3 LW. Wouldn't mind a a Counter Puppy XL "big dog" to go with it!

[tonijedi]

Used my PE H1 Dragonfly to slice 1kg of carrots, 1 onion and 3 potatoes to make a soup :D

Very cool! Though a larger onion is hard work with the small DFly, isn´t it ?

Well, I wouldn't say hard work, you just have to cut twice sometimes.
Of course it's far from perfect but doable none the less.

[yowzer]

My Bradley Bowie and Seratta see a lot of kitchen use anyways, along with some non-Spyderco fixed blades. I hardly even touch my actual kitchen knives.

The Hundred Pacer is nice in the kitchen, too, when it comes to folders.

[TkoK83Spy]

Folders in the kitchen...so weird. Couldn't imagine doing it with all the things I cut at work. Even after disinfecting.

Their really not made for the kitchen, besides a few models. Anybody buying a $100+ folder that uses it mostly for food is really doing a disservice to themselves when it comes to food prep/kitchen cutlery.

Unless your on the job, out in the field, on a hike, etc...then ok, but if you have better options, designed for the purpose at home...why would you? Seems like a whack way to say you use your knife. It's like using a baton for a nail, when you have a hammer right by your side.

[Tgmr05]

Had to use a folder once at an outdoor birthday party. Nobody brought a knife to cut the cake. Not a spyderco though, was a stainless Gerber Gator, iirc.

I have considered getting a Pac Salt to drop in the kitchen knife/utensil drawer. Winds up in dishwasher, should be ok..

Never really thought about it, but could be a useful time to teach children and even adults at home how to use a folder in a pinch and make do with what you have. Would be kinda fun and a learning experience.

[Wartstein]

Folders in the kitchen...so weird. Couldn't imagine doing it with all the things I cut at work. Even after disinfecting.

Their really not made for the kitchen, besides a few models. Anybody buying a $100+ folder that uses it mostly for food is really doing a disservice to themselves when it comes to food prep/kitchen cutlery.

Unless your on the job, out in the field, on a hike, etc...then ok, but if you have better options, designed for the purpose at home...why would you? Seems like a whack way to say you use your knife. It's like using a baton for a nail, when you have a hammer right by your side.

A well sharpened Spyderco (Endura, Chap...) works a LOT better on food (at least for my needs, and I´ll admit: I am not a Chef.. ) than "a baton for a nail".. but still a dedicated kitchen knife will be better, no doubt.

But that´s not the point here anyway. I am NOT proposing to use Spyderco folders in the kitchen generally.

It is just that now in times of kind of a partial lockdown (more time at home) I personally find joy in practically comparing my Spydies on various different materials, and food prep is a very good opportunity to do so.
After all, this is a hobby for me, I love using Spydercos, and how well they work for cutting whatever you throw at them.
Like there is no practical sense in a way to own 10 or 50 folders, there is probably no practical sense in experiencing the subtle differences between a 3mm and 2mm blade when cutting tomatoes, apples, cardboard or wood.
But in a way for me life is about being creative and being able to enjoy things just for fun and out of interest.
It is no different to for example people cutting tons of cardboard with folders in different steels, cause they enjoy to find out which one holds an edge a tiny bit longer. Great for them! And great, that knife people just find various ways to enjoy their folders, each one how he or she likes! :)

[TkoK83Spy]

Actually now seems like the best time for everyone to sharpen up those neglected kitchen knives we have, and see how well they actually really do work! I know I'm guilty of giving my Spyderco folders WAY more attention than those knives :p

[Wartstein]

Actually now seems like the best time for everyone to sharpen up those neglected kitchen knives we have, and see how well they actually really do work! I know I'm guilty of giving my Spyderco folders WAY more attention than those knives :p

That's honestly a great idea... and funny that I thought of (and enjoy) using and comparing my Spyderco folders in the kitchen, but it did not cross my mind to use the spare time I have now to also sharpen my actual kitchen knives... :o

[Ankerson]

I use my Spyderco Kitchen knives. :)

[Marulaghost]

I use my ZCUTS regularly