Folders and food

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awa54
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Folders and food

#1

Post by awa54 »

I've noticed a bunch of you folks use your folding knives for food prep or as a steak knife, rather than (or maybe in addition to) the more specialized kitchen knives that would be my go-to for such tasks.

I have no hesitation to use a folding knife for picnicking/camping or the odd case of being at a friend's house where food prep is being done, but no suitable/sharp kitchen knives are available. However any time that a purpose made kitchen knife or steak knife is available I would use it instead, mostly due to cleanup concerns... getting food residue out of the pivot or locking mechanism can be a bit challenging, especially if you can't do the cleanup right after using the knife, not to mention that "stuff" can get between/behind the handle scales or pack in to the texture of something like an FRN handle scale.

I'm interested to hear opinions for or against this practice, do you folks who use your folders for food just not have a good selection of kitchen knives? Are those of us who favor fixed blades for food just paranoid or too lazy to deal with the cleanup? Or is this just the fact that our folders are crying out to be used and any excuse to do so needs to be acted on?
-David

still more knives than sharpening stones...
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The Deacon
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Re: Folders and food

#2

Post by The Deacon »

I've used a folder for food prep at home more than a few times, but it was almost always a brand new knife that I just to see how it cut. I've never been one to "cut stuff just for the sake of cutting stuff", I'd rather see how a new knife performs while doing something that needs to be done anyway, and them onions weren't going to slice themselves. ;)
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Ankerson
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Re: Folders and food

#3

Post by Ankerson »

awa54 wrote:I've noticed a bunch of you folks use your folding knives for food prep or as a steak knife, rather than (or maybe in addition to) the more specialized kitchen knives that would be my go-to for such tasks.

I have no hesitation to use a folding knife for picnicking/camping or the odd case of being at a friend's house where food prep is being done, but no suitable/sharp kitchen knives are available. However any time that a purpose made kitchen knife or steak knife is available I would use it instead, mostly due to cleanup concerns... getting food residue out of the pivot or locking mechanism can be a bit challenging, especially if you can't do the cleanup right after using the knife, not to mention that "stuff" can get between/behind the handle scales or pack in to the texture of something like an FRN handle scale.

I'm interested to hear opinions for or against this practice, do you folks who use your folders for food just not have a good selection of kitchen knives? Are those of us who favor fixed blades for food just paranoid or too lazy to deal with the cleanup? Or is this just the fact that our folders are crying out to be used and any excuse to do so needs to be acted on?

Nope, I never use a folder on food when there is a fixed blade or a kitchen knife around.

Never in a restaurant either.
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Donut
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Re: Folders and food

#4

Post by Donut »

It's not really EDC unless you carry a full sized chef's knife with you everywhere. :)


My opinion: I will cut up things with my pocket knife. I've cut steak with my traditional folder (at home) just to make sure I'm keeping it acceptably sharp. I cut the ends off celery with my LBK because if I use the kitchen knife at work, I would feel obligated or just want to sharpen it. I've cut up apples to induce a patina.

There are a few reasons: It's usually easier to take a folder home and sharpen it. I keep stuff around to clean my folders.

I have never used a knife in a restaurant to cut food. I will deal with whatever crappy equipment they provide me.
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Evil D
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Re: Folders and food

#5

Post by Evil D »

I don't use mine AS kitchen knives or FOR kitchen use, but most of my knives have been used for food prep at least a few times, mostly just to get an idea of how well they can do it. I consider food prep to just be another aspect of knife performance, the same as someone would test a knife making feather sticks to make a fire.

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Re: Folders and food

#6

Post by OldHoosier62 »

Practically every knife I own has done mess duty at one time or another. Not a problem to clean up, hot water, Dawn soap, a touch of bleach and some kitchen brushes and in minutes they are clean and ready to go again. (And yes, I have PLENTY of kitchen cutlery- from two-handed carcass splitters to paring knives.)

They are multi-purpose tools...treat them as such.
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Re: Folders and food

#7

Post by bdblue »

I will use my folder when a suitable kitchen knife is not handy, or if I need a sharper knife than we keep in our kitchen. Usually when I use my folder on food it is when I am out of the house and don't have a good knife available, such as at my office or sometimes in a restaurant. I usually carry fairly large blades which allows me to cut up food without getting stuff in the pivot. Using a folder doesn't seem to bother anyone except my wife.
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Re: Folders and food

#8

Post by Monocrom »

I used my Dragonfly a couple of times to slice a cream cheese bagel in half.
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awa54
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Re: Folders and food

#9

Post by awa54 »

I have to say that the Rock Lobster and peppers photo is such a great shot that it more than justifies using folders for food prep!
-David

still more knives than sharpening stones...
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Re: Folders and food

#10

Post by Evil D »

awa54 wrote:
I have to say that the Rock Lobster and peppers photo is such a great shot that it more than justifies using folders for food prep!

Thanks man! It was good enough to be in last year's calendar :D
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Re: Folders and food

#11

Post by Donut »

I think it just boils down to:

What is your situation?
What are your priorities?
What do you find acceptable?

Everyone is going to have different answers and different reasons why they are or aren't acceptable. Do what is comfortable for you.
-Brian
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Re: Folders and food

#12

Post by this_is_nascar »

I use my Delica every day for my apple.
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Re: Folders and food

#13

Post by RanCoWeAla »

Not something you would do all the time but can be a memory that lasts a life time. A Friend and I packed a picnic basket several years ago and went to Horse Shoe Bend Alabama. After a hike over the entire site we were about starved. On the way out of the are we came across a little country Church maybe 150-200 years that had a long table made of concrete. block pillars with a slab on top for decoration or Memorial Day. We spread our sandwich supplies on the table and I used the spey blade of a Case 54 Trapper to spread mayonnaise and those turned out to be the best most memorable sandwiches of my entire life.I remember that every time food prep with a pocket knife is mentioned and will remember it as long as I livelive
endgame
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Re: Folders and food

#14

Post by endgame »

I am a chef and folders should only be used for utility not food prep.they have spots were food builds up and can contaminate otherfoods.they would need to be constantly taken apart to clean every nook and crany.ever notice no working kitchen has folders in the knife block .just for boxes zipties etc.they are a health risk and can be used at home but why
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Re: Folders and food

#15

Post by awa54 »

So, in blatant disregard of my own thread topic, I used my Ti UKPK to cut and butter a baguette this Sunday while hiking/picnicking with a friend. A really sharp PE can be a decent bread knife, but it's really got to be *very* sharp!

It was nothing that hot water and a drop of dish soap on a tooth brush couldn't fix. :D
-David

still more knives than sharpening stones...
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Re: Folders and food

#16

Post by endgame »

Cant do that in between each use in a professional kitchen
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awa54
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Re: Folders and food

#17

Post by awa54 »

endgame wrote:Cant do that in between each use in a professional kitchen
I've logged five years in a restaurant kitchen doing "ceramics sanitation", prep, plating, desert station and a *very* brief stint on the line, that experience and ethic is why I'm not keen on using any knife that can capture food in a place where it's hard to clean out for food prep, however taking along my hand forged white steel petty wasn't a realistic option... it also wouldn't have done well hacking off small limbs from the fallen tree we had to scramble over/under while getting to the picnicking spot ;)
-David

still more knives than sharpening stones...
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Re: Folders and food

#18

Post by endgame »

awa54 wrote:
endgame wrote:Cant do that in between each use in a professional kitchen
I've logged five years in a restaurant kitchen doing "ceramics sanitation", prep, plating, desert station and a *very* brief stint on the line, that experience and ethic is why I'm not keen on using any knife that can capture food in a place where it's hard to clean out for food prep, however taking along my hand forged white steel petty wasn't a realistic option... it also wouldn't have done well hacking off small limbs from the fallen tree we had to scramble over/under while getting to the picnicking spot ;)
I see you understand a folder is for deliveries and box cutting they have no buisiness in food prep in a professional kitchen
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Re: Folders and food

#19

Post by Donut »

endgame wrote:Cant do that in between each use in a professional kitchen
Pat,

Do you ever leave the kitchen, such as, going to markets for fresh produce?

What would you do then if some food needed to be cut?
-Brian
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Re: Folders and food

#20

Post by awa54 »

My original intent was just to get an idea of how folks felt about this practice in their own personal world of knife usage...

Endgame's assertion that a folder has no place in a restaurant or production kitchen is a given, NSF standards would be hard to meet with any design that has that many nooks and crannies to collect "stuff", health inspectors are rarely impressed by arguments about how great your knife is when it's a potential breeding pit for salmonella or e. coli!
-David

still more knives than sharpening stones...
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