(TL;DR: Does the KKF need its own knife skills video, made by our best experts, to counteract the sh!tty stuff noobs have to deal with on youtube?)
No matter what steel, size and shape, at the end of the day a knife is only as good as the person who wields it. As they realize that, lots of noobs come here to ask questions, and we do have lots of experts who can answer them, but it is usually the same questions which get asked again and again, much of it having to do with the proper handling of a knife.
We have lots of knowledge here on the forum, but it is time consuming and impractical to find and you can never be sure you have found it all - our community has grown pretty big. Being taught by a real teacher will usually be better, quicker and more thorough than autodidactic learning.
For example, I have just looked at our questionnaire, and not all of it is very clear, especially the various grips and cutting techniques - no fault of the author, it is just the kind of stuff where a picture or, far better, a video, is worth more than a thousand words.
So, what I am proposing is: The Kitchen Knife Forum, The Sharpest Place of Earth, needs its very own ultimative knife skills video, put together by our best experts! It befits us to actively promote knowledge of proper handling and care of our precious babies! Too much bad, outdated or simply wrong stuff on youtube and the likes!
What should be in it? Open to discussion of course, my suggestions:
The different grips: point grip for precise cut in soft stuff, hammer grip, pinch grip, pressing thumb on spine for hard stuff, all clearly demonstrated on video, an explanation of when to use what grip, their advantages and disadvantages, what not to do (like not pinching the blade between fingers of your left hand when walking across the board, but pressing on the spine instead).
The cutting motions: The classic rock chop and its mechanics, the push cut, mincing/walking the blade across the board, peeling stuff, chopping stuff, which to use for what produce, differences in technique between German, French and Japanese knifes, gyutos vs. nakiris ...
General cuts: Planches, batonnets, julienne, brunoise ...
Demonstration: All the techniques demonstrated in practice, on the most common (potatoes, cucumbers, squash, celery) and some not so common (avocado, mango, pomegranate) veggies and fruit.
What do you all think? Is it a good idea? What else should be in it? Anybody of the pros here willing to volunteer? Keithsaltydog, Theory ...?
Unfortunately I can't do it myself, I am just an enthusiast who has never seen a pro kitchen from the inside, so it doesn't behoove me to publish such videos.
No matter what steel, size and shape, at the end of the day a knife is only as good as the person who wields it. As they realize that, lots of noobs come here to ask questions, and we do have lots of experts who can answer them, but it is usually the same questions which get asked again and again, much of it having to do with the proper handling of a knife.
We have lots of knowledge here on the forum, but it is time consuming and impractical to find and you can never be sure you have found it all - our community has grown pretty big. Being taught by a real teacher will usually be better, quicker and more thorough than autodidactic learning.
For example, I have just looked at our questionnaire, and not all of it is very clear, especially the various grips and cutting techniques - no fault of the author, it is just the kind of stuff where a picture or, far better, a video, is worth more than a thousand words.
So, what I am proposing is: The Kitchen Knife Forum, The Sharpest Place of Earth, needs its very own ultimative knife skills video, put together by our best experts! It befits us to actively promote knowledge of proper handling and care of our precious babies! Too much bad, outdated or simply wrong stuff on youtube and the likes!
What should be in it? Open to discussion of course, my suggestions:
The different grips: point grip for precise cut in soft stuff, hammer grip, pinch grip, pressing thumb on spine for hard stuff, all clearly demonstrated on video, an explanation of when to use what grip, their advantages and disadvantages, what not to do (like not pinching the blade between fingers of your left hand when walking across the board, but pressing on the spine instead).
The cutting motions: The classic rock chop and its mechanics, the push cut, mincing/walking the blade across the board, peeling stuff, chopping stuff, which to use for what produce, differences in technique between German, French and Japanese knifes, gyutos vs. nakiris ...
General cuts: Planches, batonnets, julienne, brunoise ...
Demonstration: All the techniques demonstrated in practice, on the most common (potatoes, cucumbers, squash, celery) and some not so common (avocado, mango, pomegranate) veggies and fruit.
What do you all think? Is it a good idea? What else should be in it? Anybody of the pros here willing to volunteer? Keithsaltydog, Theory ...?
Unfortunately I can't do it myself, I am just an enthusiast who has never seen a pro kitchen from the inside, so it doesn't behoove me to publish such videos.
