My bloody dish towels are full of holes

[Michi]

I just got these wonderful towels from Sweden. I'm determined to not let them suffer the same fate as many of my other dish towels. Which is to have multiple small holes in them. Those holes are from wiping down a knife and having some fold of the towel catch on the heel of the knife. Talk about death by a thousand cuts…

Previously (in a past life, when I was blissfully ignorant of the existence of Japanese knives), I just grabbed the towel, squeezed it onto the knife near the handle, and pulled the towel forward towards the tip. Job done, knife dry. With a Wüsthof, the towel slides right over the bolster and everything is fine.

Not so with Japanese knives. That heel… Besides (with a paring knife) permanently threatening my thumb, that heel also puts paid to my towels. Pure evil!

So, I've changed my knife wiping routine. I now wipe from the middle. Once towards the heel, and a second time from the middle towards the tip. No more issues.

It's a bit like talking about the correct direction when using toilet paper. The correct answer is "twice, from the center."

And, finally, we now all know why the Germans put those bloody bolsters on their knives: it's to protect their dish towels.

 

[Nomo4me]

I round all the heels, all the time for this very reason

 

[WildBoar]

x2 on the wipe from middle to the ends technique. Starting at the heel is a recipe for disaster.

 

[bahamaroot]

I figured this one out years ago after my wife got pissed for ruining several towels.

 

[Nemo]

You should be reassured- your knives must be sharp.

 

[Michi]

You should be reassured- your knives must be sharp.

At least at the heel…

 

[krx927]

For this reason i have my own set of towels, and the wife had her own. I try to keep from using hers but just last week I was looking for towel without holes and did not find even single one. But in general hers look much better

Rounding the heel helps just a little bit, it does not eliminate the problem.

I just do not care any more about the holes, in fact I am really fond of the one in attachment

 

[Corradobrit1]

Welcome to the club

 

[Michi]

I just do not care any more about the holes, in fact I am really fond of the one in attachment

The quest for the Holey Grail.