With the development of technology and craftsmanship, there are fewer and fewer kitchen knives made by the traditional methods -hand-forged. Today we’ll introduce a hand forged butcher knife. When I was a kid, I remember some people used it for cutting the meat, vegetables, and fruits. Let us feel the charm of traditional crafts again.
This article mainly introduces this traditional hand-forged kitchen knife from the following aspects:
- Hand-forged craft
- Appearance
- How to use it
- Tips for maintaining knife
- Suggestion for using
1. Hand forged craft
Hand-forged is a primitive and ancient method of the knife made. It is completely relying on men who use some simple tools like a hammer to make a knife. In the process of continuous forged, the metal will become harder and harder, but when the metal is annealed, it will become soft again. Therefore, hand-forged butcher knives can maintain sharpness for a longer time.
Meanwhile, the uneven surface of the knife can increase the friction between the knife and the food, which is convenient for cleaning and avoid breeding bacteria. Multi-times manual forged and fine grinding so that the hardness and sharpness are well balanced.
2. The appearance of the hand-forged cleaver
Designing a good-looking knife does not require any exaggeration, complexity, or gorgeous decoration. Just be simple and attractive. The black spots and irregularities on the surface of the forged knife is not a defect of the product, instead，it’s the result of the hand-forged process.
In addition, there is a slight difference in the color of the texture of each knife, because it is not mass production, but forged by craftsman's hand.
Cutting food with it, there is a sense of comfort in the idyllic natural mountains away from the city.
If you are a game fan, holding this black iron in hand, there will be a kind of pleasure in which you can defeat your army. As for praise, it will be honored after you help your wife finish the cook prep.
Although this knife pattern is not particularly attractive, it gives a retro feel.
3. How to use it
The front part of the knife is used to cut vegetables to different shapes. The middle of the knife is used to slice some soft ingredients, such as fresh meat slices, pork loin, and sashimi. The back part of the knife is generally thicker, it is for little harder ingredients. For example, chopping fish pieces, chicken pieces, and lamb chops, etc. As for the tough bones, these more challenging jobs, like chopping pigs, cows, and sheep, we need more professional butcher knives.
Overall, this hand-forged knife has a wide range of application scenarios. It can be used to cut vegetables, fruits, bread, skinned pork belly, fish, chicken, etc. and can also be used to chop small ribs with the right way.
We tested the shredded potatoes, shredded pork, and cut pork belly with this knife.
Let's cut the shredded potatoes first. The slice should be even. of course, This is related to the sharpness of the knife also related to the knife skills of the chef.
First, cut the potatoes into a flat surface so that the potatoes will not slip. Hold the knife horizontally or vertically. the knife should be parallel to the cutting board if you hold cleaver horizontally. The knife should be perpendicular to the cutting board if you hold a butcher knife vertically. like this, we can easily control the thickness of the ingredients. Slice first, then shred. Do not slice potatoes too thick.
Because the surface of the butcher knife is hand forged, the contact area between the ingredients and the knife surface is reduced, so, the potato with high starch and sufficient juice can quickly fall off the blade automatically. Unlike ordinary knives, potatoes slices stick to the surface of the knife like a sucker, and it takes a lot of effort to remove them sometimes.
Let’s cut the fresh meat into slices. This one tests the knife and the skill of the cooker. First, Use the middle of the cleaver to slice the meat into thin slices, The knife should be sharp, the angle of the blade should be flat, the hand should hold the fresh meat firmly, and you can get the meat slices by pushing and pulling a knife. Then, Stack the thin meat slices and cut it in a straight cut way, finish, the shredded meat is clean and neat and beautiful.
Cut pork bellies. The pork belly with skin is delicious but difficult to cut. Generally, please ask the chef who sells the meat to cut it directly. Use this butcher knife to cut, one piece at a time effortlessly, compared with Ordinary kitchen knives which can’t separate the meat from the skin. it is so easy to cut pork belly into thin slices!
This is a great opportunity to show the sharpness of this knife. Such a large piece of meat only needs to be held in the left hand, and the right hand can easily cut effortlessly. What’s more, Because the knife is sharp, there is no wrinkle mark on the surface of cutting meat, so the meat slice is beautifully formed.
4. Tips for maintaining knife
1. After using the hand forged cutter, rinse it with clean water and dry the surface with a dry towel.
2. The butcher knife should be placed in a dry place that is ventilated and far from acid things.
3. Re-grind the cleaver regularly and remove dirt, oil from the cutter usually.
4. Don’t place the tool near flames or immerse to water or corrosive liquids for a long time.
5. Suggestion for using
1. The new knife should compensate with a good chopping board. It is better to choose a wooden chopping board .other chopping board, like a bamboo chopping board that has high hardness will possibly damage the blade.
2. When cutting chicken, pay attention to cut along the structure of the chicken, Don’t cut the bone directly, but peeling the meat off from the bone.
3. When not use it for a long time, you should smear the surface of the blade with oil or wipe regularly with pigskin.In conclusion, this handmade butcher knife can handle 90% of daily cooking preparation, and it’s old fashioned, hope these can help you make decision.
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