Sally's GF3 thread

[aart]

I use this sharpener that belonged to my Dad.
and this hone recommended by my brother.

 

[Sally PB]

My mom had an electric knife sharpener. I don't recall if our knives were "shave with it sharp," but probably not. I didn't do much in the kitchen other than bake. And clean up any mess I made, because that was the rule. (Mom bought the ingredients, so I was happy to do my side of the deal.)

My BIL is handy with a whetstone. The last time he visited, I asked him to bring it and sharpen my little paring knife. That was... um... 3 dogs ago, so at least 20+ years.

 

[gtaus]

I realized that as dull as he was, my kitchen knives are duller. I am tagging the people I know here who have a lot of practical knowledge.
@aart @DobieLover @gtaus @Shadrach @U_Stormcrow

My sharpest knives are my fish fillet knives. One of them came with this type of sharpener you can find on Amazon...

If you only have 2 knives, that might be an expensive sharpener to fill your needs. It keeps my fish fillet knives sharp.

A few months ago I purchased a 1X30 belt sander from Harbor Freight. I am still learning how to use it. There are lots of YouTube videos with professionals using this kind of sander to finely hone kitchen knives. I bought my 1X30 belt sander hoping that I can learn how to sharpen my small electric woodchipper blades. If I can figure that out and it works as good as I have heard, then I will get my money's worth out of this investment in no time. But it's an investment that I would not suggest for only 2 knives. Just for fun, here is what I got...

Of course, I found one of these as an open box item and got it for half price. Plus, I had some Harbor Freight money that I can only use at the HF store, so I took home this 1X30 belt sander for about $20.00. Like so many of my shop machines, it's looking for a place in the garage so I can actually use it.

 

[gtaus]

Wow. What's the best way to store knives that are that sharp? In a block?

We keep our knives in a block, with the back edge against the wood. That way you do not dull the blade on the wood when you put it in or take it out.

Notice the steak knives on the bottom tier of this block in this stock photo. They are stored with the cutting edge down, resting on the wood. I keep my steak knives with the cutting edge up, with the back edge of the knife against the wood. Maybe it does not make a difference, but I have always stored my knives so the cutting edge does not rest on the wood.

 

[Sally PB]

I know exactly what I want for a Christmas/anniversary gift. A block and a few good knives. And a way to sharpen them. DH will benefit from this too, so it can be for both of us. Which is how we do Christmas/anniversary gifts anyway.

Birthdays are usually a book or chocolate.

 

[gtaus]

I think we bought our last set of knives in a wood block on an after Christmas clearance sale. Saved lots of money and was able to afford a higher quality set.

Speaking of quality, if you know what you are buying, you can often find fantastic stuff at a Thrift Store at great prices. I don't know much about knife brand quality, but I can tell a sharp knife from a dull one. The trick is to find a high quality knife set, even if dull, that you can sharpen and keep forever.

Recently I bought an Amazon listed $20 Pyrex pie plate at our local Thrift Store for only 50 cents. Actually got 2 of them. Also, picked up a ~$34 Pyrex casserole with cover for only $2.00. I just learned about that stuff at our monthly Senior Citizens Cooking Class and our instructors explained why some cookware is just better than others. With my new knowledge, I saw those Pyrex dishes at the Thrift Store and snatched them up on the spot. Essentially, I got about $70 worth of cookware new for only $3.00 slightly used!

Guess what? Even I am getting to the point where I can tell the difference in the quality of cookware and am able to be a better cook with the higher quality cookware. A number of months ago I woud have had no idea in the differences between cookware. Now I have enough knowledge and experience to know that some cookware is just better than others.

Anyways, you might be able to find a much higher quality set of knives in a Thrift Shop than what you might buy at the local big box store. Lots of rich people donate stuff they no longer want or use to our local church charity Thrift Shop. I'm not too proud to buy used stuff knowing that I saved lots of money, especially when I know it's a high quality item.

 

[Sally PB]

Speaking of quality, if you know what you are buying, you can often find fantastic stuff at a Thrift Store at great prices. I don't know much about knife brand quality, but I can tell a sharp knife from a dull one. The trick is to find a high quality knife set, even if dull, that you can sharpen and keep forever.

Oh, believe me, I shop the local Goodwill and other thrift stores!

Your thrift store prices are much better than ours. A Pyrex pieplate or casserole dish would be $4 or $5. Still, much cheaper than retail. And, I qualify for a senior citizen's discount. I got my very first one at Goodwill.

A knife set would be gone the day it was put on the shelf, I bet. I have never seen one at my usual thrift stores.

 

[gtaus]

Your thrift store prices are much better than ours.

That's why I always like to state it's a church charity Thrift Shop. Whatever they sell is 100% profit to them.

A knife set would be gone the day it was put on the shelf, I bet. I have never seen one at my usual thrift stores.

That's the problem, of course, you can't just go into a Thrift Store and expect to have exactly what you want on the shelf. Those Pyrex cookware I got at such a great price are not usually on the shelf. I looked for them for over 2 months before some landed on the shelf when I was in the shop.

Our church charity Thrift Shop is only open one day a week, on Tuesdays, so if you don't see what you want that day, you have to wait another full week to see if something new comes in. Most of the stuff I buy at the Thrift Store are items that I don't need immediately. Part of the "fun" for me is to wait it out and see if I can get something on my list and save lots of money. If I am patient, I usually get what I want.

Our Thrift Store is manned by volunteers. The benefit to them is that they get to buy a certain number of items before the store opens. Essentially, they get first pick on the goods. I am sure lots of the great stuff gets snapped up by the volunteer employees before we ever see it. Still, I always seem to get lucky and find good stuff on my list.

Lots of times I pick up great stuff that they put out for free. Some things they don't want to sell, or maybe there is a slight flaw, or maybe it needs a little repair before it works. Sometimes I just pick up a freebee and repurpose it for something else.

 

[Iluveggers]

Recently I bought an Amazon listed $20 Pyrex pie plate at our local Thrift Store for only 50 cents. Actually got 2 of them. Also, picked up a ~$34 Pyrex casserole with cover for only $2.00. I just learned about that stuff at our monthly Senior Citizens Cooking Class and our instructors explained why some cookware is just better than others. With my new knowledge, I saw those Pyrex dishes at the Thrift Store and snatched them up on the spot. Essentially, I got about $70 worth of cookware new for only $3.00 slightly used!

I’m so jealous, and that’s a great idea to shop the church shops! Maybe this holiday when my church takes donations for the Christmas fundraiser, I’ll go and look. I am trying to eliminate all non-stick and plastic cooking/storage items feom my house and go with ceramic, glass and stainless steel only.

 

[gtaus]

I’m so jealous, and that’s a great idea to shop the church shops! Maybe this holiday when my church takes donations for the Christmas fundraiser, I’ll go and look. I am trying to eliminate all non-stick and plastic cooking/storage items feom my house and go with ceramic, glass and stainless steel only.

Well, we still have mostly plastic storage containers and non-stick pans, but I am replacing what I can, when I can, with better stuff that I find at the church charity Thrift Shop. Part of my problem, however, is that I have really not known much about the advantages of using good cookware until fairly recently.

The Senior Citizen's Cooking Class I attend once a month teaches us about more than just cooking a few recipes. For an old guy like me, I never was instructed in the basics of cooking. So, every session is a real learning experience for me. We also talk about gardening our own fresh food, raising small animals, composting, and just about anything else food related. It was our instructors that introduced me to better cookware and how you can find some good stuff at the Thrift Store if you are patient and get lucky. The important thing is to know what the good stuff is because the Thrift Store sells cookware mostly by size of the dish, not the brand or quality of the product.