Ceramic Knife Question

The Bubbo said:

With all the talk of ceramic knives I'm wondering something. I know they can
be fragile, but how fragile exactly?

They cannot be bent. If you use them to pry they will snap. I don't know how both
of mine lost the tips. One of them was put away in the knife block and the next
time I used it there was a piece missing off the end, and I found it the slot on
the block.

Quoted message said:

Almost every time I'm cooking I'm smashing the side of my chef's knife into
cloves of garlic and then sort of scraping over them to mash them into a
paste.

Don't even think of doing that with a ceramic knife.

Quoted message said:

Can you smash the side of a ceramic knife? can it withstand that kind
of abuse or will it shatter into 27 pieces and exact retribution by shoving an
ugly shard of ceramic into the side of my hand (or something similar, I
imagine that ceramic knives would be rather crafty in their plots).

It's more likely to just snap in two.

Quoted message said:

Either way, i'm not sure that I necessarily *need* a ceramic knife, but I've
been tasked to strengthen the economy by spending my money and what better way
to strengthen anything than by purchasing things for me!

You probably don't need it that badly. I could probably do without mine, but
there are some things that I really like them for. They are great for slicing ripe
tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. They cut through them like soft butter.

Dave Smith said:

The Bubbo said:

With all the talk of ceramic knives I'm wondering something. I know they

can

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

be fragile, but how fragile exactly?

They cannot be bent. If you use them to pry they will snap. I don't know

how both

Quoted message said:

of mine lost the tips. One of them was put away in the knife block and the

next

Quoted message said:

time I used it there was a piece missing off the end, and I found it the

slot on

Quoted message said:

the block.

Quoted message said:

Almost every time I'm cooking I'm smashing the side of my chef's knife into
cloves of garlic and then sort of scraping over them to mash them into a
paste.

Don't even think of doing that with a ceramic knife.

Quoted message said:

Can you smash the side of a ceramic knife? can it withstand that kind
of abuse or will it shatter into 27 pieces and exact retribution by shoving

an

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

ugly shard of ceramic into the side of my hand (or something similar, I
imagine that ceramic knives would be rather crafty in their plots).

It's more likely to just snap in two.

Quoted message said:

Either way, i'm not sure that I necessarily *need* a ceramic knife, but

I've

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

been tasked to strengthen the economy by spending my money and what better

way

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to strengthen anything than by purchasing things for me!

You probably don't need it that badly. I could probably do without mine,

but

Quoted message said:

there are some things that I really like them for. They are great for

slicing ripe

Quoted message said:

tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. They cut through them like soft butter.

Alright, good to know, thanks for the info.
If there's something I've learned about myself these past 32 years it's that I
can be EXTREMELY hard on the things I own. It's not so much that I don't take
care of them, I just use things harder than I should. So, in that vein, it
behooves me to not buy things that will break if subjected to me.

I suppose what I need is some sort of moon knife or something. Strong, light,
versatile, hovers around the earth...

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com

Dave Smith said:

The Bubbo said:

With all the talk of ceramic knives I'm wondering something. I know they

can

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

be fragile, but how fragile exactly?

They cannot be bent. If you use them to pry they will snap. I don't know

how both

Quoted message said:

of mine lost the tips. One of them was put away in the knife block and the

next

Quoted message said:

time I used it there was a piece missing off the end, and I found it the

slot on

Quoted message said:

the block.

Quoted message said:

Almost every time I'm cooking I'm smashing the side of my chef's knife into
cloves of garlic and then sort of scraping over them to mash them into a
paste.

Don't even think of doing that with a ceramic knife.

Quoted message said:

Can you smash the side of a ceramic knife? can it withstand that kind
of abuse or will it shatter into 27 pieces and exact retribution by shoving

an

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

ugly shard of ceramic into the side of my hand (or something similar, I
imagine that ceramic knives would be rather crafty in their plots).

It's more likely to just snap in two.

Quoted message said:

Either way, i'm not sure that I necessarily *need* a ceramic knife, but

I've

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

been tasked to strengthen the economy by spending my money and what better

way

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to strengthen anything than by purchasing things for me!

You probably don't need it that badly. I could probably do without mine,

but

Quoted message said:

there are some things that I really like them for. They are great for

slicing ripe

Quoted message said:

tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. They cut through them like soft butter.

Alright, good to know, thanks for the info.
If there's something I've learned about myself these past 32 years it's that I
can be EXTREMELY hard on the things I own. It's not so much that I don't take
care of them, I just use things harder than I should. So, in that vein, it
behooves me to not buy things that will break if subjected to me.

I suppose what I need is some sort of moon knife or something. Strong, light,
versatile, hovers around the earth...

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com

Consumer Reports magazine did a report on ceramic knives awhile back,
and they didn't fare well in comparison to ordinary knives.

My opinions apply :

They are unreasonably expensive.

They are sharp, but onced dulled , (using it on a metal, ceramic or
glass surface), they have to be sent back to the factory to be
sparpened. (You can't do it yourself).

The blades are brittle : Dropping one on a hard floor can chip the
edge; the point is easily broken off.

Sounds like an expensive, disposable toy.

A $35 steel chef's knife is easily maintained and will last for
generations.

Quoted message said:

If there's something I've learned about myself these past 32 years it's
that I
can be EXTREMELY hard on the things I own. It's not so much that I don't
take
care of them, I just use things harder than I should. So, in that vein, it
behooves me to not buy things that will break if subjected to me.

I suppose what I need is some sort of moon knife or something. Strong,
light,
versatile, hovers around the earth...

--
.:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com

All things are destructible in the hands of the naive and stupid. The best
set of knives I've ever owned I bought in Paris on my honeymoon. The first
thing I used the largest (and probably the most expensive expensive of all
of them) for was to try to pry/pick two pieces of frozen meat. In my
hissey-sort of style, I took the blade of that knife and hacked into the
meat, chunking out two pieces of the blade. I've never discarded this
knife, and it is still in the knife drawer and I have looked at it for over
three decades, reminding myself of what a jerk I was to do such a thing. It
freaked me at the time and I could hardly bring myself to tell DH. He sees
this knife also every day and has never said a word of disparagement about
it.

Yeah, I need one of those moon knives, too.
Dee Dee

"Dee Randall" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

set of knives I've ever owned I bought in Paris on my honeymoon. The
first thing I used the largest (and probably the most expensive expensive
of all of them) for was to try to pry/pick two pieces of frozen meat. In
my hissey-sort of style, I took the blade of that knife and hacked into
the meat, chunking out two pieces of the blade. I've never discarded this
knife, and it is still in the knife drawer and I have looked at it for
over three decades, reminding myself of what a jerk I was to do such a
thing.

I did the *exact* same thing, only different. (smile) Took my utility
knife and tried to pry two frozen chicken breasts apart. What the bleep
did I think was going to happen, the tip snapped off. I only threw out
that knife two weeks ago, I broke that knife must be 20 years ago.
Every time I took it out, reminded me what a dumb thing to do.

nancy