Fachwissen2022 EN

P R E PA R I NG | K N I V E S

KNIFE COMPONENTS

BLADE TYPES

KNIFE EDGES

KNIFE SHARPENER

Each type of food is different in terms of size, surface and consist- ency and should be treated in its own individual way. This is why there are specially designed knives, which have exactly the right shape, length and edge for their job.

A tomato is smooth on the outside and soft on the inside; bread has a hard crust; meat has fibres. There are special blades for every type of surface which retain the structure, appearance and taste of the food.

Smooth-edged knives lose their sharpness with use. A high quality knife can and should be sharpened on a regular basis. This also ap- plies for knives with Performance Cut, which can also be sharpened with all conventional knife sharpeners. Once the knife is blunt, WMF Service can set a new cutting edge. Sharpening steels The classic steel consists of an extra-tough chromium-vanadium steel. It is magnetic and thus keeps the metal shavings from falling. The shape of the finger shield prevents the risk of injury and the steel from rolling when set down. When sharpening a knife, it should be pulled over the sharpening steel from the tip to the handle using light pressure and at an angle corresponding to roughly half a thumb’s width. Both sides of the blade must be pulled through multiple times and equally along their entire length. In the case of the diamond sharpening steel, the stainless steel core has a diamond coating. The extremely fine grain is very hard-wearing and ensures a smooth sharp blade and long-lasting sharpness. The oval shape provides a broad base for the blade, ensuring optimum honing. Unlike the ceramic knife sharpener, the diamond sharpening steel is unbreakable.

Blade tip

There are four different basic types of knife.

Smooth-edged blade This is suitable for cutting just about everything, whether the food is hard like a pumpkin or soft like a banana, be it meat, fruit or vegeta- bles. It gives a smooth, clean cut, without tearing food. The smooth blade is also used for peeling.

Edge/facet

Centre tip Both back and cutting edge are slightly curved and taper sharply together. An example of this is a carving knife. The accentuated point is very well suited to larding or separating tendons. Rocking cutting movements are harder to perform.

Blade surface

Back of the blade

Serrated-edge blade Typical for bread knives. The serrated edge cuts through the crust and slices the soft interior. It is very good for bread, bacon rinds and fruits with hard skin – it is not suitable for meat because the fibres would tear.

High tip The back of the blade is straight and the cutting edge is curved. An example of this is a utility knife. The blade can roll easily and is ideal for rocking cutting movements.

Blade logo

Double-serrated blade The WMF double-serrated blade is unique and patented. The blade is serrated on both sides. This means it can be pulled straight through food without slipping. Foods such as bread, vegetables, onions, salami and even frozen food can be cut evenly and precisely.

Low tip The back of the blade is curved and the edge of the blade is straight, right to the tip. A typical example of this is the vegetable knife. Rocking movements are not possible because of the straight cutting edge. However, it is well suited for chopping.

Knife sharpener Not everybody knows how to handle the steel. A knife sharpener is a good alternative for the untrained user. The knife sharpener with ceramic discs has two levels for pre-grinding and honing. The knife should be pulled through the sharpener several times while maintain- ing an even pressure in order to achieve a precise cutting angle. The sharpening inserts of the professional knife sharpener are made of extremely hard special steel. This ensures that material can be re- moved precisely and powerfully and thus achieve an optimum result.

Return

Bolster

Chinese knife blade The blade is rectangular with a slightly curved cutting edge in the middle. Thanks to this slight curvature, the blade can be used not only for chopping but also for mincing. The large surface of the blade also makes the knife ideal for sliding cut ingredients into a pot or wok.

Knife handle

The whetstone For extremely hard blade steel, such as with Damasteel knives, we recommend a whetstone. Before each use, it needs to be soaked in water for five to ten minutes. The blue side with the course grain (360) is used to restore the cutting angle. The white side with the fine grain (1000) is used to polish the blade to ensure long-lasting sharpness.

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