Tips for Teaching Knife Skills You can visit YOYOKNIVES for more Information

1. A COMPLETE GUIDE
ABOUT KNIFE
• Parts of a knife
• Common types of knives
• Sharpening knives
• Storing knives
• Knife grips

2. UNDERSTANDING YOUR KNIFE
 Knives come in all shapes and sizes. Some are versatile, some
task‐specific. Some are straight, some serrated. Some are
metal, some ceramic. Understanding how knives are
constructed and why those differences exist will help you pick
the right tool for the job
 Parts of a Knife:

3. Blade:
The most common blade material is stainless steel, which is
either forged or stamped. Forged blades are molded into shape and
are generally heavier and more durable, with a prominent heel at the
base of the blade. Stamped blades are cut from a solid sheet of metal
and are more lightweight, but dull more quickly. Stamped blades are
common on inexpensive, low‐quality knives, but high‐quality stamped
blades can also be found. Stainless blades of both types are easily
sharpened.
Handle:
Wood has traditionally been used for knife handles, but is
being replaced by plastics and laminated woods. Wood warps when it
is wet and can harbor bacteria, making it very hard to clean. Plastic
handles are found often in commercial kitchens because they are easy
to clean and require no special care.. Plastic is used most often on
stamped knives that do not have a full tang, an extension of the blade
that the handles are attached to. On forged knives, the tang continues
through the length and width of the handle. The handle is attached to
the tang using three rivets

4. 8” FORGED, 6” FORGED, AND 8” STAMPED CHEF KNIVES UTILITY, BONING, FORGED AND STAMPED PARING KNIVES
 Common Types of Knives
Chef knives are versatile tools that can be used for most tasks. They
are available in sizes ranging from 3” to 12” (8” is standard). You
should choose a knife that you can grip securely – larger knives tend
to fit best in larger hands. Chef knives with forged blades can be
used for heavy‐duty tasks such as cracking and chopping, while
thinner, more flexible stamped blades work best for delicate tasks
such as removing melon rinds.

5.  Utility knives are used primarily for slicing. They work well with
delicate foods such as fruit and small roasts or poultry. Boning
knives are specialized knives used to de‐bone poultry and smaller
red meat cuts, as well as filleting fish. Paring knives are mostly
used for peeling fruits and vegetables, but work well to slice small
soft foods such as olives and mushrooms.
 Serrated knives are not designed for cutting or chopping
tasks. These are highly specialized knives that are designed for
slicing breads and cakes. Slicers have less defined teeth and are
“smoother” than standard serrated knives. Slicers are typically
used only for carving meats.

6. SHARPENING KNIVES
For sharpening at home, you can use an electric sharpener or a
whetstone, but stones are generally agreed to be the better choice,
since they are gentler on your blades, relatively inexpensive, and easy
to use. Here’s how to use them both:
Whetstone:
If you have a very nice knife, sharpen it with a whetstone. A stone will
set you back about $10 at the hardware store (although you can
spend more on ceramic and glass models). Moreover, it’s a great
meditative practice.
Electric Sharpener:
The electric knife sharpener is the fastest way to restore your blade to
health, but it’s also the most brutal. The edge of a knife is a carefully
tapered compression of metal layers, and everyday thwacking sends
the atomically aligned edge into disarray, or worse—it can chip tiny
divots into the metal. An electric sharpener simply obliterates the old
edge and tapers a new one. For the average knife, there are worse
fates. But, if you happen to own a Japanese cold-forged Sabatier, this
is a sad, sad day indeed

7. STORING KNIVES
Keep your knife sharp for a longer time by protecting the blade when it is
stored. Wooden knife blocks and magnetic knife strips are ideal, but there
are ways to protect knives that must be stored in a drawer as well.
Slice‐in knife guards are less expensive and also
protect knife blades, but must be used properly to
avoid injury.

8. USING YOUR KNIFE SAFELY
Knives are one of the most versatile tools in the kitchen. But like any tool, it
is necessary to understand how to properly use and care for knives to avoid
injuries. We are bombarded with images of celebrity chefs effortlessly
chopping and slicing, often without even looking at the food, at lightning
speed. While it may be tempting to imitate this, that skill is only
developed after years of careful practice.
Rules for Knife SAFETY
Securely hold your knife Anchor
cutting boards Fingertips curled
back
Eyes On the knife
Take your time
Yield to falling knives

9. KNIFE GRIPS:
 The most secure way to grip a knife is by gripping the
top of the blade firmly between your thumb and
forefinger. Place your middle finger just behind the
heel. This grip may take some getting used to, but it
gives you maximum control over your knife and
allows you to pivot from the wrist when chopping.

10.  It is also acceptable to grip the knife handle with all four fingers,
with your forefinger just behind the heel of the blade. Your thumb
should still rest on the face of the blade to maintain better control
and allow you to pivot from the wrist.

11.  Placing your thumb on the spine of the blade pushes your
wrist upward into an awkward position. You do not have as
much control over the angle of the blade, so it is more likely to
slip during use.

12.  Never hold a knife only by the handle. Instead of pivoting from
the wrist, the heel of the knife becomes the pivot point. This
motion is very difficult to control and is more likely to result in
injuries.

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