Chopping herbs with a dull knife for 6 years...

I've been cooking since I was 18, always thought I was just slow at fine chopping basil and parsley. Last month a new line cook handed me his own knife and said "try this one." I sliced through a whole bunch of chives in like 10 seconds without smashing any of them. Turns out I was just fighting against a dull edge the whole time and bruising everything. My knife sharpener showed up the next day. Has anyone else had that moment where a better tool made them realize they weren't the problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_rose6d ago

Wait, did you actually go six years without sharpening your kitchen knives? I read somewhere that most people just assume their knives are fine because they still cut things, but that's like driving on bald tires and wondering why it feels wrong. I had a similar thing happen with my old chef's knife this year, where I thought I just had weak wrists or something from all the extra pressure I was using. Then a friend brought over a decent Victorinox and I chopped an onion in half the time with way less effort. It really is wild how much we blame ourselves when the real problem is just a worn down edge and nothing else. Your story makes me think I should probably go check my own knife collection more often than never.

tylermason6d ago

Funny enough I used to be the guy who thought knife snobs were just making stuff up to feel superior. Grew up using whatever cheap blade was in the drawer and figured hey it cuts food well enough. Then a buddy brought over his Shun one night to prep salsa and I literally felt embarrassed at how effortlessly it went through a tomato compared to my struggle bus setup. That moment changed my whole view. Now I keep my main chef knife sharpened every couple months and honestly kicking myself for all those years of fighting with a dull edge thinking I just had bad technique. Your mileage may vary but that Victorinox comparison you mentioned hit close to home.