508475 Fri Apr 11 14:14:25 -0700 2008 30 41 Cookware 0 3585419 Am I the only one or are there others like myself that are scared to use a big knife? I am not scared of the steak knives with the wooden handles, which I do my prepping with.. Fri Apr 11 14:14:25 -0700 2008 97452 Beach Chick 1 3585432 Interesting, I find myself more concerned when using a small paring knife rather than one of my large chefs knives. Fri Apr 11 14:17:43 -0700 2008 3585419 26725 swsidejim 2 3585590 My friends tease me that it must be a past life thing.. Fri Apr 11 14:55:28 -0700 2008 3585432 97452 Beach Chick 1 3585662 My wife refuses to use my knives except the 3" paring knife and uses inappropriate ones for the job. I shudder when watching her. Fri Apr 11 15:17:46 -0700 2008 3585419 89493 scubadoo97 1 3585835 It appears that not everyone is scared of big knives.... Fri Apr 11 16:09:30 -0700 2008 3585419 17653 a priori 2 3585998 I have a buddy that does nearly everything with a 14" german chef's knife. It's huge. And frightening to watch him peel a potato with it. Fri Apr 11 17:00:41 -0700 2008 3585835 170353 dscheidt 3 3588737 I have 2x 8" and a 10" knife, but I have never tried to peel a potato with those knives. I am very impressed. Small knives have their place, but I do most of my prep with a forged 6" or 8" knife that are kept razor sharp. Sat Apr 12 21:35:35 -0700 2008 3585998 22220 Kelli2006 2 3586031 Yikes!! Fri Apr 11 17:17:10 -0700 2008 3585835 97452 Beach Chick 1 3586325 For some tasks I think a big knife is safer than a small one. An 8-inch chef's knife, with its heft, seems less likely to slip in chopping onions than a 4-inch paring knife. Not to mention the awkwardness in trying to slice off a chunk with a little knife. The smallest knife I use is a 5-inch utility knife. But then, I have large hands, so that may make a difference. Fri Apr 11 19:54:22 -0700 2008 3585419 55316 mpalmer6c 1 3586338 My suggestion - confront your fear, and take a basic knife skills class. There, you can learn how to use a knife (big or small) properly and safely, what type of knives are appropriate for which tasks, and how to maintain a knife. If you are using the knife properly (fingers curled in and holding whatever you're cutting, side of the blade against the knuckles of the non-dominant hand, tip of the knife on the board), you should not be able to hurt yourself. A large, sharp knife is what you want for most kitchen tasks... find a way to make yourself feel more comfortable / safe with one. Fri Apr 11 20:05:14 -0700 2008 3585419 59830 will47 2 3587030 I completely agree with will. I did everything with a paring knife until I overcame my fear and bought a few knives of my own. The only problem was - I was still afraid to use my own darn knives! So I took a basic knife skills course and figured that I probably wasn't as scared or unskilled as some of the other ppl in the class (whoah, lemme tell ya'). The 4 hrs really gave me time to practise on a variety of different vegetables, meats, meats w/bones, textures, and gave me a great introduction to different methods that suit me. I honestly feel an inexperienced knife handler really needs some guidance with learning about the knife and how to hold it. I feel so much more capable with my knives now - able to correct myself if I'm feeling uncomfortable, just by adjusting my board, shoulders, wrist action, how I'm gripping my knive, etc. You can do the same at home - just go out and buy a whole wack of stuff to chop, filet, etc. Sat Apr 12 08:04:18 -0700 2008 3586338 160411 morefuuud 3 3587657 Ditto, ditto. I took a great knife skills class and actually ended up buying the chef's knife I worked with in the class. I had been afraid of them (although I had worked up to a santoku), but the class made me realize how much more efficient, and even comfortable, a *good* chef's knife can be. You should definitely "test drive" a few knives if you can...you might be surprised. I still keep smaller knives on-hand in case a friend helps me prep, but I've stopped using them myself, except for specific paring-type work. Good luck. Sat Apr 12 12:40:59 -0700 2008 3587030 91237 hollerhither 2 3587086 I think a knife skills class is a great idea and I have seen them at shops like sur la table. My mom is a great cook and I grew up using a 10 inch chefs knife that was always properly sharpened. I have a healthy respect for knives, but I am not afraid of them. Once you make yourself confront your fear and become accustomed to using a nice blade, you will wonder why it took you so long. Sat Apr 12 08:30:35 -0700 2008 3586338 110306 NE_Elaine 1 3587090 I am not "Scared" of big knives, but I am very wary of them! Last summer I set down my 11" chef's knife, to grab some romaine out of my icebox. I bumped into the knife, it fell off my chopping board, came down vertically (blade down) and ended up stuck/wedged in my bare big toe. I bled like a stuck pig, and after a number of stitches, and a never-ending numb toe, I have decided to wear steel-toed shoe whilst wielding my cutlery. Sat Apr 12 08:32:43 -0700 2008 3585419 182831 troutmad 2 3587258 This *almost* happened to me, except that the knife ended up imbedded in my pine kitchen floor and the tip broke off when I pulled it out. Now I have a nice chunk missing from the tip end. I guess I could have the blade re-ground to smooth it out, but I kinda like the missing piece--a reminder of my good luck. Sat Apr 12 09:42:32 -0700 2008 3587090 12023 Hungry Celeste 3 3587819 Same thing here with a nice heavy Wusthof. No bloodshed (yikes, troutmad! and condolences), but the tip was sadly gone. I still use big heavy knives for certain things, but prefer big *light* knives for so many reasons. Cost, nimbleness, easy of sharpening. For the OP, perhaps trying lightweight knives would help, despite the larger size. They can be a great asset to a kitchen. Cay Sat Apr 12 14:03:33 -0700 2008 3587258 49525 cayjohan 1 3587152 you are actually safer using a big knife than a small for most prep jobs Sat Apr 12 08:53:37 -0700 2008 3585419 135229 thew 2 3608521 I agree with you. It is when you try to use too small a knife that you end up forcing or holding the food in an unsafe way. My hands are small, so a heavy 8" Henkels Twin Star is my go-to knife. I am ogling the 10" Shun Ken Onion in Bon Apetite this month, however -- does anyone have that knife? Fri Apr 18 15:22:27 -0700 2008 3587152 87837 RGC1982 1 3588182 What great responses from all of you! I think a knife skills class would serve me well.. Thanks again for all your help! Sat Apr 12 16:55:39 -0700 2008 3585419 97452 Beach Chick 1 3588283 I have small hands and used to be very afraid of big knives. Then I got some good Wusthof and no longer fear. The key for me was making sure the heft felt right in my hand. If it is cumbersome, don't buy it. Sat Apr 12 17:30:39 -0700 2008 3585419 76025 mojoeater 2 3592119 Practice in a guided fashion - like a class is critical with a larger knife and for cooking in general. It does the following.. 1) Teaches you how to care for a good knife 2) Teaches you technique - watch a good chef cut on TV, the blade is always in contact with the board, fingers are held a certain way - there is a rhythm/motion to how they cut. 3) Teaches you how to cut things - batonnet, bruinoise, rough chop, mince, julienne etc. - all those terms have meaning, and how they apply to a specific vegetable is important (try to bruinoise cut a red pepper..). Learning how to dice an onion has helped my cooking a good bit.. But overall to your point, I like cutting with a larger chef's knife - with practice, its feel safe - maybe the larger size makes me feel more comfortable gripping and guiding it, the heft and length makes the cutting motion smoother versus a paring knife, which seem to involve more pressing. Now, of course, I tend to use a paring knife too - around avocados, tomatos, etc. Mon Apr 14 07:44:24 -0700 2008 3588283 176367 grant.cook 3 3592206 I think you can certainly learn to handle a knife without a class. Get a good book w/photos & descriptions--like Jacques Pepin's La Technique--and buy a bunch of low-cost items (potatoes, onions). Cut, cut, cut, cut and you'll figure it out through study & repetition. A book can give you enough basic info so that you start off in the right direction.... Mon Apr 14 08:09:06 -0700 2008 3592119 12023 Hungry Celeste 4 3592338 I had read how to use a knife many times before taking a class, but I had a hard time actually doing it and sticking to it. Taking a class (for me) really helped with getting a feel for the actual motions involved, and an instructor can give you minor adjustments that can be really helpful in terms of not developing bad habits... if there's a place nearby (and I think there probably is in San Diego, which seems to be around where the OP lives), I think it could be a good idea, especially for someone who has already said they're timid around knives. Everyone learns differently, but I think some hands on instruction can be really helpful. For me, even though I knew the technique, having someone hold my hand and guide me through the whole fluid motion of a single cut was invaluable. Also, getting some pointers on other stuff that is important but may or not be mentioned in a lot of articles / books on knife technique is stuff like having your cutting board properly secured, corrrect stance and angle to the cutting board, etc. etc. Also, while you can read about how to steel a knife in a book or online, it's good to get some feedback on whether you're using the right angle and the right amount of pressure. At the class I went to (a quick, and relatively inexpensive one at Sur La Table in LA - instructor was Jet Tila, who teaches at a bunch of other places around here), the instructor made everyone steel their knife in front of him individually after we practiced as a group. I already knew how to do this pretty well, but there were some people in the group who had a lot of difficulty with it, even after an explanation, watching someone do it, and some personal help. It's Mon Apr 14 08:46:26 -0700 2008 3592206 59830 will47 1 3592455 Perhaps your fear comes from a perceived lack of control. try using a pinch grip on your knife where your thumb and index finger pinch the blade. I find i have better control that way, regardless of the size of the knife.. the only parts of the knife that can hurt you are the tip and the edge. Keep body parts away from them and you should be good go go. Mon Apr 14 09:18:23 -0700 2008 3585419 74192 chuckl 2 3606932 This is what I was thinking, too. Many people who are afraid of knives don't know how to control a knife because they're holding it incorrectly. Either they use a 'hammer grip' (holding the handle as you would a hammer), or a 'pointer grip' (with the middle, ring, and pinky fingers curled around the handle and the index finger pointing down the blade along the spine). Neither gives good control. In fact, the 'pinch grip' gives OUTSTANDING control (I use thumb, index, and middle). With this grip, the handle isn't really held in the hand at all...it's there for balance and a point of reference against the heel of the palm. Fri Apr 18 08:12:51 -0700 2008 3592455 13700 ricepad 3 3608667 I just don't understand why when you give someone a knife, usually women, they go straight for the pointer grip. The index finger on the spine of the knife. What's up with that? It just feels wrong. The pinch or claw is the way to go to gain control. Also curl those fingers. Fri Apr 18 16:15:04 -0700 2008 3606932 89493 scubadoo97 2 3608640 hmmmmmmmmmm.. are you saying not to really have the handle in your palm? I tend to use my chef knife for most things and while I know I hold it wrong (pointer grip as explained by ricepad) I can't break the habit. No time for another class right now but it's on my list... When you use the pinch it's obviously at the top of the knife, but are you using thumb for pressure? Maybe my knife isn't as good as I dream it is- JA Henckels. I suppose it doesn't help I have very long (and I keep them extremely clean) nails and that throws my grip waaay off as well. I can't do that make a fist and push the onion under the blade trick- I tend to move the knife over the food. I will say my nails have saved me from severed flesh once or twice! Fri Apr 18 16:06:34 -0700 2008 3592455 110426 Boccone Dolce 3 3612062 if you're holding the knife properly, you shouldn't be using a lot of pressure. think of your hand as the fulcrum balancing the blade and the handle. Your thumb and index finger should be pinching the steel at the end of the bolster. if you're doing it correctly, the weight of the handle should approximately counterbalance the weight of the steel, so you're not using a lot of strength. I'm not sure about whether your long nails will get in the way when you pinch, but i'm reasonably certain you'll have more control and will feel more confident with your knife. Let the blade do the work, with your hand guiding it. You'll be surprised (I hope) how easy it is to break the pointer grip habit. Also, your knife might benefit from professional sharpening and regular honing. Your Henckels should be fine, though they carry different lines. The number of little men on the blade will indicate quality and where it's made. The more men the merrier. Sun Apr 20 09:53:16 -0700 2008 3608640 74192 chuckl 1 3592940 Can you explain what it is about a big knife that makes you scared? If it's just a pure phobia (chills, shortness of breath just from looking at a big one) then you might be stuck that way. But if it's performance anxiety, "what am I going to do with that great big thing I might get hurt!!??" then we're here to help! Consider that big can be a relative term. If you're shying away from your 8 incher because you're happy with the little guy, how about going out and getting a 10 inch one. Not to use, just to leave in the knife block. That way when you instinctively reach for the "small" one you'll be grabbing a more useful tool than what you're using now. Mon Apr 14 11:28:08 -0700 2008 3585419 25310 Chuckles the Clone 2 3603300 I agree with the op. I too have a fear of large knives, but use the one I have on occasion. I would like to get a good set of knives and leave them out in a block for use whenever, then it hit me, why I don't like them... I recall at a very young age watching the soap, "One Life To Live" one of the character’s was brutally stabbed with a kitchen knife that was left out in the open. It was pretty gory for TV back then. It made a big impression on me. Hopefully, I will get over it one of these days... Thu Apr 17 07:25:41 -0700 2008 3592940 10147 michele cindy 3 3610998 LOL michele cindy...maybe I was watching the same soap. :) Sat Apr 19 18:20:50 -0700 2008 3603300 97452 Beach Chick