| Cutting, chopping, slicing, dicing and cleaving - a | | | | they can be a real danger to your fingers. |
| mere glimpse into the everyday responsibilities of | | | | Obviously a higher quality kitchen knife is going to |
| the kitchen knife. Around the world, in all | | | | be sharper and pointier, but they are very solidly |
| continents there is the same universal use for a | | | | built. The cheaper alternatives can have very |
| kitchen knife, and the preparation of food is | | | | week blades that are made out of a single piece |
| unlikely to go away any time soon. | | | | of steel. This blade can easily flex when it is put |
| The kitchen knife market is totally saturated, but | | | | under a small amount of cutting pressure, which |
| that does not mean that this huge array of | | | | means it could easily flex out of position and over |
| choice is a good thing. The likes of CostCo and | | | | a supporting finger - leading to a pretty unpleasant |
| Walmart in the US, and Tesco and ASDA in the | | | | accident. |
| UK produce or import kitchen knives that you can | | | | In extreme examples - and something that has |
| pick up at rock bottom prices; entire knife blocks | | | | been seen before - the blades can actually snap |
| with eighteen kitchen knives can cost you less | | | | and leave an even sharper edge exposed; the |
| that USD$20, and people gladly by them. Then, | | | | knife then needs replacing and is a hassle to |
| they buy another set two years later, and | | | | dispose of properly. |
| another and another. | | | | Although the upfront cost is somewhat greater to |
| This is because cheap kitchen knives are a false | | | | buy quality kitchen knives (such as Global, Shun, |
| economy. In this example, a false economy | | | | Zwilling/J. A. Henckels, Cutco, Wusthof, etc.), the |
| means that people are attracted to buy poor | | | | peace of mind you get from knowing they are |
| quality knives because they are very affordable; | | | | not going to break, and will serve you well for |
| however, this affordability is not real, because the | | | | decades far outweighs the price difference. In |
| poor quality knives have to be replaced fairly | | | | some instances you will be paying more for the |
| regularly. In their lives, consumers have the option | | | | brand and label of a good knife forger, but with |
| of buying one set of high quality, expensive | | | | this comes many layers of tightly folded steel, |
| kitchen knives, or they have the option of buying | | | | properly engineered ergonomic handles and |
| a new inexpensive set every few years which | | | | decades of experience in the business of forging |
| ultimately turns out to be far more expensive. | | | | kitchen knives. |
| Not only are cheap knives a false economy, but | | | | |