What's your favorite test for a new knife?

[wrathen]

So I'm not sure if this is just something I do or if others do this. But anytime I get a new knife or sometimes after a full sharpen ... or even if I haven't used a knife in a while. I have a particular "task" I run the knife through I find it a good test of a knife or at least helps me get to know it.

For me that "test" is do make a batch of pico de Gallo. It is just a few simple ingredients (lime juice, onion, Serrano peppers, cilantro, and tomatoes). But you get to do some fine dicing of onions, a nice chop of cilantro, and then making small diced tomatoes.

Do y'all have a favorite thing to do with a new knife or is this just a me thing? If you do what is yours?

[STPepper9]

I just slice a little patty paper, I can usually tell if I got the edge how I like it based on how it cuts. I push cut and check from heel to tip. It's not usually necessary but I will then slice and try to get the whole edge involved and try to notice any spots that don't feel smooth.
It's quick and simple for me in a restaurant setting.
Maybe at home it would be different but I'm more likely to bring my home knives to work to sharpen than the other way around.


Here's an example from a while back when Steve did the Black Lotus passaround.

[taz575]

https://youtube.com/shorts/D3WCIt4fYG0? ... 2Fe9nghTx7
https://youtube.com/shorts/72qxnSdzB0E? ... YqcwvHw1sy

My wife hates the little shrapnel of paper everywhere...

[Kalaeb]

I just cook dinner.

[stevem627]

I usually just make a meal with carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, and some sort of meat, or a variety of things for a stir fry. I grab a head of romaine, tomatoes, cucumber and usually an Asian pear for a salad. That’s a common pantry meal prep and I can get a pretty good idea of how my knife cuts.

[ronnie_suburban]

A soup, stew or stir-fry generally puts a new knife through its paces and gives me a sense of its strengths and weaknesses.

[Jeff B]

...Here's an example from a while back when Steve did the Black Lotus passaround.

That is......SHARP!

[trancher]

Machinery Trader endlessly sends their catalogs to my mailing address, so those get used - ad nauseam. Favorite is paper towels, though. Oddly enough, I guess paper and paper towels have some sort of a grain direction? It's always easier for me to slice them vertically (long ways) than perpendicular to the long side

[STPepper9]

...Here's an example from a while back when Steve did the Black Lotus passaround.

That is......SHARP!

Thanks Jeff, that’s quite a compliment.
Obviously sharpness against paper doesn’t always translate perfectly to food. But the way I figure, once I’m cutting food. my stones are already put away. This is the reason that I use a different test than food.

[sacguy71]

I love doing thick newspaper test and cutting stuff like oranges and carrots. My new knives that arrived this week from CKTG passed easily with flying colors out of the box! I have never had razor sharp knives like these.

[cliff]

Dice an apple is my most important test. Some knives fail that are great at other things, but I want to know if it's thin enough to cut without splitting.

[jurymastother]

I typically opt for a simple yet wholesome meal prep, often featuring a medley of carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes combined with a choice of meat or an assortment of vegetables for a quick stir fry. For a refreshing salad, I reach for a crisp head of romaine, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and perhaps an Asian pear to add a touch of sweetness. This routine not only ensures a well-balanced and flavorful array of dishes but also provides an excellent opportunity to refine my knife skills through precise and varied cuts. It's my go-to pantry-inspired meal prep that never fails to satisfy both my taste buds and culinary creativity.

[Robstreperous]

Classic onion dice and ---- a dice of sweet potato. If I have a blade that is really good at both I know I've got something to write home about.

[TheLegalRazor]

I do a quick newspaper test. If the knife passes, I just start cooking with it and see how it performs.

[taz575]

Carrots was a good one! Carrots aren't "Keto friendly", but my stepson loves them! I found the bag with the biggest ones I could at the store. I chop them up, he eats them up! LOL. I hate to waste food just to test a knife, so I try to find something that either my parents, wife or stepson will eat!

Did some rounds and planks/match sticks with the largest half. Stood up and cut the narrower half length wise into quarters. Gives me an idea of how even the grind is on each side, too with the longer vertical cuts.

I use Bounty paper towels; the select-a-size sheets. I hold vertically on the short side and try to cut horizontal across from the longer side.