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6:55 pm
Councillor
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Tue 20-Apr-10
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A friend 3 months ago started making her own bread, don't know where she got the idea from !! I would like to buy her a good knife for slicing her bread - having at the beginning of this year bought a set of Sabatier knives in a closing down sale at a bargain price I have come to realise what a fantastic thing good knives are. She has good knives except for a bread knife and uses a rubbish 2 sided serrated / scalloped edge thing with a pointed front presumably for spearing tomatoes or whatever. My Sabatier bread knife has a scalloped blade, is a traditional shape and works like a dream - this set me off on a trip round the internet and there is a debate going on about which is best, serrated, scalloped or even smooth and I just wondered what others here were using.
On a seperate issue also I understand that serrated or scalloped blades cannot be sharpened although it may be possible to get scalloped done professionally. Having been unable to master a steel for sharpening knives (it's as easy as riding a bike!!! Yeh yeh) I am thinking about buying myself an electric sharpener for my other knives - any thoughts please ?
What are you guys, who have a lot more experience than me, using please ?
I have reached an age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me...
6:59 pm
Supreme Being
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Mon 7-Jun-10
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paperman said:
What are you guys, who have a lot more experience than me, using please ?
Sexist.....sexist....
Who lives long sees much : The diary of my life in Bulgaria
7:02 pm
Councillor
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Tue 20-Apr-10
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just ignorant Elsa.
I have reached an age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me...
7:16 pm
Knowledegable
Wed 23-Sep-09
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About the sharpener, my sharpening has been revolutionised by one of those plastic water-filled sharpeners usually sold for sharpening Japanese knives (I love my Global knife!). It ensures the blade is at the correct angle and just 3 or 4 strokes against each wheel suffices when you do it regularly. A French friend saw it, tried it, and immediately begged me to get her one from Amazon UK. I can't find one exactly like mine on the site, but this one is similar. Of course, it's not suitable for serrate knives.
9:00 pm
Senior Class
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Mon 5-Sep-11
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Try using a whetstone. The small block used by people who use chisels and the like.
It's easier to get the 'swish' than with those long pointy things. 
Do bread knives go blunt?! Very crusty loaves...........
9:52 pm
Councillor
Wed 30-Dec-09
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I've only ever used one of the long metal sharpening sticks (whatever they're actually called). It came with a set of expensive german-made chefs knives I bought for a tenner from a discount shop years ago. I probably don't use it often enough to keep the knives at full sharpness though.
Visit my blog for food, drink, photography and hamsters.
11:11 pm
Supreme Being
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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Mike sharpens all ours on the grinding wheel - not sure if there are sharp intakes of breath anywhere...sounds like it porbably isn't a good idea, but it does a brill job.
On the bread knife debate, I like to use a scalloped edge knife, he likes a good sharp straight blade.
11:02 am
Councillor
New members
Tue 20-Apr-10
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Janet, have you ever needed to sharpen your bread knife?
I seem to sharpen the kitchen knives periodically (not well!) but the bread knife seems as sharp now as it was almost 12 months ago.
I have reached an age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me...
2:34 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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This is what I use for sharpening my knives, very little effort. Chris, my OH has a bread knife like that, it is in fact a ham slicer and the points are to lift the ham slice onto a plate (or whatever you use).
I'll try that again!
7:13 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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I use a serrated breadknife and it has never been sharpened. I have no idea where I got it from, apart from possibly one of my grandmother's, but it works fine for me. If we want to slice bread for sandwiches though we get out the electric slicer.
As for knife sharpeners we use a cheapie type with a handle. I can't see one like it now on the internet so maybe they have redesigned them a bit. It is D shaped.
7:29 pm
Councillor
New members
Tue 20-Apr-10
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Amazing isn't it, the more you know the more you realise you don't or didn't know. For one I never realised the division between using serrated or scalloped knives or indeed smooth blades - incidentally my grandmother used a smooth blade and held the loaf vertically and cut it towards her after she had buttered the slice (that very old memory going back possibly 60 years has just come to me, I noticed it because it was so different from what my mother did) I still have somewhere, probably her old ivory handled smooth carving knife that she used for bread also - goodness knows where.
As for sharpening, I think that if the steel is good then probably a bread knife will not lose it's edge for many years so serrated or scalloped is all a matter of choice rather than practicality but for my own 'other' knives thanks for the info each, I will digest and make some decision regarding sharpener etc. anon.
Great stuff, thanks again...
I have reached an age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me...
7:32 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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My Mother used to slice bread that way too. She was born in 1904 so was probably of your Grandmother's generation. I don't think she had a bread board.
I'll try that again!
7:37 pm
Councillor
New members
Tue 20-Apr-10
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No neither did mine, she used to lift the bottom of her apron on to the table for the cutting and then shake the crumbs into the fire (in the winter I guess) which always seemed to be on with a kettle in the grate.
I have reached an age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me...
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