• MrJameGumb@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Why is an image of someone sharpening a kitchen knife called “obscure and outdated”? Is everyone out there just using shitty dull knives now? Lol

    • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      I knew someone who would replace their knives every year or two after they were dangerously dull. He called me a sucker for buying a nicer set, and it never occurred to him that they could be sharpened and reused.

      It’s getting bad out here.

      • MrJameGumb@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Every year or two??? That’s just when a new knife is finally getting broken in lol I’ve got knives my parents bought before I was born that I still use!

        • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
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          3 months ago

          We’re talking real low grade, picked up at walmart knives. Unlikely they would last like that anyway, but absolutely refused to spend more than like $10 on a chef knife because they were treated as disposable.

          • MrJameGumb@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            If they won’t even pay more than $10 then whatever they bought probably already needed sharpening straight out of the box lol

          • Eheran@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            Even the cheapest knife is still going to last many, many years of normal use. Most of my knifes are super cheap actually. But they are super sharp, so who cares? Just sharpened then a few days ago (has been a few months). Only takes like a minute per knife with my “work sharp” to get them just about razor sharp.

          • ahornsirup@feddit.org
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            3 months ago

            Aren’t those still made from steel? There should be nothing preventing you(r friend) from sharpening them.

      • Ledivin@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        It’s getting bad out here.

        You haven’t seen anything yet. If you have teacher friends, ask them how the new generation is doing 💀 they haven’t learned almost anything since COVID started and have virtually no social skills on top of it… I’m legit scared for the future.

        • zout@fedia.io
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          3 months ago

          The whole COVID made the kids dumb is just the newest excuse in a long line. Before that it were phones, computers, calculators and probably a lot more. My kids are from the new generation, and they’re doing just fine.

        • Eheran@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          So just like every generation before us then…? Socrates 400 BC:

          The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.

      • ameancow@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        As the older “uncle” of the family, I get called to handle a lot of things, like unjamming a garbage disposal (you stick a broom handle in and push until it moves again) to changing a car tire (the instructions are LITERALLY printed on the body of the car) to very basic things like removing insects and spiders from the houses of adult families, to fixing electrical problems (breakers tripping.) And of course, fixing computers… miles and miles of fixing computers. Usually just installed programs that need to be removed or setup that needs to be completed, the age of viruses seem to be slowing but they still call at odd hours asking for help to remove a “virus” when it’s just an app on borderless window mode.

        I never thought of any of this as “man skills” I always thought this was just shit you had to do as an adult. I was prepared for helping kids just getting started, not grown-ass men and women with arms and legs and presumably careers with responsibilities.

        I would say I’m surprised people can even wipe their own ass anymore but I have read some posts about people having to deal with boyfriends who think touching their own butt is “gay” so really I am not surprised by anything anymore. Is it any wonder why politics is so incredibly stupid? It’s a reflection of larger society.

      • 𝔼𝕩𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕒@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        For me, if it doesn’t come with a sharpener build into the sheath, it’s not good enough quality anyway (I do not generally buy expensive knives). I’ve moved a dozen times over a decade and lost pieces of so many silverware sets they’re disposable to me. Never had a knife long enough to NEED to resharpen it. Got a few nicer ones now though so maybe that will change.

      • MrJameGumb@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Seriously? Just throwing out practically brand new knives is a thing now? Decent knives will last for decades if you sharpen them a few times a year lol

            • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              Ugh. I went through that for years with my sister. I finally got together with my brother in law and we surreptitiously threw away all the glass cutting boards after I was getting really tired of hearing her constantly bitching about all her knives being “crap.” This was such a tooth pulling exercise because she absolutely would not allow anyone to put two and two together for her. In her mind, all the knives constantly being dull was everyone else’s fault.

              Somehow I simultaneously “don’t know what I’m talking about,” but I’m also specifically asked to bring my entire kit every time I visit so I can sharpen every piece of cutlery in the house. Since apparently I’m the only one who can do it properly. Hmm.

              • MrJameGumb@lemmy.world
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                3 months ago

                I had a roommate like that once! She insisted on using a glass cutting board and would never get rid of the damned thing… Apparently she couldn’t chop onions without having a copy of a Van Gogh painting underneath them lol

                • jdeath@lemm.ee
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                  3 months ago

                  we have one that is clear, it only gets used for raw chicken basically. it’s much easier to sanitize after. i wonder if theres a good alternative for that use case?

        • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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          3 months ago

          Apparently. I complemented them on their knives and they said they just got them cause their old ones were getting dull.

          Told them to let me know next time, and I’d take them. I may be a bad friend as I did not disclose that knives could be sharpened lol.

          • MrJameGumb@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            I would absolutely take their old knives lol next time they come to your house make sure to use them to prepare a meal

        • teft@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Not everyone knows about Vimes’ Boots Theory:

          The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. … A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. … But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

    • FinishingDutch@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I know, right? Sharpening things like knives and scissors is what I consider to be a basic maintenance skill. You don’t even need to go all out on it. Just owning a basic Spyderco Sharpmaker or WorkSharp Precision Adjust will let you sharpen a lot of things.

      It’s also a given that many knives that you buy simply aren’t as sharp from the factory as they can and SHOULD be. A little effort can get you a lot better cutting performance.

      I suppose the reason behind it is also that your average person thinks that ‘sharp knives are dangerous’ when in reality it’s dull knives that cause the most issues. When a supermarket chain here sold knives, people complained that the knives were too sharp! Can you imagine?

    • idiomaddict@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I would just use dull knives if not for the people in my life who sharpen them. The sound of knife-sharpening burrows into my brain and shuts off all rational thought. It’s like tinfoil on teeth for me and I cannot deal with it.

      Luckily, my husband enjoys it, so he just does it when I’m not home.

  • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Sharpening and caring for your knives is hardly an outdated skill you’ll never use. If you’re not regularly sharpening your knives, you’re doing yourself a major disservice.

    • Zron@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      My best friend buys a new chefs knife every month at the dollar store

      Ihe was throwing them away, but now he gives them to me. I’ve shown him how sharp I can get them and how long they last with the edge I put on them, but he does not want to learn or just give them to me to sharpen every few months.

      I now sell his sharpened throw aways to friends and family for 5 bucks a pop.

  • Squorlple@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Can we start making websites/forums devoted to just regular individual wholesome dudes and characterize them as peak masculinity?

  • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    Okay, but knife sharpening is not outdated since everyone that cooks needs sharp knives. Bad choice. Shoulda been something like starting fires with wood friction.

    • zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev
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      3 months ago

      Not everyone needs a progressively finer set of 18 whetstones so they can meditate for 2 hours every week as they sharpen. A honing steel and a basic pull through sharpener are adequate for home cooks.

      • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        Well, since the meme doesn’t mention anything about even multiple stones, much less 18, that’s just you being weird.

        Also, yeah, you can use those two things. Wouldn’t recommend either for a decent quality knife, but they’ll keep things at a bare minimum of usability. Swap them for a ceramic rod and a single 1k whetstone, and you’ve got better results with less wear of the blade over time, just with an initial learning curve.

        The only problem with pull throughs is that they fuck up knives with repeated use, pulling off more metal than necessary. Well, that and you don’t want to try any delicate work with a knife that’s been sharpened that way, it just won’t slice finely enough for fancy shit. You’ll be able to get through damn near everything else in the kitchen though.

        Seriously, dude, if this is some kind of pet peeve of yours, be aware that nobody gives a shit when your comment is making a mountain out of a place where there wasn’t even a molehill.

        And, frankly, you come off as being an absolute asshole in your comment, so there’s that too.

        • GreatAlbatross@feddit.uk
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          3 months ago

          I sharpen my knives with a grit block maybe every 6 months, because I want sharp knives, but was told an angle sharpener would leave me with BBQ skewers.
          It’s hardly a “masterful man task”, more like 20 minutes to do a kitchen chore. Like refilling the dishwasher salt. Or cleaning the bin.

  • bl_r@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 months ago

    Since when is sharpening kitchen knives obscure? Have you guys never used a sharp knife before? Are you cutting food with dangerous and dull knives??

    I recently got a set of knives that are sharper than I have ever seen, though one is kinda dull. I plan on sharpening it soon, just waiting on getting my wetstones in the mail.

    • PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him]@lemmy.sdf.org
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      3 months ago

      Are you cutting food with dangerous and dull knives??

      Probably yes because:

      1. It was sharp at some point in the past, so I “bookmarked” it in my mind as a “sharp” object, but I always fail to update my “bookmarks”.
      2. I’m lazy.
      • bl_r@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        3 months ago

        I might be lazy, but I’ve only cut myself on dull knives. The stress of using a dull knife when doing prep drives me insane and motivates me to sharpen them

  • zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev
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    3 months ago

    So many people are freaking out over the knife sharpening. A) you’re in this picture and you don’t like it B) hand sharpening on a whetstone isn’t necessary for home cooks. Other tools will get you to adequate with a lot less effort, both in learning and using the tools.

    It’s ok to not optimize everything in your life. It’s ok to put your knives in the dishwasher. It’s ok to shave with an electric. It’s ok to not look like or dress like how these sites say you should.

    Edit: jeeze, apparently it’s not ok so much so that it’s ok to imply violence is acceptable against people who put their knives in the dishwasher. I’m pretty grossed out by this interaction and at the people that insist their way of doing something is better, easier, whatever, when I’ve already said no thanks. Ew.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Whetstones require less effort than most commercial sharpening systems, and provide a better edge and more flexibility. But the point isn’t that you need to use a whetstone, it’s that you should be sharpening your knives.

      It’s ok to put your knives in the dishwasher.

      Oh good lord! Somebody hold me back!

        • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          I actually don’t use a whetstone any more because I found a couple of systems that work better for me, and because my main pocketknife uses steel that is too hard to be effectively sharpened with a whetstone. But they’re still very effective sharpening solutions for most knives. I use this cool system for day to day sharpening, and I use this belt sander when something has been seriously neglected, or I have a lot of knives to sharpen.

            • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              It needs a diamond rod or stone to sharpen it, yes. It’s not about manliness, it’s about function. Having a harder steel means that it retains an edge longer, and doesn’t require as frequent sharpening. There are potential drawbacks to steel that hard, such as increased brittleness, but that doesn’t matter for me because I’m not using it to strike anything, and don’t cut things that would cause the brittleness to become an issue.

              • SilentObserver@lemm.ee
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                3 months ago

                As someone who washes his knives in the dishwasher (please, don’t hurt me), I think you’ve just inspired me to take better care of my knives. Think I might stop putting them in the dishwasher and hand wash them instead and get at least some kind of basic knife sharpening system. I’ve got a couple of knives that could use the little bit of extra care so I’m not struggling every time I need to use them.

                • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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                  3 months ago

                  That makes me so happy to hear! My sister took terrible care of her knives until after she cooked at my house and used my knives. She said that it was such a different experience that she went out and got a decent knife and sharpener the next day. My mother-in-law did the same thing.

                  That belt sander that I linked is stupid simple. You’d have to try to mess it up. Well, I guess if you don’t follow the instructions, or really lay into the grind a bunch of times you could mess it up, but it’s really simple if you read the instructions or watch the video. It’s super fast too. Like 2 passes and you’re done! If it’s completely dull then you’ll want to use 3-6 passes with each grit, but once it’s sharp then you can just use a honing steel before each use which takes like 5 seconds, and hit the edge with the fine grain sandpaper every few months.

                  When you push things around on the cutting board with the knife, use the back of the knife, not the blade. That alone will extend the life of your edge considerably. Then when you’re done, just wipe it off with soapy water, rinse it, dry it, and put it away. Since you’re cleaning it while it’s wet, the whole process takes like 30 seconds.

                  You don’t need an expensive honing steel. Even an Oxo or something should be sufficient for most knives.

                  If you don’t already have a good knife, then the Forschner knives are a great value for the money. I think they just go by Victorinox on Amazon (yes, the Swiss Army knife company). I’ve had their santoku for 20 years now and it’s still perfect.

                  If you want to get a superior knife, then the J.A. Henkels Zwilling Pro is an amazing knife for the money. This 7" chef’s knife is what I reach for 99% of the time. I like it a lot more than my Wüsthof knives. The length, balance, and handle shape are just about perfect for me. With proper care you can pass that knife on to your kids and it’ll last their whole life too.

                  Last but not least, you don’t need a full set. Almost nobody does. A good chef’s knife will cover most use cases. Add a paring knife, and you’re pretty much set. If you cook a lot then a long thin utility knife is nice for tomatoes, meats, and other soft things, but it’s not a necessity. A bread knife is a luxury for after you have the other knives I mentioned. A sharp chef’s knife will have no problems with bread.

                  I hope you enjoy your new superior cooking experience! It makes a huge difference.

  • zarkanian@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    Wetshaving?

    The whole idea of “manliness” is kinda bullshit, but if we’re gonna roll with that, the most “manly” thing to do is not shave at all.