Maybe I'm wrong ... but...

always using steak knives to open boxes?

When perfectly good box cutters/openers are provided?

I'm not sure I've ever seen males do this, routinely.


Edited to add: this observation was about the XX'ers at work, not the one at home. The one at home is more savvy.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RichardC,

Oy.

My wife is a serial knife abuser. Insists on putting them in the dishwasher and thinks dragging them through a $9.95 Walmart grinding wheel is "sharpening" them.

No amount of explanation will change her thinking on the subject. I gave up. No point at all in buying anything nicer than a Walmart knife because she will destroy it in a matter of days.

Just a steak knife?
I had to have a serious heart to heart with Mrs CPD SIG before we got married about why all the tips of her chefs knives were broken. It's made to CUT, not pry.

Another good friend uses her kitchen knives to cut boxes so they can fit in the trash can, yet wonders why they are always dull. The one thing I can say is she's methodical- she'll use the chefs knife first, then when that one is dull, move on to the carving knife, then the bread knife, then the paring knife...

It's like watching heathens drink from the holy water font before mass.

I'm no where near Catholic, but that's gotta be close.

My wife learned the lesson after I told her how much the knife she had ruined would cost to replace.

I have the cheap boxcutter "knives" with fresh blades affixed to metal surfaces by magnets throughout the house and garage. I buy them frequently. I consider them to be disposable. I leave them everywhere including in her car. I want that cheap but functional blade close to her when she thinks she needs to cut something.

My brother-in-law is a serial knife abuser. He uses expensive kitchen knives for just about any task, even as a screwdriver. He's ruined more nice knives than you would believe.

And, it's not like he doesn't have tools - he's just too lazy to go get them.

Thank goodness Mrs. ShneaSIG understands and appreciates the nice kitchen cutlery and is as careful as I am to preserve them.

Just yesterday I sat out in the sun, on the back deck, with a cup of hot tea and the sharpening stones to touch up the edges on the ones that see the most use. Mrs. ShneaSIG very much appreciates having any knife that comes out of the knife block being sharp enough to shave with.

Cutting open boxes and letters? That's what scissors are for. Just open them up and drag an edge along the tape seam.....

I use the spine of my folding knife to cut the tape and open boxes.

If that won't work I either get scissors or a box cutter.

I have been known to raise my voice a tad when my good kitchen knives are used for other than they are designed. After my wife bent the tip of a pairing knife I replaced that knife in the knife block and told her to never be opening boxes with kitchen knives.

Paring knife replacement was $100.00, and I made sure to show her the cost of the replacement.

quote:

Thank goodness Mrs. ShneaSIG understands and appreciates the nice kitchen cutlery

Mrs. Odin also appreciates sharpened kitchen knives and respects them. Although I do most of the slicing and dicing in our household, she is very respective of which knife (the utility knife) she uses to open boxes. NEVER a kitchen knife. Not even a Ginzu (if anyone remembers those)!!!!

My other half is a horrible knife abuser (but I will be honest I do have my moments.)

That is why all of our really good steak knives are put up for special guests/usage.

 
My wife's kitchen toolbox. It is hard to see, but the knife laying flat has its tip bent 90 degrees. The nutcracker (or whatever it is) serves as Channellocks.
 

My wife is left handed. My Shun Japanese steel is ONLY for right handers ......

I think mine chops concrete with the kitchen knives when I'm not home. Flat spots on the edge are 1 thing. The chips \ missing edge is another. I gave up sharpening then since it doesn't matter.


1 evening I went out to get something at the store. Only gone a few minutes. When I came home there was a hole burned in the kitchen floors linoleum. I said I could do that but I would need tools.

Preach it brother.
My wife, bless her heart, is murder on knives, then complains she doesn't have "a single one" that will cut. I am not a knife snob but do have a nice set of Hinkles and I have caught her more then once chopping away at a pizza with one... in a metal pan... when there are two pizza cutters in the drawer within reach.

I've told this story before... Long ago when I was 14 I decided that sharpening was a manly skill that I needed to master. It was summer and my summer job was cutting grass. None that day, so I went to the kitchen and pulled out the "sharp knife drawer" and went to work. I sharpened every knife in the drawer. I did a pretty good job for a young teen.

So fast forward to supper time. My mother was preparing it and I had no idea what she did. But then suddenly from the kitchen came a terrible scream. Dad and I both jumped and ran. It seems her habit of cutting against her thumb was bad with a sharp knife. So I admitted to have maybe sharpened all the family knives. Dad pulled the drawer back out and we went to the back porch. He masterfully took each knife and with a few strokes on the concrete, put them all back to their pre-sharpened condition.

Sharp knives aren't for everyone. Many folks don't possess cutting skills with one. I'm amused that so many folks don't know how to sharpen a knife. Guess it depends on the intended use. Razor edge isn't good for a knife that will be cutting against a plate.

Back to the steak knife discussion. Most steak and other meat are best served on china. Even good china. I'm even amazed at the number of folks that don't have any. If the steak is good, I can even survive on paper or plastic. As old and extravagant as I am, I've never seen or eaten a steak that can be cut with a fork.

Regardless, a steak knife that is destined for that duty should be sharpened to a chisel edge. Hard surfaces will just roll an edge.

Some battles aren't worth fighting. Teaching an uncooperative wife about knife use isn't one of them.

Has anyone gone to Harbor Freight and seen their ceramic knives? For Christmas a few years ago, I bought each of my DILs a selection of them. The following spring I noticed each had big chips out of the ceramic. It taught me all I needed to know about how they treated knives.

Knives were an abused item in our kitchen.

Then she took a class at Williams-Sonoma where they lured her in with Shun knives and training in correct care for them.

Next time I bought a Sig, she got a set of Shun knives. We both spent the same amount of money.

I have thoroughly enjoyed both purchases.

I bought my wife a ceramic knife. By the end of the day the tip was broken off.

We now have his and her knife sets. She tried using the Kramer Zwilling Damascus steel. I keep them razor sharp. After a couple of cuts she went back to the old set.

I addressed this situation by outfitting my ex with Victorinox Kitchen Knives. They cut great and and are cheap enough you can buy extras when she ruined them.