I see the diagram: the first knife is for cutting bread. The second is for cutting fillets. The third is for cutting... chefs?
this post was submitted on 22 May 2025
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This chart is missing a knife that I have. The blade hooks forward instead of backwards, like a bird's beak.
Since it's small and the tip extra pointy, I use it for precision cutting. I've also found it useful for thin slides of cheese, since the blade is also not as thick as the other knives in my set. Still, I'm wondering what its actual purpose is for.
Santoku knife. I was just about to comment the same thing.
I have that one too but that's not the knife I'm talking about. It's about the size of a paring knife and it hooks forward. Almost like a scythe but not nearly as dramatic of* a curve.
(When I get home from work I can upload a picture if anyone cares to help out.)
I'm pretty sure it's just called a bird's beak paring knife.
Reading further about it, it's intended for tasks while holding the object you are cutting, rather than using a cutting board. Like peeling an apple in your hand.
Peeling knife? There's also hook knife, but that can be a variety of things. Cheese knife hooks backwards and has two points.
"Pick the right blade." Santoku. The answer is Santoku.
I don't like the curved point of mine, I think I'll go for a chef knife instead
I use a couple of damp paper towels under the chopping board to hold it still, then when I'm done I use the damp paper towels to wipe the knife, board, and bench
Have you never heard of cross-contamination? Using the same towel that touched the counter to wipe the knife and cutting board as well is disgusting as fuck.
For your sake (and the sake of any guests you have over), I hope you're talking about a workshop knife, not the kitchen. I hope you never get a restaurant job, either.
EDIT: Jesus Fucking Christ people, take a food safety course. Yeah I am brash and a bit of a dick but I'm not wrong.
Not with meat, or course. When chopping vegetables.
Some people regularly wipe down their counters, or just fucking disinfect their work surfaces before they start cooking. Non-toxic disinfectants like Mean Green will work in 2 minutes, and you can spray it before you start pulling out your pots and pans. Then just wipe the counters really quick, and you’re good to go.
There are but two necessary knives. A chef's knife and a paring knife. Sharpened appropriately. Usually not even a paring knife but sometimes the small size is beneficial.
I’d include a santoku in there, and probably some scissors. Sometimes you just need the straight edge of a santoku, instead of the curved edge of a chef’s knife.
And sometimes serration is necessary. You’ll blunt your chefs knife on certain sourdough crusts, or crush softer breads, but a bread knife will glide right through.
Bread knife would like a word. Chef knife technically works but bread knives are usually longer and work much better at cutting without smooshing.
Scissors too. A good pair of kitchen scissors makes slicing small vegetables like green onions much easier.
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If you use wooden cutting boards / blocks, rub mineral oil into them every once in a while. This will reduce the water they absorb and make them less likely to warp or split.
A chefs knife will do for everything. Keep it sharp enough and it'll even slice bread. As for the onion horizontal cuts are unnecessary. Offset radial cuts are fine (as you move away from the centre vertical cut you angle it more). 
What’s the x axis on those graphs? I can’t zoom in enough on this picture to read it. I did look it up, but I only found versions with the exact same resolution
It's not your fault; even if you could zoom in, there's not enough resolution to make out any details.
Your Lemmy app is probably preventing you from zooming images beyond a 1:1 pixel ratio, preventing you from zooming them past their native resolution. Voyager doesn't have that issue, if you were considering a different app.
I have absolutely no idea. I grabbed the first illustration that showed what I described (poorly).
The chopping technique is not really that necessary. It's great for chopping lots of veggies at speed, but if you're just cutting veggies for a single meal then there's not that much benefit unless you're already highly practiced and that's your default.
What's far more important is just being cognizant for each cut you make. Walk don't run.
The chopping technique is about eliminating risk, mostly. Sure for a single meal and being aware you'll be fine. But getting into the habit of a good technique means you'll be fine even when you're tired or distracted
If you want to spend the time and effort to practice that technique, go for it. But the benefits don't really make it worth it for most people.
into the habit of a good technique means you'll be fine even when you're tired or distracted
The technique described in the image is not the only "good technique". A person could reasonably develop their own "good technique" simply by being cognizant of their cutting.
I use a bred knife to slice cheese off a block every day. Line it up and push down, one hand on handel the other on the spine at the top. It works better than any other knife to slice cheese blocks.
This post makes it sounds like I am committing a war crime.
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