Sharp spine on a Sabatier knife

Cafe Society
1

Well, I tired of cooking with my old knives and decided to treat myself to the much recommended 20cm Sabatier*. The inherent dangers of working with knives aside, I found myself with an unexpectedly mangled index finger after use.

Namely, I hold my knives with the index finger on the spine, and it turns out that the corners of the spine are defined enough to be sharp, hence the heinous cuts I’m now convalescing from.

So my question is, is this in any way standard fare for Sabatier/high carbon knives, and is there any good way to polish the edge down (or should I try to modify my knife grip instead?).

*. Yes, I’ve read Kitchen Confidential as well.

2

The professional chefs I have known hold the knife with thumb along one side of the shaft end of the blade, and the index finger curled against the other side of the blade. Should avoid your problems.

(Also, push the food under the blade with your other hand, fingertips down and thumb curled into the palm - I have spent enough time in the ER, having chopped the tips off my thumb and forefinger, to have learned this lesson well.)

3

Here’s a how-to. It’s quite uncomfortable at first, but you get used to it.

4

Get a Global instead. Better knife, better balance, better grip, holds an edge better.

5

Modifying your grip the way jjimm describes will also give you a bit more control over the blade. I’ve made the switch and wouldn’t go back.

6

I’ve tried them out, but I never really fell for either the look (I prefer a wooden handle, and don’t even get me started on Porsche knives) or the weight, which I found lacking in Global.

7

Thanks for the advice about the grip, jjimm and vifslan. Still, is it common among knives that the spine has such a sharp edge?

8

Actually, most of the professional cooks I’ve known have a callus on their thumb from these edges. I’m not a fan of the grip you describe because I find that it overextends the thumb, but I go generally run the index finger along the spine of the blade and the thumb to one side.

Before you defame Sabatier, realize that there are several manufacturers who make knives under that name of varying quality. The Sab knives I’ve used have been excellent knives, but I’ve seen some that are shonky, too. (Can say the same for Henckles as well.) Global knives are definitely an acquired taste, and they just don’t do it for me.

Stranger

9

It’s your knife now, so don’t be afraid to customize it. It’s not unheard of for some people to round out the spine of the knife with some sandpaper.