# Tomatoes and blunt knives **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 3, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-blunt-knives/541711 "2010-06-03T00:14:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-blunt-knives/541711/21 "2010-06-11T20:37:59Z")
The two knifes I use most - a decades old soft steel paring knife that gets bloody sharp just by honing and a big Chinese chopper that’s seen better days but is still fairly sharp - both go through all tomatoes very easily. My advice: get a second hand/carbon steel paring knife and a honing steel. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-blunt-knives/541711/22 "2010-06-12T01:31:25Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > While I have no first hand knowledge of this, I believe tomatoes are picked while still green and firm. They are designed to be able to withstand a 13mph impact for shipping; taste is a secondary consideration. [snip] Cite on 13 mph? Interesting… BTW, unless the knife blade is mondo sharp, you want a [serrated](http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=13875911) one, which will make that initial “cat” (rip) in the tomato skin preparatory to slicing it, ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-blunt-knives/541711/23 "2010-06-12T19:55:39Z")
Get a “Tomato Slicing Knife” Long and slender with a sharp wavy serrated edge. Does a neat job. At fine cutlery stores most everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-blunt-knives/541711/24 "2010-06-12T20:34:05Z")
I remember tomatoes in the past were rock hard and green despite the color. Only now can we buy tomatoes that are ripe. Perhaps before WWII, people actually got ripe tomatoes in stores. I was told people only got good veggies in restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-blunt-knives/541711/25 "2010-06-12T22:15:59Z")
Who cuts tomatoes from the stem end down? There’s a lot more structural integrity in the slice when you do it that way. Better for sandwiches and salads both. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-blunt-knives/541711/26 "2010-06-12T22:29:05Z")
As many before me have said…use a serrated knife. Seriously, if one came with your knife set, why wouldn’t you use it (at least once) instead of going through the whole knife-sharpening ritual every time you want tomato? Unless, of course, you just like the whole spectacle of knife-sharpening! LOL ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-blunt-knives/541711/27 "2010-06-13T01:29:30Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Unless, of course, you just like the whole spectacle of knife-sharpening! LOL Sharpening the tools is part of the whole cooking experience. It may not be a part of the experience that everyone wants to experience themselves. Growing tomatoes is part of that experience too, but I haven’t experienced that part myself for some years now. And some people are satisfied with just the eating part of the experience. All good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-blunt-knives/541711.md?page=1)