# Tomatoes and knives

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-knives/1000253>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 13, 2024, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-knives/1000253 "2024-04-13T23:18:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-knives/1000253/21 "2024-04-14T17:15:40Z")

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> [@DPRK](#):
>
> > [@wolfpup](#):
> >
> > … a quality Japanese sushi/sashimi knife!
> 
> I’ve seen those, appeared to be carbon steel.

Yes, my understanding is that the salient characteristic of a sushi knife is being made of carbon steel and having a single beveled edge. The best ones can be really expensive and they rust very easily so caring for your knives is an essential part of the sushi chef tradition.

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**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-knives/1000253/22 "2024-04-14T18:25:33Z")

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> [@AHunter3](#):
>
> This is carbon steel, not stainless steel; if you immerse it in water or leave it out after cutting, it can rust or tarnish.

downside of the carbon-steel knives: as you mention rust and tarnish … and more importantly - a nasty kind of metallic taste/smell to it … that imprinted itself on some acid food like fruit like crazy.

my wife was always fast (and right!) to ask me if I cut XY and Z with **that** knife - and I agree you could taste it.

so, in short, I had to retire the Opinel No 10 from kitchen duty

… _ **no-more-knife - happy wife!!!** _

one of the big pluses of carb-steel is - you can very easily sharpen it … Just by stropping 1000grain sandpaper twice or 3 times and you were off to the races …

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**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tomatoes-and-knives/1000253/23 "2024-04-16T04:16:24Z")

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Mostly that isn’t an issue for me, but the exception is citrus fruit. I cut those with other knives.

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