The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-02-22
THE CARVING KNIFE'S EDGE.
Difficulty Of Keeping 1t and How 1t
Should he Done


eff you can't have tender beef, the
next best thing is sharp knife said
chophouse proprietor, "and sharp
knife and poor beef are much better
than the best beef and dull knife.
know that from years of experience.
The conversation turned to the sub
ject of carving knives, and the veteran
said that "carvers" were harder to
keep in order than the ordinary table
knives because the one who carves does
not make use of the steel as much as he
should.
cit may be an acid in the beef, or it
may be the moisture, or the heat, or all
three, - said the expert, "but there is
something about hot roast beef that
takes the edge off a knife and makes it
rip where it should cut, and the fact
that the knife is not affected that way
by mutton or by ham makes me think
that the dullness is result of the ac-
tion of beef ingredients on the blade
This view was confirmed by Mr. Cur
ley, who said: 81 have handled carving
knives as "a manufacturer and at my
table for many years, and l know that
the best knives will not cut properly
when used on hot roast beef unless the
steel is used after every few cuts. The
best way is to use the steel after every
cut. The steel need not be rough as
some people imagine. In fact, we'll
worn steel is better than one with
rough surface, and a few passes over it
with the knife produce a good edge.
The man who rubs and manipulates
carving knife for five minutes against
steel before he begins to carve and
thinks that now he has it all right and
may send the steel away makes great
mistake. He should keep the steel
handy, and pass the knife over it light
ly a few times after every cut or two.
And even then he will accomplish
nothing unless he knows how to use the
two instruments. A carver must be
held at an angle Of 90 to 25 degrees on
the steel. One must be careful to have
the angle the same on both sides; 9TH
erwise the knife will be made dull in
stead of sharp. The knife should be
drawn on the steel from heel to point
against the edge, and the pressure
should be very light -
A carving knife gets "tired," ac-
cording to the testimony of an old
luncheon counter man, and must be
laid aside to rest for awhile if the best
service is to be got out of it. 'The
roast beef eater, he said, Clocks at the
roast while it is being cut, and if the
knife seems to pull or to halt he finds
fault and, in many instances, kicks be-
fore the portion is served. To avoid this
I put an edge on my knife after every
cut, but even that will not keep me 60
ing all right, because the knife gets
tired, and unless l give it rest and
take up fresh one there's sure to be
trouble.
81 usually have six knives in use
They are Of different lengths, and I use
them in regular order, so that each one
gets the proper amount of rest All this
is unnecessary with cold roast beef,
which is much less trying on the knife
than the hot article. l can carve the
best part of q big cold roast without
using the steel if the knife is in good
condition when begin, and that seems
strange when cne considers that the
cold roast is much frmer than the hot
one But it's the heat and the gravy
that tell on the edge -
Cutters have certain rules for sharp
ening razors, pocket knives, ETC., as
well as carving knives. "A razor, Mr..
Curley says. must be laid fiat on the
hone, because it is hollow ground and
requires fine edge. But q pocke'
knife requires stiff edge, and the mo-
ment you lay it fiat on stone, so as to
touch the polished side, you injure the
edge 1t must be held at an angle of 90
to 25 degrees and have an edge similar
to chisel New York Tribune