What can't you live without?

[tim]

ELASTOPLAST!!  Just tried to chip a potato on the Mandolin, so big that I couldn't use the safety guard.

STUPID!!

[tim]

[Biscombe]

Corkscrew! ;)

[tim]

Oh, NO! -  I only buy screw tops now.

Some of the plastic 'corks' would defeat a 30 year-old!!

[Biscombe]

Wine in cartons even better!! like rocket fuel though ;D

[muddy boots]

Triffid  you just mentioned something I really miss and don't know how to get hold of again!

Oil/water stone for sharpening.  Just can't seem to get on with a steel anymore - wrist problems.

Does anyone know where I can get hold of a stone?  Unfortunately, lost the one I had and, typically, feel lost without it and absolutely detest blunt knives in the kitchen. 

[Curryandchips]

Oil/water stone for sharpening.
Does anyone know where I can get hold of a stone? 

Most decent tool stockists should stock sharpening stones. EG try B&Q possibly, although I have used Screwfix at work. The traditional oil stones are now being replaced by extremely effective diamond stones, just a couple of strokes is enough to restore a razor edge, and they use water, not oil.

[tim]

http://www.caseyspm.com/Knives.html
http://users.ameritech.net/knives/Juranitch1977Feb.htm
And so on.
But you knew all that, of course!!

With Global knives, I use their guides.

[triffid]

Wow, Tim: never really thought about the science of knife-sharpening! Mine are plenty sharp enough really, but I'm fascinated to read about dry-honing being more effective than oil or water-honing.

[tim]

Same as you have a science for chisels.

Must say, I've always hankered after a ceramic stone.

[muddy boots]

thanks for that folks.  I must say, I used to use my stone dry and it worked a treat.  Not heard of ceramic ones Tim, are they just as effective?

[tim]

At £30 a time, they damned well should be. And you'd need 2 grades!!

Sometimes wonder about paying 10s of pounds for a knife.  And how the real ones hold their edge. Bought a block of 5 knives for under £10 the other day, just for the hell of it. Thought that was cheap just for decoration!

Funnily enough, rather liked the feel of one (below) & find myself using it every day. BUT - it needs honing at least once a day. Just goes to show?
(Not serrated - just a trick of the light).

[supersprout]

thanks for that folks.  I must say, I used to use my stone dry and it worked a treat.  Not heard of ceramic ones Tim, are they just as effective?

We use a ceramic sharpener with two little discs - one med. and one fine - about twice a week. And I've got the scars to prove it! ;)

[tim]

At least it's a clean cut!!

My meaning, of course, was a ceramic stone.

[wellingtons]

I couldn't live without my knives, but they're not really gadgets are they.

So it would have to be my whizzy food processer, which at one point in the proceedings was state of the art (that would have been 10 years ago) ... but even so.

I also love those little toaster bags from Lakeland Plastics ... make your sandwich, whack it in the little bag, whack it in the toaster ... *ping* ... and toasted sandwich ... blummin' marvellous!