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Sharpening Tips

  • Writer: RazorSharpNC
    RazorSharpNC
  • Nov 24, 2019
  • 1 min read

Updated: Dec 28, 2019

Razorsharpnc.com/book-online Clean your shears daily. Wipe all the hair from the inside of the blades, this attracts moisture which can rust your shears. If the blades have grime or hairspray on them, take a Handy Wipe and rub all this off. Never leave shears dirty because it will cause problems down the road.

Lubricate shears with shear lube only, it contains silicon and a light solvent. Not lubricating your shears can cause the screw to rust and not stay tight. There is moisture in your pivot from scissoring, lube gets rid of it. Not lubing can cause tiny pieces of hair and pet dander to remain in the pivot. This will tighten the tension, slow the shear down, and may cause a binding feel when scissoring. Lube the shear, then open and close them a few times to get the lube around the pivot. Convex shears need to be lubed more than beveled shears. Never use blade oil on a shear, it will stiffen over time.


  • Writer: RazorSharpNC
    RazorSharpNC
  • Nov 10, 2019
  • 1 min read

Updated: Jan 30, 2020


A good sharp knife is a cook’s best friend. It will help you to work with precision, and quickly. A dull knife conspires against you and slows you down.

And here is another reason for keeping that knife sharp: It makes your food taste better (and look better, too).

Fresh herbs will release more of their aromatic oils beneath a knife’s sharp blade. A tomato slice or wedge, instead of looking trod upon, will retain its luscious juices with elegance. Carefully hand-cut onions are easier to brown because they stay drier than onions that have been bludgeoned into slices. (A blunt instrument smashes cells, which causes moisture to accumulate, whereas a sharp blade glides through with ease.)

Steak tartare has superior texture and flavor if you use a sharp knife instead of a meat grinder. Instead of being sadly hacksawed, a roasted bird or loin of pork is a delight to carve. A good knife doesn’t have to be expensive (and an expensive knife is useless if it isn’t sharp). You really need only a few knives anyway: a paring knife, an all-purpose vegetable knife, a long so-called chef’s knife. A proper serrated bread knife helps enormously, and not just for bread. And though it is not a knife per se, a sharp swivel-type vegetable peeler is essential.

The knife I find most useful is a vegetable knife, with a blade about 2 inches wide and 7 to 8 inches long. I prefer a square-edged Japanese-style, but a European style with a pointed end is fine too. This type of knife does everything: slice, dice, chop, mince.


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