Ethnographic Kitchen Knives??

Tim Simmons · 24th August 2009, 06:43 PM

Also better to cut up meat with mittens on your hands.

Mark · 25th August 2009, 03:13 PM

Here's one with some age on it. Not exactly "kitchen" (open-air butcher shop, perhaps). It is an Acheulean hand-axe found along a river bed in central Ethiopia. Its about 5 inches long and 3 wide, and upwards of 1.5 million years old. Its quite something to hold, considering that the guy who made it wasn't even fully human (probably Homo erectus).

A. G. Maisey · 26th August 2009, 05:24 AM

Here's another Jawa kitchen knife.

This is my wife's mincer, for making big pieces of meat into smaller pieces.

Weight 600grms, overall length 14.5"

Made in Koripan, Jawa Tengah.

mross · 29th January 2010, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Here's another Jawa kitchen knife.

This is my wife's mincer, for making big pieces of meat into smaller pieces.

Weight 600grms, overall length 14.5"

Made in Koripan, Jawa Tengah.

I like the hole in the middle, made from a circular saw blade?

Montino Bourbon · 29th January 2010, 11:30 PM

On a tour, I stopped in a large outdoor market in Chang Mai. A butcher there was using this, or something like it. I knew I had to have one.

Couple of days later I stopped along the road in a little village where they specialize in blacksmithing. One of the smiths was just putting the finishing touches on this. 16 inches long, blade 9 inches long, 3 inches wide. it weighs 1 1/2 solid pounds. And yes, I do use it occasionally. The last time I used it was to take apart a large fish.

Heavy blade. The spine is a quarter of an inch thick at the handle. It can be used as a throwing knife too, since it's heavy enough that no matter how it hits it'll hurt!

buendia · 13th February 2010, 08:14 PM

I cut meat with flint knives today. They are replicas of neolithic knives from Central Europe. Flint cuts like nothing else - really outstanding experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TNAVykyePc

A. G. Maisey · 13th February 2010, 11:44 PM

MROSS

No, made from a truck spring.

Re flint knives

I understand that a few years ago --- perhaps around 1990 --- there was a preference amongst some surgeons for knapped flint blades for some surgical procedures. I do not know if this still applies.

Nathaniel · 24th February 2010, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Montino Bourbon

On a tour, I stopped in a large outdoor market in Chang Mai. A butcher there was using this, or something like it. I knew I had to have one.

Couple of days later I stopped along the road in a little village where they specialize in blacksmithing. One of the smiths was just putting the finishing touches on this. 16 inches long, blade 9 inches long, 3 inches wide. it weighs 1 1/2 solid pounds. And yes, I do use it occasionally. The last time I used it was to take apart a large fish.

Heavy blade. The spine is a quarter of an inch thick at the handle. It can be used as a throwing knife too, since it's heavy enough that no matter how it hits it'll hurt!

Speaking of which Montino, you all should check out the Thai movie, Chocolate....there is a fight scene in a meat market with much larger knives that will have you jaw dropped and cringing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcgt_NsPq3w

Timo Nieminen · 2nd February 2013, 08:14 AM

A couple of traditional Korean kitchen knives. The larger one is modern, traditional style, forged from railway sleeper steel. It's inspired by the successful drama series http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dae_Jang_Geum about a Korean woman who became a palace cook.

The smaller one is, I think, an antique Korean kitchen knife. The handle is natural wood, and ergonomically chosen. I haven't used this one yet.

The modern one is a nice kitchen knife. A few weeks ago, I gave it a quick sandpaper sharpen; before that, it just had the original edge. It was nice and sharp before; now it is nice and very sharp. The last time I used it, I cooked an ancient Babylonian lunch.

My main knife block is populated by mostly Japanese knives. I need to make a larger block that fits my Chinese knives. I don't think of those as ethnographic, but just another style of modern kitchen knife. Korean knives, OTOH, don't seem to be used in modern Korean kitchens.

fearn · 26th August 2009, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark

Here's one with some age on it. Not exactly "kitchen" (open-air butcher shop, perhaps). It is an Acheulean hand-axe found along a river bed in central Ethiopia. Its about 5 inches long and 3 wide, and upwards of 1.5 million years old. Its quite something to hold, considering that the guy who made it wasn't even fully human (probably Homo erectus).

Ummm Mark,

Are you saying that you use this in your kitchen???

Mark · 26th August 2009, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fearn

Ummm Mark,

Are you saying that you use this in your kitchen???

Only for very large cuts of meat.

pallas · 26th August 2009, 07:47 PM

ive seen kitchen knives with yataghan "ears" before

25th August 2009, 03:13 PM	#2
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	Here's one with some age on it. Not exactly "kitchen" (open-air butcher shop, perhaps). It is an Acheulean hand-axe found along a river bed in central Ethiopia. Its about 5 inches long and 3 wide, and upwards of 1.5 million years old. Its quite something to hold, considering that the guy who made it wasn't even fully human (probably Homo erectus). Attached Images

26th August 2009, 05:24 AM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	Here's another Jawa kitchen knife. This is my wife's mincer, for making big pieces of meat into smaller pieces. Weight 600grms, overall length 14.5" Made in Koripan, Jawa Tengah. Attached Images

29th January 2010, 11:30 PM	#5
Montino Bourbon Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Santa Barbara, California Posts: 301	Thailand On a tour, I stopped in a large outdoor market in Chang Mai. A butcher there was using this, or something like it. I knew I had to have one. Couple of days later I stopped along the road in a little village where they specialize in blacksmithing. One of the smiths was just putting the finishing touches on this. 16 inches long, blade 9 inches long, 3 inches wide. it weighs 1 1/2 solid pounds. And yes, I do use it occasionally. The last time I used it was to take apart a large fish. Heavy blade. The spine is a quarter of an inch thick at the handle. It can be used as a throwing knife too, since it's heavy enough that no matter how it hits it'll hurt! Attached Images

2nd February 2013, 08:14 AM	#9
Timo Nieminen Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 422	A couple of traditional Korean kitchen knives. The larger one is modern, traditional style, forged from railway sleeper steel. It's inspired by the successful drama series http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dae_Jang_Geum about a Korean woman who became a palace cook. The smaller one is, I think, an antique Korean kitchen knife. The handle is natural wood, and ergonomically chosen. I haven't used this one yet. The modern one is a nice kitchen knife. A few weeks ago, I gave it a quick sandpaper sharpen; before that, it just had the original edge. It was nice and sharp before; now it is nice and very sharp. The last time I used it, I cooked an ancient Babylonian lunch. My main knife block is populated by mostly Japanese knives. I need to make a larger block that fits my Chinese knives. I don't think of those as ethnographic, but just another style of modern kitchen knife. Korean knives, OTOH, don't seem to be used in modern Korean kitchens. Attached Images

24th August 2009, 06:43 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,855	Also better to cut up meat with mittens on your hands.

13th February 2010, 08:14 PM	#6
buendia Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Silesia, Poland Posts: 41	I cut meat with flint knives today. They are replicas of neolithic knives from Central Europe. Flint cuts like nothing else - really outstanding experience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TNAVykyePc

13th February 2010, 11:44 PM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	MROSS No, made from a truck spring. Re flint knives I understand that a few years ago --- perhaps around 1990 --- there was a preference amongst some surgeons for knapped flint blades for some surgical procedures. I do not know if this still applies.

26th August 2009, 07:47 PM	#12
pallas Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 53	ive seen kitchen knives with yataghan "ears" before