Carving Knives
About Carving Knives
Times are gone when humans need to spend days and hours sharpening the stones for cutting meat and other stuff into pieces.
Advancements in human living patterns have led to the development of fine metallic blades known as knives. Today we can enjoy a wide range of knives used for different purposes. Among all these, a craving knife holds great importance. A carving knife is used for slicing or cutting meat in fine pieces. These kitchen knives have slightly thinner and narrower blades. This specific shape of the blade helps the chefs inaccurate cutting of meat pieces. Generally, the blade length in these knives is between 15 to 25 cm. This is slightly shorter than filleting or salmon knives. Besides meat, these knives have many other uses in human life.
Different types and uses of carving knives
Knife carving is a fun and inexpensive way of starting out carving. Knives make cooking easier and faster. It is thus important to find an option that suits your skills and needs. But to buy one such option, you need sufficient knowledge on what are different types and appropriate knives available in the market. Interestingly these knives are not just a part of the kitchen rather that is used in many other ways. You can see them as a part of a sculpturing kit or electric tool kit. But, obviously, these knives are different in shape and uses as compared to the traditional knives used in kitchens. Here are some of the basic types of knives that you can find on shelves.
Wood carving knives
Wood carving is an art form that includes any kind of sculpting in wood from a decorative bas-relief on small objects to life-size figures in the furniture, round, and architectural decorations. Such wood processing is done by means of special cutting tools. A wood carving knife is a basic tool that comes in different shapes of blades. Some are rounded while others have two edges with different sharpness. These knives are used with the help of a chisel and always demands effort from both hands. Using a wood carving knife is much similar to using a hammer and nail.
Meat carving knives
These are most commonly used knives and can be found in any domestic and commercial kitchen, at butcher shops, or the stores that serve meat for selling or eating etc. These knives come with varying lengths and thicknesses of blades. But the most general type of meat craving knife rests between 20 cm to 38 cm. This thickness is perfect to use for slicing meat into smaller pieces. You can use these knives for cutting poultry, hams, roasts, turkey, seafood and all other types of meat. A meat carving knife is thinner than the chef’s knife (specifically at the spine). It helps in carving thinner and more precise slices.
Electric carving knife
An electric carving knife is also known as an electric knife. It is a modern-day kitchen device used for slicing food items. These devices consist of two serrated blades that are clipped together. When switched on, the blades continuously move lengthwise to serve a sawing action. These knives can be corded or cordless. You can also find them on several electronic device stores. Besides meat cutting these knives are also used for other purposes. These may include cutting wood, metal craving or cutting, sculpting polyurethane foam rubber and cutting other solid or semi-solid substances.
Fruit carving knives
Fruit carving is the art of cutting fruits into different shapes and sizes. These techniques are popular in countries like Thailand, Japan and China. And to do so, you need special sets of tools that generally fall under the category of fruit carving knives. There are different types of fruit carving knives. Some of the commonly used types include; paring knife, Peel Zester, Melon baller, U shapes garnishing tools, and “V” formed cutters. The variety offers help in dealing with cutting different types of fruits. Here, a knife that can help you with cutting a pineapple is different from the one you can use for cutting soft fruits like watermelon or barriers etc. Therefore you need a complete set of fruit carving knives for processing.
Tips on how to buy Carving Knife online in the UAE
A humble craving knife has been around for many hundreds of years. However, these are the one that spends a large portion of their life in drawers waiting for a pro chef to use them for cutting meat or steak pieces. However, Christmas is the time when all of us can realize the importance of these craving knives. But, there are chances that the old knife might get rusted due to negligence or any other reason. At such times, you will need to look for another reliable option from the stores. But the number of options in online stores makes the selection process stressful. Here are some tips on how you can make a smart decision.
- Know your skills – Here, you need to be honest with yourself. If you are a beginner, you will need a lightweight yet durable product. It will help you hold the knife nicely and cut the meat without any shreds of meat falling here and there.
- Consider material – A stainless steel knife is the best one to buy. These knives are easier to handle, lightweight, and can be sharpened without any damage to the product. Besides, these knives are rust-resistant and thus can stay with you for years.
- Check the handle – Modern knives come with plastic handles. When it comes to a carving knife for cutting the turkey, make sure that the handle is long enough to allow you a comfortable grip without making your hands touch the meat on a turkey.
- The length of the blade – Turkey, is bigger in size as compared to chicken. Therefore, just like the handle, the blade of the knife should be long enough to go deep into the turkey without any direct contact with the meat.
- Read the product – To know all the above-given details, you must read the product description section. It is also better to look into the customer reviews to know the actual performance of the product you are going to buy. Such information can give you the idea of if it’s good for you to buy or look for more.
Although you may not need a carving knife on a daily basis, it is still important to buy a good quality knife. A quality product is a one-time investment and can stay with you longer than cheaper options. The best carving knife for meat will protect you from any kind of embarrassment on a special occasion. Besides, it will also save you time when you need to serve you, guest, with delicious roasts? Luckily finding such options is easier with online stores as you can find options in size, material and budget.
Question & Answer
What are carving knives used for?
Wood carving is form woodworking employing a cutting tool in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet. The two tools work together to create any wooden figure or figurine. These tools are also used for creating sculptural ornamentation of any wooden object. These knives are available in a variety of shapes and sizes of blades. With varying blade sizes the carving knives are used to cut, pare, and smooth wood logs to any specific shape.
What is the difference between a carving and a slicing knife?
A carving knife has a long narrow blade that tapers to a sharp point. It is mainly used for craving poultry or bone-in roasts like ham or leg of lamb. A slicing knife has a similarly long and extremely narrow blade. But rather than tapering at a point, it has an even width all along. The long straight edges allow making even slices in the largest roasts. These knives are also ideal for slicing delicate things like a soft terrine or foie gras etc.
What are the best carving knives?
For beginners, one of the best-selling options is Flexcut Roughing Knife KN14. Other reliable and appreciated options are Morakniv Wood Carving 106 Knife, Beaver Craft Wood Carving Sloyd Knife C4, FLEXCUT Whittlin’ Jack, and Beaver Craft Cutting Knife C2. Meanwhile, professionals also prefer buying products like Morakniv Wood Carving 122 Knife, and Beaver Craft Whittling Knife. Luckily you can find all these products on any retail search engine online.
How to sharpen wood carving knives?
For sharpening a wood carving knife, lay the blade close to the flat but slightly angled on the stone or sharpening rod. Push the knife away from you as if you were trying to slice off a fragile layer of gravel. Lay the blade close to the flat but at a slight angle on the stone or rod and drag a knife towards you with the sharp side of the blade trailing. For more instructions, you can look at video tutorials on how to sharpen wood carving knives at home.
Where to buy carving knives online in UAE?
It is better to look at an online retail search engine to find the possible material, size and other options in craving knives for professionals. For better search and buying top global brands, you can explore the Home and Living section of Shops.ae . Here you can find top brands selling panel curtains online. Some to name are Wüsthof, Mercer Culinary, Victorinox, Flexcut, Icel, and Marico. You can also use tools for quickly searching for products fitting in your budget.
Carving can be a fun way to add visual value to the food items that you present on the table. Explore now to find the best options available online.