Owner Manual

Storing your knives
Knives need safe storage to prevent injuries and avoid damage to the blade caused
by other utensils. A wooden or polyethylene knife block works well, but knives are
equally safe and easy to reach on a magnetic rack. However, the magnets need to be
strong enough and the knives need to be clean.
Proper cutting surfaces
The cutting surface determines how long your knives will remain sharp. We
recommend wooden or polyethylene chopping boards which crate the least
resistance to the edge of a knife. Avoid cutting on ceramics, metal, glass, porcelain,
marble or plastic surfaces since those materials will quickly dull a knife’s sharp edge.
Wash your board after each use. Plastic boards can go in the dishwasher; wooden
boards should be carefully washed by hand. To diminish the likelihood of cross
contamination, consider using one board for fish, another for poultry and a third for
other cutting tasks.
Terminology
Edge: The cutting part of the blade is called the edge. Since knives are required to
perform a variety of tasks, blades have been developed with different types of
edges.
Fine edge blade: These blades produce a smooth, clean cut without causing the
product to disintegrate. They are suitable for cutting hard and soft materials such as
vegetables, meat, and fruit. A fine-edged blade is also needed for peeling.
Serrated edge blade: This edge is useful for cutting and slicing soft materials with a
rough skin (e.g. tomatoes). The serrated edge penetrates the skin more easily than a
fine edge. However, when slicing meat, fruit, vegetable, or a fibrous tissue, the cut of
a fine blade is smoother.
Scalloped edge blade: This blade is basically used for the same tasks as the serrated
edge blade. It is particularly suitable for cutting bread (penetrating hard crusts and
slicing the soft interior).
Hollow-ground edge blade: The name derives from the hollows positioned
alternately on each side of the blade, giving the knife a particularly fine cutting edge.
When used for cutting, air bubbles develop in the hollows resulting in the sliced
pieces separating easily from the blade.
Razor edge blade: Guarantees an extremely high initial cutting performance. After
grinding, the blade gets a fine-polish treatment to remove even the tiniest burrs.
This technique is mainly used for the Asian-style knives.
Point: At the tip of the knife, the point should be sharp and relatively thin. It is used
for incisions, cutting small delicate items, and carving. Three shapes of knife tips can
be distinguished.
High tip: The back of the blade is straight while the cutting edge is curved (e.g. on a
utility knife). Thanks to this shape, the blade can be raised away from the chopping
board in one smooth movement.
Center tip: Both the back of the blade and the cutting edge are gently curved,
ending in a point. With a pronounced tip like this (e.g. on a chef’s knife) the blade
can easily be used to lard a roast with bacon or herbs.
Low tip: The back of the blade is curved while the cutting edge runs straight up to
the point. This shape permits smooth, straight cutting on a chopping board (e.g. a
vegetable knife).
Back: In contrast to the sharp edge, the back or spine of most knives is thick, (except
for carving and slicing knives), to provide strength to the blade. It can also be used
to scrape pieces of food off the chopping board after cutting. Note that on forged
knives the back tapers from the bolster to the tip.
Flat: The wide, flat part of the knife. It can be completely tapered from the back
down to the edge, a quality usually found among knives of better quality. The flat
can be useful in crushing food like garlic.
Tang: The part of the blade that is inserted into the handle, providing balance and
an attachment point for the handle. The best knives have a full tang (except for
some of the sealed-handled knives), and it is visible on the top, back, and bottom of
the handle, securely attached by multiple rivets. A half-tang is visible on the top and
back of the handle, but not at the bottom.
Bolster: An integral part of most good knives, it is a thick piece of metal between
the handle and the blade. It is made to add weight to the knife which provides
better balance and comfortable support for your hand. It is sometimes called “the
shank”.
Finger guard: Gives the hand a secure grip. The finger guard is either integrated into
the handle or in the case of top quality knives, designed as a steel part (bolster).
Handle: Can be made of a synthetic material, stainless steel or wood. Following the
improvements in properties of plastic compound over the years – particularly
concerning hygienic aspects – polypropylene or polyoxymethylene handles have
increasingly replaced wood handles. They offer an excellent grip and comfort, and
they will last much longer than a wood handle.
Ergonomics
The shape of the handle determines whether a knife lies comfortably in your hand
and is easy to use. To a large extent, an ergonomically shaped handle fits the natural
shape of your hand. When you pick up a knife you can quickly tell whether or not it
suits you. BergHOFF pays special attention to combine outstanding design with
ergonomic principles.
The balance of a knife, or the proper distribution of weight between the handle and
the blade, plays an important role. To be able to use the knife for a longer period of
time without causing discomfort or strain, the handle must be well shaped and
neatly finished.