From: mkoblic@uniserve.com   
      
   "Greg Wormald"  wrote in message   
   news:greg-1159FA.09551922112009@astraweb.internode.on.net...   
      
   >> So, is this an artifact of the NSF?  Is it just that modern crappy   
   >> knives like Forschner are almost as good as an old German relic like   
   >> Ginny's so why bother?  Or is it that my friend only services Subway and   
   >> Chili's so he doesn't really know??   
      
   I have no experience with Forschner. However, the one cooking show I watch   
   and respect has consistently tested Forschners as "value for money".   
      
   > IMO it goes something like this:   
      
      
      
   > A commercial kitchen is hard on knives, both good and bad, because most   
   > of the staff don't know a good knife, and don't care about good knives,   
   > or take care of them.   
      
   OTOH even cooks just starting out and learning tend to have their own   
   knives.   
      
   I think the reason professional kitchen is hard on knives is that they are   
   in use for much longer periods of time and process vastly greater quantities   
   of food than an average home kitchen. It just does not make sense for a   
   sensible cook to have something really cheap. You want something you are a)   
   comfortable with and can use for 10 hours a day, and b) something that holds   
   an edge without having to resharpen frequently (occasional steeling is done   
   and expected).   
      
   Having said that you do not always get what you pay for and sometimes you   
   are rewarded for minimum outlay. I have never been a professional cook but   
   occasionally go mad at home and cook something like 12 litres of soup - that   
   is a lot of vegetables to process. For that I have two cleavers - one cost   
   me about $70 and I prefer it because of its edge geometry. The other one,   
   however, is a $15 job and slightly lighter. Honestly, if I did not have the   
   former I would be completely happy with latter. Sharp as you like and holds   
   the edge through the whole session.   
      
   YMMV   
      
   --   
   Michael Koblic   
   Campbell River, BC   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)