9 effective ways to ruin your favourite knife.
Are you tired of playing the gentlemen of French cutlery or the person who is too careful with his things? (It also works if you have a grudge against a Laguiole collector, but we will deny any involvement in your Machiavellianism!)
Here are some very effective ways to irreparably damage your Laguiole knife. Let's go crazy, let's throw good manners to the wind!
1) Long live Laguiole knives... in the dishwasher!
Let's go ! Take your beautiful collection of blades and put them in the cutlery basket to be put in the dishwasher.
For an optimal result, don't skimp: choose the "very dirty" programme to make sure you don't damage the handles made of precious petrol or horn, which can't stand the heat.
Then observe your work: horn handles laminate, stamina handles discolour, olive wood handles dry out... The house of Chaos has to be careful, you too are an artist!
Leave your knives to dry in the open air so that the steel can also be oxidised: if you are going to destroy, you might as well do it well!
2) The do-it-all knife!
Is it football on TV and no bottle opener at hand? Never mind, use the handle of your Laguiole knife to pop the cap! (As a last resort, don't hurt yourself and use a bottle opener...)
Does your youngest child like to carve sticks found in the garden? Leave him your blade so that he can practice his art with a tool worthy of the name.
Your partner is grumbling because he can't open the damn pickle jar? Quickly slide your blade under the lid and enjoy the "plop" when it opens and the return of your loved one's smile.
What fun it is to play "men versus wild": pluck the branches with your knife, cut the rope to hold the canvas for the camp, poke the chestnuts to roast over the fire - what fun to get back to basics!
3) Let's play a game of darts!
We get out the dartboard that is gathering dust in the basement, and invite our friends over for a game of darts that is not without its spice. Each one armed with a beautiful blade, compare your sleeping William Tell talents together.
Variation: javelin throwing style - the one who sticks his knife the furthest into the lawn wins.
4) Go green!
As you have seen so many times with your grandparents, you too can happily plunge your blade into the end of the leek row. Always at hand, you can simply pull it out of the ground to scrape off the freshly picked vegetables that will delight your little family for dinner.
To perfect the result of your programmed destruction, you can also try to sharpen your blade with pebbles. You're the man of the woods today!
5) Wrap your knife in an abrasive material before storing it.
Tired of wrapping your knife in a silky cloth before storing it? Opt for emery cloth! Rubbing the cutting edge against the wrapping material will damage the blade, causing wear and potential dulling of the blade. To complete the destructive effect, open and close the storage drawer with force, this will increase the scratching effect of the sanding cloth.
6) Drop your knife frequently.
This is probably one of the most common ways to damage a knife. Dropping your knife is a great way to damage it!
So put it on the edge of the table, on the corner of a piece of furniture with the handle sticking out - surely someone will walk by and accidentally drop it - smart, you won't even have to take responsibility!
7) Striking surfaces with your knife in an imprecise manner
This is probably the most "fun" way to damage your blade.
Chop food on a hard surface, pretend your laguiole knife is a Japanese deba and try to slice your ingredients like hell!
When you strike your knife against a hard surface it damages the blade and gives it a coarse or no edge. If you do this repeatedly, you can damage the edge almost beyond repair, effective!
8) Do not dry your knife completely after washing.
To begin with, let it soak in dishwater with the rest of the day's dishes. After a proper bath, let it air dry or, better still, put it away when it is barely dry.
Remember chemistry lessons - yes, iron oxidises with water, so your blade will naturally rust. So Jamie, it's not rocket science to be a scientist on a daily basis!
Don't dry them completely with a towel, as this can leave water inside the handle, causing the locking mechanism to rust, a great way to force your knife to stay open.
9) Storage in damp conditions
Knives are not designed to be stored in damp conditions. If they are, there is a risk that they will rust. This is because moisture weakens the steel. When storing your knives, make sure to put them next to damp surfaces, such as damp walls, near the sink, in the cellar or in the laundry room where the condensation from the dryer will do wonders.
https://www.couteau-laguiole.com/fr/content/21-conseils-coutelier