LOOKING AFTER GOOD CUTLERY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 92, 8 September 1948, Page 3

LOOKING AFTER GOOD CUTLERY

Acids, such as vinegar, pickles*, etc., are bad for knives, whether stainless or not, so wash and dry them immediately after use. To wash knives, stand them blades downwards, in a jar, .with a little soap powder, and fill up to just below the handles with hot water. Never let the water come above the handles, nor allow the knives to li(j flat in the water. Not only will it discolour the handles, but in a short time it will loosen them. If either of these mishaps do occur, here are the remedies: For discoloured handles,, leave them all night stuck in a jar of sawdust moistened thoroughly with vinegar. Or cover them with a paste made of finely powdered whiting and lemon juice, and leave on for several hours. To re-fix a handle, clean out tfye hole down its centre with a piece of wire or long darning needle to remove any loose cement. Fill the hole with powdered resin. Hold the blade withi a pair of pliers and'thoroughly heat the tang (that part of the blade which fits into the handle) in a flame. Push it into the resin in the hole, press down firmly, wipe off any surplus resin which maysooze out, at once, and immediately put the whole knife into lukewarm water to cool. Leave for a few days to harden thoroughly before using the knife. Keep your knives, if possible, in their own slots in the cutlery canteen; the slotted box in which they were bought or in baize-lined partition in a drawer. Stainless knives need no cleaning beyond a polish with a duster after washing and drying, but ordinary steel knives should be cleaned regularly. A cork or piece of cut potato, dipped in knife powder, and rubber over them, will get rid of obstinate stains, but be careful not to bend the blades. If you value your knives, never use them to pry off lids, etc., it’s one of the surest ways of damaging the blade.