KNIVES.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2122, 11 December 1880, Page 3

KNIVES.

Like steel grates and fenders, there is no part of the many details of which housekeeping is composed mora difficult to keep in daily order than table knives ; one day's neglect spoils their beauty, and it takea many days' care to restore it. Half-cleaning equally ruins them, and a careless or ignorant way of putting away extra or best knives and steel folks proves more destructive to their good looks than if they were left out to have the chance of being occasionally used, and, therefore, occasionally cleaned. Handles of knives, too, are of just as much importance, and quits as easily spoiled. In .point of expense the handles are of more importance, as they are the most expensive part of a knife; and when the blade is worn legitimately with age, or spotted with neglect, it ia easier and cheaper to have new blades to your knives than new handles.

I consider that tl» table knives require particularly the personal supervision of the mistress, i.e., the nine cut of ten mistresses, or the ninety-nine out of a hundred. I mean that the tenth and the hundredth mistress may be a rioh woman, who can havo_ good upper servants, but the nine aud the ninetynine are thoße who, in an ascending soblo, have a general servant, up to a man servant or parlor maid. To all luch I say, if you want your knives properly put away for keeping—do it yourself. Now, with regard to the daily keeping and cleaning of knives, I cannot say that I am in lovo with knifo machines—not that it is the fault of the machines, but of the ignorance and carelessnees of the ordinary servants. Generally, when a knife machine gets out of order, it will be found to be caused by having an absurd and wasteful quantity of " Wellington knife cleaner" or some other knife powder poured into it, so that its proper action is prevented, and the knife handles are broken in csmsequonce. So tired am I of having my knife maohine repaired, each time at a cost of 15s, that I prefer the Blower, cheaper, and surer way of a knife board. But at the same time I regret it, as I believe the machines to be excollent; and if they were in sensible hands they would save considerable labor and time. The beat knife board I have only seen at the Army and Navy Storos. It is made of strips of leather the width of the board, and fastened together very tightly. In using it you must first grease the surface with mutton fat, and then use knife powder. They are expensive for knife boards, but excel all others.

J The chief cauße of the destruction of knives is their treatment, or rather want of treatment, as soon as they are removed after the different meals. Instead of being attended to first, they are left anywhere and everywhere scattered about, while the china and silver are washed and dried, and then they come in last, but not leaßt, to be washed in the greasy water, handles and all, and then only half wiped ; and so they lie until to-morrow, if there are plenty of others "to take to," if net, thoy are hurriedly cleaned just when the next meal is going up. Now, the knives aro of the very first importance in " washing np." Better far, leave cups and plates and silver waiting their turn than delicate steel. I like better than anything a pewter can, the height of tho length of a large table knife, to wash knives in. First they should be wiped on a knife rag, and then washed in warm water in thio can with soap and water, and then not only quickly dried, but taken out singly and separately out of the water, and well and thoroughly dried. I wonder servants do not liko and wish to get their knives out of the way first j and iE they would only use Boap and water and dry thoroughly, I can assure them that their knives would look almost fit

i to come to table without any more oleaning ; ' and if they would only adopt this method daily, the labor of the knife board would be far less. There ought to be a japanned knife box for the knives that have been washed and not cleaned, and a japanned box or tray with a handlo and a division for those that have been cleaned, and well dusted after the cleaning. As to the keeping of the handles of table knives, I have_ one vory simple recipe which I apply to all ivory articles, and that is whitening. Take a soft piece of flannel, put it tightly on your finger, dip it in whitening, moistened with water, and with thia rub the handle of the knife the way of the grain, as hard as you can. Continue rubbing for some time, and then polish with dry whitening. Clean ivory brushes, workboxes, paper knives, or any other article of ivory in this way, and you will see the immense improvement. Quite a skin seems to come off the ivory as you rub, and the ivory loses the yellowness of neglect in proportion to its degree. A olean brush will remove all particles of whitening from nooks and crevices.

In putting away extra or beßt knives, the first thing to be seen to is that they are thoroughly cleaned and thoroughly dried; then rub each blade with pure salad oil—not too much oil—and wrap up each knife separately in a pieoe of chamois leather, and either pin it or tie string round it. Then put them all into a baize bag; but remember that there is baize and baize. Von must buy the proper baize for keeping silver or steel in. It is a kind made free from oil. Then another serious matter is to put your baize bags of knives in a cold but dry place, and where the temperature is equable. Kitchen knives are a great grievance, and how to console the housekeeper, who in the innocence of her heart buys different knives for their different and separate purposes, I know not. I can only sympathise with her, and say, " Don't do it again." I know what it is to see the knife marked " Onions" in the batter, and the one marked " Potatoes " paring apples. I think it would be a good way to have a plan of keeping kitohen cooking knives en evidence, so that one might secure cleanliness, and give up the separate principle. I have often thought of planning a board to nail up on the kitchen wall. I would have straps of leather fastened across acoording to the number of the knives and their size, and should expect to see them all in thoir proper places when I went down to order dinner. As to the servants' knives, and also their nickel silver tablespoons, dessert spoons, and teaspoons, the best way is to put them in a plate basket lined with baize, and havo it kept quite separate in the servants' hall.

Beferring again to the best way of putting away knives, some cutlers do not approve of salad, oil, as I suppose there is a doubt even of the purity of that. One very good way is to rub the blades with beef or mutton suet, but do not melt it; rub it on in its natural state, and then lay them in a paper especially prepared for knives. It is brown and glazed on both sides, and has been dried for a long time before using. It can only be bought at very good stationers. Knives put away in this paper, and so put as to exclude the air, will resist rust, even on a sea voyage. If the suet were melted before smearing the knives with it the warmth would rust the steel: and if you put your knives in a warm closet they rust from that very warmth. In buying knives buy the best—a rule that applies to most things. The prettiest are the bevelled handles, and the junction of the blade and handle clasped with an ornamental silver band. This silver band is a delightful substitute for the ornamented steel, that can scarcely be expected to be kept free from rust.

I never find any plan better for knives in daily use than in keeping them laid out in a large drawer in the pantry table lined with baize.

If it can be afforded I would recommend people beginning housekeeping to buy their sets of knives in the knife boxes fitted with baize, and where each knife has its local habitation and its name.