Cooking at home is more enjoyable with a set of sharp kitchen knives. Using sharp knives make cooking a breeze, but a broken knife tip can make the whole experience unbearable.
Broken knife tips affect the effectiveness of a knife. It also compromises the safety of its user.
We do not want that happening to you so today, we will talk about the causes of broken knife tips and ways to prevent them from happening.
What are the causes of broken knife tips?
There are several reasons why broken knife tips occur. Knowing them will allow you to be more cautious as you use your knife.
Use of excessive force while cutting or slicing
The most common cause of a broken knife tip is using too much force or pressure while slicing or cutting. This usually happens when cutting hard ingredients such as bones or frozen meat.
Applying excessive force on your knife might lead to a broken knife tip. The knife tip might bend or snap off entirely which is a huge safety risk.
Poor sharpening techniques
Sharpening your own knife is one of the best ways to keep your knife long lasting. However, if you are using poor sharpening techniques, then you are just compromising your cutlery. Worst, you might end up injuring yourself.
No proper storage
Improper storage of your knife may lead to broken knife tips. If you are storing your knife in a cubby alongside other utensils, it may knock against each other and cause damage to the tip.
It might seem trivial but, constant knocking against other utensils may damage the tip.
Even if it does not get damaged now, storing your knife properly ensures its longevity.
Inappropriate cutting surfaces
It is tempting to slice veggies or meat on non-chopping surfaces like a tabletop. However, this will lead to a broken knife tip or a knife edge chip. You need to use a proper cutting board as much as possible.
Wood chopping boards are the best but, if you are saving some money, then plastic ones would work well too. Just avoid using your knife directly on your countertop.
How to prevent broken knife tips?
Now that we know the causes, here are the ways to prevent broken knife tips. These tips ensure that your knives stay in top-notch condition for several years.
Use the proper cutting technique
One of the most important things you need to do when cooking at home is to use the correct cutting technique.
For instance, if you need to slice vegetables, do not ram the knife straight to the veggies. Do it carefully and let the knife do the work.
Right knife for the task
You need to use the right knife for the task or else, you risk breaking the knife tip and injuring yourself.
If you need to peel a fruit, use a paring knife. For general slicing and cutting, use a chef's knife.
There are instances where one knife will work for multiple tasks. However, there are limitations to it.
Use a cleaver if you are going to chop meat. You may also use a cleaver or a butcher's knife to slice some veggies if it is your last resort.
But do not try to chop and butcher pork and beef with a chef's knife. It is not made for that kind of work.
Proper sharpening technique
Proper sharpening technique will help you prevent broken knife tips. A sharp knife is more efficient, and you do not need to exert that much effort in chopping or slicing.
Sharpening your own knife is great if you know what you are doing. But, if you are sharpening your knife at the wrong angle or you are using the wrong sharpening too, you might damage the tip.
The proper angle is usually 20-degrees. It still varies from one knife to another though.
If you do not have the right tools, it is better for you to hire a professional. Better yet, check out FixKnife's knife sharpening by mail service and wait for your tip-top knife at the comforts of your home.
Use the right knife storage
Proper storage and handling of your knives will protect them from knife edge chips and broken knife tips. Do not leave them our in a counter or inside a drawer with other utensils.
Besides, there are knife blocks that can house at least five knives for under $10. It is better to use a cheap one that to leave your knives out in the open.
How to fix a broken knife tip?
As much as you want to prevent broken knife tips, it will happen and here are some way to fix it.
Step 1 | Identify the break
First, give your knife a visual inspection and identify the type of breaks. Check if it is a clean break or if it has a jagged break.
A clean break is when the tip snapped off cleanly while a jagged break still has something left. The latter is also when the tip has been bent or chipped unevenly.
Step 2 | Sanding and reshaping
Now that you know the knife tip problem, you need to sand or grind the tip.
For clean breaks, use a coarse sandpaper to shape the tip back. Be careful to not overdo it though or you might end up changing the whole look of your knife tip.
Jagged breaks need extra care so use a fine grit sand paper and just smooth out the rough edges.
Step 3 | Sharpening
Sharpen your knife after sanding and reshaping the tip. This will be your final step so be careful cause remember, improper sharpening will also cause broken tips.
Start with a coarse grit sharpening stone and establish a new edge. Move to a finer grit stone after to smoothen it out.
Despite repairing the tip, you need to sharpen the whole knife to ensure that it is balanced and effective.
Follow these steps to fix your knife. If you do not have the luxury of time, FixKnife also offers broken knife tip repair by mail alongside its knife sharpening service.
Final Thoughts
Preventing broken knife tips is a great way to expand the life of your cutlery. It is better to keep your knife in top condition than to risk a potentially dangerous situation.
Have you tried fixing your own knife? Let us know below.