Knifes: they're not always made of steel, you know...

[keith_beef]

Hello, everybody.

I decided to make a butter knife, like the ones often used in Scandinavia.

I didn't have any apple wood the right size, so I used a piece of beech.

Here it is:

http://perso.club-internet.fr/klrhodes/images/LittleKnife/dsc00002.jpg

The picture is a bit dark, and you can't see the bevel :-(

Keith.

[bagman]

How long did it take Keith?

Does the butter not soak into the wood and go rancid?

You can tell you are foreign parts as your tape does not havv any imperial measurments :yikes: :D

[Roger Gregory]

Hello, everybody.

I decided to make a butter knife, like the ones often used in Scandinavia.

I didn't have any apple wood the right size, so I used a piece of beech.

Here it is:

http://perso.club-internet.fr/klrhodes/images/LittleKnife/dsc00002.jpg

The picture is a bit dark, and you can't see the bevel :-(

Keith.

I saw the title and thought I was going to see some flint knapping :D

Good knife Keith, I can see I'm going to have to try this.

Roger

[Roger Gregory]

You can tell you are foreign parts as your tape does not havv any imperial measurments :yikes: :D

Don't be daft Harvey, Keith's just made a foot-long butter knife :D

Shame his ruler's only got tenths of an inch, not sixteenths and seventy-thirds or whatever mine's got :doh:

Roger

[keith_beef]

How long did it take Keith?

Does the butter not soak into the wood and go rancid?

You can tell you are foreign parts as your tape does not havv any imperial measurments :yikes: :D

I don't know about it going rancid, as I only made it about four days ago... This is not enough time for it to go rancid, even at 25°C (the tempertature has dropped by 12°C sence two weeks ago!).

As for being in foreign parts, you're right. It's a bit strange going to buy a Stanley tape, and not seeing inches on it... The day I see a Rabone Chesterman steel rule with only metric, I think I'll come back to England!

But I thought that even a metric tape woul mean more to your lot than putting a 1 Euro, a US$1/4 and a Chilean silver 100 pesos next to the knife!

Keith.

[keith_beef]

Don't be daft Harvey, Keith's just made a foot-long butter knife :D

Shame his ruler's only got tenths of an inch, not sixteenths and seventy-thirds or whatever mine's got :doh:

Roger

Now you know why my wife wants us to go on a diet; if we need a foot long butter knife...

Keith.

[keith_beef]

How long did it take Keith?

Does the butter not soak into the wood and go rancid?

You can tell you are foreign parts as your tape does not havv any imperial measurments :yikes: :D

I forgot to answer the question...

It took about ten minutes to make:

shaping from 4mm precision flat stock beech took four minutes,
beveling took two minutes,
rounding the back, two minutes,
finishing the handle, two minutes.

No heat-treatment needed (like Wootz steel, or 18/10 stainless in this respect). Didn't bother checking hardness, but expect less that 200 Brinell.

Keith.

[Roger Gregory]

I would think beech is a good choice for a butter knife, beech is often used for butchers' blocks. Wood is self-healing unlike plastic and some woods are cleaner to use than plastic, I can't remember what the substances are in the woods that make them so food-friendly.

Roger

[Dave Barker]

There are several kinds of yeast in wood which mean they are to some extent self healing.( I know this cos i'm one of them environmental health type people!! :D ) They can also be put in the dishwasher if they are not glued.

Living in the frozen north myself I can say that they should be oil treated with something like LIBERON oil which is food friendly. Alternatively you can use thin coats of olive oil and let it dry really well before you use it.

I have some apple wood if you want it keith.

[keith_beef]

I'd read about beech being good for chopping boards, and I have one myself that gets daily use. Environmental health people might get upset that I use the same board for raw meats, cooked meats, raw vegetables, cooked vegetables ... But I wash it in very hot water once per month, and have never become ill.

I've noticed that most wooden spoons and spatulas are beech, too.

Keith.

[Dave Barker]

As long as the water is over 75 degrees and it is washed for about 15 seconds the top layer aof the board is ok.

The fermenting process will kill the other bugs that may be there over time, but as long as it daily use then things should be ok. I would recommend that you wash it between raw and cooked though and leave a bit of time for it to dry. The bugs are most active if the board is damp.