10 Myths Uncovered About Knives in India

The commonly heard statement about knives in India is “Knives are Men’s Best Friend”. This is undoubtedly a perfect truth. But in India we do have some uncovered myths about knives which always comes on the other side of perfect truths. 

 These uncovered myths about knives in India  are not discovered at the present time, but inherited from  our ancestors’ belief  which they felt centuries ago. India has developed a lot at the present time, but it might not come over off the myths which they have been following for decades.

It’s time to reveal some myths about knives in India, which are still remain uncovered:

It's bad luck to give a knife as a gift because it "cuts" the friendship/ relationship

Every year, thousands of knives are given as gifts for many special occasions -- weddings, birthdays, Christmas, Hanukkah, graduations -- with no reports of negative consequences. For those who want to err on the safe side: a penny can be taped to the gift-wrapping and the recipient can "pay" the donor for the gift.

When a knife falls on the floor accidentally it means that a family is coming to visit

Those who subscribe to this view can pick up the fallen flatware, wash it and set the table to entertain their unexpected guests! Nonbelievers should take note: never try to catch a falling sharp knife.

It's better to let knives get dull because a dull knife is safer to use

A sharp knife is safer than a dull knife. A dull knife can slip off food and cut the user. The excessive force needed to make a dull knife, cut causes the user to lose control, i.e. the knife can 'break out' of the material being cut and cause injury. A sharp knife requires little force, so it's easier to control and cuts were intended. The user is more likely to treat a sharp knife carefully.

When knives dull, their edges wear away.

The edge of a quality knife does not wear away; it folds over on itself. A knife-edge is microscopically thin much thinner than a human hair. The impact of cutting causes the edge to fold over on itself. Pieces of the edge may even break off.

Knives Are Dulled by Food, Not Cutting Boards

The idea behind this myth is that because knives do most of their cutting through food, that is what dulls them. While it sounds good, it simply is not true. The cutting board is what stops the knife, and a hard board can prove far more damaging than any food. Plastics are best, while stone and hard acrylic are most likely to damage the blade. Wood is good for not damaging knife edges, but it can be difficult to sterilize.

No sparks means no sharpening

This myth probably stems from seeing people sharpen their knives on the classic grinder. Yes, sparks fly when someone is grinding out nicks on a damaged blade, but that does not mean it is a requirement for knife sharpeners to shoot out sparks. In fact, it can be  considered a bad sign as sparks are a sure sign of blade damage. Each spark that flies out of the sharpener represents a tiny fraction of the blade being ground away and the heat produced can also take the temper off the steel.

The harder the blade, the more durable the edge

Hardness is a factor in edge durability, but it must be balanced with resilience or the knife will be too brittle and the edge will "chip out" and become dull. A strong, tough alloy is ductile (resilient). A strong blade will actually ring like a bell when tapped on a hard surface.

Stainless steel will never stain

One of the metal alloys used in knives are truly "stain-free" or "stainless." Most are stain-resistant. Stainless steel knives should never be soaked for lengthy periods or put in high-concentration bleach solutions or salt water. Primarily for safety reasons, stainless steel knives should not be washed in the dishwasher.

A knife is stronger when its parts: the blade, bolsters and tang are welded together

A one-piece knife, forged from a single bar of alloy, is the strongest knife structure. Weld points are weak by comparison. Some manufacturers cut costs by welding together stamped knife parts with forged knife parts, creating "imitation" forged knives that are not as strong as knives forged entirely from a single bar of alloy.

Knives can be sharpened by pulling them across the bottom of a plate or across a stone step

Make shift sharpening methods can damage good knives and won't create sharp, durable edges. Rough stone or ceramic surfaces can produce a ragged, uneven edge. Like a sharpening stone, these methods do not incorporate precision angle guides. In addition, their surfaces are ragged and uneven. It is very difficult to create a uniformly sharp, symmetrical edge this way. Worse, both of these methods can rip off metal, shortening the life of the knife.

Myths are only supported by the historical beliefs which are attached to it. So it is better to ignore all the above myths while dealing with knives and be free to buy knives online.

I would love to have your suggestions or any points I might be missing.