Old timer at the shop told me my knife angle was wrong

Been slicing for 5 years and this 60 year old butcher watches me for 2 minutes and tells me I'm holding too steep. Changed to a 15 degree angle on my boning knife and I'm getting cleaner cuts with less waste. Anyone else have their whole technique flipped by someone just watching you work?

2 comments

2 Comments

bethcarr1mo ago

Haha "holding too steep" - I bet that old timer was probably sharpening his knives with a brick before you were born. I had a similar thing happen with a chef who watched me filet a salmon and just goes "you're fighting the fish, not working with it" and walked away. Changed my whole grip and angle and suddenly I wasn't mangling the belly meat anymore. Old guys love dropping wisdom bombs on us like it's nothing, but man it's hard to admit they're right when you've been doing it your own way for years.

brooke4841mo ago

That "fighting the fish" bit probably applies to everything, not just knives.