Knife Handles and cutting boards

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flphotog

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Jul 10, 2014
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Ok, here's the question. I gather that the general opinion is that hard wood cutting boards are best for a number of reasons, that's fine, I've got a nice maple one that I use most of the time and a couple of small bamboo that I use when I really need something smaller.
I've been reading lately that wooden handle knives have gone out of favor because they can cause issues transferring germs.

OK, I've got a set of Chicago Cutlery Walnut Handles.that I've had for a long time and had considering getting rid of in favor of something better. The problem is I've been looking at prices and given my age(don't ask) and the fact that I'm retired, no real money issues but spending a log on something I don't really need isn't in the cards.

I have no issues with the Chicago Cutlery, I have no problem keeping nice edge on them and a little mineral oil on the handles keeps them looking like new. I keep them clean and wash them by hand every time they are used.

So, the question is, is there really any good reason to replace them because of the wood handles?
 
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Humans used wood for culinary knife handles for thousands of years. If they had to be fully sealed non-porous material to not cause severe illness and death we'd have stopped using the tool long before the age of plastics. Just wash them and dry them well, and treat the wood suitably to keep it in good condition and you'll be totally fine.
 
Good to hear they don't go through the dishwasher.
If they are in bad shape, knock off the bad bits with some light abrasive. Scothbrite, sandpaper, etc..
Don't let them get too thirsty. Maintain them with mineral oil. You can find it at any drug store.
 
Actually they are in good shape, I recently re-profiled them to a 30 degree (inclusive) edge and they really cut well.
Here's one of my most used:

ixT0tS4l.jpg
 
Personally, I stay away from bamboo boards....I find them to be much too hard on blade edges. Stick with the maple end grain boards or, my personal favorite, poly boards. Poly goes in the dishwasher with no worries and has been kind to my hard, thin Japanese blades.
-Mark
 
Don't really use the bamboo very often just for light cutting when I don't want to have to wash the larger board. Don't care much for poly so I stopped using them years ago.
 
Funny how wood cutting boards are supposed to be among the MOST anti-bacterial surfaces, yet wood handles are a breeding ground for the next outbreak of the plague. ;) Bamboo is bad on you edges and the glue they typically sued si supposedly even worse.
 
jdm61 said:
Funny how wood cutting boards are supposed to be among the MOST anti-bacterial surfaces, yet wood handles are a breeding ground for the next outbreak of the plague. ;) Bamboo is bad on you edges and the glue they typically sued si supposedly even worse.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was wondering about that as well.
 
Just like asking "which is the best EDC folder?" there doesn't seem to be a one-size-fits all answer here either.

https://news.ncsu.edu/2014/09/cutting-boards-food-safety/

An excerpt: "Cleaning Your Cutting Board-
Plastic and wood have different characteristics, so you have to handle them differently.

Plastic cutting boards can be placed in the dishwasher, where they can be sanitized by washing at high temperatures. But wood cutting boards would quickly be ruined by a dishwasher, and not everyone owns a dishwasher. If you’re washing a cutting board by hand, you should:

Rinse the debris off the cutting board (being careful not to splatter contaminated water all over the place);
Scrub the cutting board with soap and water (to get out anything in the scratches or grooves on the board’s surface); and
Sanitize the cutting board (you should use different sanitizers for wood cutting boards than for plastic ones).
For plastic cutting boards, you should use a chlorine-based sanitizer, such as a solution of bleach and water (one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water – has a shelf life of a week or two). But for wood cutting boards, you should use a quaternary ammonium sanitizer, such as a solution of Mr. Clean and water (follow the dilution instructions on the label).

“This is because chlorine binds very easily to organic materials, like the wood in a cutting board, which neutralizes its antibacterial properties,” Chapman says. “Quaternary ammonium is more effective at killing bacteria on wood or other organic surfaces.”

It’s worth noting that you should also sanitize your kitchen sponge/rag/brush after you’ve used it to scrub the chicken-juice off your cutting board – or else you run the risk of contaminating the next thing you wash (which is the exact opposite of what you’re trying to do)."
 
wood cutting boards work well. so do cutting boards made of polyethylene or polypropylene. key to either is keep them clean. i prefer to use the plastics for raw proteins, then scrub them and bleach the boards. there is a study done by UCalif Davis(http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/docliver/Research/cuttingboard.htm) that shows properly cared for wood is safer than plastic. never heard anything about wood knife handles being a safety hazard. another kitchen myth.
 
We used to just "salt the boards" at the end of the night in most kitchens. Didn't matter whether they were rubber, poly, or wood, just a thin layer of kosher salt on the board at night and voila. Wood handled knives are totally fine as most food borne illness comes from the ice machine, not the cutting board or knife handles :)
 
scott.livesey said:
wood cutting boards work well. so do cutting boards made of polyethylene or polypropylene. key to either is keep them clean. i prefer to use the plastics for raw proteins, then scrub them and bleach the boards. there is a study done by UCalif Davis(http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/docliver/Research/cuttingboard.htm) that shows properly cared for wood is safer than plastic. never heard anything about wood knife handles being a safety hazard. another kitchen myth.
Click to expand...

Bingo! Right On! Thanx for bringing this to light again. I have copied and pasted this and sent it to many people over the last six or seven years. I believe Bernard Levine is responsible for furnishing the hot link I originally accessed. And, btw, I don't use anything as a cutting board except wood.
 
I have his book and will look for it. And thanks for bringing out this information I knew I'd read it but couldn't find where. Good to know. DM
 
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