My Second Home At Fernvale Vista

[floppy 4]

wah, that's a very "dangerous" hobby!

when you say hone a knife, do you mean using the steel rod thing or using the block? I notice some sets come with the rod, but not sure if I know how to use.

btw since you are into knife, can give comments on whether ScanPan is good or not? Really very tempted to get the set - so far cannot find any review on the internet - and very scared if after buying then read something negative. Nowadays, I base alot of my purchases on internet reviews !

btw can ask another question, Floppy. The salesgirl highlighted a dot (should I say "dent" mark?) on the ScanPan knife. According to her, all handmade knives have that "dot". Is this true? I scrutinised the 2man brand at OG, but cannot find any with those "dots".

the steel rod is meant to hone the knife whereas a sharpening stone is meant to sharpen the knife. google it to know their differences.

in most circumstances, you only need to sharpen the knife once a year whereas you'll need to hone the knife regularly. if you don't know how to use the rod, you can do a search online. there are a number of videos that teach you how to use it. for sharpening, i will use either the lansky sharpening system (troublesome to use sometime) or the zwilling 'thing' (just pull through twice or thrice). personally, i find it hard to get the correct edge using a sharpening block

i think the 'dot' thing is peculiar only to scanpan. i don't think it's an iso thingy personally, i have not used scanpan knives before, so i can't comment. however, for the very best knives, you can't go wrong with the german brands like henckels or wusthof. otherwise, i'll pick the japanese brands like global or shun. fyi, i've also bought and is using the one-man henckels international.

[samgalz 2]

have anyone used those 3M toilet products? Thought of using those since no need to drill and no worries about changing position etc but not sure if they can take the weight over long term?

hi froggy,

i hv used to 3M products and they are fine. my mum also used it for yrs in the bathroom and they work perfectly till now. main thing is u hv to follow the instructions to let the tape set before putting the things. this will ensure that the tape will hold. I will be using the bathroom caddy from 3M in my toilets too.

BTW, ur hyflux will u be asking ur contractor to install or the hyflux ppl will install?

[froggy 0]

the steel rod is meant to hone the knife whereas a sharpening stone is meant to sharpen the knife. google it to know their differences.

in most circumstances, you only need to sharpen the knife once a year whereas you'll need to hone the knife regularly. if you don't know how to use the rod, you can do a search online. there are a number of videos that teach you how to use it. for sharpening, i will use either the lansky sharpening system (troublesome to use sometime) or the zwilling 'thing' (just pull through twice or thrice). personally, i find it hard to get the correct edge using a sharpening block

i think the 'dot' thing is peculiar only to scanpan. i don't think it's an iso thingy personally, i have not used scanpan knives before, so i can't comment. however, for the very best knives, you can't go wrong with the german brands like henckels or wusthof. otherwise, i'll pick the japanese brands like global or shun. fyi, i've also bought and is using the one-man henckels international.

thanks Floppy.

Have never tried honing, and never good at sharpening also. The block method seems quite difficult, without any noticeable difference after running the blade through the block. But it's nice to see experts doing it, looks so easy. I have seen people sharpening their knife against the back of a bowl too, seems like quite good effect. As for the "pull through a few times method", does not work for me either - it's either me or the tool is not good. Heard that there are professional knife sharpeners who can do the job for a fee?

ha ha - that dot. I find it funny when the salesgirl highlighted that also - why would they want to put a dot on the knife intentionally? Just to show it's handmade?

Another question for the expert. What really is the difference between an expensive vs a cheaper knife? Weight? Sharpness? Easily blunt? or what?

[froggy 0]

hi froggy,

i hv used to 3M products and they are fine. my mum also used it for yrs in the bathroom and they work perfectly till now. main thing is u hv to follow the instructions to let the tape set before putting the things. this will ensure that the tape will hold. I will be using the bathroom caddy from 3M in my toilets too.

BTW, ur hyflux will u be asking ur contractor to install or the hyflux ppl will install?

hyflux's price comes with installation. But now hubby is thinking of asking Edmund's plumber to install. His reasoning that plumber will do everything nice nice, then later the hyflux people come and "mess up" again - so better let plumber do all together. So still thinking, not sure which way is better? any thoughts from you on this?

[froggy 0]

hi froggy,

i hv used to 3M products and they are fine. my mum also used it for yrs in the bathroom and they work perfectly till now. main thing is u hv to follow the instructions to let the tape set before putting the things. this will ensure that the tape will hold. I will be using the bathroom caddy from 3M in my toilets too.

BTW, ur hyflux will u be asking ur contractor to install or the hyflux ppl will install?

I also find 3M lacking in one item - toilet roll holder - this one we need. Kind of weird to use all 3M then one roll holder in stainless steel! Aiya, wish they have a complete range!

[samgalz 2]

hyflux's price comes with installation. But now hubby is thinking of asking Edmund's plumber to install. His reasoning that plumber will do everything nice nice, then later the hyflux people come and "mess up" again - so better let plumber do all together. So still thinking, not sure which way is better? any thoughts from you on this?

dunno leh...

[froggy 0]

dunno leh...

ha ha - I also dunno leh , but will check with Edmund if his people can do lah!

[samgalz 2]

ha ha - I also dunno leh , but will check with Edmund if his people can do lah!

I've jus asked my contractor, he say it's better to get the filtration guys to do cos worry later plumber spoil the system cos they seldom do this type of installation, not familar.

ya, u check with ur contractor.

[floppy 4]

Another question for the expert. What really is the difference between an expensive vs a cheaper knife? Weight? Sharpness? Easily blunt? or what?

the difference is in the material used and technique in making them.

the expensive blades (eg. zwilling and wusthof) uses high carbon steel. advantages of high carbon steel: they are hard enough to hold the edge, yet flexible and soft enough to hone and sharpen. in simpler terms, they require sharpening less frequently (probably once a year) because they are not easily blunt. nevetheless, you'll only need to hone it (depending on usage) once a day or on alternate days. with regard to construction technique, most of the expensive blades (especially german ones) are forged, not stamped. forged knives are heavier and traditionally, better (in terms of hardness) than stamped knives. however, with the advent of technology, there are some exceptions to the stamped/forged argument: the expensive japanese knives (like shun and global) uses very high carbon steel and are stamped, not forged - advantages: harder, thinner/finer blades, hold their edge much longer and generally, lighter.

the cheaper blades (eg. those you get from provision shops) uses stainless steel. their quality will largely depend on the quality of the stainless steel used (caution: cheap and good seldom come together, especially where metal is concern). they are most definitely stamped, and not forged - hence, their thin and flat appearance. these blades are more mallable (softer), easily blunt and will require sharpening often.

Edited July 20, 2010 by floppy

[junel 0]

I also find 3M lacking in one item - toilet roll holder - this one we need. Kind of weird to use all 3M then one roll holder in stainless steel! Aiya, wish they have a complete range!

Hihi froggy

my hubby saw the 3M toilet roll holder lei. we are also think of getting the 3M series but its quite expensive. anybody got lobang for 3M products?

We brought the WMF knife set but haven't use it yet. $99. now lacking of a chopper only the OG one quite good price lei... hmm... maybe drop by to have a look...

[ossify 1]

Mon, 19 July 2010

Some new purchases over the last few days

"Rainbow" dining light

Hyflux Water Filter

Elmark Mini for 3 rooms (without lights) - after changed our mind over and over - from elmark, to Amasco, to Crestar, to Fanco, and finally still back to Elmark, despite reviews of its poor service - hope we won't regret

Mixer Tap for Kitchen - not our first choice, but this one is really close to the hyflux faucet, so we decided to go for it anyhow - crazy right, decision making based on things like that

hmm, you were at GR link last night too?

[froggy 0]

hmm, you were at GR link last night too?

no, we went in the afternoon. You getting things from them too?

I walked the almost the entire stretch of Jalan Besar and is most impressed by their patience to explain and service-oriented attitude. And non-pushy too.

If you notice, the display piece at the top (kitchen sinks) is gone - I took it lor. Apparently the last piece, and the supplier does not bring it in anymore, so I chop it many months ago.

[froggy 0]

Hihi froggy

my hubby saw the 3M toilet roll holder lei. we are also think of getting the 3M series but its quite expensive. anybody got lobang for 3M products?

We brought the WMF knife set but haven't use it yet. $99. now lacking of a chopper only the OG one quite good price lei... hmm... maybe drop by to have a look...

where did you see that?

3M may cost more than other adhesive type hangers etc, but definitely much lesser than stainless steel ones like song cho. And we like it because it is hassle free installation and does not leave drill holes on the wall. 3M products going at 15% off at Home Fix, also saw them on sale at Giant Tampines. You might like to take a look there

[JandG 0]

wah so chim

was at sim lim yesterday, and popped over to OG opposite to see if promo is still on. It is true that even for the 2 man ones, there are many grades, and price for a 5 to 6 pc set ranging from $300+ to $600 or $700+.

one thing need to ask, Floppy, since you seem quite well-versed in this. Noticed, when taking out the knives from the rack, that there are lots of scratches. Is this due to mishandling since they are display sets? Or is this kind of knife easily scratched?

Froggy,

The difference in price between the different series depends on whether they are one-piece construction or 2-piece with a joint at the handle. Some have longer handle for bigger hands, some are heavier than the others, some have different weight balance. I prefer a heavier knife (which makes cutting easier) but the wifey would struggle with it. So it all depends on personal preference, you have to hold the knife and see whether it fits comfortably in your hand and whether you are ok with the weight. I'm using the Henckel Professional S series and it's one of the most popular worldwide. Try not to get those knives with metal handle, it's very slippery to hold esp when your hand is greasy or wet.

[Banned 1]

no, we went in the afternoon. You getting things from them too?

I walked the almost the entire stretch of Jalan Besar and is most impressed by their patience to explain and service-oriented attitude. And non-pushy too.

If you notice, the display piece at the top (kitchen sinks) is gone - I took it lor. Apparently the last piece, and the supplier does not bring it in anymore, so I chop it many months ago.

So you are the one that bought it.. haha..