KNIVES

This fact sheet should be read with Fact Sheet 20 Equipment safety, cleaning and
maintenance.

TYPES OF KNIVES

1 BUTCHER AND BONING

 Boning knives are used to remove bones from meat, poultry and game
 Butcher knives are used to cut large pieces of meat into small portions and to strip
and split meat

2 CHEF
 Multipurpose/versatile knife
 Used for slicing, dicing and mincing (up/down cutting motions)
 Can be used on nuts, vegetables, meat, herbs

3 UTILITY
 The ‘all-rounder’ knife, used for small cutting tasks
 Best used for small precision cuts over a chef’s knife
 Can be straight edged or serrated
 Used for slicing meat, herbs, cutting sandwiches, vegetables

4 FILLETING
 Used to remove bone and skin from meat
 Commonly used on fish
 Boning and filleting knives are sometimes used interchangeably
 Some filleting knives will have flexible blades

5 PALETTE/CAKE KNIFE
 Used for working on rounded cakes (such as spreading and scraping frosting)
 Blunt edged
 Can have straight tips or rounded tips
 Offset/cranked palette knives can be used as a spatula to lift or flip small pieces of
food

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6 VEGETABLE

 As per its name, used to cut vegetables

 Used to chop, slice, dice and cut

7 CLEAVER
 Used to cut (‘cleave’) through bones
 Can be used for large vegetables
 Small and large sizes are available

8 BREAD
 As per its name, used to cut bread
 Is a versatile knife that can also be used with food types such as tomatoes, cakes,
biscuits, pastries and so on
 Serrated edge

9 LARDING NEEDLE
8
 Used to thread lard or fat into meat
 Lard or fat is clamped at the end of the needle and pushed through the meat

10 CARVING KNIFE
 Used to slice or carve thick meats
 Broad blade

LIFT THE LID

Use the Internet to research the different types of material used to make knives. You might be
surprised to learn what types of materials are more durable than others and more resistant to
corrosion.

LIFT THE LID

Use the Internet to research the term ‘tang’ and what it means to use a ‘full tang’ or ‘partial tang’
knife.

LIFT THE LID

Use the Internet to find some videos on how to use the knives listed above. Your trainer will give

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you a demonstration later.

WATCH AND LEARN

Your trainer will show you the different types of knives listed above.
Trainer: show the students the types of knives that are relevant to the unit being covered. For
example, if training SITHCCC001 Use food preparation equipment, you must demonstrate the use
of knives 1–6 listed above. Refer to the unit’s Trainer Guide for the knives to be covered.
Alternatively, you may like to cover all knives at the same time.
Make sure the demonstration includes:
 What the knife is used for
 Whether the blade is serrated or not
 Whether the knife comes in different sizes.

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WORKING SAFELY WITH KNVIES

1 HOW TO HOLD A KNIFE

 Use your dominant hand
 If you need to walk around the kitchen and hold a knife, hold the knife by the handle,
sharp edge facing behind you, and hold down alongside your leg

2 NEVER…
 Touch the sharp edge of a knife
 Use a knife to pry open a jar or bottle, or use in place of scissors
 Catch a falling knife: let it fall on the floor (you should be wearing appropriate shoes
that protect your feet)
 Get distracted by other things when holding and using a knife
 Wave a knife around (such as when you talking to someone, put it down on the
bench)
 Run or move quickly or suddenly with a knife
 Cut on an unstable or uneven surface
 Put a knife in your apron pocket

3 WHEN USING A KNIFE, YOU SHOULD…

 Check that it is clean, including around the handle and in crevices where bacteria may
be present
 Use a cutting board
 Place a damp cloth or similar underneath the board to stop it from sliding
 Never cut anything that you are holding in your hand (that is, off the board)
 Wear a protective glove or similar
 Use the right knife for the job
 Watch out for your fingers!

4 HOW TO PASS A KNIFE TO SOMEONE ELSE

 Place it on the bench for the other person to pick up
 Avoid handing a knife to someone, even if it is being done so correctly, as you or the
other person could be accidentally knocked into or slip over and be cut or stabbed by
the knife

SHARE PLATE

Talk about the reasons why knife handling skills are so important in the kitchen. Talk about the

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different ways a person can be injured from incorrect knife usage.

Your trainer will discuss the protective clothing options that can be used in the kitchen.
Trainer: it is recommended that you share some case studies/experiences of knife use so that
students understand how easily knife injuries can occur. Observe students closely whenever knife
handling is required and address immediately when incorrect practices are demonstrated.

WATCH AND LEARN

Your trainer will show you how to:

 hold a knife
 walk with a knife (although this should be avoided as much as possible)
 set up your work area so you will be safe using knives
 check a knife for cleanliness and other issues that could make it unsafe to use.
You will be given time to practice the correct way of holding and walking with knives. Your trainer
will stop you immediately if they see you are doing anything that is unsafe.
Prepare your work area with a damp cloth and cutting board.
Trainer: observe students closely whenever knife handling is required and address immediately
when incorrect practices are demonstrated. Student safety is imperative.

LIFT THE LID

Watch these videos about knife skills.

 Knife skills II Mise en place (03:55)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qau_t_YpWw
 How and when to use different knives (03:35)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVrwvHRkVec

LET IT SIMMER

Reflect on a time when you have used a knife in a way that could have caused an accident or
injury, or when you have seen someone else do so. Think about what you would say to someone if
you saw them doing something unsafe with knives.

PRECISION CUTS

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1 JULIENNE

 ‘Match stick’ or strip cut  Starting point for the brunoise cut
 Square off and cut into strips  Cuts are uniform at 3mm x 3mm x
40mm–60mm long
 Helps vegetables cook and marinate at
an even rate  Used on firm vegetables

2 BRUNOISE
 Dice into small cubes  Starts with the julienne cut
 Cuts are uniform at 3mm x 3mm  Used for sauces or garnishes

3 JARDINIÈRE
 Baton cut, thicker than the julienne cut  Cuts are uniform at 5mm x 5mm x
20mm
 Used as side dishes (such as
vegetable dips) and can be used in
soups and stir fry

4 CONCASSE
 Rough chop/cut  Commonly used with tomatoes, which
are peeled
 Cut in quarters to remove seeds
 Edges are cut off to make squares

5 CHIFFONNADE
 Long fine shreds of leafy vegetables  Leaves are stacked and rolled before
cutting
 Cuts of 1mm to 3mm thick
 Used with spinach, basil, mint, sage,
lettuce, kale

6 MACÉDOINE
 Starts with a jardinière, then diced into  Larger cut than brunoise, at 8mm x
cubes 8mm
 Often used for stocks, soups and
salads

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7 MIREPOIX

 Rough cutting of vegetables  No uniform size

 Onions, leeks, celery and carrots  Used for stews, soups and stocks

8 PAYSANNE
 Vegetables are cut in different shapes  Cuts are uniform at 15mm width x
such as triangles, half-moons, squares 3mm thick
 Used in soups and for vegetables that
will be sautéed

WATCH AND LEARN

Your trainer will demonstrate each of the precision cuts.

Trainer: use a range of food types to demonstrate each of the precision cuts listed above. Students
will practice techniques in a later activity.
Recommend that students watch videos online to refresh their memory on precision cuts. Some
examples are provided in the next activity.

LIFT THE LID

You may like to watch these videos on precision cuts to refresh your memory.
 Precision cuts (24:21)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_As5_ufVTUE
 Knife Skills II Concasse (10:12)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV2e7_XN6IQ
 Carrots, Celery and Onion: How to Prepare Mirepoix (03:17)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaFbxnGmmrg

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CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Check all knives and sharpening equipment for signs of cleanliness before use!

1 CLEANING
 Hand wash only (never put in the dishwasher)
 Wash after each use to avoid cross contamination
 Do not leave in a sink full of water or other items as someone could put their hand in
and be cut (some kitchens may have a container or jar for knives to be placed in to
protect from injury)
 Always hold the knife with the blade facing away from you

2 STEEL/HONING ROD
 A sharpening steel/honing rod is used to straighten and smooth knife edges
 Honing is a quick technique that should be done daily
 A sharpening steel hones the edge of the blade, it does not sharpen
 The steel/rod should always be longer than the knife
 The tip of the steel/rod should be placed firmly on the counter
 The knife blade should be swept across the rod/steel at a 15 degree angle with light
pressure
 The tip of the blade should be drawn over the bottom of the steel/rod

2 SHARPENING STONES
 Stones are an inexpensive way of sharpening a knife
 Stones have a coarse and fine side and different grits
 Make sure the stone is secure on the counter
 Use dominant hand
 Start at heel of the knife and slide across the stone
 Turn the knife over and repeat, going the other way across the stone until the length
of the knife has been sharpened
 Repeat the process using the fine side of the stone
 When checking the blade, never run your finger along the blade!

4 STORAGE
 Store in knife case, block or knife rack

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SHARE PLATE

Your trainer will talk to you about the following:

 the difference between serrated and non-serrated knives
 what knives can be sharpened
 how to check whether your knives are sharp enough (the paper test)
 the difference between honing and sharpening
 safety when cleaning and drying knives
 why you shouldn’t put knives in the dishwasher.

LIFT THE LID

Watch these videos about knife safety and cleaning knives and sharp objects.
 Knife safety and care (03:07)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkGOPP80d18
 Ask the Test Kitchen: How to safely clean knives and sharp objects (03:25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWdbKQm8rT4

LIFT THE LID

Use the Internet and find some videos that you can refer to and remind yourself how to hone a
knife and sharpen a knife with a stone.

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WATCH AND LEARN

Your trainer will show you the following:

 the difference between a dull and a sharp knife blade
 how to do the newspaper test
 how to hone a blade
 how to sharpen a blade using a stone.
Trainer: show students how to hone and sharpen a knife. It is important to show students how to
handle the knives and the stone and steel/rod. Make sure students understand the correct angles
to use and, when sharpening, how to safely check whether the knife is sharp (thumb perpendicular,
checking for burrs).

WHAT’S COOKING?

You will be given time to practice sharpening a blade using a stone.

Trainer: students must be provided with a dull knife so they can practice using a stone. Observe
students carefully to make sure they are checking the sharpness safely.

WHAT’S COOKING?

Your trainer will give you an opportunity to practise precision cutting a range of vegetables and also
using knives for meat, poultry and seafood.
Show that you can organise your work and follow food safety and hygiene requirements.
You will also show that you can safely clean and store the knives once you have finished.
Trainer: provide students with time to practise precision cuts. You may like to incorporate this with
other activities from this unit. Give students a timeframe within which they must work.

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