Cosmic avatar!

>> How many bottles are needed to create a proper cushion for the hands? Hilarious!

Just enough to coat the 90-degree edges, if you don't file them off. Just run a bead of nail polish along the edges of the back.

It's surprising how a pretty, clean 90 degree edge digs into a hand. Uncomfortable with pressure, not like it could cut you.

Now that I realize how easy it is to fix that, I usually use a coarse stone held at 45 degrees or rocking around 45 degrees to round that edge - maybe technically to put a radius on it. You don't have to put much of a bevel there - barely enough to see.

Anything that smooths it a little, like filing, sanding or nail polish makes it more comfortable to put heavy pressure on the back of a blade with thumb or palm. I just figure that more gardeners have nail polish or urethane handy, than a fine file or coarse grinding stone.

>> I had a serrated knife and just went back and forth a couple of times. You can wear yourself out doing that whack, whack thing.

I have a "thing" about serrated knives. I call them "saws" instead of "knives", and I try to pretend that they aren't more efficient than "real" knives at some tasks. I could try to justify that prejudice in this case by guessing that sawing across the grain of a tuber and tearing the surface is more harmful to it than slicing cleanly, but I would totally be making that up.

Also, I find the "whack-whack" much easier than "saw-saw". Not sure why! Maybe it's the dozens of hours I spent when younger, making kindling from firewood, and tinder from kindling.

Very possibly most people would find it easier to saw with a serrated knife than push a sharp edge through a woody tuber.

I do indulge in knives from thrift shops. At fifty cents to a dollar (for the deluxe equipment), they work very well. I do cut right through hosta clumps and daylily clumps while they're still in the ground, then lift out the chunk I'm sharing with someone else.

Rick - how do you explain it when your wife is missing her favorite nail polish? Must be quite a good laugh there.

People with tremors, like me, tend not to use any whack-whack motion for fear of losing a finger, hand or favorite pet.

>>>Very possibly most people would find it easier to saw with a serrated knife than push a sharp edge through a woody tuber.<<<<

Well, I think a woman would.

The knife was actually no more difficult than slicing a cabbage, I was not referring to anything woody.

What kind of woody stuff are you whacking or whamming which ever the case may be? LOL.

Somehow the way you wrote about the "whack whack motion";... you have me seeing in my mind, the character Peter Sellers played in "Dr. Strangelove" Arlene, and holding a knife in the gardens!

Thanks for liking the avatar folks. It is an original, and its a Son Star on top of a Christmas tree with one golden ornament dripping down from it bringing life in the form of a red flower. Space surrounds it and the two blue eye like planets surrounding it are for Hanukkah.

Merry Christmakkah!

How about Lizzie Borden?

Yeah, I would definitely be thinking of Lizzie Borden. Whack, whack! "Dr. Strangelove" better watch out!!

DavidofDeLand said:Somehow the way you wrote about the "whack whack motion";... you have me seeing in my mind, the character Peter Sellers played in "Dr. Strangelove" Arlene, and holding a knife in the gardens!

Thanks for liking the avatar folks. It is an original, and its a Son Star on top of a Christmas tree with one golden ornament dripping down from it bringing life in the form of a red flower. Space surrounds it and the two blue eye like planets surrounding it are for Hanukkah.

Merry Christmakkah!

Thanks for telling us the true meaning of the avatar! I love it!

Merry Christmakkah!!!

RickCorey said:
I have a "thing" about serrated knives. I call them "saws" instead of "knives", and I try to pretend that they aren't more efficient than "real" knives at some tasks. I could try to justify that prejudice in this case by guessing that sawing across the grain of a tuber and tearing the surface is more harmful to it than slicing cleanly, but I would totally be making that up.

pirl said:
People with tremors, like me, tend not to use any whack-whack motion for fear of losing a finger, hand or favorite pet.

Thanks for a giggly morning, folks!

virginiarose said:

Thanks for telling us the true meaning of the avatar! I love it!

Merry Christmakkah!!!

Me too!

The Dahlias forum has been created!

http://garden.org/forums/view/...

Cool!
Thanks.

Thank you, Dave!

AGAIN! @dave you rock!!!

>> Rick - how do you explain it when your wife is missing her favorite nail polish? Must be quite a good laugh there.

More like: "Rick, why do YOU have nail polish??"

I got the rolling eyes before I even got to "smoothing the backs of scarred-up knives". I also use it for sealing the ends of rope or twine if I don't wnat to bother "whipping" the ends with fine waxed twine. Or if I really don't want a knot in slick twine to come untied. You can also coat chipped glass rims ... I should mention that I buy CLEAR nail polish.

>> People with tremors, like me, tend not to use any whack-whack motion for fear of losing a finger, hand or favorite pet.

It is exciting to use a cleaver as intended (raise it over my head, close my eyes, and swing with all my might).

Thank you, David, for the "Dr. Strangeglove" image! Next time I make a bushel of tinder and kindling, I'll be sure to pantomime wearing a monocle and shouting dementedly. Maybe the neighbors will take up a collection for a psychiatric intervention. (Becky (my SO) knows that it's a hopeless cause.)

Unless I'm chopping over-age fruit or hard-skinned squash for the compost heap, I position the cleaver or knife edge right where I want it, slice it slightly into the object to hold it there, then push on the knife or rap the back of a cleaver with a 2x4. That way, I only lose fingertips if the thing I'm chopping rolls unexpectedly. (I have very light tremors, but only enough to mess up handwriting, not shorten fingers.)

I do worry about the head flying off an axe or splitting maul. THAT'S when you decapitate pets or random passers-by. Unless you;re Lizzy Borden.

See y'all in the new forum!

Rick, you're a hoot.

Thank you!