Got told my knives were dull by a dishwasher... he was right

I remember a kid maybe 19 years old working the pit at this spot I was at back in 2017. He saw me struggling to slice through a case of bell peppers and just said 'hey chef, your knives are dull as hell.' I wanted to be offended but he handed me his own $30 Victorinox and it cut through like butter. That night I went home and watched a few videos on proper honing and stone work. Now I sharpen my own knives every two weeks without fail and it changed my whole prep speed and consistency. Has anyone else gotten a tip from someone way younger that actually humbled you?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthewking14d ago

Got told the same thing by a line cook half my age and it stung at first but he was absolutely right. I used to think expensive knives meant you didn't need to sharpen as much, but this kid showed me that a sharp 30 dollar knife beats a dull 200 dollar one every single time. Changed how I look at my tools and my ego all at once.

sanchez.ivan14d ago

Dang, a 19 year old dishwasher with a $30 knife slicing through peppers better than you with your gear? That's a rough one to swallow.

gray31414d ago

That "hey chef" comment cuts deep because you know they're right. I picked up a stone set for like 40 bucks and practiced on old beater knives until I got the angle right. The biggest game changer for me was getting a strop, honestly. A quick 10 second strop between tasks keeps that edge way longer than just honing. Don't let the age thing get to you, that dishwasher knew his stuff.