[Sca-cooks] Kitchen tools question (mandolin)

[Gorgeous Muiredach]

>Why not? The way I understand it the blade can be removed, and once I
>have a metal blade in my hand I so far have been able to sharpen it. I
>can see the julienne blade being somewhat of a tricky customer here, but
>with a small, flat diamond stone even they should be managable.

Ahh, yes the metal blade on better (read stainless) mandolins can be taken
out and sharpened, or replaced.  I tried sharpening my blades, and while it
works fine, the problem is that the actual blade shape can end up being not
the nice and straight edge, or even if it is, it "shrinks" away from where
it was originaly.  Believe me, this is not good :-)

>  So, safety risks notwithstanding, I've found that
> > a lot of cooks prefer to use a side towel or their bare hands.

Adamantius is right there.  14 years in professional kitchens and I don't
recall seeing anyone but one apprentice using the hand guard.  On top of
the concerns already raised, I offer one of speed.  Loading the thing with
the guard is really, really slow.  I know, safety and speed tend not to mix
real well, but...

>You've pretty much have talked me out of the plastic version

Good.  Unlike Finnebhir, I happen to think that the plastic ones are really
not worth bothering with.

>Are they that much faster/better for the
>slicing jobs that they are worth bothering with

Yes, and yes, and yes.  They also afford the advantage of UNIFORMITY.  That
and the fact that most people don't/won't/can't use their knifes to prepare
that thin slices, or regular julienne, etc.

>Any other things I should consider spending the money on instead?

A stainless mandolin will last you your whole lifetime.  Unless, like me,
you are daft enough to leave it in your car and get it stolen from you
:-(  Seriously, you won't regret a professional grade stainless mandolin.

Gorgeous Muiredach
Rokkehealden Shire
Middle Kingdom
aka
Nicolas Steenhout
"You must deal with me as I think of myself" J. Hockenberry