Weather Helmed

It’s Monday night and I’m watching Matt gently slice a cucumber.  His eyes are twinkling with delight and he’s giddy with excitement.  “WOW!  Look at this!  This is AWESOME.”   He holds up the shiny new $300 chef’s knife he purchased the day before at Sur La Table and runs his finger along the blade again. 

 He hands me our old knife – “So, try this one first.”  I saw back and forth at the remaining cucumber before the thin green circle finally slides off.  Then he hands me the new knife – “And, now watch this…”  The knife slices easily.  I am not *quite* as enthralled as he is, but I do have to say that the knife is pretty spectacular.  It’s beautiful, for one.  Made with a technique that leaves a lovely wavy design embedded on the blade, and having a nice thick rounded handle, the knife is by far the prettiest piece of cutlery we will probably ever own.   (Wait – let me correct myself – it’s DEFINITELY the prettiest piece of cutlery we will ever own because spending $300 on one item of silverware is definitely not something we do everyday…)  Two, the blade is amazingly thin and stunningly sharp.  It also has a curved design and a wider blade surface that makes it easier to use when chopping and ensures that you’re less likely to cut your fingers off.  All in all, the quality is easily worth what we paid, it just makes me laugh that the *knife* cost more than Matt’s wedding band and almost as much as mine!  🙂 

 From the beginning, Matt and I have promised to not sacrifice all immediate enjoyments for the *hope* of this far-in-the-future sailing trip.  It has been a constant struggle between saving money and still doing those things that make us happy – camping, going skiing, going to the movies, out to dinner, etc. – so we don’t forsake all short-term joys just for the boat.  Our lives are becoming more and more one-dimensional as it is, so these little “extras” have allowed us to feel like normal people.  That said, we normally don’t splurge to this extent!    And, if truth be told, Matt is not the “impulsive” spender in the family  (although, I really did NEED new face wash…even if it was $40…)      

 Matt first fell in love with this particular knife after reading an article in the New Yorker about Bob Kramer, Master Bladesmith.  Kramer, a former circus clown and knife sharpening expert, is now one of the few and likely the most well-known master bladesmith in the U.S.  One becomes a master bladesmith by making a knife (from raw materials) that can pass the following four tests:

 1)      Slice through a 1-inch diameter rope with one swipe of the knife  (to test geometry and sharpness)

2)      Chop through a 2×4 at least two times without any nick or deformation of the knife blade  (to test edge toughness)

3)      Shave a section of arm hair with the same edge of the knife that has passed the first 2 tests   (to test edge retention)

4)      Bend the knife 90 degrees  (to test the competing qualities of steel – hardness and maleability)

 Bob Kramer made a knife that successfully passed these tests and he now has a reputation for making quality knives (although not of the above-described caliber) for Sur La Table.   When registering for wedding gifts, we selected one of the $300 Bob Kramer knives as the only item on our Sur La Table registry.  Shockingly, nobody opted to throw down the money for us. 

 So, when Bob Kramer came into town this past weekend to give a lecture, I decided that Matt needed to be there. 

 Before we left for the city, I said, “So, guess you’ll be coming home with a knife tonight, huh?”  

 “No,” he said thoughtfully.  “I mean… it would get ruined on the boat, and there’s no point in buying one now when it’s just going to sit at your mom’s house in storage for a year.” 

 I nodded in agreement, but secretly, I knew he was full of B.S. 

 So, it didn’t surprise me one bit when I saw him after the class, grinning like a school boy, and standing impatiently with a long, thin box tucked under his arm.  We talked knives the rest of the night, Matt enthusiastically recapping the course highlights.  

 Prior to attending Kramer’s lecture, Matt had his heart set on purchasing a fancy $500 radar for the boat (with a LCD screen and everything) even though we already have radar (sans screen) and there is a good chance it works perfectly fine.  Though I am clearly not an expert on the various radar devices, I discouraged the new purchase because I thought we should see if our current set-up worked first.  Matt felt that the other deal was just too good to pass up. 

 Sunday evening, after the Kramer lecture, we went to dinner, and as I twisted the beautiful new knife in the candlelight, I smiled at Matt and said jokingly, “So, this is the new radar, huh?” 

 Matt shrugged sheepishly and began to reconsider the wisdom of his purchase, hoping aloud that our current radar works and that he hasn’t somehow compromised our safety.

 “Are you kidding??” I blurted out,  “Anytime you’re out of town, I’m sleeping with this thing under my pillow!  And,”  I lowered my voice, “We’re in the ghetto Mission right now…I feel safer already.  I mean, I could hack someone’s hand off…”  I put the knife back in the box and slid it towards him.  “I love it.” 

 And that’s why he loves me.