u/gkaiser8

Read a bunch of discussions on knives sharpening, looking to make some purchases for an essential knife sharpening set to begin routine sharpening knives for use in home kitchen. I have a mixture of knives from Wusthof, a stainless steel Chinese cleaver, and a Miyabi birchwood chef's knife (SG2). I will probably upgrade or add 1-2 knives (probably Japanese knives or harder steel) for use and have no intentions of turning it into a hobby to collect cool knives.

Some questions:

• Shapton Pro 1k and 2k - I don't have a stone holder and apparently this includes one. No sink bridge either (the holder and sink bridges tend to be compatible with most stones and aren't specific to a certain brand,?). I heard the Pro 2k "loads up easily" so maybe there are better recommendations for ~2k grit. I see many people recommend 1k and 5k grit stones as essentials, while others say you don't really need more than 2k, especially if your goal is just sharpening and not looking for polish (which I assume is just purely aesthetics). I'm thinking maybe 3k finishing stone so to pair with 1k sharpening stone.

• Should I consider soaking stones? I know it provides better feedback at the cost of wearing out quicker and requiring more frequent flattening but I'm not sure what "better feedback" contributes (e.g. just maintaining a consistent angle?) and whether it's only applicable to a beginner. I'm thinking it might be worth dedicated the highest grit stone to be a soaking stone though it seems arbitrary perhaps I should stick to S&G to keep the same sharpening feel (out of curiosity, I wonder if Japanese knife sharpening pros have any particular preference or if this is really a personal choice). Similarly, I'm not sure if there's a particular advantage to sticking with the same brand for the stones in various grits--I don't suspect so but shopping for stones is kind of hard since even advertised grit is not really accurate or comparable between stones/brands.

• Would the Atoma 140 be a good choice as both a flattening stone and the sharpening stone to use if a knife ever chips or becomes extremely dull for presumably a quick sharpening before moving to an ~800 grit stone?

• Stropping seems worth DIYing--any particular recommendations on the materials and compound (if necessary)?

• I also have an F. Dick steel honing rod but because I've waited until now to sharpen, my knives are probably too dull for it to be useful until they are sharpened. I imagine the ideal way to prolong the edge of a blade (i.e. maximize the edge of the blade before it gets removed from proper sharpening sessions with stones) is to first use the rod whenever the feels like it could be sharper until metal fatigue takes over and it can no longer be kept sharp is when you use stones. In this regard honing rods still have its place even in a home kitchen? It makes intuitive sense to use stones as a last resort because it takes off the majority of the metal to keep the blade sharp and it seems both the honing rod and the strop let you maintain a sharp edge before you create a fresh edge. Alternatively the finishing stone could take the place of a honing rod with just a few strokes, albeit perhaps a little more aggressively? Seems like it should also only be used on non-Japanese metal.

• Honing rod and strop technically do different things (rods technically sharpen and creates microbevel while stropping realigns the edge and removes micro burrs), but would you use them in same situations (considering both are similar in that they only really work if the knife is already somewhat sharp and won't work if they are dull)? Stropping seems like it works both for maintenance and as a final step after sharpening on stones, whereas honing rods seem exclusively for maintenance? Both don't require more than a couple of passes at the same angle as sharpening? I believe stropping is strictly edge-trailing but there are reasons to use both edge-trailing and edge-leading on a honing rod?

• Lastly, how much cheaper is it to purchase these stones in Japan? I came across a post that says you can get a Shapton for $25 in Japan because that's how much they are worth but that post was also 3 years ago (in the US currently it's double that). Wondering if it's worth planning a shopping list for a trip to Japan end of this year or the next (perhaps the popular stones mentioned in Western forums are not necessarily even popular in Japan because they might have better selections and availability).

Feel free to correct or add on to any of the info above. Any other tips are much appreciated--I did as much homework as I could thus far. I don't have a strict budget and wouldn't mind splurging on a Naniwa or two--it's just that I don't know how long these stones realistically last (if it can last a lifetime of use for home knife maintenance I am more inclined to consider them)? I also think I would probably only need 2-3 stones max and a flattening stone.

Looking for a good deal on a shipped secondhand Femobook A4Z or Timemore M01 with no functional defects. I can cover the cost of shipping and send you the shipping label if you give me the weight/dimensions.

Fishing for offers. Must have confirmed trades on this sub or any other major trading sub and leave a comment here first. Dated timestamp photos required if we can agree on a sale.

Thanks!

Anyone use an outdoor wok burner for something more powerful than the typical weak stove for some wok hei or fast cooking? I'm curious how fast the propane tank gets emptied and want to get a good sense of how often and the cost/convenience of a refill. Any maintenance required?

For some reason it doesn't seem as popular as I'd think (I haven't tried outdoor cooking but it seems like keeping the smells, heat, and mess out of the kitchen is already a huge advantage).

Do you want a clay pot for clay pot rice for best results? My understanding is clay pot is popular because it's cheap--the heat retention of clay pots seems like it can be replicated with more common cookware like cast iron, enameled cast iron, or even a thick stainless steel pot.

Traditionally clay pot is also done over charcoal, though I don't see how alternative cookware mentioned above can't do the same.

I'm thinking about whether to get a clay pot or ceramic/porcelain for this purpose, but at least with a clay pot it's slightly more maintenance and kitchens (at least in the west) more readily have e.g. enameled cast iron because it's easier to maintain.

AFAIK in file managers in Windows/Linux, they have the same convenient behavior where if you copy one folder into another folder of the same name and there's a conflict (e.g. a folder of the same name already exists), instead of aborting, it prompts to "overwrite" (merge the contents of the folder), recursively. If any of the files result in conflict (e.g. a file of the same name already exists), it prompts the user whether they want to overwrite, letting the user know which is larger and which is newer.

The above is useful if e.g. you abort the copy/move progress half and then want to resume at a later point.

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Does anyone have a similar script they can share? How would such a script be implemented? I know rsync can do something similar. With these file managers, they seem to update one file at a time, e.g. when a file is successfully moved during the process, the source file is removed. With rsync, a file gets removed after rsync finishes(?) which is not as intuitive because it does not reflect the latest state of the progress.

Implementation-wise, is it as simple as rsyncing each file one at a time, checking for potential overwrites before rsync and comparing the file size and modification time of files ith stat, then prompting the user if there are conflicts, else rsync that file? Is there a way to do this more efficiently (or ideas for a better UX)? Can rsync or similar tools handle more of this?

Any tips are much appreciated.

How safe are polymerized oils on cookware for consumption (e.g. seasoning on cast iron and carbon steel) and cutting board (cured surface with pure e.g. tung oil, walnut oil)? In these applications you're bound to ingest flakes of polymerized oil. Is the body able to fully metabolize this in a manner that is not detrimental to long-term health or does it build up in the body the way microplastics do?

As I understand, it's not technically rancid and I'm sure there are many things to do with cooking that are higher health risks--I'm just curious from a scientific perspective.

Also curious the same with mineral oil, a petroleum-based product, assuming it's the ones sold at the pharmaceutical section that are heavily refined if it may contribute to (long-term) effects outside of the primary purpose as a laxative.

I have a new end-grain black walnut board that I've been applying mineral oil for several days now. It's not to the point where water beads off so it can still absorb more mineral oil.

However, I'm strongly considering the 100% pure tung oil + citrus solvent route for an actual cured surface (mineral oil never cures and requires more frequent maintenance): it'd require far less routine maintenance, provide a smoother surface for easier scrubbing with sponge (my board feels a little rough when it's wet which I assume is normal for any cutting board without a cured surface), it wouldn't feel greasy all the time, and would at least absorb less odors.

I can afford the month-long curing time with tung oil since I have a secondary cutting board I can switch to--problem is, my cutting board is already mineral oil-soaked. Is it possible to let it dry enough for tung oil to be applicable? If the board can be left to dry out to the point where tung oil can be applied, how long could this process take (I assume I can still use the cutting board in the meantime--I'll just stop maintaining with mineral oil)?

Besides that, I'm interested if anyone can shed to whether either is more food-safe (both are, assuming pharmacy-grade food-safe mineral oil sold as laxative is used and 100% pure tung oil and not tung oil finish)--it seems inevitable you'll be ingesting whatever is used on the cutting board. I'm not sure whether mineral oil deriving from petroleum is a legitimate concern and also consuming pieces of polymerized tung oil probably isn't a great idea either, probably not much different than plastics).

P.S. How long after washing and drying the surface (i.e. how long to air-dry) an end-grain 2.25" board before mineral oil should be applied? I've come across some comments that suggest applying the mineral oil after wiping off the board, the inside is still wet and that could be a concern, right? Need a perspective how quick the water that gets absorbed dries out and/or whether it's even a concern if it's saturated with enough oil.

I have a new end-grain black walnut board that I've been applying mineral oil for several days now. It's not to the point where water beads off so it can still absorb more mineral oil.

However, I'm strongly considering the 100% pure tung oil + citrus solvent route for an actual cured surface (mineral oil never cures and requires more frequent maintenance): it'd require far less routine maintenance, provide a smoother surface for easier scrubbing with sponge (my board feels a little rough when it's wet which I assume is normal for any cutting board without a cured surface), it wouldn't feel greasy all the time, and would at least absorb less odors.

I can afford the month-long curing time with tung oil since I have a secondary cutting board I can switch to--problem is, my cutting board is already mineral oil-soaked. Is it possible to let it dry enough for tung oil to be applicable? If the board can be left to dry out to the point where tung oil can be applied, how long could this process take (I assume I can still use the cutting board in the meantime--I'll just stop maintaining with mineral oil)?

Besides that, I'm interested if anyone can shed to whether either is more food-safe (both are, assuming pharmacy-grade food-safe mineral oil sold as laxative is used and 100% pure tung oil and not tung oil finish)--it seems inevitable you'll be ingesting whatever is used on the cutting board. I'm not sure whether mineral oil deriving from petroleum is a legitimate concern and also consuming pieces of polymerized tung oil probably isn't a great idea either, probably not much different than plastics).

P.S. How long after washing and drying the surface (i.e. how long to air-dry) an end-grain 2.25" board before mineral oil should be applied? I've come across some comments that suggest applying the mineral oil after wiping off the board, the inside is still wet and that could be a concern, right? Need a perspective how quick the water that gets absorbed dries out and/or whether it's even a concern if it's saturated with enough oil.

I'm looking to purchase my first (and probably only primary) home gym equipment--either a BikeErg or RowErg, whichever I can find a good deal on for a secondhand over the course of a few months.

Any tips on what to look for or expect for either of these? Lifetime numbers and prices to expect. I heard for some reason the battery compartment is a place to check? Are there any newer models to pay attention to (because of some upgrades or added features)? Common failure points to know about? Warranty is transferable--so I'd want to request proof of purchase if I want to take advantage of this if it's still falls into the warranty period? Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Ebay are where you'd fine listings? It seems like Concept2 makes parts available for purchase to replace (self-serviceable) which along with their reputation and high quality equipment is why I'm interested in the first place.

In fact, I don't mind buying of these new, but with how well built these equipment are saving anywhere from ~$200-$600 would be impressive and I can either devote that to replacement parts or to other gym equipment.

Any comments are much appreciated.

I looked into cutting board maintenance and concluded that mineral oil is the simplest and most accessible/economical way of dealing with this--just apply mineral oil until the board cannot absorb much more--no need for proprietary blends or potentially non-food-safe coatings.

Now I heard of pure tung oil (+ orange peel extract) --is it worth using? I have a secondary board I can use during the month-long curing process. Would you saturate the board with mineral oil and then "seal" with tung oil, letting it cure for a month? Then presumably the benefits are a "cured surface" which significantly reduces the rate at which the cutting board dries out over time, meaning potentially no oiling or maintenance until the surface slowly wears off "exposing the wood underneath" (maybe a year or more)?

With this cured surface, it would also be smoother and presumably be less likely to catch onto the sponge when washing. Currently, with mineral oil which never cures, the wood surface becomes a little rough when wet and I'm not comfortable with simply washing it like a countertop without a good rinse (it seems like soap residue could be retained by the cutting board no matter how well oiled it is with mineral oil). If cured with tung oil for a water resistant surface, I imagine it would be much easier to wipe off the mess on the smoother surface of the cutting board, scrub with soap + water without much force, then wipe off with wet cloth without retaining soap residue.

Feel free to correct any of the assumptions above.

Otherwise, if sticking with mineral oil, would wax conditioning slow down the rate of maintenance with mineral oil? I'm not if it's necessarily required if the board is saturated (but not bleeding) with mineral oil.

Looking for a bike or features to look for in a bike that is to be the primary exercise equipment for general workout/health, any recommendations? My upper budget is $2k but I'm most likely going to take my time to shop for a used one. I don't intend to upgrade so I prefer a quality secondhand that will easily last 7+ years and/or is self-serviceable. I don't own an outdoor bike nor is is my goal to achieve some sort of target with one (e.g. I'm not interested in trainers + actual bike).

I've come across names like Airdyne, Rogue Echo Bike, Concept2 BikeErg, etc. but I'm not even sure if an assault bike is what I'm looking for. I've heard a lot of people use them for conditioning or pre-workouts and that they can drain you quickly, but I'm thinking I should focus on a cardio routine (or LIIT?) for general health. I'm satisfied with my weight and physique, just my sedentary lifestyle is slowing draining me. I don't live in an area where running/biking outdoors is suitable for most of the year. Initially I considered a Concept 2 rower for more of a full body workout but feel like a bike is a safer bet (lower barrier of entry). I can also imagine setting the bike in front of my large PC monitor and easily kill boring cardio time reading, whereas it's not possible on a rower.

Any comments are much appreciated.

Some bags of 小蝦米 have been sitting in the fridge for many months. What are ways use them, prioritizing from easy to hard and with a slight preference to Cantonese, healthier cooking, and mealprep?

Any comments are much appreciated.

Looking for lint-free 100% natural fiber cloths for the kitchen--from patting proteins dry and drying produce to wiping wooden cutting board dry, and seasoning carbon steel. It's intended to replace paper towel for the most part (I'll still use the latter or old cotton t-shirts for heavier messes to keep the rags relatively clean). I want to avoid synthetics including synthetic blends, which means no polyester, microfiber, sponge, etc. which are essentially plastic and not safe for e.g. seasoning a hot carbon steel pan with a light coating of oil. Lint-free is important because e.g. a cutting board and pan may catch onto lint.

• I've come across terms like tea towel, flannel, linen, and muslin--how do they compare? Some of them are materials and some of them are specific weaves which could influence durability and absorption of liquids--curious what specifics to look for (perhaps different types of rags are better for the different purposes described above). Anything other considerations for choosing the ideal rag like perhaps a recommended size or small features like a loop for hanging. Trying to figure out a system and buy rags in bulk then never have to think about this problem again.

• Is handwash always fine to re-use, e.g. patting proteins dry, handwash, and re-use? Machine-dry should be more thorough but instead of a quick handwashing and tossing it into the laundry for wash every 1-2 weeks, I'm thinking it would be more convenient to toss them into a bucket soaked in some solution kept under the sink in between laundry day (a "holding period"), else hand-dry the rag but maybe not re-use until laundry day.

How is the Camino 50 shipped if you order 2 of them--do they come together in a box (set of 2, at least if you order 2 of them) like the Camino 35s or 1 per product box and it's clear the contents of the package without opening it?

Similarly, is each cast iron pan shipped in its own product box that is also the packaging box or inside a bigger box that can contain other Yeti products in the order?

AFAIK with specific products like the Camino 35, Roadie, M30, M20, they are all shipped in their own product boxes and any additional items in the order, even something as small as a tumbler, will not be grouped with these products.