I couldn’t have put it better although I tried.
Who cares what one spends their money on as long as they can afford it and harmless to others? There’s no virtue in deprivation just for the sake of deprivation. A gilded cage remains a cage so baring material harm one should enjoy their liberty to its fullest.
Hi RD,
It may not be about money at all.
Could be a trap.
She’s already got three. Fillet knives can differ in enough ways to justify that–length, flexibility of blade, hardness–but, are hers all basically the same, and will that Global G-30 end up packed away after a few fish dinners . . .
Then she sees a deba . . .
At some point, she needs to decide where a fillet knife fits into her batterie, and which one is her #1–then do some repurposing.
Ray
Absolutely. The first rule of tableware is that is should not only be user friendly but add to the diner’s comfort. All else is conceit. Nothing worse than having a diner have to wonder how to use or fumble with an esoteric implement.
Tableware deserves the same thoughtful choices as cookware and ingredients. It’s all a continuum.
How many t-shirts do you have, Ray?
How about t spoons?
LOL! Son decommissioned most of his band and tech convention t-shirts to his dad. Makes for some interesting double takes on the street.
Look, I totally get that three fillet knives may be a lot for you, and probably for me too, but everyone is different. Yes, maybe having three fillet knives is unnecessary for me. However, right now, I have about 10 clay teapots in my collection. Here is one in my office. Do I really need 10 teapots? Of course, not.
Someone probably has 10 guitars which makes zero sense to me, right? Worse, I never understand the need for 10+ pairs of basketball shoes. Someone somewhere are collecting something more than they need – in another person eyes. I don’t think we need to align with their thinking. I think we just need to appreciate that we are all different. Someone getting a $150 fillet knife is not exactly something I ponder more than 2 seconds.
Hi Chem,
I raised possibilities–even gave a rationale for multiple fillet knives–but provided further analysis.
I only know how it works for me.
I personally usually get more pleasure out of contemplating and aspiring than purchasing. I test myself–even calculate an SEU (subjective expected utility) to establish the functional and personal aspects of a purchase: a maximum cash value. Then I’m ready–but the purchase usually comes slow–if it even gets that far. It’s never about money.
With knives, they must fit a grabbable slot in front of me: a purchase leads to repurposing my other knives.
Great pot! I had a really nice Le Creuset ceramic that was a go-to for me for years–until I dropped it a few months ago.
It will still take me time to think about replacing it. . …
We have conflated upgrade with augmentation. Upgrade has been pretty well defined and defended upthread. Whether we augment our kitchen batteries or not is another question. By that I mean, do we accumulate more tools than we actually need? Probably most of us do to some extent.
i love my quirky stuff. Others just smile when they come across them. And it’s all good.
Hi Pilgrim,
I’ve “augmented” with my ECI–I have far more than I need in my batterie. I also have containers full of hand tools. To some extent, they are accents–decor. The ECI provide lively color.
Some hand tools I don’t use much sometimes get in the way–but I never think of throwing them out.
My kitchen is for more than cooking . . .
Word!
When I showed my d-i-l my new 8.5 qt Staub pot, she looked at it with confusion and asked, “But what are you going to cook in it?” This to me is a nonsensical question. First you buy the pot, then you think of something to cook in it!
You obviously need the Le Creuset “goose pot”. It suggests itself.
I believe this to be the wrong question. First, if you can afford it and have space, then scratch your itch. More to the point is this: years ago when I taught tennis (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), everyone wanted the new “sexy” racquet that they had just seen player X using. When they asked my opinion, my answer was always the same - Does your current racquet hold you back, or is it really your technique and ability? Better equipment will never hold you back, but it really does not make you better at what you are doing, if what you currently have is good.
Hi Fahrquar,
IMO, home cooks needs to be very careful in assembling their batterie–knowing exactly what to expect, and how it complements the others. Buying on impulse may disrupt the batterie building process. On the other hand, cooking is an art, and an artist often likes to explore. The athlete you describe is more like the professional cook, both tempted the same way, but often best to let temptations go by.
Thanks Ray, Res Dec, Chem and others for your input! The issue is not the need (or any wish whatsoever) for three filleting knives. There is only one in the kitchen, with the older two in a box in a closet somewhere because I’ve upgraded and may upgrade again. This also applies to several ECI dutch ovens, saute pans, sauciers etc. Also, luckily, the $$ is not stopping me, but everyone likes a bit of value, and I’m not sure $180 for something just a bit better than my Wusthoff Classic comes under that heading.
Lastly, Ray, you have me down as a “she”, but I’m merely a weak and feeble male!
Borrow a global knife from a friend if you can. Nothing beat using a knife for a day to a week.
I go to a cabin on a lake every year ( for the last 18 years) and bring my one beat-to-hell Kiwi, and old old CI 10 inch. Same cabin every year with a little Dixie gas stove. By God, I adore that little stove. Friends of ours also rent cabins, so there ends up being about 25-35 of us. We take turns cooking, and I can feed 35 with that sweet little stove. My wife doesn’t cook, so it’s my show that day.
As far as upgrades, I’m slow and deliberate. I did just buy a Mauviel M-steel 8" crepe pan, recently. Never owned an M-steel before. Wow. I’ll be passing that on to the kids. Well-built pan. I sure don’t obsess about new items; but I enjoy doing the research on prospective purchases.
They weigh over 25 lbs empty! I saw one in a Tuesday Morning store years ago … I think it took up half the store. I wonder one could be modified for use as a bathtub.
