On 2014-10-17 10:10:05 +0000, Julie Bove said:

> "Brooklyn1" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Oregonian Haruspex wrote:
>>>
>>> I cut my squash with an axe. Really. I grab my nice, razor sharp
>>> Gransfors Bruks carpenter's axe, start it into the flesh, and then
>>> gently hammer it through with a mallet. This works great and it
>>> totally prevents any possibility of injury from over-exerting yourself
>>> with the knife.
>>
>> What kind of squash requires it being cut with an axe hammered with a
>> mallet... has to be an inedible gourd. I'd like to have seen a photo
>> of this squash with your axe buried into it.
>>
>> I've cut too many winter squash to count, all sizes, with an ordinary
>> 8" chefs knife. Iv're found the larger tha squash the easier to
>> slice, smaller squash are like slicing ball bearings, but a large
>> winter squash is no tougher than a small specimen. I have larger
>> chefs knives but they have thicker blades so require more force, and
>> exerting more force than necessary is dangerous. Actually I find
>> slicing smaller winter squash more dangerous because their smaller
>> diameter makes them more apt to roll. I have two good sized winter
>> squash to cook this weekend... my 8" chefs knife will slice them
>> handily... the blade of that 12" carbon steel Sabetier is too thick
>> for slicing squash but it's razor sharp and is my go to tool for
>> shredding cabbage micro thin for slaw. That butcher's braker knife
>> has a blade too thin for winter squash but is perfect for attacking
>> large watermelons. So Paul Bunyan, lets see what you can do.
>> http://i57.tinypic.com/2rqf33a.jpg
>
> I had difficulty cutting a squash when I lived in CA. I can't remember
> what kind it was. I wound up throwing it out. I then had difficulty
> cutting a watermelon so I asked my dad to try. To which he replied
> something like, "God dammit! Where did you get these crappy knives?"
> He had given me the set for Christmas! Heh. I can't remember what
> kind they were now. But since they were new, I got rid of all my old
> ones. Mistake! The new knives wouldn't cut much of anything. That's
> when I got the set that I have now.
>
> But with these knives, I do remember having difficulty cutting into a
> spaghetti squash. I did do it but it was a PITA.

Get an axe and a mallet. It's easy and there is far less risk of
personal injury. The right tool for the job right?