Lunch in the field with a shepherd's folder
A shepherd's knife was made for meals eaten outdoors and small jobs around the flock, and it still works best that way.
- Open the 9 cm blade with two hands, thumb on the spine, until it stops, keeping your fingers clear of the edge's path.
- Rest bread or cheese on a board or a flat stone and cut down and away from your hand, letting the curve of the edge do the slicing.
- For cord or twine, place it near the heel of the blade and cut with a drawing stroke, away from your body.
- Wipe the blade on a cloth, then close it deliberately, fingers away from the edge as it swings home.
The curved teak handle settles into the palm in each of these grips.
