'AITA for telling my wife not to use our expensive chef knife to cut plastic?'
"AITA for telling my wife not to use our expensive chef knife to cut plastic?"
I do the majority of the work in the kitchen, whether that’s cooking or cleaning. Probably 95% or more. Two years ago my wife bought me a $110 Japanese chef’s knife for Christmas. The first expensive knife I have ever owned. I have been babying it as much as possible, washing it by hand immediately after use instead of throwing it in the dish washer.
My wife, however, treats it like a $5 Walmart knife on the rare occasion she cooks. She leaves it unwashed on the counter even after cutting lemons. Acid is especially bad for these knives which pit and rust easily. She also uses it to cut through plastic packaging. I’ve asked her to be nicer a number of times. It makes no impact.
Today she was making a breakfast and I found her slicing through a plastic cheese wrapping. I asked her (again) to please not do this because it dulls the knife and she knows it. She said ok. A minute later she needs to open a sausage package. I said, you’re going to use the expensive knife again aren’t you?” She turns to me and says “what should I use to open this then?
”I said “there are supposed to be scissors in the kitchen. Where are they?” “Are the scissors going to be clean enough to cut?” “Use one of the other cheap knives, then!” There’s two of them behind her in the cabinet and I’m sure she knows it. This just comes off to me as weaponized incompetence.
So I say “I know you want to use the good knife. Just do it.” “No, I just want to know what you want me to use” and then she cuts the sausage packaging with the good knife.
I said “you know, this is like if I took one of your expensive dresses and mopped the floor with it and when you caught me I said ‘what else was I supposed to use?” This was met with “I don’t know why you’re going on about this”. Our adult kid witnessed all this and says “She gave you the knife, she can use it however she wants”.
So I’m a petty a-^%le for wanting people to treat my gift nicely for my own copious use of it in the kitchen to make them all food. I am now hiding it in a cabinet and will continue to do so after each time I use it. I’m sure I’m an a-hole for that too.
Here's what people had to say to OP:
Flashy-Bluejay1331
NTA. My husband used my knives like this. They weren’t expensive, but they were mine- one of my kids had gifted them to me years before he & I married. He broke the tips off of a few. I demanded he fix them. Then I hid them from him. We eventually got a set of very expensive knives. He respects those. Kind of.
RepulsiveRent464
NTA keep your knife put up. My husband has 2 favorites and although he wouldn't care if I used them, I don't because he keeps all the other knives sharp and we have 2 pairs of kitchen shears.
GuduleTheThird
Just learn how to sharpen your knife my guy 🙄
Want2BnOre
NTA. I have my favored kitchen knife that I use for most food prep. I finish using it and put it away. Out of reach and out of site. Then it is not the go to knife for any odd job. I Leave the less favored knives where they are easily accessible.
MarionberryPlus8474
NTA. This, especially is very wrong: Our adult kid witnessed all this and says “She gave you the knife, she can use it however she wants”.
NO. She gave YOU the knife. It’s YOUR knife. YOU get to say how it used, and by whom. Gift GIVER does not get to use and abuse the gift given however they want.
I have had the same issue, people don’t understand how to use knives nor how to take care of them. It’s true of other tools also, but knives especially. Using them to cut wire (!) wondering why they get chipped, using the tip as a screwdriver (!), never sharpening them, etc.
I was at a friend’s house making brunch, she had a drawer full of cheap knives so dull not a single one of them could cut a piece of bacon. Embarrassing. She also puts wood through the dishwasher and wonders why it splits and cracks. Ugh. Sadly, you may need to hide or lock up the knife to prevent misuse.
Evapoman97
NTA and I would be hiding it after every use also.
Tronracer
NTA - get a locked cabinet for it. No more problem.
BlackGlenCoco
NTA
Easy solution. Get kitchen shears for kitchen stuff and cheap scissors for the junk drawer.
diente_de_leon
NTA. Every chef and serious cook will back you up on the knife thing. And for those who do quilting and sewing, they all understand the difference between the paper cutting scissors and the fabric cutting scissors. The most important point, which your adult kid actually got backwards, is that it is a gift to you, for you, therefore it is yours to decide how it is used.
If your wife wants to use any old knife, sounds like you have more than one. The biggest issue is her disregard of your feelings.
julesk
NTA, I’d tell the fam, “I was gifted this knife and I don’t choose to share it. I don’t know anyone who feels obligated to share their gift so I’m sure you understand.” If you’re feeling kind, put out a block with kitchen scissors and cheap knives in easy reach while hiding your good knife.