"Celluloid in the Kitchen" or "Poof Goes the Knife"

[451_Detonics]

I decided to smoke a brisket today. Spent most of the morning and early afternoon smoking, adding wood, and just enjoying the smell. Well, the brisket was done, beautiful crust on the outside, red from the smoke a 1/2 inch in...simply mouthwatering. Well as I am going to be serving quite a few folks with this I decided to shred it...I love it that way on sandwiches with a nice spicy hot giardiniera.

I was using my favorite carving folk...the one with the faux stag made from celluloid. I didn't notice I had knocked it too close to the burner where the beans wear simmering. A huge FLASH and cloud of smoke...looked like a giant sparkler going off. My kitchen filled with smoke so fast and the fumes were so acrid the best I could do was to hit the sink with it and turn on the spray head. It didn't go out even with water pouring over it. I reach for the baking soda I keep in case a a frying pan flare up and the fire sputtered out. From start to finish this was less than 5 seconds.

First...I covered the brisket (a man has to have his priorities). My house was full of smoke, I grabbed a wet washcloth to breath through as I turned on exhaust fans and opened windows.

45 minutes later most of the smoke is gone but the house smells like the 4th of July mixed with burning plastic. The brisket is fine and tastes great but this is all that is left of my carving fork...

Who says cooking is boring! :o

 

[shibumiseeker]

Celluloid is one step away from the explosive form of nitrocellulose and as such burns EXTREMELY well! Warehouses of old celluloid films would go up and you can't fight that fire.

Glad the brisket was ok!

 

[matthewdanger]

Thank goodness you saved the brisket! Smoke can be cleared and carving forks replaced, but you will never get back the time that it takes to make a delicious brisket.

 

[451_Detonics]

Most celluloid knife scales are actually bomb quality, I have always known this, the stuff is a second cousin to cordite. My house still smells live a platoon of Brits held rifle practice in here with 577/450 Martini-Henry rifles.

 

[Colt556]

Holy Crap Man!

 

[04DarkShadowGT]

Yikes, note to self, no knives like that dang.

 

[96firephoenix]

snip
First...I covered the brisket (a man has to have his priorities). snip

good man.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

Glock makes carving forks?

 

[DanO]

Inglorious Ba$terds - Movie cellulose used to immolate the theatre full of "Nat-Zees"! Glad you are OK, how is the Valmet working out?

My girl got back fine from Haiti last week. Thanks again!

 

[451_Detonics]

Inglorious Ba - Movie cellulose used to immolate the theatre full of "Nat-Zees"! Glad you are OK, how is the Valmet working out?

My girl got back fine from Haiti last week. Thanks again!

Shot the valmet for a flurry event last month...shot great.

I think that many of us have celluloid handled knives and may not be aware of it. If you or your parents have a faux stag carving set or old "plastic" handled kitchen knives then the chances are good they are celluloid. It was an extremely common material up as late as the 60's and in fact is still used by some makers today. Not a problem as long as you keep them away from open flame. My accident was rather unusual...akin to accidently knocking the cooking oil too close to a lit burner. No reason to throw out the oil...just be aware of it...same with the knives.