Second comment: I also received Cooks illustrated PLUS Cook's Country when bulletin board was available. I now only have the Cooks Illustrated magazine and not anything else associated with the group since they have changed and started charging, eliminating the offers of thanks for being a member gifts that came along with having both subscriptions.

I was a member of the Cooks Illustrated Bulletin Board for a long time, years. We really were able to gather much information from this board. In time I even recognized the superb cooks and was thrilled with all the explanations they gave for simple to complicated recipes. We found out what cooking utensils were greatest, what cookware sizes, shapes were best to buy so we did not waste money, coffee makers on and on. I probably bought a lot of my All Clad based on reviews, pressure cookers mid range priced based on reviews and contents of all types for the kitchen, everything from ulu, cutting boards, you name it based on discussions that were available within the group. I probably was on the CIBB weekly and maybe two or three times a week searching for all types of help. I was sort of in home bound for 3 years too through spinal surgeries and I really enjoyed the bulletin board through all those weeks and months and bought a lot of my forever items for the kitchen during that time while I could research through the bulletin board members and the Cooks Illustrated that is available on line now only if you pay could be brought up back then FREE if you had a magazine subscription. I still receive the magazine but it is just not the same without having both magazine and bulletin board AND the pay for now CI online. I am not even for certain whether I will renew my CI past 2014 Fall. I think when they took the bulletin board off, it just was not as exciting as many brought up certain date (year and month) issues for each of us to look at for certain subjects. I finally just took about 5 full (6 issues a year)saved magazines collections to my local library and donated because there is not a board to reference anything in them any longer free. I am into kitchen shears now and wish so much the CI board was active. I have just had to go by reviews on line from places that you can purchase from and thankfully I depend on our group on the Chowhound more often now. Chowhound saved the day back then many times and now they are tops for getting information as BB is gone and nowhere else reliable but the Chowhound. I tried too to get on BB two years I think back or so when all of a sudden I could not get on one morning. I could not sign up any longer on CIBB even to start new even. It was fun while it lasted.

I grew up in Ky and I bet there were many a day back in the mountains this type of meat was on the table. Not that back in the mountains has anything to do with it but that there were farmers all over the place, ha.

Yes, the GH are greasy too. Talk about greasy, I worked as a bookkeeper for a principal of one of our high schools. He loved my black beans and rice. Then he wanted me to make tomatoes and rice like I did for my lunch for him. One day he brought in a pan of pork and said to enjoy with the black beans and rice (always had some chopped up ham in it) at lunch. I ate some and thought how greasy. He smiled. A month later the head custodian told me he thought it was possum that Kirton had cooked up. He was a farm boy growing up around Samsula I believe. I never had the strength to ask Kirton about it. I would not doubt he loved watching me across the hall into that plate of food. Until this day it makes me weak thinking I ate two big slices of that so called pork!!!! I used my herbs in my black beans and rice too.

Yes, the basil stalks were black when they started biting the dust. They also had bug spots on them and the bugs were the last straw. I sprinkled with dust but it all was too late. Too much water just rotted them most likely. Next time I may just take the plant and put straight into the garden as I have lost two like this already.

It is most likely all in the mind that they would be more useful. Possibly a way to become more tempted to buy them of course, tcamp. I also love the appearance of them naturally. I hope I can use some restraint and not be tempted to still purchase. They most likely would just end up in a drawer and I would be using the ulu still. You know how it is.

Yes, I am thrilled and so glad I researched a lot before I bought these. They were in the mid thirties$ I think most places. Of course I would have been tempted to have bought the 6 blade ones in that case and they would most likely not have been as useful as these may be. I am just worried about the thickness of the blades a little. I think they said they could snip wire too. I, ha, believe they can get the foliage off stems for my cooking needs in that case but may be too bulky too and not get as close to stem as I would like. I have thin blade ones in that case that I will go back to but these will be super for the garden like you noticed.

I read two reviews that had problems. One sent a pair back and has a new pair and hopes for the best as she likes them. She just said the blades became bent and she could no longer use them. I know you treasure the ones you have. No wonder you recommend them. I would too.

You are right, the citylane. I just am always clipping and wanted some shears (these are 7 inches total) so this is the cheaper way to go at least. I may have thrown money away but am always clipping something so in the drawer they will go for herbs and for going out in the garden to clip off the stems for herbs I need. Have large soft handles and with the warranty on them ( warranty 30 years not 20 as I mentioned a note back) I figure I can not go wrong if they are made that good.

I am so thrilled as I found some shears that may work for just $18 with shipping. I still would like the Joyce Chen but saw where you have to be careful or the blades bend in a couple reviews. The ones I found for herbs are Kretzer Finney 73718 Solingen German made, ice tempered. They are used for wire stripping (work for my rosemary possibly along with the nut cracker idea too). I hope they will work with other herbs too as advertised but not sure on that one, , will not rust, are warranted for 30 years if used as should be if you can believe, and definitely can be used for herbs, flower arrangements if you read some other places where this 73718 is mentioned and what all else they can be used for. They will be shipped priority for $3. plus $15 for the shears. I decided best to skip the 6 blade deal as I have so many ideas from all of you on how to cut up all type of herbs. I will try and use my other shears to snip off the foliage from stems if blades are too heavy and not as thin as Joyce Chen. Know the Joyce Chen would have been best as far as blade thickness/more thin for close to stems but will wait on that one.

Never thought of that. Thanks. I have a smaller one and a large one for spinning garden vegetables even that I bought first and it was too big for salads it seemed when just the two of us. I can use it for drying herbs then.

Still looking and found the wusthof additional piece included in purchase IS NOT a blade cleaner but a cap for the shears to be stored on the shears. If you read, the cap does not even work so a waste. Sorry about misleading any of you. So, I am back looking at the other offers of shears and the Joyce Chen for stripping the stems quickly. Or just getting by with what I have and all of your suggestions are wonderful too and cheaper, ha.

I saw those. They were highly recommended and being small most likely get close to the stem to cut better than regular shears. Good idea. Thanks for the information. I will see if I can get a good price on them. Thought about the tiny shears before I saw the 6 blade one. They do not come cheap I just noticed, whew. But if they do the job, cheaper than the original note I wrote shears.

Read your input. I will start using my spinner for the herbs. Been just using a plastic strainer before. Good idea.

Well, over the top of my herb garden near by I had a squirrel proof bird feeder among 2 others. Something goes into it at night and eats the seeds half way down. I had to move all from the herb garden area. I mean it is pitch dark and something eats the seeds out. I wondered if it could be bats, ha. Kengk, you are probably right about the herb shears but I am so glad I am getting all this information I hoped for as someone on here will come up with all the solutions about cutting up herbs without purchasing the shears and maybe I will decide against them. I just wonder if anyone bought them which ones were worth buying if at all. I can not see using them to cut the herbs off the stems as looks like the shear blades would be too bulky and not clip good. A single blade shear might do just as well and then cut them up in a pile on chopping board and be down with it.

What brand are they? I have thought about just using a thin file to run between the blades if I bought any/ but a metal finger nail file and keep for kitchen but as I said, hope someone will buy the wusthof ones and see how the blade cleaner works. The only thing is if these shears jam up when you cut a couple of times with the herbs sticking in globs and you have to keep cleaning out herbs over and over. If they fell out when you cut the next bunch each time, then it would not be too bad. Wishful thinking most likelyI doubt any of the herb scissors come apart like some shears. Looks like the wusthof shear cleaner product would run in between all the blades all at once.

I have a 6 lb one that tries to control the 8 lb one and does a good job of it. Buff would get hurt around ground hogs. She has skin allergy and can not even go on our back porch anymore. She would run the squirrels to death through the herb garden, tomatoes and all. So inside is best. Sounds like someone else on here has a hound dog, ha.

Are you speaking about the herb shears? I sure am tempted I can tell you that. However, I have storage cabinets in the garage now with my kitchen treasures. Does that tell you anything. I have shears for the kitchen so I think it is just like throwing money to the wind to buy these 6 blade shears. I need to find something else to occupy my mind, ha. I was impressed by the plastic shear cleaner that wusthof puts out with the purchase of their kitchen herb shears. I hope one of you buy them and let us know so we can be tempted more.

I cut the chives up with a sharp knife while holding them in a bundle like. I have them growing out of a big clay pot.

I will try but it is late in the year to start basil from seed. Might be better than messing with a plant from nursery however now.

I have two yorkies.

I am in Florida and these pots of oregano, thyme, coriander are back under shaded areas and the sun just gets to them through other higher plants. Have a palm on patio in pot next to house and morning sun touches back through the palm frons just filters through barely to thyme and coriander. No direct sun ever. Then in late Fall these plants get all messy looking back next to house during the Winter. Get wiry and dead pieces all down into the dirt almost. I just leave them alone and let the water off house drip down on them all Winter. Then I cut out all the stuff that looks like dried moss brown dried stuff out of top of the plant and out it comes again from roots I reckon as beautiful as Summer before. I may be overwatering the basil in a 4 inch pot when I first get it. I will get one this weekend at Purple Cow Nursery and put it straight into the ground by the sage and peppermint ones. Thanks for info.

Yes, I love the rosemary plants. At least they are hardy and I do not have problems with them like the basil. That is disturbing me to no end trying to grow them and I need them all the time. Have to go to the McCormick bottle and just say, "O Well!!" you know.

This is way off the herbs but ha, I have to tell you about the trap we had to put out for a critter that kept coming back and digging under the bushes. It had a iron like back and rounded with a long tail. Is that a ground hog? Not a possum I know. Had to edit, it was an armadillo!!!!! My family got it into the back of the suv and told me to ride out to drop it off in the woods. I rode in the back seat. I am telling you now, this thing stunk to the high heavens. I looked back and in my life I have never seen such claws. It had a pointed snout. I told them it would be the last time I ever rode to any woods with a trap in the back of our suv. They thought it was funny.

Hey, I am in Florida and I have never seen such a herb "bush" until this year with the rosemary I placed in the yard last summer as a small plant. I have to take sharp pruners and cut the limbs off seriously, Hill J. I never even thought of using the limbs for the grill work/wow. They are coarse enough to do that. We do not have a large garden/yard for herbs and this rosemary herb is about 3 or 4 feet tall and I had to cut from the sides back as it was into my parsley, peppermint, and sage plants. I think it is to the point where the rosemary herbs would just about dull my shears or knives too!! so I am going to have to use the ulu I guess. They are tough as can be. However, they can really coat a good pork roast to no end and delicious.

My herbs are in clay pots and cascading over the sides right now. I would like to ask you one question about basil. How do you get it to even grow? I buy them in small containers, get about 3 stems to start out with. Clip them, and then that is the end of the plant. They never come up from the roots even to think about even transplanting. Also the bugs love them and never touch the thyme or other herbs. Also the tarragon is stem like and not thick with additional shoots not coming from the potting soil either right now. So that is one other problem one. I can use regular kitchen scissors on them but I liked where someone wrote they used the several blade ones to cut off the herbs from the stems in the very beginning in the kitchen prep work into piles in just a few minutes. Back to the main subject; Noticed one pair comes with a plastic in between blade tool for cleaning out the stuck herbs/the knife place that was brought up tonight had this pair of shears/Wusthof 6 blade shear. They come with a plastic device that undoubtedly goes in between the blades and rips the herbs out if necessary. Now that would work great!!! None of the others has this feature. Sorry about the groundhogs. Sorry I am into so many subjects too but it all goes back to the shears.

O my goodness, I never thought of that and the rosemary is so thick and coarse that I always have a time running it downwards on the stem to remove. I am going to use my nutcracker from now on. Thank you so very much!!!

Am I glad you wrote this article about carbon steel knife. I have a feeling that the ulu I have has the carbon steel blade. I could not think at all what type of blade it was other than not shiny stainless and your note hit the nail on the head I just bet. So, I may have problems browning the edges of the herbs possibly although they did not seem to but this ulu really does cut up everything very fast with the rocking back and forth motion.

This is all good information. I read about the sticking in the blades already. I thought if they would one pair, then they would another even though highly recommended especially if the leafs are wet to an extent. I went ahead and dug into my treasures and got out the ulu and the bowl I have had from years back. I mentioned it in my original note. I do not have one with stainless steel blade but one with what looks to be like dull steel. It is greyish and have some rust spots here and there but sharp as can be. Remember the old real sharp knives that use to have the dull blades but could be really sharpened extremely. I noticed in research the most expensive ulu ones are made with saw blade steel I believe, something like that. Mine I believe was made by the Ulu Factory and they only have shiny stainless steel blades in their choices now for sale. I meanwhile tried cutting up some thyme and other herbs. You can not cut the leafs off the stems naturally as with single blade scissors, but the chopping is really great using the ulu in the special center wooden bowl. I guess I may just start pulling this out and using it. The several blade scissors will not clip off the leafs anyhow to start out with. I want to check the swissknifeshop and see what HillJ is looking at.

I am looking at herb scissors. There is one pair that comes highly recommended made in Germany. Stainless steel Kutchenprofi or something like that. Anyhow, I need some ideas. I have the round indented cutting bowl with a rocking type blade. This may be enough. Yet, many say these 6 blades I believe scissors such as the Kutchenprofi brand ones are great. Others say herbs get stuck in the ones with several blades but it could be the cheaper made ones that this occurs.