Additional Information

Knife Blade Materials

Steel

· Usually made as an alloy of iron and carbon

· Often used for traditional Japanese knives.

· Steel knives are very sharp with a hard blade edge that holds its edge well for a long time. However, steel knives can chip easily due to their hardness and they are likely to rust if not maintained well.

High carbon stainless steel

· An alloy of iron and chromium that is durable and resistant to rust.

· High carbon stainless steel is used for ordinary knives.

· Although it is not as sharp as steel its rust resistance and ease of maintenance make it very suitable for general household use.

· The price of knives made from high carbon stainless steel range widely from cheap to expensive.

Composite Material

· This can be steel or high carbon stainless steel used as a core material which is sandwiched between stainless steel.

· Knives made from composite material are usually called clad steel knives.

· These knives have both the sharpness of steel / high carbon stainless steel as well as the toughness and ease of maintenance of stainless steel.

· Knives of this type are easy to sharpen as both sides of the harder core steel are of the softer stainless steel.

Damascus steel

· Damascus steel was originally made by melting together iron and steel together with charcoal under a reducing (little to no oxygen) atmosphere. Under these conditions, the metal absorbed carbon from charcoal. Slow cooling of the alloy resulted in a crystalline material containing carbide.

· Modern Damascus steel or Pattern welded steel is made by layering iron and steel and forging the metals together by hammering them at high temperatures to form a welded bond. A flux seals the joint to keep out oxygen. Forge welding multiple layers to produce the watery effect characteristic of this type of Damascus steel, although other patterns are possible.

· When polished the unique ripple pattern appears on the surface making it a classic example of a high-end culinary knife.

Ceramic

· The greatest feature of ceramic knives is their rust resistance.

· Ceramic knives hold their edge well and remain sharp for a long time. However, the blade is weak against impact and can chip easily.

· Tests were done on using ceramic knives in the kitchen show that you can only use a straight push or pull cut if you use a rocking cut small pieces of the blade edge chip off the knife. It was also found that ceramic knives tended to cut into and catch on wooden cutting boards.

· Ceramic knives cannot be sharpened with ordinary whetstone.

 

 Table of Blade Materials

 Description of the Knife Parts