Knife Blade Materials

Importance Of Knife Blade Material

The first consideration of any knife should be the blade, and the steel that it is forged from. After all, as a knife it will be expected to be able to cut, and if you buy a knife from us you will expect it to cut very well indeed.

420 Series Stainless Steel

Typically found on presentation, display knives, and some hunting knives. Sharpness is okay which justifies it's entry into the surgical grade category. Easy to sharpen

Boye Dendritic

Boye Dendritic is a cobalt alloy. These blades are completely rust-resistant and still perform well as knife blades although they are expensive. This type of material is often found in knives that are used in and around salt water.

Branded Stainless Steels

Good levels of sharpness with acceptable levels of edge retention, so it's a good job they're easy to sharpen. Hard compound steel found primarily on folding knives. Very tough and easy to sharpen

Carbon Steel

Carbon steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, often including other alloys such as vanadium and manganese. A typical carbon steel blade is very inexpensive, and can be very sharp, and hold its edge well. Carbon steel is normally easier to re-sharpen than most stainless steels, but is vulnerable to rust and stains. Some professional cooks, particularly those in Asia, are partial to carbon steel blades because of their reasonable cost, cutting power, and edge-holding ability; others find these advantages outweighed in the kitchen by the extra maintenance required, as these blades must be cleaned, dried, and lubricated after each use or they will rust. New carbon-steel knives may also impart a metallic or "iron" flavor to acidic foods, though over time, the steel acquires a dark patina of oxidation which acts to block this process. Some people find patina a charming sign of age, while others find it unsightly. Very sharp, great edge retention and easy to sharpen

Ceramic

Ceramic is not a steel at all, they are made of zirconium oxide and aluminum Although they are much more delicate than steel knives, they tend to hold their edge up to 10 times longer. These blades are so hard that they will maintain a sharp edge for months or years with no maintenance at all. Like titanium, they do not impart any taste to food and are immune to corrosion. On the other hand, although ceramic blades can be sharpened on silicon carbide sandpaper or many grinding wheels, it is difficult enough that they are usually professionally sharpened. Also, they are hard enough to cut through glaze on dinnerware so should not be used as tableware. Further, although they are hard, ceramic blades are also very brittle, and will chip if struck against hard objects, or even sharpened improperly. Ceramic blades should only be used on wood or plastic cutting boards. Ceramic blades must never be used to pry or lever foods or other materials apart, as they may snap.

Damascus Steel

Damascus steel blades today are generally pattern welded steel, which is made of layers of steel and iron which are welded together. Japanese katana are made with Damascus steel. It is a folded mix of two types of steel, either Carbon or Stainless and combines the properties of the two individual blades. Excellent edge retention, Very sharp edge, and easy to sharpen

Hard Compound Steels

Very hard compound steels offering reasonable sharpness, but excellent strength and edge retention. Perfect on survival type knives and often found on military collectables. Can be unusually expensive and will rust if not cared for. Very Tough, Excellent Edge Retention, Easy to Sharpen

High Carbon Stainless Steel

High Carbon Stainless Steel normally refers to higher-grade, stainless steel alloys with a certain amount of carbon. Knives made from high carbon stainless steel offer a combination of the best attributes of carbon steel and stainless steel blades. High carbon stainless steel blades do not discolor or stain, and maintain a sharp edge. Most of these 'high-carbon' stainless blades also feature higher quality alloys than less expensive stainless knives, often including amounts of molybdenum, vanadium, cobalt, and other components intended to increase strength, edge-holding, and cutting ability.

High Carbon Steel

High carbon steel is actually the best performer providing more toughness and the ability to take a very sharp edge with less overall effort. However, high carbon steel is not stain resistant. It can rust and will discolor from use. After much use, high carbon steel kitchen knife blades will actually become black. This discoloration is purely cosmetic and does not affect the performance of the knife in any way. An example of this kind of knife is the Sabatier Au Carbone.

Laminated Blades

Laminated blades attempt to use the best of multiple materials by creating a layered sandwich of different steel alloys (there are no laminated blades made of plastic or ceramic.) Such knives are a modern descendant of the ancient Japanese San Mai sword-making process. Frequently a harder, more brittle steel is sandwiched between two softer, tougher steel alloys, so that the blade combines the attributes, to some extent, of both metals. A laminated blade's edge can often be made harder than an ordinary stainless steel knife, in turn facilitating a more acute grind on the cutting blade (thereby increasing the knife's cutting abilities).

Pakistan Steel

Pakistan steel - no ideas what's in it - iron ? - and that's about it. Dreadful levels of sharpness, no edge retention to speak of, and once it's blunt you'll never get an edge on it again.

Plastic

Plastic blades are not very sharp at all. Their primary use is for cutting through vegetables such as lettuce without causing them to discolor. (A steel knife will cause the cut edges of lettuce to turn black.) Plastic knives can cut skin, especially wet skin, but will not penetrate far into flesh, a boon for cooks. They cannot scratch dinnerware or cutting boards. They can be re-sharpened, but they are cheap enough that they are regarded as semi-disposable. They cannot be made as sharp as metal or ceramic blades, but since they are typically serrated, they may perform adequately for their intended purpose.

Premium Grade Stainless Steels

Premium grade stainless steels have impressive edge retention, corrosion / rust resistant and quite pure in compound form. They are very sharp and easy to re-sharpen. Nice choice for top quality hunting knives.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel replaces some of the carbon in the steel alloy with chromium to make it resistant to corrosion. These steel alloys normally produce a steel that is less stain resistant than typical cutlery stainless steels but also hold an edge for a longer period of use or provide additional toughness or other characteristics. There is a tradeoff. As stain resistance increases, the ability for the blade to hold an edge decreases. Conversely as stain resistance decreases, the overall performance of the blade increases. These steels are very popular with knife makers and provide a good balance between performance and price.

Stainless Supersteels

Stainless Supersteels have world class edge retention and sharpness. They are extremely corrosion resistant and very pure in compound form. Stainless supersteels can be tricky to re-sharpen due to blades toughness, but by no means impossible. Knives made from stainless supersteels are very forgiving, a joy to own and use.

Stellite

Stellite is closely related to Talonite. Knives made with stellite resist wear and corrosion. Stellite blades resist heat well, and do not oxidize easily in any condition.

Super-grade Stainless Steel

Super-grade stainless steel offers the edge retention and sharpness of old fashioned carbon steel without the corrosion tendencies. On the downside, it can be very difficult to sharpen.

Superstainless Damascus Steel

The new breed of blade - superstainless damascus steel is the best you can buy - irrespective of price. It's very rare, hard to get hold of and expensive too, but it still offers value for money and exclusivity as the edge performance is light-years ahead of regular steels.

Supersteel

Supersteel is the best of all World's: incredible sharpness and edge retention, with ease of sharpening and servicing too, very corrosion resistant. Supersteels are typically a folded mix of two types of stainless steels. Expensive, but worth the extra money if you can justify the expense

Surgical Grade Stainless Steels

The benchmark for many knives now, and used extensively by most manufacturers. Very good sharpness, edge retention is acceptable but the steel is easy to service and sharpen. Corrosion resistance is good.

Talonite

Talonite is made of a cobalt-chromium alloy that forms carbides, so it tests soft by most hardness tests even though it's very hard and wears extremely well. These blades are completely rust-resistant and still perform well as knife blades although they are expensive. This type of material is often found in knives that are used in and around salt water. Boye Dendritic is another example of a cobalt blade.

Timascus

Timascus is a new twist on Damascus steel. Timascus is a Damascus blade made with Titanium as the metal. These knife blades will closely resemble steel Damascus, and vary widely in color due to the particular alloy used. Knife blades of this material will hold a highly polished finish, which will be brightly colored; or they can have a pearly finish, which will show off the ripples in the metal nicely.

Titanium

Titanium is metal that is lighter, anti-magnetic, more wear resistant, and more flexible than steel, but also less hard and it will not take as sharp an edge. But carbides in the titanium alloy allow them to be heat-treated to a sufficient hardness. Titanium does not impart any flavor to food. It is typically expensive.

Zirconium Oxide

Zirconium Oxide is a very hard ceramic material that is also used in knife blades. Ceramic blades hold an edge longer than any other material and are completely corrosion resistant. The downside to these blades is that they are brittle and can snap or chip in use. They cannot be used for prying at all and are difficult to sharpen.