What Is The Best Material To Use For Making Knives?

What is the best material to use for making knives?

Choosing the right materials for making your knives will allow you to use your knives as you wish, so that the knife can stay with you for ten years or even a lifetime. Many people spent a high price to purchase knives, but soon the knives became dull, rusty, or even chipped. In fact, they did not understand the secret behind the materials.

The king of cost performance in stainless steel home kitchens

In ordinary family kitchens, stainless steel is undoubtedly the most widely used choice. 304 and 440C are the two most common grades. They contain more than 13% chromium and can form an oxide film on the surface. They will not rust immediately if you don't scrub them immediately after cutting lemons and tomatoes.

However, there are different grades of stainless steel. The difference between a knife that costs tens of yuan in a supermarket and a knife that costs several hundred yuan lies in the processing of steel. Better stainless steel, such as VG-10, has a hardness of about 60HRC, which is the recommended material for stainless steel processing tools . It can maintain a sharp state without becoming brittle. It can fully meet the needs of daily cutting of vegetables and meat, and it is also relatively simple to maintain. Just rinse it casually.

High carbon stainless steel professional chef’s kitchen tool

If you go to the kitchen of a hotel and take a look, most chefs use high-carbon stainless steel knives, which are based on carbon steel with chromium and molybdenum added. Just like Japan's well-known SG2 powder steel, its hardness can reach over 63HRC. It can be thin enough to be transparent when cutting tomatoes, and it will not quickly become dull when cutting dozens of kilograms of vegetables a day.

However, high-carbon stainless steel has a small problem. It is more prone to rust than ordinary stainless steel. Although chromium is added, if it is not wiped clean after use, especially after cutting acidic food, rust spots may still appear. Professional chefs have developed the habit of wiping their knives while cooking to take good care of this high-quality steel.

Ceramic Knife A Lightweight Choice for Fruit Lovers

In the past few years, zirconia ceramic knives have been very popular. Its hardness is second only to diamond. A ceramic knife can be used for a year and a half without grinding and is still as sharp as ever. Moreover, the material of stainless steel processing knives is recommended . It is completely non-magnetic and will not carry odor. The material of stainless steel processing knives is recommended . It is not easy to oxidize and discolor when cutting apples and potatoes. It is especially suitable for processing fresh food and fruits.

However, the brittleness of ceramic knives is its most obvious shortcoming. If it falls on the tile floor, it will most likely break, or the blade will have tiny chips. It is taboo to use it to chop bones and cut frozen meat. Therefore, it is enough to prepare a knife at home specifically for cutting fruits and vegetables. Don't expect it to become an all-purpose knife.

Titanium alloy outdoor companion

The biggest advantage is that the lightweight titanium alloy knife is over 40% lighter than steel at the same size. For those who prefer hiking and camping, putting an extra titanium alloy knife in the bag will hardly feel the weight. Moreover, it is not afraid of corrosion from sea water and sweat. After being used for fishing at the beach or in humid jungles, it can be cleaned immediately after being rinsed with water.

However, the hardness of titanium alloys is generally not very high, often in the range of 35 to 40HRC, and its retention is much worse than that of stainless steel. There is no problem in using it to peel wood or cut rope. However, if you use it to cut hard objects, the blade will curl quickly, so it is more suitable as an outdoor emergency tool, rather than the main force for fine cutting.

Cutting weapons for tough guys in the high-speed steel industry

If you often need to cut fiber, rubber, plastic, or even soft metal, then high-speed steel is the first choice. This material contains alloy elements such as tungsten and molybdenum. Its red hardness is very good. When high-speed cutting results in high temperatures, ordinary steel will anneal and become soft, but it can still maintain its hardness. Therefore, many industrial blades use materials such as W6Mo5Cr4V2.

Of course, this material is rarely used in ordinary households because it is too hard and would be very difficult to polish by hand. And what is the best material to use for cutting knives? The toughness of high-speed steel is generally average. If you use it for chopping, it will easily cause the blade to chip. Only professional woodworkers can use it when opening tenons or carpet workers when cutting. There is no need for ordinary people to blindly pursue this professional level of hardness.

The ultimate advice on material selection is to decide based on the scene so as not to waste money.

Having said so much, in fact there is no complete information, only the one that best suits your application scenario. If you are doing daily cooking at home, a mid-range high-carbon stainless steel knife is enough to handle all ingredients; if you are just cutting fruits, a ceramic knife that costs dozens of yuan is pretty good; people who like the outdoors can consider titanium alloy ones, as portability is the key.

Considering the budget is a hard indicator. A piece of high-quality steel with a good heat treatment process will cost at a corresponding level. Three to five hundred yuan can buy a good entry-level tool. However, for a tool worth tens of yuan, don't expect it to have a long service life.

What kind of material is the knife you are currently using made of? Do you think it is easy to use? Use the comment area to talk about your experience using the knife, so that friends who are planning to purchase knives can avoid a tortuous road. If you think it is useful, don't forget to give it a like and share it with more groups.