I’ve been reading Core77 for a few years, but never bothered to register. I not a designer, but do dabble a bit. I’m a sales guy.
However, today’s story about the ceramic bladed knifes needs a correction. They aren’t new. I have a ceramic bladed kitchen knife from Boker that is over 10 years old. It stays sharp for 10 years; if handled right. So, I just got my sharpened for the first time.
While it is a great chef knife, it does take much more delicate handling. The ceramic will chip and break much easier than any metal.
I have seen these and have even thought about buying some. They are crazy expensive!!! I have a set of Henckel 4 stars and are restaurant quality knives. They do not stay sharp for ten years, but there is something very satisfying when you sharpen your knives with a good old fashion Whetstone. It really adds that personal touch, but you have to be really serious about your knives to put that much time into it.
These ceramic blades look much better than they stay sharp. The sharpened edge microchips by itself. Even with proper use and storage larger chips happen. Also, how they are sharpened, at an oblique angle, just isn’t sharp to begin with, and due to ceramic properties there is no other way to sharpen them.
I agree. I have seen ceramic knives used and even worked in a restaurant that the chef swore by them, but nothing beats the weight and durability of a steel blade. A knife is more than about how sharpe it is but also about balance and weight. The ceramic knives don’t do that for me.
Funny story. While on a trip to Japan a while ago (say 4 years or so), i was in a big Japanese department store and found a Kyocera ceramic blade mandolin type slicer that I wanted. Wasn’t expensive (can’t remember the price, but it was an impulse buy so it couldn’t have been much. $50 maybe?). It came with a free bonus ceramic knife. I don’t think I’ve ever used the slicer but use the knife almost daily (it’s about a 6in multi-purpose size). The thing is amazing! Never dulls.
My main knife set is a Global Japan hardened SS assortment, but I find the sharpness and weight of the ceramic to be far superior. I’ve luckily never dropped or chipped it, but I hear the same difficulties to some extent are also the case with Global knives (which I do have a ceramic sharpener for but seem to dull after 6mo. or so).
I actually never realized how expensive ceramic knives were until i sought out another similar knife an found it was $300+ compared to the $150 Global!
I would have to disagree with the opinion that ceramic blades are not that sharp. I remember about three years ago when my friend who is a executive chef at a country club bought his first ceramic knife. It was quite sharp and
,even better for my friend, almost weightless. The edge lastest for a long time, the only bad thing about the blade was that dropping it would have made it only useful for cutting butter.
I’m waiting to see consumer kitchen knives made out of amorphous steel! I would definitely be working on this if I had a knife company and a lot of $$.
Personally, I’d rather have a Hattori. Nothing is more impressive in person than damascus. Surprisingly they arent that much money either. Im heading to the home and housewares show on Monday, so Ill let you know what i think about the siliconzone knives.
They’re the real deal when it comes to professional chefs; well made, rugged, readily take an edge, and are really well balanced. None of that Rachel Ray / Emeril / Bobby Flay endorsed hokum that’s for sure.
I don’t have a clue what brand my old 10" chef’s knife is, it doesn’t have anything stamped into it. I inherited it from an old chef I worked with while in college; carbon steel, and the surface is totally discolored, but you drag that btch across a steel a couple of times and it’s time to rock’n roll; it will shave the fur off of your arm. I have an old 10" butcher’s knife made by Lennox (the saw blade people), and it’s in the same category … all work, and no looks.
Carbon steel’s the deal. The down side is that you do have to keep on top of it; which is harder to do at home than it is when you make your living using them.
Hanzo? I saw a Japenese clever like that, except the figuring in the “grain” was darker. I love folded steel and its production, something primal about hitting stuff with a hammer during prototype phase
No, I never said they’re bad. I like mine a lot. I’m just saying that I tend to use my medium size ceramic knife more often than the Global (I have 5 or 6 of various types/sizes) because I like the light weight and it’s always sharp.
Those Hanzo ones are also very nice, but also very pricey from what I’ve seen. Like double Global, IIRC (which aren’t cheap in the first place).
