A kitchen is as good as its knives – a saying that pretty much sums up the importance of having a quality knife in your arsenal. The knife-making process is a multi-step affair that takes hard work and dedication to get right.
Knives are made from metals that must be heat-treated to increase their hardness and keep the blade in the right toughness range for years of consistent use. This is done using different heat treatment methods like quenching and annealing.
Material
The material used to make a quality knife determines its durability, sharpness, and appearance. It also helps to ensure that it can be used safely and without risk of harm.
Stainless steel is a popular choice for knives because of its rust-resistant properties. It comes in different grades and compositions to suit different needs, but it’s important to choose the right one for your purposes.
Carbon steel is an excellent material to use for knife blades because it offers superior hardness and long-lasting sharpness. It’s also easier to sharpen than stainless steel, but it doesn’t hold an edge as well and is susceptible to rust and corrosion.
Tool steel is another great option for knife blades because it offers a combination of hardness and toughness. It can be forged and polished to produce a high-quality edge that’s ideal for cutting through abrasive materials. It’s a good choice for knives that are intended for survival, hunting, and pocket knives.
Design
The design of a quality knife is a key element in its performance and long-term durability. It should be well-balanced, offer a high level of ergonomics and have an aesthetically pleasing design.
One of the best ways to measure a knife’s balance is by placing your finger on the handle, holding it horizontally and watching whether or not it can remain stable while you cut with it. If it can’t, the knife is likely overly heavy and not suitable for your needs.
A good knife should also be easy to maintain, ensuring it stays sharp and in tip-top shape between product preparations. This includes the use of a quality sharpening steel and keeping it clean.
There are two primary methods used to make knives- stamped and forged. Stamped models are made from large sheets of stainless steel, whereas forged models are hand crafted from solid metal. Generally, forged blades are less expensive and hold an edge longer than their stamped counterparts.
Heat Treating
Heat treating your knife is an important step to ensure the blade’s hardness, toughness and suitability for its intended use. Typically, the process is done in a forge, furnace, oxygen acetylene torch or heat-treating oven.
Heat treatment can be carried out on a variety of metals, including carbon, copper, magnesium, aluminium, nickel and titanium. A variety of methods are used for heat treatment, ranging from annealing, normalizing, stress relieving and case hardening to nitriding.
The first phase of the heat treatment involves heating steel to a critical temperature, called austenite, that causes the internal crystal structure to begin to become fluid. When the steel is quickly quenched from this state, it becomes extremely hard but brittle and requires tempering. Tempering reduces excess hardness and brittleness, making the material more suitable for many applications.
Finishing
A quality knife needs to have the finishing process done right. It’s the last step in the production process that gives a knife its look, feel and personality.
There are several kinds of finishes that can be used for a blade, all of which add a unique style to the final product. Some have a minimal effect on performance, others have a larger impact.
Mirror Finishing
The main advantage of mirror finishing is that it increases sharpness, durability and corrosion resistance. Metals have micro-sized holes or scraches that are invisible to the human eye but can lead to rust when food or water goes into them.
Mirror finishing can smoothen these areas to avoid rust. Additionally, it can improve the appearance of knives by reducing reflective glare. It also allows the user to see the cutting edge better. This can be an important feature for chefs, especially in Japanese cuisine where fish is often sliced delicately with knives.