The knife was one of the first tools used by early humans, and in
the past thousands of years its use and its design have evolved
considerably. Today there are several different kinds of knives, made
from a variety of materials, and used as tools, for cooking and other
purposes. Let’s take a look at the main types of knives that are
presently available.
Carbon Steel
Carbon Steel has been used in the making of blades for many years. Knives made from carbon steel are tough and take a better edge with little effort. However,
carbon steel blades discolor when they come in contact with foods that
are high in acid, such as tomatoes and citrus fruit and the blades must
be treated with care to avoid discoloration and rusting. If
you are using carbon steel knives you should wash and dry them
thoroughly after use. Some box cutter and utility knife blades are made
from carbon steel.
Stainless Steel
Unlike
carbon steel, stainless steel blades do not discolor or rust, however,
they are not hard enough to maintain the best edge. Some utility knives and box cutter blades are made from stainless steel.
High Carbon Stainless Steel
Knives
made from high carbon stainless steel offer a combination of the best
attributes of carbon steel and stainless steel blades. They
have the toughness and ability to hold an edge and, like stainless
steel blades, they do not discolor when coming in contact with acidic
foods.
Titanium
Titanium blades are made
from a mold of titanium and carbides. When compared to steel, titanium
is lighter, more wear resistant, and holds its edge longer. The
titanium blade is more flexible than steel, they work best for tasks
such as boning and filleting.
Ceramic
Ceramic
blades are made of zirconium oxide and aluminum oxide. Although they
are much more delicate than steel knives, they tend to hold their edge
up to 10 times longer. However, once the blades have dulled, they must be sharpened by a professional.
Plastic
Plastic
knife blades are primarily used in order to prevent vegetables and
other edible items from becoming discolored from the blade of a knife.
Plastic blades are not very sharp and require some force when cutting.
Hollow Ground
Hollow
ground knife blades are manufactured with a process that fuses two
separate pieces of metal together. After the pieces are fused, a
beveled blade edge is created. Although these blades often have very
sharp edges, the blade lacks the balance and longevity of a taper
ground blade. This type of blade is most often found on knives that are
used less frequently.
Taper Ground
Taper
ground knives are manufactured with a single sheet of metal and are
ground so that they taper smoothly from the spine to the cutting edge.
This type of blade can be found on knives that are used frequently.
There
you have it. These are the most common types of knives that are
commonly available. The next time you buy a knife think about how you
will use the knife and then choose one constructed from the materials
that best match your purpose.
Tom Knapp writes
for Safecutters, Inc., distributor of the Klever Kutter and Klever
Koncept, two of the safest utility knives available. Klever Kutter
virtually eliminates the risk of workplace injuries, while the
permanently shielded blade protects packaged products. Klever Kutter
has been approved by the Department of Homeland Security for safe air
transport. For more information about Klever Kutter and other
Safecutters products, visit www.safecutters.com.
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