A New Option In Knives- Ceramic Blades

[ROGER4314]

I've bought, sold and collected knives all of my life. My interest has also extended to cooking/kitchen knives. It gripes me no end to use a kitchen knife that is dull and has a cheap, crappy handle with steel or stainless so soft it's like sharpening a butter knife. I had some real nice French knives once but they are long gone.

Recently, I came upon a new option in kitchen knives.....The ceramic blade!

My favorite store Harbor Freight is carrying three sizes of ceramic bladed knives so I bought one of each size. The term: "like a hot knife through butter" applies here. The knives cut like razors and the cost is about $9-15 dollars each.

There are some negatives. Ceramic knives will chip if used for prying and if dropped, could break. That means I'm keeping them for my own use and I'll need to hide them from Bonnie if I want to keep them intact.

I wonder though, if you guys had a source for GOOD knives that a normal person could still afford. I'm looking for good quality handles and steel or stainless that is hard enough to hold an edge. Cost must be less than insane.

I posted here because these knives are for cooking, not for defense.

Flash

 

[robin303]

I came from family that owned resturants and from my Dad, Aunt & Uncle and all had good cooking stuff. I have this and I even saw this at Target a few yrs ago.
J.A. HENCKELS INTERNATIONAL Good stuff and just wait untill you cut your first tomato.

 

[Designated]

I like wusthof for higher end knifes that are fairly common, J A Henkels are good and usually cheaper too but my wife has bent the tips on several she said she never pried anything with them. I have owned both and use wusthof now.

 

[Texasjack]

"..Harbor Freight.." "..$9-15.." "..GOOD knives that a normal person could still afford.."

If I key in on those phrases, it would appear that you are looking for $5 knives that are amazing.

You'll find them in the same store that sells $50 guns that are amazing.

Good knives have quality steel (1095, O1, 5160, S30V, CPM, ATS-34, etc.) and have quality heat treating. Those steels are not easy to work and bad heat treating makes them useless. Then there's quality construction of the handle and guard, maybe even a good sheath. A good knife - like a good gun - will last for several generations. They can take a lot of punishment (unlike ceramic) and can be resharpened and can hold an edge for a decent amount of time. They are hard to make and cost a bit more than cheap knives. A friend of mine made a quality knife for a soldier friend of ours. The soldier chopped through an 8" wall of adobe to make a firing port while under attack in Afghanistan. The next day, he loaned it to some Specfor guys to skin a goat. That's what a quality knife can do.

Crappy knives are made in China or Pakistan. They have steels like "surgical steel" (which is not the name of any real steel, so they just don't want you to know how bad it is) or "440A" (which is better suited for spoons). You can take a good knife and use it to chop a bad knife in two or slice off the edge. They're very shiny and they are often very, very cheap. If you buy them, buy several because they will not last long.

 

[nalioth]

Sabatier (made by Thiers-Issard) is a good kitchen knife. These knives are French, and have an elephant logo on them. They're made of carbon steel (not stainless) for a really good edge.

The "Sabatier" name is also used on "knife sets" you'll find at the mega-mall - these are not "professional quality"

If the Sabatier doesn't have an elephant logo, it's probably made by John Chinaman.

 

[ROGER4314]

..Harbor Freight.." "..$9-15.." "..GOOD knives that a normal person could still afford.."
If I key in on those phrases, it would appear that you are looking for $5 knives that are amazing.
You'll find them in the same store that sells $50 guns that are amazing.

OK, OK you got me! Be a poot....................

I was just so impressed at how damned sharp those ceramic knives were. I know what a quality knife is about. In fact, I had a job in Tulsa where I had access to a Rockwell "C" hardness tester and checked scores of knives for RC hardness then used and compared them. Stainless blades tended to be pretty soft but good, carbon steel blades were about RC 56 and held a wonderful edge. They also turned to a lump of coal in my sweaty pocket!

Now about GOOD kitchen knives...................

Flash

 

[ROGER4314]

Been using my cheapie ceramic knives from Harbor Freight for a while, now. I like 'em! The buggers are sharp!

Flash

 

[cuate]

Ceramic, Steel, whatever....I don't think I can ever chop stuff like Emeril Lagasse & the rest, my fingers get in the way....Ouch !!!

 

[lalonguecarabine]

Ceramic, Steel, whatever....I don't think I can ever chop stuff like Emeril Lagasse & the rest, my fingers get in the way....Ouch !!!

...soooooooooo...
I take it you won't be first in line for a lightsaber when they finally come out.