drawback is a doozy: they chip easily and are
unrepairable. A metal knife is flexible, which means that
on a microscopic level, the sharp edge of its blade is
constantly bending and deforming according to the
varying pressures being applied along its length. Because
of its crystalline structure, a ceramic blade, on the other
hand, is extraordinarily brittle. Even the slightest shearing
motion with the blade can cause it to chip or crack along
the edge, relegating it to the “completely useless but I’ll
keep it anyway because I’m still holding out hope”
drawer. These knives are also very light, which, for some
people (like me), can be a deterrent.- Stainless steel used to be the material for suckers: hard,
pretty, and easy to maintain but completely unable to form
a suitably sharp edge. These days, as materials science
continues to advance, stainless steel knives are becoming
more and more attractive, since they combine the easy-
sharpening characteristics of carbon steel with the easy
cleanup and rust- and tarnish-free nature of stainless steel.
I still love my carbon steel knives, but to be honest, I’ve
got more stainless knives in the kitchen now.
Knives and Cutting Boards
When you are purchasing new knives, the price range and
variance in quality level can be truly staggering. I mean,
you can hit the local megastore and find a twenty-four-piece
set priced to give you knives at a couple bucks a shot, or
you can spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a
single knife. What gives?
Here’s the truth: Once you get to a certain level of