Types of Knife Blades | Unlimited Guide From 2023

When it comes to picking your next new knife shape, there might be nothing more vital than the knife shape of the blade it comes with. Consider the usage that you are going to be putting your knife ideas, & you are sure to choose a winner.

When you go through our website looking for your Types of Knife Blades And Shapes, keep in mind that blade shapes vary greatly depending on the style philosophy of the maker. It has come into vogue to throw the word ‘modified’ into the mix when Types of Knife Blades And Shapes don’t strictly adhere to traditional definitions. With your knowledge amped up a few degrees.

Types of Knife Blades In 2023

Types of Knife Blades In 2022

Although kitchen knives may all look the same to the untrained eye, we know better. Each type of blade has the peculiarities that make it suitable for a given task.

Here are the types of knife blades:

1. Straight Blade Knife

It is the classic tool used to cut raw meat and as a carving knife, It is a multi-purpose tool because it can also be used to cut fish and to slice and chop vegetables.

If kept SHARP like a razor blade, it allows for clean, precise cuts. You can sharpen it with the classic kitchen knife sharpener.

2. Knives With Serrated or Wavy Blades

The serrated blade is the ideal companion for cutting bread, skin-on meats such as deli meats and sausages, and skin-on fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, apples, and pears.

It is a blade that is usually quite thin and that, thanks to its teeth, allows some pressure to be exerted on food.

3. Granton Knives (Kullenschiff Blade)

The special feature of such a sheet is the presence of a groove on both sides. Thanks to this design solution, it is easy to cut foods with high moisture content, such as meat or certain fruits and vegetables.

The grooves prevent food from sticking to the blade, allowing you to make even cuts without tearing or shredding the meat.

What Materials Are Kitchen Knives Made of?

What Materials Are Kitchen Knives

The purpose of this article is to offer you an overview of the styles and materials of kitchen knives, to help you make an informed decision when choosing the right knife for your business, or simply to equip your kitchen with the best knives. essential tools.

The first thing to consider is the type of material they are made of.

1. Stainless Steel Knives

If you open your kitchen drawer and take a look at your knives, you will most likely find the STAINLESS STEEL mark printed somewhere. The vast majority of chefs’ knives are made of this same material.

What characterizes them is that

They have a high chromium content.
They do not present problems due to rust or corrosion.
However, you have to take good care of them and sharpen them quite often.

A fairly inexpensive and durable type of knife is the high-carbon knife, which, compared to other steel knives, is fairly easy to sharpen, even if you don’t have much experience.

However, it has disadvantages that it is important to know before choosing:

It stains easily.
It rusts easily.
It tends to leave a metallic taste in foods, especially acid ones (although over time this problem tends to disappear.
After each use, it must be carefully cleaned and dried before storing in the drawer.

2. Damascus Steel Knives

Its name makes one dream of distant lands, customs, traditions, ethnic food… Let’s return to reality and enter our kitchens, where Damascus knives are widely used in the preparation of classic Italian dishes from day to day.

What characterizes this type of knife?

Its basic component is Damascus steel, a type of hard metal that was used in the manufacture of ancient medieval swords.
It is a combination of at least two types of steel, which allows for to creation of the characteristic MOLDED EFFECT of these knives.
It is very resistant and allows to carry out even the heaviest culinary tasks.
They keep their edge for a long time, and when necessary they are easily sharpened.

3. Ceramic Knives

Ceramic-bladed types of knives have become a commonly used tool in many Italian kitchens. They are appreciated for several important advantages:

They have an extremely hard texture, making it easy to create a sharp, carefully polished edge.
They keep their edge for a long time.
They are light, which is a definite advantage because you will not tire your hand if you have to prepare several dishes of meat and vegetables.
They do not leave any flavour in the food.
They do not rust.
They do not stain.
They are designed to last a long time.

However, they must be handled with care because they are still ceramic and we know that this material can be damaged if it accidentally collides with something hard.

You also have to get a special tool to sharpen its blade, since the classic knife sharpener is not suitable.

4. Titanium Nitride Coated Knives

What immediately strikes you about these knives is their aesthetics. They have a golden appearance, which also makes them true DECORATIVE OBJECTS.

But let’s move on to his performance in the kitchen. The titanium nitride is not, as in the knives that we have just described, the type of material that makes up the structure of the knife: it is a coating. It is applied as a thin layer on ceramic knives to harden and protect them. In this way:

Extends the life of your knives even more.
Improves cutting properties.
It makes them aesthetically attractive.

Types of Sharpness of Kitchen Knives

Kitchen knives are simple tools, but they are used daily for a wide variety of culinary tasks, and in the long run, the edge we rely on can lose cutting effectiveness.

If you want to be able to trust your faithful cutting companions at all times, in addition to regularly sharpening them, it is important to take a closer look at their structural characteristics.

So grab one of your knives and take a close look at it. Do you see that each side of the blade has a polished edge? That edge is called a BEVEL.

Each kitchen knife bevel creates an angle that varies between fifteen and twenty-five degrees, and it is precisely this angle that must be maintained when sharpening with the proper knife steel
In pocket knives, which are generally used to cut rather hard objects, this angle can vary from twenty-five to thirty degrees.

Different edges require different sharpening devices and techniques, which is important to know to ensure your blades always perform optimally.

1. V Edge

It is a classic type of kitchen knife because it is easy to sharpen and maintains its sharpness for a long time. However, it tends to create a fairly fine edge.

Easily recognize a V-edge design by looking at how the blades slope from the centre to the edge, forming a symmetrical angle.

2. Double-Bevelled Edge

Also called a compound edge, it has a bevel made up of a larger V overlaid by a smaller V (called a “secondary bevel” or “relief angle”). The latter is intended to make the edge stronger and more resistant to rolling and less prone to cracking.

3. Chisel Edge

It is the typical edge that can be found in Japanese tools for cutting raw fish in sushi dishes, such as santoku knives and nakiri knives.

It can be easily recognized because the sharpening is present on only one side of the blade, thus forming a single primary bevel. Instead, the other side of the blade is straight and flat.

If you are left-handed and about to buy a knife with such a blade, be careful. There are variants made especially for those who use the left hand as their predominant hand.

The sharp side usually has a sharpening angle of between twenty and twenty-five degrees, making it extraordinarily fine and sharp, while the flat side has a zero angle.

4. Convex Edge

In this case, the leaves form two outward arches, sloping and crossing at the edge. This particular design requires greater use of steel in the construction of the edge, which makes it especially strong and sharp.

However, one aspect must be taken into account: such an edge requires some skill to be sharpened correctly with a household knife sharpener, since, over time, if the edge is not properly restored, it tends to lose its shape. original already become a very common L-edge.

5. Concave Edge

To understand the structure of this edge it may be helpful to recall our geometry classes in school. Being concave, the edge curves inwards, in the opposite direction to that of convex edges.

Apart from this, the blades are very sharp but have a fairly limited steel content near the edge, a detail that cannot be overlooked and makes them easily prone to damage and deterioration.

You can find this type of edge on cheap kitchen knives, but if you’re on a budget, a V-edge is a winning choice.

Conclusions

The different qualities of the materials used in the construction of the knives will make a difference in the preparation of your delicacies. When it comes to choosing the appropriate styles and features, it’s probably best to consider the types of foods that are most often prepared and choose your knife blade length accordingly.

Almost every knife in your kitchen probably has a conventional V-edge, which means that most knife sharpeners will work just fine, and your collection will be easy to keep fully operational.