Ceramic kitchen knives

Always Sharp Guarantee:

To sharpen simply mail your Tachi knife back to the distributor with

9.95 for return shipping.

I wonder how often they need sharpening?

jeff

Haven't tried them personally. They're supposed to be very sharp and stay sharp, but they are of course relatively brittle, so unlike a conventional steel knife you can break it fairly easily. I believe the infamous Harbor Freight carries one or two models.

Everything that is from HF and has sharp edges, does not stay sharp for long. I like their stuff that is welded, forged, but not sharp edged or motor powered.

I bought a 5" version from Harbor Freight and love it. Very sharp, does not stain. AFAIK does not respond to a metal detector, I think it is considered a plastic knife by TSA ;)

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** Posted from **

I have the HF 5" model, it is tough & sharp and doesn't stain or rust. It seems sharper than steel, and easily cuts the tough plastic bubble packages better than anything else i've tried. IIRC it is non-metallic and missed by metal detectors and I believe it is considered 'plastic' by TSA ;)

Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/

IIRC it is non-metallic

Actually, I just saw these made on the "How it's Made" TV show. For security concerns, they mix a small amount of metal powder in the knife so it Does set off the metal detectors.

Without looking on fleabay I can say I have a nice set Kyocera Classic Ceramics.

They works VERY well for routine kitchen work. the edge is sharper than most of my steel blades and holds it a long time. They don't stain when used to cut acidic foods, and they slice straight due to the low friction of the ceramic. It is possible to sharpen them if you dull the edge HOWEVER I would suggest sending them back to the company as the edge requires more than just a diamond stone to sharpen it properly.

Drawbacks, the blades CAN be fragile, it depends on who actually made them and how they finished them. You also want a GOOD wood or plastic cutting board, just like the ones you want for steel blades. That keeps the edge from being damaged and worn. NO HAMMERING ON THE BACKSTRAP!!!

The top names in ceramics are Kyocera, Tachi, Shenzhen (who also make ceramic blades for a couple of the HIGH end steel blade companies)

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:22:21 -0600, the infamous Ignoramus6517 scrawled the following:

I bought a 6" chef's knife about 4 years ago and used it happily for about a year, when I broke it. I was cutting down through a head of cabbage when it got through the dense core and started speeding down at the cutting board. As it hit, it shattered at the junction of the handle, breaking into two pieces. Up until then, I had adored the thing. While it was just as sharp at the end of the year as it was new, it is said that they can be honed on diamond plates.

I remain a strong proponent of ceramic knives.

Ig, I have two caveats for you:

1) Shock is your enemy. Don't allow it to hit the cutting board very hard or fast. 2) The cutting edge is brittle. Don't try to cut bone or attempt to cut frozen items. And resist rotating the knife in the cut, but rocking is OK. (I learned anti-rotation with a tiny 1/16" chip, but the chipped edge is just as sharp, so it didn't diminish the cutting capacity. (google "flintknapping")

Other than that, they're really great knives. Go for it! The top brands cost about triple that price.

-- Latin: It's not just for geniuses any more.

Are these similar to the glass knives that were peddled in the 1940's and 1950's? They had the same keen cutting edge and shattering problem. Mom wouldn't buy one because they just didn't seem safe.

Paul

Is that true for knives made in China?

Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/

Hi Iggy,

I had one and I do a lot of cooking. A friend brought it back from Japan as a gift for me. It was sharp but it did not slice things like tomatoes as well as my steel knives. I must say I keep my knives razor sharp and a bare 20-degree edge. I don't think the ceramic knives can get that fine an angle without the risk of chipping.

I used it for about 5 weeks and finally went back to steel. I have a knife made in Brazil and labeled "Surgical Stainless" It holds an edge for many weeks and I regularly hack through chicken wings cutting up raw wings for my cat. I use it like a cleaver and it is amazing.

I didn't look at the ebay one but if it is within your disposable budget then get and try it. I was also given a ceramic blade potato peeler and that rests untouched after a few weeks trial.

this sounds dubious.

It does, especially since the usual reason for adding metal powder to ceramics is to (1) allow lower-temperature sintering, and thus to lower cost; or (2) to increase toughness. That's what cermet cutting inserts are all about.

It wouldn't surprise me if they were using cermet technology in knives for the same reason. It *would* surprise me if they were doing it for metal detection.

-- Ed Huntress

I've only played with the first generation of Kyocera kitchen knives from over 10 years ago. I'm pretty sure they were 100% alumina.

They are very sharp and just beg to be broken or chipped. The novelty factor aside, it's not really clear to me what they offer over a good carbon steel knife, which nobody seems to sell anymore.

On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:06:51 -0800 (PST), the infamous " snipped-for-privacy@coinet.com" scrawled the following:

No, I strongly doubt it. These are metallic ceramic called "zirconia", aka "man-made diamond", which I believe hadn't been invented back then.

Tempered glass. Not the same at all, Paul.

-- Latin: It's not just for geniuses any more.

What was the troble with the potato peeler/

By the way, has anyone ever heard of ceramic 3 blade safety razors? I vaguely recall seeing something about them on a doco a while ago, but nothing since. Maybe they never wear out. That would leave Gillette in deep trouble.

Zirconia (zirconium dioxide) is not man-made diamond. It's just another ceramic. Man-made diamond is...man-made diamond.

Zirconia is the material used to make Mitutoyo's Cerablock gage blocks.

I see you read those links about Latin. d8-)

-- Ed Huntress

Oh, wait, I remember where you got the diamond thing. You're talking about cubic zirconia, which is a form that's clear crystal, used as artificial gem diamonds.

It still isn't diamond, man-made or otherwise. But you probably know that. The ceramic zirconia usually is white.

-- Ed Huntress

You got to be kidding! Made from Zirconia? You ought to read the warning labels on electronic gear with zirconia ceramic in them. They basically tell you to get into a moon suit whenever touching the component. (Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong ceramic, or that hazard has been reevaluated.) Anyway, I suspect if you drop it, it will be in a million pieces. Not real good to drop knives anyway. I also suspect the blades would chip easily. So, don't put them in the dishwasher.

Jon