Ceramic vs Steel

P

Pier23

Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
64
Hi all,

Newbie knife guy here with a newbie question:

What are the pros/cons regarding ceramic vs steel blades?

ALSO...

Can someone point me to a tutorial on the various common blade steels? AUS8 vs Unobtanium vs 98Xvvb vs SuperNitratedCryo-x/57....
 
CERAMIC VS METAL
HOW DOES A CERAMIC KNIFE DIFFER FROM A METAL KNIFE?
The only difference is the material the blade is made out of. If you know anything about knives, you’ll know the blade is the most important part of the knife, thus making ceramic and metal knives very different. What happens when you replace the most important part of a knife? You’ll get a bunch of pros and cons.

PROS – FOR ITS PRICE, THERE BETTER BE SOME PROS.
SHARPNESS - The materials that make up a ceramic blade is very hard. It’s the second hardest material, right after diamonds. After it has been sharpened, it can keep its razor sharp edge and will not wear out. If you ever do need to sharpen it, most of the manufacturers will sharpen it for free. Manufacturers of metals knives will never offer you that service since they need to be sharpened so often.
ODORS - Ceramic material is not very porous at all. This keeps the blade from transferring odors from one food item to another. You can cut something spicy, give it a quick rinse and then cut something else. The spiciness won’t transfer to the next food item.
SANITARY - Ceramic blades are very dense, with very little pores. Just like your face, the fewer pores there are, the less dirt and grime can get into the pores. A quick rinse in warm water will get your ceramic knife a lot cleaner than a thorough scrubbing on a metal knife.
WEIGHT - Ceramic material is very light weight. The lighter the weight, the less strain on your arms and shoulders. You can rip through all your cutting like a pro.
RUST - No metal means no rust.
CONS – IT’S NOT PERFECT.
BRITTLENESS - Hardness doesn’t mean it isn’t breakable. Ceramic knives aren’t meant to cut hard food such as frozen foods, bones, or anything that isn’t easily sliced. The blade is sharpened so thin that anything hard can put a chip on the tip. The knife can be dropped tip down without shattering, but the thin tip and edge can chip away. Chips can be fixed with a sharpening but we still do not recommend it. If you dropped a metal knife tip down, the blade would bend and require a professional alignment as well.
PRICE TAG - I really don’t think they are too expensive compared to other high end steel knives. All ceramic knives are very high end. But the lack of low end models makes cost an issue.
VERSATILITY - It is not the most versatile knife in the kitchen. It doesn’t make a great all purpose knife, but it does excel at it’s intended purpose, slicing! Save those rough tasks for you butcher’s knife.
 
Pier23 said:
Hi all,

Newbie knife guy here with a newbie question:

What are the pros/cons regarding ceramic vs steel blades?

ALSO...

Can someone point me to a tutorial on the various common blade steels? AUS8 vs Unobtanium vs 98Xvvb vs SuperNitratedCryo-x/57....
Click to expand...

Other than maybe a paring knife size I wouldn't recommend bothering with a ceramic knife.

I've never seen a pro Chef using any of the larger ones. Just one that liked his little ceramic paper that I sharpen for him.

Ceramic are made thicker than most steel and they wedge when cutting carrots etc. Also Ceramic knives aren't any more sanitary than steel and you will find reems of BS like that on the inter-net as reasons why Ceramic is somehow safer and cleaner that stainless steel culinary knives.

Stainless has a slight degree of an anti microbial effect and ceramic has none.

Then there is sharpening. I can sharpen any steel knife and ceramic. Most sharpeners cannot sharpen ceramic because they don't have any abrasives hard enough to and will tell you to send it back to the factory and for a $40.00 knife it isn't worth it.

People buy the ceramics and after the FAD factor wears off, they come back to steel.
 
jill jackson said:
CERAMIC VS METAL
If you ever do need to sharpen it, most of the manufacturers will sharpen it for free. Manufacturers of metals knives will never offer you that service since they need to be sharpened so often.
Click to expand...
Sorry but this is just blatantly wrong. Spyderco, benchmade, cutco...all offer free sharpening. Just to name a few off the top of my head. It's not unique to ceramic knives. All they ask is that you cover shipping which is more than reasonable.

OP-IMO these are fad knives being pushed onto consumers that know nothing about knives. I'm sure a new ceramic knife is a wonder when all you've experienced in your life is the 20 year old, dull as a butter knife, ginsu that's been rattling around in the silverware drawer. I think Rhinoknives1 is speaking the truth. Full disclosure though, I've never owned a ceramic knife but only because I can't see how a ceramic knife would be better in any category, with the exception of rust resistance, when compared to steel.
 
Shotgun said:
Sorry but this is just blatantly wrong. Spyderco, benchmade, cutco...all offer free sharpening. Just to name a few off the top of my head. It's not unique to ceramic knives. All they ask is that you cover shipping which is more than reasonable.

OP-IMO these are fad knives being pushed onto consumers that know nothing about knives. I'm sure a new ceramic knife is a wonder when all you've experienced in your life is the 20 year old, dull as a butter knife, ginsu that's been rattling around in the silverware drawer. I think Rhinoknives1 is speaking the truth. Full disclosure though, I've never owned a ceramic knife but only because I can't see how a ceramic knife would be better in any category, with the exception of rust resistance, when compared to steel.
Click to expand...

Yeah I know it's wrong. I was just trying to copy some info online quickly for the op and I agree with RhinoKnives as well. Next time I won't be so fast to post. I don't like ceramic blades either. :o
 
Don't drop a ceramic blade on a hard surface! You may be picking up many little blades that are less functional. I consider that to be a big advantage of steel over ceramic.
 
Just make sure the ceramic blade is high quality ceramic. I bought a cheap ceramic kitchen knife a while back, and within a week or two, it was riddled with chips. Hardness and toughness are often opposites. The advantage of certain steels are that they can bend, and not break. There is very seldom, if ever, any give on ceramic items. They either break or don't, like glass. Hope that made sense.
 
Thanks, all!

I am seeing firms offering ceramic folders. It sounds as if this is not an optimal use for ceramic?

I got no dog in this fight, just curious about the types of knives being developed and their purposes.

Thx!
 
What I've seen in life has been that two types of people find ceramics: the kitchen slicer or the person who owns William Henry level folders. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground. They sure aren't outdoor knives.
 
I have a few relatives who bought cheap ceramic kitchen knives. Previously they had mostly cheap knives & never sharpened. They love the ceramic.
I think they probably work well for people who never intend to sharpen a knife.
 
jill jackson said:
CERAMIC VS METAL
HOW DOES A CERAMIC KNIFE DIFFER FROM A METAL KNIFE?
The only difference is the material the blade is made out of. If you know anything about knives, you’ll know the blade is the most important part of the knife, thus making ceramic and metal knives very different. What happens when you replace the most important part of a knife? You’ll get a bunch of pros and cons.

PROS – FOR ITS PRICE, THERE BETTER BE SOME PROS.
SHARPNESS - The materials that make up a ceramic blade is very hard. It’s the second hardest material, right after diamonds. After it has been sharpened, it can keep its razor sharp edge and will not wear out. If you ever do need to sharpen it, most of the manufacturers will sharpen it for free. Manufacturers of metals knives will never offer you that service since they need to be sharpened so often.
ODORS - Ceramic material is not very porous at all. This keeps the blade from transferring odors from one food item to another. You can cut something spicy, give it a quick rinse and then cut something else. The spiciness won’t transfer to the next food item.
SANITARY - Ceramic blades are very dense, with very little pores. Just like your face, the fewer pores there are, the less dirt and grime can get into the pores. A quick rinse in warm water will get your ceramic knife a lot cleaner than a thorough scrubbing on a metal knife.
WEIGHT - Ceramic material is very light weight. The lighter the weight, the less strain on your arms and shoulders. You can rip through all your cutting like a pro.
RUST - No metal means no rust.
CONS – IT’S NOT PERFECT.
BRITTLENESS - Hardness doesn’t mean it isn’t breakable. Ceramic knives aren’t meant to cut hard food such as frozen foods, bones, or anything that isn’t easily sliced. The blade is sharpened so thin that anything hard can put a chip on the tip. The knife can be dropped tip down without shattering, but the thin tip and edge can chip away. Chips can be fixed with a sharpening but we still do not recommend it. If you dropped a metal knife tip down, the blade would bend and require a professional alignment as well.
PRICE TAG - I really don’t think they are too expensive compared to other high end steel knives. All ceramic knives are very high end. But the lack of low end models makes cost an issue.
VERSATILITY - It is not the most versatile knife in the kitchen. It doesn’t make a great all purpose knife, but it does excel at it’s intended purpose, slicing! Save those rough tasks for you butcher’s knife.
Click to expand...

Very well said!
 
Kyocera is the best as far as I know and their black ceramic is their better one !! The DIY sharpening is risky as micro scratches are the cause of brittleness .You have to know what you're doing.
 
... can anyone recommend one? Be patient with this request. Please read further for my purpose

I'm slowly starting a small knife collection intended eventually for my ( age 3) Grandson, and hope to have various knives with various blades (damascus, flat hollow, etc.), scales (G10, titanium, wood), locks (liner, frame, axis), steels, shapes and manufacturers. All are ~ 3" inch (pocket) blades. Cost from $5 to $200 - emphasis on real value/bang-for-the-buck. (Those are also learned skills!) I am putting much thought and research into this. This forum has been especially helpful!

Right now, no specific "kniving" purpose is intended for any of them. They will be strictly learning tools for him (and, hopefully a kind remembrance of me).

Just bought the Boker Plus Damascus Gent II (Example of gentleman blade, damascus steel and ebony wood handle).

Next up............ceramic blade.

Help?
 
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