Why does a forged knife...

Shmackey

Shmackey

Joined
May 5, 2000
Messages
1,478
...from a good kitchen-knife company cost $75 if the best folders out there, for three times the price, come with blades that aren't forged?
 
Forged on most tools/parts just means the the metal was shaped by compressive forces, this does *not* imply a handmade product as it can be done with machines. However a forged custom knife usually implies it was hand forged using a hammer this requires much more time and obviously skill.

-Cliff
 
Both Henkles and Trident use drop forging. Simply this is about a 30 foot tall machine that has two steel dies, one top and one bottom. The operator simply places a piece of red hot steel on top of the bottom die. Then he releases the top die. They strike together with many many tons of force (upwards of 20-30 I believe). As the top die lifts back into striking position the now fully forged blade is removed and the next piece of hot bar is put in place. A skilled operator can "forge" one knife every 5-6 seconds. The only part of the operation at these factories that is not done by machines is sharpening and boxing. For EVERY other part no human hands are involved.
 
Aha. That makes sense. I've never taken seriously the idea that forged kitchen knives are inherently better than their nonforged partners. Go to any foodservice establishment and see what they use; unless it's a high-end restaurant and the chef brings his or her own knives, they're going to be stamped Forschners or an equivalent.

Seems to me that the real difference between, say, an $80 Henckels and a $20 Forschner chef's knife is the weight. That's really a personal preference and it has nothing to do with the forging.

I have a few "foodservice quality" knives coming soon. Will report...
 
I believe that for many years the only way you could get a distal taper on a knife made on a production line was by drop forging. Doing ti with stock removal really isn't an option when you make 10,000 of something. That affects the balance of the knife.

Nowadays with laser cutting machinery I'm not sure it is still true.
 
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