Today, typical metals used to manufacturing knives come from the carbon steel or stainless steel families.
Each materials has its pros and cons. The battle between these two types of metal is equal to a fight between maintenance and performance. Stainless steel is a popular because it resists corrosion and is easy to maintain. Carbon steel is also a popular choice because it tends to be much tougher, durable and easier to sharpen than stainless steel, It is also well known to have a sharper edge than stainless.
The problem with non-stainless knives is that they rust very fast if you don’t take care of it. If you don’t have the habit to dry or wipe your knife often during the use, then you might choose the option stainless steel. The rust resistance property of stainless, though, comes at a price. Stainless tends to be a softer form of steel. Carbon steel stays sharper longer than stainless and is easier to sharpen. For some, this might be important, because knives don’t stay very sharp for long when frequently used. Of course they stay sharp enough to do their job reasonably well, but they won’t be highly precised sharp that can cut a super thin piece of onion.
If you’re willing to invest more time and care, than the carbon steel knife is for you. Additionally, carbon steel knives can be sharpen more easily and have a sharper edge than most of stainless steel knives.
The downside of carbon steel knives is that they are more fragile and also rusts and stains easily. For Daniel Gritzer (culinary director), this downside part of carbon steel can only be a good thing. As knife is one of cook’s most important item, it should be treated with great care. So carbon steel won’t let you get lazy because it demands to be treated well, and in return it gives you that wonderful sharp edges that you could ever hope for.
Shanghai Metal Corporation is the leading manufacturer of materials that you need to make the perfect knife, whether if it is the stainless steel or carbon steel one. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We have English speaking staffs that will be very glad to help you. Don’t forget to follow us on social media to get the latest news of our products.
Sources : Wikipedia, zknives.com, seriouseats.com, seriouseats.com
Ayu P.//SMC Editor
Shanghai Metal Corporation 