Carbon steel knives

Carbon steel knives for long cutting life

Now that stainless steel knives have established themselves in most kitchens, blades made of carbon steel (also called carbon steel or C-steel) are gaining a lot of popularity among amateur and professional chefs who are convinced of the advantages of the material. Stainless steel is a popular material for knives because they are relatively easy to maintain and always shine beautifully. Carbon steel blades, on the other hand, require a touch more care and develop a visible patina over time, but this has no effect on cutting performance.

Carbon steel knives are not stainless

Due to the high carbon content and the lack of chromium, the blades of carbon steel knives are not stainless. For this reason, however, to say that they are in need of care, we think is an exaggeration. You should rinse carbon steel blades with water after use and dry them directly to preserve the blade and prevent rusting. By the way, this applies to every knife, because even stainless steel knives should be cleaned and dried after use and have no business in the dishwasher.

After use, the blades of the knives acquire a discoloration that bothers some aesthetes and is loved by others. This is simply a matter of taste.

Kitchen knives with long-lasting edge

When slicing, chopping, cutting, filleting or carving, non-stainless kitchen knives impress with their sharpness and edge retention. In the case of so-called carbon steel knives, the carbon content is between 0.5 and 1.4 percent. The increased carbon content means that the blades of the kitchen knives are harder and can therefore be ground thinner and sharper. The grind wears more slowly and, in addition, the knife can be easily re-sharpened with a sharpening steel. Stainless steel blades tend to microchip, which means that over time, seen under a magnifying glass, the blade virtually turns into a mini-saw. With a carbon steel blade, on the other hand, this does not happen, which is why the blade is as smooth as a razor blade. It is generally recommended to cut on gentle surfaces, such as chopping blocks or wooden cutting boards.