Dirt cheap ceramic knives

[Infinite north]

I cook for a living and have an obsession with kitchen knives. one type of knife that I have never really had any interest in are ceramic knives. While they are very sharp they are so easy to damage. When kitchens get busy your gear needs to be able to take some abuse. I have worked with a few people who had their expensive ceramics break. the high cost of them used to be a drawback also, I remember that not too many years ago they could cost hundreds of dollars for a single knife because of limited production. the edge on the blade can make it hard to cut waxy skinned items as well.

I found some at harbor freight tools the other day and they are just too cheap to pass up. while the sharpness might not compare to a kyocera, it's more than acceptable for cooking at home.

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/?category=&q=ceramic+knife

[didjamatic]

Very cool!  Have you used them yet? I've wanted some ceramics but the price is a killer.  I looked at the Kyos but bought my wife a block of Messermeister knives.  They are incredible, but require sharpening periodically.

[Infinite north]

Yeah I picked up the paring knife because it was the cheapest, just to get a feel for it. without testing it side by side it seems comparably sharp to any I have used in the past. I don't know how durable it is comparatively but the chemical components should be pretty similar as there is only one way to make these knives. I plan on grabbing some more for a friend.

If anyone is going to get some of these I would suggest that they skip the 5in utility. the paring and the chefs are pretty much all you would need. some people don't like to use chefs knives though so I suppose that it comes down to personal taste.

[Rajagra]

Somebody made a straight razor from a ceramic blade. Conclusions:
"Ceramic is not that fun to hone"
And later:
"I decided to not waste my time with it anymore"

A sad end to a project that had raised people's hopes. A bit like the shaving equivalent of the Miniguru.



200X closeup of edge:

[EverythingIBM]

I just use plain old stainless steel knives. But then again, I don't chop up things every day, and I mostly enjoy making pasta -- my model M loves pasta too it seems.

[elbowglue]

Hm I am interested in trying out a ceramic blade too...  What do you think about this one to try: http://www.amazon.com/eMark-Delux-3inch-Ceramic-Paring/dp/B003A8RPM0/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1277249450&sr=8-15  It would be free shipping for me..

Do you guys think that cheap ceramic blades work as well as pricey ones in general?

[chimera15]

I've had ceramic pocket knives for like a decade.  Once the manufacturer edge is worn, it becomes very very difficult, even with diamond sharpening whetstones to put another good really sharp edge back on the blade.  You have to send it back to the factory basically.   It's a major pain.

Also they're useless to pry or do anything that requires torque like you can with a metal blade.

[Rajagra]

Is that yellow sticker a warning that the knife may have sharp edges? Say it isn't so. Even by U.S. standards that would be lame.

[Infinite north]

I like that you wouldn't get him one but you needed one yourself.

Do you guys think that cheap ceramic blades work as well as pricey ones in general?

I am sure you do get what you pay for in a way. the only thing is you probably won't dull the knife any time soon unless you neglect it. butchers typically have their knives professionally sharpened every other week at the latest. good sushi chefs hone their knives every day. most people don't know how to maintain a knife edge so ceramics are great because the edge is retained with little care.

I doubt you would benefit from spending more money on a very similar knife. spending more money without rigorously using the knife is kind of pointless. the quality you would get would be unnoticeable for the most part.