Author Topic: Ceramic knives (Read 2077 times)

pastorp · « **on:** February 24, 2013, 12:22:17 AM »

Any one use them? Do they really have a lifetime edge? Are they prone to break?

All experiences appreciated.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #1 on:** February 24, 2013, 03:35:20 AM »

Good question Byron! I'd like to know myself!

I got a friend who swears by them but I'm a little skeptical myself... $:-\$

Joel · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2013, 09:24:49 AM »

Never had any desire to use one, since they're reputed to be brittle blades, but they do take a while to get dull....they do get dull. Trouble is there's no way to sharpen them at home that I've heard of. They can be sent back to the factory and sharpened....for a charge. Last I heard( several years ago) it was around $15.00. With casual use, the blade's supposed to stay sharp quite a while.

Empty Quiver · « **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2013, 09:37:33 AM »

They are sharp and brittle depending on how you use them they can be quite useful. Meat always on a cutting board, never apply torque to the blade, chopping up veggies same thing, cutting board and no torque.

Think on this. If they were all that great, you and everyone you know would already have one or more. They aren't really all that new any more.

I don't think they were too well suited to a carry type blade as you very rarely see them.

How hard is it, really, to get a good working edge on a kitchen knife?

Oldshooter · « **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2013, 09:53:05 AM »

Wife has one I dont go near it, dont wanna be the cause of that problem. like was said prolly good on a cutting board for veggies.

I use this baby to sharpen everything I have including yard tools and axes. you can make knives shave in seconds and I'm a lil lazy at times.

jparedes · « **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2013, 10:05:56 AM »

They are excellent for their intended use. Just think about the transition from using metal plates to ceramic plates and how much more careful you need to be not to chip them or break them.

Ceramic knives have come down in price and you can get them for about $10.00 at Harbor Freight, so buying one and acquiring experience on their use isn't out of the question, just buy one and do it.

They maintain their sharpness for a long, long time, but eventually they start chipping with use. They are very resistant to breakage, but eventually you are going to drop it for the eleventh time and then it is going to shatter or not.

They can be re-sharpened with a diamond file.

Do not torque them or use them as a lever to open a can because that will be the end of it.

mechanic · « **Reply #6 on:** February 25, 2013, 10:49:09 AM »

Going by the mantra, "if it ain't broke don't fix it", I'll stick with my steel blades.

Ben

charles p · « **Reply #7 on:** February 25, 2013, 03:31:18 PM »

I often work with a professional fish cleaning operation. We clean and vacuum pack fish caught by the charter boat fleet in our town. A few years ago a rep from Kiocero (sp), a Japanese company, fished out of our village. He visited the fish cleaning station and offered us a ceramic knife that he was the international rep for. It was the sharpest knife we have ever used, BUT, when we staked tuna loins for vacuum packing at the end of the day, the knife became dull within 40 minutes. The next day the rep returned and we gave him his knife back. As long as we cut against the flesh of the fish, it stayed sharp, but once we staked the fish on the table, it soon dulled.
We prefer Dexter Russell fillet knives and a spring steel sharpener made by F.Dick of Germany. Our table surface is a white plastic surface. We caall it Star Board.

Ranger99 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2013, 03:35:28 PM »

i'll have to stick with something i
know i can resharpen if necessary
and by hand with no gadgets.

powderman · « **Reply #9 on:** February 25, 2013, 04:23:53 PM »

Quote from: mechanic on February 25, 2013, 10:49:09 AM

Going by the mantra, "if it ain't broke don't fix it", I'll stick with my steel blades.

Ben

Me too, I have been tempted to try one but they don't seem practical when a good steel knife can do the job. POWDERMAN.

FPH · « **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2013, 04:32:06 PM »

My Granddad was a butcher. He went from working on surfaces of wood to stainless steel to the white plastic tops (all mandated by the FDA at some point). He tried ceramic knives when they were a real novelty(salesman samples). He went back to steel.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2013, 05:10:22 PM »

Ceramic knives are sharp, sharp , sharp.
They are slicing knives. so if you want ot slice up an vegtables and meat perfect.
They are not, repeat NOT flexible.they are not choppers, boning, or fillet knives.
I had one and lost it in a move, it could be in one of the boxes in the storage garage. Have not missed it too much.
It worked well as long as you use a good cutting board.
I would not carry one in the field. But would get some more for in my kitchen for mowing through onions, cellery, peppers, Garlic, and other vegtable matter.
Do not do the garlic slap with the ceramic blades.
Basically the knife is a shaped piece of glass and you need to think of it that way.
the edge of the knife can be 10X thinner than a steel blade.
Reciently I spent about $100 on a 7" japaneese style chefs knife at a local cooking store and it works perfectly asn I can do more with it than the smaller ceramic blade.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #12 on:** February 25, 2013, 05:49:15 PM »

I have a Boker 5" ceramic kitchen knife, it held an edge fairly well, but eventually dulled, I sharpen it on my WorkSharp using a diamond belt at their recommendation, takes a while but less costly than sending it to Boker or paying someone to do it. I did try my Chef's Choice diamond wheel, but it didn't work.

Tim

Savage .250 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 26, 2013, 04:46:54 AM »

They look good on TV but are over-rated.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 01, 2013, 04:14:02 PM »

A solution to a non-existent problem?
I just cant warm up to the idea of a knife that can break like a piece of glass.

mechanic · « **Reply #15 on:** March 01, 2013, 04:42:53 PM »

The first "ceramic" knives quickly lost favor with their owners when steel became available.....

FPH · « **Reply #16 on:** March 01, 2013, 04:46:16 PM »

I was surprised when I learned and saw (under a microscope) how much sharper a flint knife was as compared to a surgical scalpel.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 01, 2013, 04:50:51 PM »

We hear that often, but take one and slice veggies, cheese & sausage, clean or fillet a fish or butcher your small game or deer with one and I bet most of us will agree with Ben. Lots of good reasons that the stone age cultures all took to the metal tools, and they knew how to shape and sharpen their stone to get the best out of them.

FPH · « **Reply #18 on:** March 01, 2013, 04:53:47 PM »

Quote from: gcrank1 on March 01, 2013, 04:50:51 PM

We hear that often, but take one and slice veggies, cheese & sausage, clean or fillet a fish or butcher your small game or deer with one and I bet most of us will agree with Ben. Lots of good reasons that the stone age cultures all took to the metal tools, and they knew how to shape and sharpen their stone to get the best out of them.

I like steel also, but I was very surprised at the flit. I don't know how long it will stay sharp......I've never owned a ceramic knife.

mechanic · « **Reply #19 on:** March 01, 2013, 05:00:56 PM »

FPH, I've got a couple flint knives, and you are right, for some things they are surprisingly sharp. I opened a deer up with one once, just to see.....it was great for that hide, but not so good on delicate chores. I sure wouldn't want to have someone slice me with one, it would leave a cut like a saw blade...but I still like my steel...

Ben