Handmade Kitchen Knives VS Factory-Made Kitchen Knives
Choosing a kitchen knife is a big moment for any cook who intends to use the knife effectively for a long time. And we all know that the most important part of a kitchen knife is its blade. Hence the importance of the material and the techniques that the blade is made of.
Many cooks are debating whether to get handmade knives or the ones that are made in factories. It is a tough decision especially when you don’t know what either of these options offers. That is why we are here to help you out with our in-depth comparison. We are going to break down their characteristics, flaws, and features here and then decide which one is better:
Handmade kitchen knives
Sharpness: No matter the shape or the style, you will always get a sharp-edged blade when purchasing a handmade kitchen knife. Why? Well, forging makes steel stronger. The shaping of the steel molecules during the forging process results in a blade that is less flexible. As a result, these knives keep an edge for longer. Hence the fame for being the sharpest knives. In addition to that, thanks to their non-flexibility, handmade kitchen knives are very easy to sharpen. So they come sharp and they can be easily sharpened? Isn’t that all we need from a kitchen knife?
By the way, if you don’t know how to sharpen knives at home, here is a guide for you on how to sharpen steel knives.
Material: Handmade kitchen knives are mainly made from steel, which is known to be the best material for kitchen knives no matter the type.
It can be Stainless steel, Damascus steel, High Carbon steel or any other steel and be better quality than other cheap materials such as ceramic. For instance, here you can see a good comparison Steel knives VS Ceramic knives: Which one is better?
Rust: Yes, there is one problem with steel, which you might be worried about and rightfully so. This problem is, of course, rust. More certainly, pitting and cavity corrosion type of rust, which occurs on unprotected steels. The resulting pits can rapidly reduce the strength and thickness of a steel blade; they vary from being narrow and deep to wider and shallow. But you don’t have to worry that much since every problem has its solution and so does rust. You can clean rust and even prevent it at home. Luckily for you, we have a guide on how to clean rust from a kitchen knife too.
Durability: Handmade steel knives can endure many years of heavy use while still keeping their strength and shape. As we have stated before, handmade knives aren’t flexible and they don’t break under pressure. Professional chefs prefer using handmade steel knives because they know the value of a good long-lasting knife. They love the sharpness, they love cutting effortlessly and they have no problem handling a tough knife. There are also many ways to take care of your knives so they can have a longer and stronger life. Here we have a helpful guide for you on how to make your kitchen knives last longer.
Factory-made kitchen knives
Sharpness: Yes, factory-made knives can be sharp when you first get them, but how long will that last? The thing is that they don’t go through the forging process that makes forged knives super strong and everlasting. As a result, they are more flexible and tend to keep an edge for a shorter amount of time. Because of their flexibility, you can’t even sharpen them, well, you can, but it will be way harder and time-consuming than sharpening a steel knife would take.
Price & quality: Factory-made knives are mainly cheap, which is great if you are on a budget and want to have a lot of knives that will do different tasks. But in reality, it is a bit pointless since cheapness also means low quality. And if you are someone who does a lot of cutting in the kitchen, you will need knives that last longer and don’t break easily. Keep in mind that investing or even spending just a little much on one good quality knife is much better than buying lots of cheap breakable knives. Besides that, the market is bending more and more towards handmade knives, which results in more affordable or at least, reasonably priced good quality handmade kitchen knives.
Design and Value: Factory-made knives obviously imply more of an automated assembly process. The factory workers usually have a production quota or target to achieve every day and so they generally don’t have the time or chance to concentrate on each piece. The workers are taught what to do which they follow in the same production process. So you won’t be getting a unique design from a factory-made knife. When you are definitely assured t get a special knife when buying a handmade knife. Each of them is hand-forged individually making them unique and giving them high value. There is no value in factory-made knives and no future in the resale market.
Which one is better?
To answer the question shortly, though it depends on the buyer’s choice, preferences, and needs, there are definitely a lot of areas where Handmade knives are ahead of the factory-made ones.
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