We only have one kitchen knife. Before we had two but I do not know what happened with it after we moved. Between the two of us, hubby was the last to use it. I think he misplaced it together with our one and only utility knife, and perhaps he put it in the box that was supposed to be filled with the motor shop tools – which, by now, has been sold already. But alas, he still denies it up to now. LOL.
With the absence of my fave knife, I am now stuck with using an old stainless knife which makes cooking a bit difficult for me. It can barely cut meat even after I have sharpened it. Hay. I really should remember to purchase a set of knives soon. Perhaps that would save me a lot of time while cooking.

Tags: cooking, knives

We all want a knife that is sharp and can keep its edge for the longest time possible. And the ability of a knife to be sharp and hold its edge depends on the quality of the material from which the blade is made and on the process of manufacturing. So if you have to choose the best knife for your money is important to differentiate between forged and stamped knives because these are the principal classification you will find with respect to the manufacturing process, at the hour of buying one.

Usually stamped knives could be identified by the absence of a bolster. The knives are cut into their shapes from sheets of steel using a template. This method produces knives that are thin and light. Creating them requires fewer steps than forging, as a result stamped knives are less expensive and frequently associated with cheap low quality knives. The knives produced this way will be difficult to sharpen and are unable to hold its edge very long. However, in recent years new processes of manufacturing involving heat can produced stamped knives that are as good as forged, with a sharp edge that can be re-sharpened again and again.

On the other hand, to make a forged knife steel is heated to extreme temperatures and set in a mold and then the steel is hammered out to form the shape of the blade. Typically, a forged knife is denser and heavier than a stamped knife, and has better balance. They are easy to sharpen at home and the edge will keep for a relatively long time.

As you can see, the quality of a stamped knife could be similar or better than the quality of a forged knife. The principal differences that remain, besides the price, are the weight and feeling of the knife. Some will prefer the well balance, but heavier, feel of a forged blade, and some the less fatigue that cutting with a well designed lighter stamped knife produce at the end of the day.

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