Today, knives are either:   Click for Video    
1. Stamped - a process by which the cutlery steel is prepared at a steel mill rather than being hammered and finished by hand. Automation is used to cut the shape of the knife blade from a coiled sheet of steel, which is then ground, tempered, polished, and finished.

2. Hand forged - a hot drop hand forging process considered to be the ultimate production method. It combines the best of the old and new, with the new being the latest in advanced steel processing. The steel must be hammered by hand into the desirable shape and then go through as many as sixty different processes before it is finished

The material to make the blade is extremely important. The harder the material, the longer the edge will tend to last. Following is a list of materials used:

1. Carbon Steel - holds and excellent edge but corrodes and reacts to high acid foods. Carbon still is softer than high carbon stainless steel but is easier to sharpen. With advancements in technology and metallurgy these knifes have been all but replaced over the past 40 years.

2. Stainless Steel - resists corrosion but does not hold an edge. It does not corrode or react with foods.

3. High Carbon Stainless Steel - holds an edge better than regular stainless steel and does not react to foods or corrode.

4. Super Stainless Alloy Steel - very hard. It holds an edge for a longer period of time, but due to its hardness it is almost impossible to sharpen.

5. Ceramic - use of ceramics for knives is new and has potential in the future. Ceramics offer a smoother cutting edge than that of the top rated stainless steel knives. The blade needs sharpening less often but when it does it must be sent back to the manufacturer. The material does not corrode or react to food. The material presently being used is ceramic zirconium, which is second only to diamonds in hardness.  However, the material is very brittle, does not bend,  and if dropped on a hard surface may shatter. For these reasons, at present, such knives are only used for slicing.

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