Types of Knife Blade Materials

There are many materials used in knife blades. We'll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of many of them.

Stainless Steel Knife Blades

Stainless steel knife blades are very easy to take care since they do not rust and are easy to clean. However, they do not hold their edges very well.
Our Pick: Global 3-Piece Knife Set

Carbon Steel Knife Blades

Carbon steel knife blades are very strong and hold their edges very well. They are harder to take care of though and can tend to rust if they are not used and cleaned often. Carbon steel knives also can become discolored when they are used to cut acidic ingredients such as citrus fruits or tomatoes.
Our Pick: Wusthof Classic Cutlery Set

High Carbon Stainless Steel Knife Blades

High carbon stainless steel knife blades take the good things about both stainless steel knives and carbon steel knives. They are very strong and hold an edge well while also being very easy to clean and take care of. All this raises the price of these knives though.
Our Pick: Wusthof Classic Ikon Knife Set

Titanium Knife Blades

Titanium knife blades hold their edges well and are very wear resistant. They are also lighter and more flexible than the other knives which can be a negative or positive, depending on the type of knife you are buying. For chefs knives you normally want some heft while the lightness and flexibility is a positive for boning knives, paring knives, and filleting knives.
Our Pick: We struggled to find many consistent recommendations about titanium knives.

Ceramic Knife Blades

The sharpest of all knives, ceramic knife blades hold their edge longer than any other knives. However, since they are ceramic they tend to chip or break if dropped. Many professional chefs swear by ceramic knives.
Our Pick: Kyocera 2-Piece Ceramic Knife Set

Laminated Knife Blades

Similar to the high carbon stainless steel knives, laminated knives are composites of 2 or more types of steel. Each type of laminated knife has different properties but referring to the above categories can help you determine how a certain laminated knife will react.
Our Pick: Viking 10-Piece Knife Set

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