The material from which the handles of the knives in the set are made. Usually, the same for the entire set.
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Plastic. This material is easy to manufacture and inexpensive, it can easily be given any shape, colour and surface texture, and although its strength is inferior to steel, it is quite sufficient for most household tasks. In addition, plastic is chemically inert, easy to clean and resistant to water and kitchen chemicals. Thanks to all this, it is widely used in modern knives — in particular, the vast majority of entry-level and intermediate-level models have just such handles.
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Wood. The wood is pleasing to the eye and touch, can withstand hits and falls without any problems, and its durable varieties are not necessarily expensive. At the same time, this material has a fibrous structure, due to which it is sensitive to water — it “absorbs” water, loses its presentation, resistance to cracks, chips and scratches (which is not very high anyway) and can even “bloom”, which for kitchen appliance is generally unacceptable. Also, these knives cannot be washed in dishwashers. As a result, wood is not widely used — either in the cheapest knives, where durability is not important, or vice versa, in premium-class models, where it plays the role of an stylish material. In the latter case, expensive wood species are used, which are usually also subjected to special processing.
...— Steel. This material is considered one of the most hygienic: it is easy to clean, and the design of the knife has virtually no gaps in which dirt can accumulate. In addition, steel handles look very solid, durable and hard, withstandhits and falls without any problems, and are also scratch resistant. On the other hand, a steel handle is more likely to slip out of your hand than a wooden or plastic one.
— Steel with an insert. A variant designed to eliminate the main disadvantage of all-steel handles (see above) — an increased likelihood of slipping. This is what inserts are used for: they are made of rubber, plastic or other similar material that increases the "grip" of the palm with the knife handle. The presence of inserts is the only difference between handles of this type and all-steel; the rest of the features are completely similar.
