Steel grade
The name of the steel grade from which the knife blade is made.
Its working properties directly depend on the type of steel — hardness, brittleness, tendency to corrosion, ability to keep sharpening, etc. Accordingly, this parameter largely determines the features of the knife as a whole. Many different grades of steel are used in modern kitchen knives; knowing the name of a particular brand, you can find detailed information about it (physical characteristics, reviews, user reviews) and evaluate the quality and overall level of the tool.
Hardness
The hardness of the metal used in the knife blade. Indicated in standard HRC units (according to Rockwell); the higher the value, the harder the blade.
This parameter in knives has a double meaning. On the one hand, the blade must be hard enough so as not to dull prematurely, not form burrs and not deform when bent; on the other hand, it must remain soft in order to sharpen normally, not crack or break (brittleness also increases with increasing hardness). In most kitchen knives, the hardness is in the range of 52 - 62 HRC - it is believed that this range provides the optimal ratio of strength, reliability and ease of sharpening.
In general, ceteris paribus, a knife made of softer steel will have to be sharpened or adjusted more often with musat, however, such procedures themselves will take a little time and effort. Conversely, a hard blade will hold sharpening for a long time, however, you will have to try to restore it.
Country of origin
Country of origin of the brand under which the kitchen knife is presented on the market. As a rule, it is indicated by the “homeland” of the manufacturing company or by the location of its headquarters.
There are many stereotypes associated with the “nationality” of brands and products, but most of them have no basis in our time. First, the actual place of production is often different from the brand's country of origin. Secondly, the quality of a product depends not so much on geography, but on the policy of a particular company and how carefully it controls this very quality. Therefore, you should pay attention to the brand’s country of origin only if you fundamentally want or (do not want) to support a manufacturer from a certain country. Quality is best assessed by the reputation of a particular brand and the general price category. However,
Japanese kitchen knives clearly differ from other manufacturers in their quality.
Belgian and
Swiss are famous for their reputation thanks to the brands BergHoff, Vinzer and Victorinox. But
Brazilian knives also have a place in the home kitchen due to the good price-quality ratio of the Tramontina brand.
