Have you ever wondered at the beauty of a well-made knife? Whether you are a collector or use your knives in the kitchen or outdoors every day, a well-made knife is built to last, not to mention a work of art. Whether crafted for use or for display, most knives are assembled in the same basic way.

Before the knife can be assembled, the individual parts must be made. Knife manufacturers have their choice from hundreds of different handle materials, not to mention grades of steel for the blade. The steel blade may be carbon steel, tool steel, or stainless steel; decorative knives and primitive knives have also been made from copper, brass, bronze, iron, flint, obsidian, and other unique materials. When a knife is made for display rather than for use, the knife designer has much wider latitude in terms of material choices.

Different steels are used for different knife purposes. There is always a tradeoff between hardness and corrosion resistance, as well as edge retention (the amount of time a sharp edge will remain sharp), and achievable sharpness (how sharp it is possible to make the blade). For example, obsidian can achieve one of the sharpest possible edges, but it does not retain that edge long before it cracks or chips. Low carbon steel is inexpensive to produce, though it bends easily and will not hold an edge long, requiring frequent sharpening.

The initial shaping of a knife blade is usually done through either blanking or forging. For a forged knife, the blade material is heated to a very high temperature and then shaped to roughly the finished shape. Often, this blade will require very little shaping in order to finish the blade. The blanking process is generally used in a mass production environment, as it takes more setup, though the same blank can be used to make thousands of identical blades. The blade material is stamped from a sheet, using a variety of methods depending on the steel composition and the desired thickness.

Once the blade has been shaped, it is on to the grinding process. Today, this step is usually completed with power equipment such as grinding wheels or belt sanders, though it is also possible to grind a knife using files. The knife is gently cut to the desired shape by removing small areas of the steel.

The quality of the finished blade is determined by the finishing grind. It may range from 150-250 grit, which is a low shine finish, to an approximate Silagra grit of 10,000 to 12,000, which results in a mirror-like finish. Most high quality knives from well-known manufacturers are finished using about 8,000 grit. To make the knife blade stronger than the raw metal itself, heat treating is often used. This application of heating and cooling makes the knife stronger; tempering and annealing are two such processes used.

While most people are familiar with mass produced knives, did you know that there are also beautiful custom knives made by knife craftsmen? Hours may go in to making a single knife. Every detail, down to the finish and heat treating, is carefully thought out to create a showcase-worthy knife. It’s much more than a piece of steel and a wooden handle that comprises a finished knife. Like all other collectibles, custom or handmade knives vary greatly in beauty, quality, and price.

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