Wusthof, Sabatier, Henckels, J.A. Swilling. These are the top names in cutlery, for a reason! Many manufacturers have copied these knives and sell them for much, much less. You look at the cheap one, then the expensive one and see little differences between them. Both say forged, have identical handles, the tangs, (part between the blade and handle), are thick and seem  to be part of the blade. Why is it that a Henckels Four Star 8" chef knife has a $90.00 price tag and the Good Chef is only $35.00?

The differences are huge when you know what they are and mean to you. The most important one is something that you would not have seen on any packaging. It is the hardness of the steel. Different forging methods result in different strengths and hardness'. The longer steel cools, the larger the grains become, leaving less dense steel that is easily bent. On the other end, cooling to rapidly forms crystalline structures that tend to dislodge from each other, leaving brittle steel. The Japanese swords that are famous for their strength and sharpness were forged by folding steel, then packing clay on the sword. The thick spine and the edge could be cooled at different rates by putting a heavier coat around the areas that needed to be cooled slower. Theirs Issard was a famous french blacksmith know for hammering over three thousand anvil blows a day. He would dip the steel into lead heated to two thousand degrees centigrade. There is a standard for measuring the hardness of steel known as the Rockwell Hardness Scale. Most low end premium knives are 48-50 on this scale while high end cutlery is 55-58. In comparison, Buck folding knives are a minimum of 58, and Gerber knives are thrown back if less than 65. Cast iron is 25-30.

Harder steel creates a better edge. The edge will last longer, but be more difficult to sharpen. Rule of thumb, if the knife takes an edge fast, it won't last long. Cheaper knives are made with softer steel, but the real trick is that the consumer will think the knife is the greatest! That is because when he/she uses the sharpening steel that comes with the set, it seems to have a great edge. The soft steel and rough grooves on the steel give a false edge that will bend over quickly and be dull again.

Remember, just like any other product, you usually get what you pay for. Companies like Henkels and Wusthof have been making blades for hundreds of years, they must be doing something right.

Good luck and cut safely!