Introduction
Food safety is of paramount importance, and stamped knives play an invaluable role. In the restaurant industry and at-home cooking, safety is essential for preventing foodborne illness and illnesses caused by improper handling or storage of food items. Stamped knives are a necessary tool for preparing food correctly, safely, and efficiently. They can be used to accurately portion cuts of meat and vegetables, accurately size products like pizza doughs or burgers, uniformly slice bagels, remove skin from fruits or vegetables, cleanly separate cooked proteins from poultry or seafood shells, safely butterfly fish fillets, thinly slice anything from shaved ham to strawberries, dice onions with more uniformity and speed than chopping with a Chef’s knife could provide.
The History of Stamped Knives
Timeline
Pre-1400s: Early humans likely used knives with fixed blades made of organic material like bone, antler, or stone.
1400s: Human knife makers begin using metal to craft knives. Hand-forged and ground blades become popular in Europe and Asia.
1790s: Industrial stamping machines are invented, allowing production of more standardised cutlery at a much faster rate.
1840s: US knife manufacturers attend the Great Exhibition in London, showcasing their products which were already widely known for their excellent quality.
1920s-30s: German factories introduce the Robofold process which allowed them to produce two pieces of sheet steel that could be easily shaped with a formed handle and bolster. This led to mass production of stamped knives due to its affordability, ease of replication and versatility.
1970s: The introduction of high chromium stainless steels includes heavy stamping processes such as die cutting to create chef’s knives.
Today: Modern stamped steel knives dominate the kitchen cutlery market due to their affordability, ease of mass production and versatility. Many modern designs feature ergonomic handles crafted from materials such as rubberized plastic or bamboo; while innovations in construction methods include laser cutting and rapid prototyping technology for even greater precision and quality cuts.
Benefits of Stamped Knives for the Home Cook
Stamped knives have become increasingly popular among home cooks due to their affordability and performance. Stamped knives are typically made from thinner-gauge stainless steel than forged blades which allows the knife to be created faster and sold at a more economical price point. These knives are also lighter in weight than forged knives, allowing for greater leverage over tasks such as chopping, slicing, dicing and mincing. Home cooks find that with stamped blades they can chop vegetables faster, including tough root vegetables like carrots and potatoes; slice through meats quickly; pick up ingredients with ease; mince herbs for making pesto sauces or salad dressings without bruising the leaves; and create paper-thin slices of citrus fruits for cocktails or desserts with minimum effort. The ease of use makes these stamped knives ideal for every day use in the kitchen.
Materials and Finishes of Stamped Knives
Stamped knives are blades that have been created using a die stamping process that shapes a flat piece of steel into the desired shape and size. Stamped knives come in a variety of materials and finishes, with each material having its own unique advantages and drawbacks.
Stainless steel is one of the most commonly used materials for stamped knives as it is resistant to corrosion and highly durable. This makes stainless steel a great choice if you’re looking for an affordable blade that will hold up to use over time. However, stainless steel can be difficult to sharpen, as it has a tendency to dull quickly. Additionally, stainless steel may pick up discoloration from food or items with which it comes into contact.
Carbon steel is another popular material for stamped knives. Carbon steel has the advantage of being extremely easy to sharpen and can also take on an extreme sharpness when properly cared for. However, carbon steel is prone to rusting if not cared for correctly and can also chip or wear away easily due to its hardness.
High-carbon stainless steel presents all of the advantages of both stainless and carbon steels combined, making it an incredibly popular material among chefs looking for quality cutlery. This type of blade holds its edge longer than other types of steel yet resists rust better than traditional carbon steels; however, it can be more difficult (and expensive) to sharpen than other blades due to its highly dense structure.
The finish of your knife can also affect how well maintained it stays over time. Many are treated with synthetic resin coating which helps protect the blade from corrosion while preventing external friction on the metal surfaces when slicing through tough foods such as breads or meats. The downside is these coatings can become scratched or degraded over time causing the knife’s lifetime warranty to be compromised due to breakdown in the finish’s protective qualities. Other finishes like titanium nitride help strengthen tools and give them a golden hue but generally don’t have any advantages in terms of blade maintenance or protection from degradation over time compared with synthetic polymer coatings because they can still wear away over time with regular use.
Take Care of your Stamped Knife
One of the best ways to take care of a stamped knife is to sharpen and maintain it. Luckily, this video provides an easy-to-understand demonstration on how to do this. The video goes through the entire process step by step, from sharpening with a stone or steel on a cutting board, learning the angle and pressure techniques, honing and stropping until you have a razor sharp blade again. It also has helpful tips on maintaining your blade such as polishing and simple oiling. Watch this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPA2QnLGtwQ
Conclusion
Stamped knives are knives that are created by cutting through a larger piece of metal quickly and forcefully, typically with a press. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, most commonly seen being 8-10 inches long. The stamped blade can have a short bolster above the handle which gives it extra strength, or the blade may be full tang meaning the steel extends all the way through the handle. This makes them stronger and more reliable than many fully forged knives due to their construction process.
These types of knives come in many shapes and sizes including Chef’s knife, Paring knife, Santoku, Utility knife, Carving Knife, Bread Knife, Boning Knife and Filet Knife. Some tasks that stamped knives can be used for include prepping vegetables, cutting meats, slicing breads and carving roasts. With the right care and maintenance they can offer great performance when completing these recipes.
In addition to traditional knife shapes, some more modern designs are surfacing with large granton edges which aid in keeping food from sticking to the blade while you’re chopping or cutting up vegetables. Stamped blades come in different thicknesses as well so there is something for everyone no matter what type of recipe you plan on making that day!
