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When you are shopping for a new knife to add to your kitchen, you will find yourself comparing different knife brands. However, you will need to know an aspect of knives that very few people consider. You hear of the pros and cons of makes and brands. How often do you hear anyone talking about the pros and cons of forged and stamped knives? You may not hear too much of that, so there needs to be more discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of forged and stamped blades. What is the difference, and how is one better than the other? Maybe neither are better than the other. However, like everything else in life, there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Let’s begin to evaluate them by going over the pros and cons of forged knives right now before delving into the same about stamped knives.
The Pros And Cons Of Forged Knives
When you think of forged knives, you may imagine knives that are elite and expensive, most commonly the Japanese-style knife. That is because they are since forging steel strengthens it. When you forge the steel blade, it shapes the molecules where it becomes inflexible. The inflexible edge allows you to cut foods finely and thinly, which is why professional cooks and chefs love this knife. The knife’s inflexibility is why forged knives retain an edge for a very long time. That is resulting in fewer instances of requiring to sharpen them. That is even the case if you use these knives often.
Since the knives are not flexible, when it is time to sharpen the blade, it makes it very easy to do as it will not twist around when you sharpen it. It takes very little time to sharpen a forged knife as a result.
Another advantage to forging knives is creating a bolster; the metal mound for the knife keeps your hand protected from the blade when you use the knife. Since the bolster sits between the edge and handle, it does not only keep your hand protected while using the knife. It allows your fingers to rest while you use the blade. The one method to know if you have a forged knife is by the bolster. Only forged knives have bolsters which is the reason for that.
However, since forged knives are inflexible, you may not be able to use them when preparing foods that require flexible blades, such as most types of fish. One significant drawback of the forged knife is that its inflexibility does not allow you to prepare some kinds of food quickly. The other drawback of forged knives is that they are pretty expensive. Therefore, investing in a forged blade will leave a hole in your wallet. However, since these knives are of excellent quality, they are worth the investment. Let’s now take a look at the pros and cons of stamped knives.
The Pros And Cons Of Stamped Knives
The method to manufacture stamped knives is to take a large sheet of stainless steel, and a machine similar to a cookie-cutter stamps the blades as a shape of a knife. After stamping the edge, the manufacturer adds the handle and then sharpens the blade and polishes it. However, here is one thing about stamped knives: Stamped utensils have a mediocre reputation.
That is because chefs and cooks believe that forged knives are superior. Even though it is true that forged knives are generally of higher quality, stamped knives have their advantages as well that people do not consider. Let’s go over their benefits. The one advantage of stamped knives is that they are affordable, unlike forged knives. You are probably thinking that it is not a surprise considering you get what you pay for, which is true to a degree. As I said, forged knives are indeed the elite ones; however, they don’t discount stamped knives.
Stamped knives compose of the same quality of stainless steel as forged blades. The only thing about stamped knives is that the steel remains flexible and does not retain an edge for very long because they don’t go through the forging method. The other thing is that stamped knives do not bolster the way forged knives do, which means you could cut yourself if you use the knife. Therefore, stamped knives are slightly less safe to use than forged knives for that reason. That, however, does not stop people from choosing stamped knives because they have the advantage of being flexible, which means they can prepare more dishes. You can cut through more complex foods with stamped knives. Boning knives are an example of stamped knives for this reason. However, some forged knives you can use for that purpose too. Some people do not like to use knives that have bolsters as they may find them less comfortable, so they prefer stamped knives.
The other disadvantage of stamped knives is that it is harder to sharpen stamped knives than forged knives which means that those who own stamped knives will prefer to send the blades to a professional when they require sharpening. In addition to that, you will have to have to sharpen them frequently. That is because of them not retaining their edge for too long. Therefore, that is the general overview of stamped knives.
Conclusion
You now know the differences between forged and stamped knives. Therefore, it is not difficult to know which one is better for your needs. If you want to use a Japanese-style knife and prepare high-end dishes, then the forged blade is the better option for you. Many professional chefs and cooks prefer the forged knife for this reason as it allows them to cut fine and thin slices of food. These knives also will enable you to spend less time sharpening them, and it is not necessary to do so frequently.
However, the forged knife is not flexible, and that means you are more limited with the number of dishes you can prepare, unlike the stamped knife. The stamped blade is more flexible to work with than the forged knife, making them more versatile. The stamped knife is also cheaper than the forged knife, which makes it more affordable for people. However, the stamped knife does not prepare gourmet dishes as well as the forged blade. The stamped knife also does not have a bolster, whereas the forged knife means the forged knife is safer to use. However, not everyone wants to use a knife with a bolster. Therefore, is the forged knife better than the stamped blade? The forged knife may be more elite, but better? Not really. That all depends on your choice and needs as both types of knives are helpful in their way.