Stamp Amazing

Knife Sharpening Experts: Stamped Knives Vs. Forged Knives

We all agree. If a knife isn't sharp, what's the use, right? The sharpness of the blade will make all the difference in the world. And sharpness is largely dependant upon the quality of the blade material from which the knife is made. You'll need to determine whether or not to get a forged knife or a stamped knife. Let's make it clear.

Stamped Knives. Stamped knives are stamped out of, or cut from, sheets of metal using a template of predetermined size and shape. This process is called precision machining. As most of these stamped knives are generally flat and thin, the process is done quite quickly. But because they are so thin, they aren't that dense and do not hold their edges very long. Unfortunately, this means more frequent sharpening is required by stamped knives than forged knives. As a matter of fact, some stamped knives sets claim that you needn't ever sharpen them. They'll stay sharp for a lifetime, the package will say. Please, don't believe that. All things change over time, including the sharpness of a knife's edge.

The blade of a stamped knife is usually fitted and fastened onto its handle and is not, therefore, thought of as a solid piece of metal. A loose handle could easily result in your having to throw the knife away. Such a waste. It's good to know that not all stamped handles are this way. Some stamped knives have handles that are fitted over the tang.

Stamped knives are also lighter, and have less balance, than forged knives. So you'll have to grip it fairly tightly and have to use much more pressure whenever you use them. Doing so will increase risk of injury.

? Advantages: Fairly inexpensive. Lighter in weight.

? Disadvantages: Usually unreliable handles. Requires more force, more ork from the user. Increased risk of injury during strenuous jobs. Poorly balanced. Needs frequent sharpening.

Forged Knives. Forged knives are not stamped. They are carefully made with great attention to detail. Steel is heated to extreme temperatures and set in a mold. It is than hammered out to form the blade. As a result, forged knives are denser and heavier than stamped knives and have better balance because of it. And while their tempering process results in a blade of extreme hardness, it is also more flexible. It usually has a nice thick bolster with a tang that is enclosed by the handle and is usually secured with three rivets.

? Advantages: Much better balance. More weightier and so is more maneuverable. Metal is stronger and can last many years. Requires less sharpening. Less risk of injury as less work is required from the user. Solid bolster to increase safety. Secured, durable handles.

? Disadvantage: Costs more. Weightier. Critical Point. Maybe 10 years ago all of the above would be undisputed. Not so today. There is quite a bit of dissent about the quality of stamped knives and whether or not they rival the quality of forged knives. Here are the popular points:

? Some stamped knives are made with a high quality steel to begin with.

? Some knives are stamped initially and then followed up with a forging process.

? Today's manufacturing process (especially involving heat) can produce stamped knives that are just as good as forged knives, if not better.

Just as good as forged knives, if not better. That's quite amazing. Here's another critical point:

? Many prefer a forged knife because of its weight distribution, the resultant ease of maneuverability and the comfort and safety of the bolster.

What's it to be then? It seems fairly easy to decide. If you'd like some strong, long-lasting knives, get forged knives. If you'd like something fairly disposable that you'd prefer not to have to maintain, get stamped knives.

But if you've got the time, the means and the desire, shop around. There are high quality stamped knives out there now. Some have good weight on them, too. They're relatively young on the market, so you're going to have to track them down.

 

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Len Q. is a master blade sharpener and an adventurer who strives to protect the natural world.  If you would like to learn about

 

            ?  Knife Sharpening:  How to Sharpen Knives, Maintain and Store Them

            ?  The Fastest Way to Sharpen, Tests for Sharpness, Steeling and Much more

            ?  Sharpening Other Edges (Maintaining and Storing Them)

               (i.e. Chain Saws, Gardening Tools, Axes)

            ?  Maybe you could use a Free Guide:  Sharpening Lawn Mower Blades

           

Find it here at www.MakeKnivesSharp.com 

About the Author

Biologist and Environmental Consultant. Former high school science teacher. Medically retired at 26yo. Been that way over 13 years. The world waits. Changing my world.

Collections...?

Ok. So heres the deal. My uncle started a stamp collection when he was about my age (hes about 40 now) and its amazing now. He has hundreds of stamps, and its still growing. And i'd love to collect something or another, but i have no idea what! So any ideas? If anyone has any cool collections, what do you collect?

Hello.

Collecting should really be a personal choice. What you collect should make YOU happy.

So start asking questions about yourself. What are your interests? What kinds of things do you enjoy doing? Are there certain products you like?

Once you start answering some of those things, you may start to see a pattern for ideas of what to collect.

For example, my initials are RC. When I was younger, I collected RC Cola things. Maybe you like baseball. Baseball cards (or other sports) might be fun for you.

Maybe you like movies. Try going to local theaters and seeing if you can get the posters after they are done with them. Or try writing actors and seeing if you can get them to send autograph's.

There are so many things that you can collect. Take a little time and think about the things you like. I'm sure you can find something that will be all you.

Hope this helps you some. Good luck with your search,
Robbie

America's Most Amazing Duck Stamp

Tags: design, inspiration, photography, portfolio, stamp amazing grace, tools

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 28th, 2010 at 3:32 pm and is filed under scrapbooking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.