Knife Quality Part II
So, now you've gone to look at knives, and you've found some knives that are a nice 440C stainless steel, have a Rockwell hardness of 57C. Should you buy them? Well, there are a couple more things you want to look for in a professional knife other than the quality of the steel. Here they are:
The Knife Tang
The tang is the portion of the knife blade that extends into the handle. There are knives with partial tangs, and knives with full tangs. A knife with a full tang is favorable for professional use, as it gives the knife more balance.
The Handle
Knife handles can be made out of many materials, but most of the differences between the handle materials are purely cosmetic. It is not in your best interest, however, to get a knife with a wooden handle, as the wood can trap bacteria and make your knife unsanitary. Plastic handles are OK, though a cheap plastic handle may break on you easier. For durability, a resin, or high-quality plastic handle is best.
How does it all come together?
Obviously, there must be SOMETHING securing the handle to the tang - there are two main methods of doing this: Riveting, and molding. This is, again, mostly a matter of choice. A knife that uses rivets has less chance of separating from it's handle, but it will trap more bacteria in the gap between the rivets and the handle. A molded handle will break easier, but is more sanitary. You must figure out which is the better choice for you.
That's all for this section!
