Tests performed in EdgeCraft's laboratories demonstrated that Chef'sChoice® cutlery edges are more durable than ceramic knife edges. And, because of the inherently brittle nature of ceramic, they are prone to fail by chipping. Unlike Chef'sChoice® Trizor® cutlery, ceramic knives cannot be sharpened by any available conventional methods.

For the serious cook, cutlery is an essential tool used daily -- nowhere in the kitchen will quality make a greater contribution to the cook's pleasure and productivity. Chef'sChoice® cutlery owes its outstanding performance to a new and wholly unique alloy which is more expensive and much more costly to forge and process. Its manufacture depends on many more steps than conventional cutlery. It takes over 100 steps to produce a quality forged knife.

Yes. Some well-known high-end imported brands weld stamped knife parts (i.e., blade, bolster, and tang) together, which produces an inferior quality knife. Properly forged knives take a sharper longer-lasting edge than stamped knives and are more durable and better balanced than stamped knives. Chef'sChoice® cutlery is fully forged from a single bar of ultra-high carbon stainless metal alloy -- the strongest knife construction.

The ability of Chef'sChoice® knives to retain a sharp edge up to ten times longer (hence the "10X") than any European and domestic brands addresses one of the chief frustrations of the knife user -- the need to frequently interrupt the cutting process to resharpen a dull knife. Another significant achievement is that Chef'sChoice® knives are two- to three-times sharper (at time of sale) than competitive Solingen (European) and domestic brands.

Absolutely not! The special stainless steel alloy used in Chef'sChoice® cutlery was developed to meet a combination of performance specifications. It is strong and tough so that it starts out sharper and holds its sharpness longer, but it is also easy to sharpen using conventional methods (such as stones, sharpening steels, crock sticks) or any of the Chef'sChoice® manual or electric knife sharpeners.

EdgeCraft recommends that Chef'sChoice® knives be washed by hand in hot soapy water separately from other utensils and flatware. Dry each knife carefully and completely to avoid water spots and then return it to a safe storage place. Always dry blades from the handle toward the tip to minimize the possibility of injury. Quality stainless knives should not routinely be washed in the dishwasher.

Chef'sChoice® knives are manufactured by EdgeCraft in the United States. This is one of the factors that makes this quality kitchen knife unique. Until recently, virtually all quality forged knives were imported from manufacturers in Germany, France, Italy and Brazil.

Three hundred years ago the technology to produce the type of knives generally considered standard kitchen cutlery was developed in Europe. The most significant advance since then was the introduction of stainless steel. Until the introduction of Chef'sChoice® cutlery, there were only modest improvements to gourmet cutlery. Chef'sChoice® cutlery is made from a unique alloy: Trizor® steel.

The specific formula of the steel alloy used in Chef'sChoice® cutlery is proprietary. However, it contains much higher levels of carbon and stainless alloys than the popular European or domestic brands. It is important to understand that the alloy itself is only part of the reason for the outstanding performance of Chef'sChoice® knives.

Sharp knives are safer than dull ones because dull knives require more pressure for cutting, which can result in slipping. Sharpening knives with a sharpening steel can seem difficult at first, but it’s actually quite easy once you get the hang of it. Pull the knife down & across the sharpening steel in a slight arc, pulling the knife handle toward you. Stroke the entire blade edge from base to tip.

These knives are made of an advanced, high-tech ceramic called zirconium oxide (also called zirconia). Zirconium oxide is extremely hard, wear resistant, and chemically inert. For the technically minded, zirconium oxide has a hardness of 8.2 mohs (vs. steel at 5-6 mohs and diamond at 10 mohs).

Yes. Some well-known high-end imported brands weld stamped knife parts (i.e., blade, bolster, and tang) together, which produce an inferior quality knife. Properly forged knives take a sharper longer-lasting edge than stamped knives and are more durable and better balanced than stamped knives. Chef'sChoice cutlery is fully forged from a single bar of ultra-high carbon stainless metal alloy -- the strongest knife construction.

The ability of Chef'sChoice knives to retain a sharp edge up to ten times longer (hence the "10X") than any European and domestic brands addresses one of the chief frustrations of the knife user -- the need to frequently interrupt the cutting process to resharpen a dull knife. Another significant achievement is that Chef'sChoice knives are two- to three-times sharper (at time of sale) than competitive Solingen (European) and domestic brands.

Absolutely not! The special stainless steel alloy used in Chef'sChoice cutlery was developed to meet a combination of performance specifications. This alloy is strong and tough so it starts out sharper and holds its sharpness longer, but it is also easy to sharpen using conventional methods (such as stones, sharpening steels, crock sticks) or any of the Chef'sChoice manual or electric knife sharpeners.

EdgeCraft recommends that Chef'sChoice knives be washed by hand in hot soapy water separately from other utensils and flatware. Dry each knife carefully and completely to avoid water spots and then return it to a safe storage place. Always dry blades from the handle toward the tip to minimize the possibility of injury. Quality stainless knives should not routinely be washed in the dishwasher.

For best results, hand wash your knives with a soapy cloth & dry immediately. Soaking wood-handled knives in water can remove the natural oils from the handles. Dishwashing may cause banging against other dishes that can nick the edges. Additionally, the heat & detergent may have a corrosive effect on the handles.

Sharp knives should never be stored loose in a drawer because contact with hard objects can dull the blade & reaching into a knife drawer can be very dangerous. We recommend storing your knives in a hardwood block for safety & convenience. Many CHICAGO CUTLERY sets include a hardwood block for storage. Empty CHICAGO CUTLERY hardwood blocks are also available at many retailers.