From Ancient Times to Modern Day

Nowadays, the kitchen knife is an essential for anyone working in the kitchen. Without them, the task of chopping up and cooking just about any food would be incredibly toilsome. In spite of that, kitchen knives as we know them have not been around for most of human history.

The way knives have evolved and developed over the years is fascinating, and they have changed tremendously from the first stone knives with massive improvements to their design and utility.

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The Evolution of Cutting Tools

Origins

As important as knives are for us in the modern era, cutting tools have been crucial to our species survival since the beginning, millions of years ago.

Discovered in the 1930’s in modern day Ethiopia are the Oldowan knives and stone tools, flints and other stones that were broken and shaped into cutting and crushing utensils. These are among the oldest known tools of their kind, used by hominins (early humans), and were found to be over two million years old.

Other primitive blades in our more “recent” history have been found from the Neolithic era, between 4300 and 2000 BCE, about 6,000 years ago. Unlike the crude stone tools found in the Oldowan sites, these knives show the clear development of a somewhat more refined knife shape, at least as we imagine them now. These knives were made with stone blades, fitted and tied into wooden handles.

Once the use of fire was commonplace, knives as we know them today started to appear in 3000 BCE, forged from metals and bound with a bolster and tang. These knives were at first made from copper, a more common metal, but eventually were impacted by the invention of smelting copper with other metals such as tin, to strengthen them. From this development, the age of bronze sprung forth.

Bronze Age

Around 1500 BCE, the bronze age came about. Metal tools and utensils became far more commonplace, knives among them.

While knives were great for grooming, cutting cord, and endless other household and outdoor purposes, copper was too weak and susceptible to rust and corrosion than stone tools.

Knives at this time were still more commonly used as hardware tools and weapons, though there would soon be developments to raise them up a notch.

Iron Age

About 500 years later, closer to 1000 BCE, iron became a far more popular material. Knives and tools forged from iron quickly overtook bronze utensils in Europe, and eventually the trend spread throughout the world.

These iron knives were far more successful in finding their place in the kitchen than bronze tools ever were. Iron blades were more durable and resistant to dulling for much longer, and did not corrode in the same way that bronze did.

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The Middle Ages

Throughout the middle ages, which spanned from the fall of Rome just before 500 CE until the 14th century, knives continued to improve. The discovery of steel, which took place during this era, led to the production of knives, spears, armor, and other tools and implements made from steel.

While steel knives were the new “top-of-the-line” option, only the wealthiest could afford tools and kitchen knives made from steel. Carrying around a steel knife and using one for eating was somewhat of a status symbol.

These knives also opened the door to new cooking techniques used today. Finely chopping ingredients, paring, and an easier deboning process were suddenly all within the realm of possibility.

The Beginning of the Kitchen Knife

In the 1600s-1700s, the kitchen knife was widespread and common in many different parts of the world. As a result of a law passed by King Louis XIV of France in the 1660s, which banned knives with sharp tips to reduce violence, domestic kitchen knives and table knives were developed and reached affordability for the common person.

During Japan’s Edo period, a new material called “hagane” steel, stronger than the standard, was created. It shortly became the preferred material for the style of kitchen knives in Japan. These metal knives featured a curved-edge blade, far more similar to what we use today.

Around the same period in Germany, in 1731, Peter Henckels developed what is now referred to as the German chef’s knife, the most common design for chef’s knives worldwide today.

Modern Kitchen Knives

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Stainless steel was invented in 1913 and quickly became the most popular material for kitchen knives and most cooking utensils, far surpassing standard steel. Stainless steel was resistant to rust and maintained their structure through rough usage.

At present, knives made of stainless steel are still the most popular worldwide and are even more durable, corrosion-resistant, and effective than ever before. Of the many different styles of kitchen knives around today, the two most popular are German and Japanese knives.

Japanese Knives vs. German Knives

Most kitchen knives nowadays, especially chef’s knives, tend to fall to the side of either the German-style knife developed by Henckels or the Japanese-style knives that originated in Seki. Both are incredibly effective, so the division merely comes down to personal preference.

The more heavy-duty and stronger of the two are the German variety. These blades are thicker, and can be used with much more force. Unlike Japanese knives, German knives have a bolster, the thick part of the blade’s spine, that can be pushed down with additional force from the user’s free hand.

Their edges are more rounded than the Japanese chef’s knives, and the curve of the edge makes chopping in a rocking motion far easier. Despite their significant strength and durability, German-style knives are less ideal for getting thinner, more exact cuts.

Far better for precise and delicate slicing and chopping are the Japanese-style kitchen knives. These have thinner blades than the “fat” German knife, and thus have sharper edges.

As a result of the thinner blade, these knives are lighter and can be easier to handle and control for many cutting jobs. The downside here is that without the thicker blade and bolster, these knives are not as well-suited for chopping requiring more force. They also are more fragile and susceptible to chipping or breaking.

Common Modern Knife Materials

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Stainless steel is still the most accessible and affordable material for kitchen knives in modern times, but with new advancements come new alternatives. Today, kitchen knives made of ceramic materials, carbon steel, titanium, and many more are widely available, providing affordability and variety to the masses for every knife style around.

Ceramic Knives

Developed in the late ‘90s in Japan, a nano-material called “zirconium oxide” was molded under 300 tons of pressure and polished into the first ceramic knife. Ceramic knives are lighter, sharper, more temperature resistant, and rustproof than stainless steel and most other alternatives. The only downside is that, being ceramic, these knives are more fragile and likely to break if dropped or misused.

Carbon Steel Knives

Knives made with different forms of carbon steel have been forged throughout history. However, after the invention of stainless steel by Harry Brearley in 1913, carbon steel fell out of vogue for cooks. In recent decades, however, knives made from carbon steel (which are made with a carbon core inside of stainless steel), have made a comeback and are used by many more professional chefs around the world.

Titanium Knives

Titanium became more popular as a material for knives in the ‘90s, as titanium blades are lighter and more resilient than most other materials. With that said, they are far less common than stainless steel as titanium is a softer metal, and thus cannot hold a sharp edge for as long without maintenance.

William Henry

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