What are the characteristics that a good blade must have? It is important that the steel is hard so that it keeps a sharp edge for a long time, but at the same time it is essential that the blade is flexible to bend without breaking and stainless, which therefore has a good resistance to corrosion. The steel alone is not sufficient to determine the blade's performance, the heat treatment, the geometry of the blade and the shape and construction of the handle are decisive factors for choosing a good product suitable for the intended purpose. The main characteristics sought in a knife are:

• Wear resistance: it is the ability to support abrasions during use. It is determined by the type, quantity and distribution of the various elements that make up the steel

1. Molybdenum, Vanadium and Manganese - favor the hardness and strength of steel by supporting the task of carbon within the metal matrix

2. Chromium - determines the resistance of steel to oxidation.

3. Nickel - increases hardness and strength. Nickel can also play a role in corrosion resistance, but it is certainly not as good as chrome and should be used with high percentages at the expense of thread tightness.

4. Tungsten - increases wear resistance and toughness.

5. Molybdenum - prevents brittleness and increases toughness and fatigue resistance, increases workability and resistance to corrosion.

6. Vanadium V - helps to increase resistance to wear and impact. It increases the hardness that allows for an extremely clean and functional cut.

• The strength of the cutting edge is a factor linked to wear resistance, but not only. The cutting edge must be able to withstand even small impacts when cutting solid materials (hardness)
• Resistance to deformations: it is the load capacity without permanent deformation. For many uses resistance is a determining factor and is often correlated with hardness, the harder the steel, the stronger the resistance
• Resistance to oxidation: this property can be useful in corrosive environments, such as salt water and some siliceous materials (for example certain foods). Micro-oxidations are not phenomena to be underestimated as they can, in a given period of time, lead to the loss of the wire. It must however be taken into consideration that all steels (even stainless steels), having a strong ferrous matrix, are subject to oxidation and only good maintenance preserves them completely intact. In same Countries, in the water purification phase, chlorine dioxide has been used that has a high disinfectant power, but also contraindications for its use at high temperatures in the dishwasher (over 60 °) as it becomes hydrochloric acid, a very aggressive agent for the steels used in cutlery. The signs of corrosion called Pit Corrosion (small points of rust destined to enlarge) can already appear even after the first washing on the blades of new knives. To minimize the problem, the time of contact between the knives and the vapors released by the high temperatures must be limited. Therefore, as soon as the washing is finished, remove the knives from the dishwasher and wipe them with a soft cloth, even when they seem dry.
• Hardness: resistance to pressure stress. It is the element that guarantees the robustness of the blade.
• Easy cutting edge maintenance: some steels seem to take a much thinner edge than others, even if sharpened in exactly the same way. The fact is mainly due to the presence of the "grain of the steels". Those with fine grain are able to have a thin cutting edge and a clean cut, where instead a "coarse grain" is present, the operation is more difficult. To overcome this problem, Vanadium is added.
• Effect of the presence of elements on the characteristics of steel. We keep in mind that the Carbon present in all the steels is the element that transforms the iron into steel allows the steel to be tempered, characterizing the hardness and duration of the sharpening. However, it also increases the fragility and the oxidizability (rust).