Progressive Housewares finds out the key attributes of quality knives, the latest product innovation and more from key suppliers in the sector.
Whether the buyer is a home chef, hobby chef, or professional, the important attributes of a kitchen knife remain constant. Paul Shelley, managing director of Haus Marketing and Distribution outlines two of these: “Firstly, it should be about the material and quality and how that material is used to create the knife. The material can be varying qualities in steel, and some of those factors enhance the next option a consumer should look at – sharpness.
“Sharpness is 100% important, it’s affected by the thickness of the steel. What angle that blade is sharpened at will also have an influence on the initial cutting steel. Subject to the investment, you want the knife to be sharp, for the edge to remain sharp for a long time, and for the blade to be easy to resharpen. The harder the steel, the longer the edge will last, but the harder it will be to resharpen. Finding that balance is what knife brands talk about all the time.”
The feel of a knife is also an important consideration. Howard Bradley, commercial director at Dexam, offers: “Comfort is key; every knife should act and feel like an extension to the user’s hand. There’s no such thing as an ideal weight of knife; it comes down to personal preference.”
To read the full feature in the latest issue of Progressive Housewares magazine, simply click here.