Different blade edges for different uses
Below are the four most common blade edges found on kitchen cutlery:
Straight
A straight edge blade, also called a flat ground, is formed by grinding the both sides of the blade so that it tapers down into a straight razor sharp cutting edge.
This type of edge is perfect for making clean and firm cuts without tearing the fibers in raw meat, vegetables and fruit.
Serrated
A serrated edge blade has rows of teeth along the blade edge which are designed to easily penetrate a product’s tough outer crust, much like a saw, to prevent the soft inner flesh from tearing and protect the actual cutting edge from being dulled by the cutting board.
Serrated knives are great for cutting crusty bread, large tomatoes and cooked meats.
Granton
A granton edge blade, also referred to as scalloped or dimpled, has hollowed out sections running along both sides of the blade edge.
These dished out grooves creates air pockets between the blade and turgid foods such as fruit and vegetables which in theory releases food from the knife’s blade during the process of cutting.
Hollow ground
A hollow ground edge blade is created by grinding from just below the midpoint of a knife and forming concave sides that come to a very thin, very sharp cutting edge.
The downside to this type of edge is that because it is so thin it is brittle and dull easily making it more effective for prep work rather than heavy cutting tasks.
A hollow grounded edge is most useful for skinning fish, cutting sushi or peeling and slicing fruits.
Kitchen knife blade shapes
Kitchen knife blade configurations:
- Straight
- Curved up
- Curved down
Straight
This type of blade is the reverse of the curved up blade, i.e., the spine curves downward to meet a blade that is straight from its tip back to the handle for the purpose of lifting the knife off the cutting board for chopping down.
Curved up
Thus type of knife blade configuration is curved upward from the middle of the knife to the blade’s tip to meet a flat or straight spine (the top portion of the knife that runs from the handle to the end of the blade) which allows for a rocking force to its tapering point for chopping without the knife leaving the cutting board.
Curved down
This type of kitchen blade has a spine and blade edge that curves equally to meet to a point and is generally found on most standard paring knives.
