Manufacturing flatware knives

Production of knives

Flatware knives are either hollow-handled or monobloc knives.

Hollow-handled knives

Hollow-handled knives consist of a forged blade and a two-piece handle. Hollow-handled knife blades by ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS are made solely of dishwasher-proof, heat treatable steel to DIN 4122. They are much more costly to manufacture than monobloc knives because blade and handle are manufactured separately and subsequently connected. The most important production steps at a glance:

  • Knife and handle are separately manufactured.
  • During hardening the required steel properties are optimised by heating, quenching and tempering.
  • Surface treatment with grinding, fine-grinding, dry-fine grinding and polishing.
  • Blade and handle are then joined and fastened with special cement.
  • Before the final inspection the knife is honed, thus receiving its cutting edge.

The assembly process and the precision grinding of the joint between bolster and handle are complicated, expensive production processes.

Monobloc knives

Monobloc knives are made from a single piece of metal. Heat treatable steel is used for these knives. Again the surface treatment and hardening are very importance to achieve corrosion resistance and good cutting properties.