Comparison Bergner BG-3951 vs Bergner BG-8776

- Steel. In this case, we mean steel blades made by stamping. It is believed that this method itself does not provide as high quality as forging; in addition, the blade and tang in this case can be made separately and then welded together, which further reduces the durability of the knife and increases the risk of breaking it under great force. However, stamped blades are easy to produce, inexpensive, and usually sufficiently durable for most tasks, both everyday and professional. This ensured their high popularity.

— Steel ( non-stick coating). Steel blades with a special polymer coating applied to them. It not only prevents the sticking of products, but also protects the blade from corrosion, makes it easy to clean, and also gives the tool an original and bright appearance - because the coating can be given any color. The tendency to abrasion reduces many of the advantages of such a blade to nothing.

— Forged steel. Blades made of steel by forging. Such knives are considered much stronger and more durable than stamped ones, in particular because the shank and blade are initially one piece, which reduces the risk of breaking the knife. On the other hand, the process itself is quite expensive and troublesome, and therefore is used mainly in premium knives.

— Damascus steel. In modern knives, Damascus steel...refers to steel consisting of many layers with different carbon contents. Such layers vary in color, which gives the blade a characteristic beautiful pattern, while Damascus blades combine high strength, flexibility and durability. However, the complexity of production significantly affects the price - such knives can cost many times more than even similar forged ones.

— Three-layer steel. The name “laminated” is also found. As the name suggests, such blades consist of three layers of steel (this is one of the main differences from the multi-layer Damascus described above). These layers differ in composition and, accordingly, properties: the core is made of hard high-carbon steel, and the lining is made of soft “stainless steel”. This combination allows you to combine the advantages of both types: the core provides the blade with the necessary hardness, and the linings compensate for the fragility of high-carbon steel. Another advantage of three-ply blades is the ease of sharpening, since relatively little hard material has to be removed during the process. Their disadvantage is, first of all, their high price. In addition, the fragile core does not bear shock loads well, which is why such knives are unsuitable for chopping.

- Ceramics. Ceramic, usually zirconium based, is considered a very advanced material. It allows you to create very sharp blades that do not dull for a long time, do not oxidize, are easy to clean, are not susceptible to scratches, and also weigh much less than steel. On the other hand, ceramic blades are very fragile and have absolutely no flexibility, making them prone to chipping and very sensitive to shocks and falls. In addition, due to the high hardness of the material, such blades cannot be sharpened using traditional methods, and special ones are quite expensive - despite the fact that the cost of the knives themselves is also very high.

— Titan. Titanium-based alloys are premium materials. They are characterized by a solid appearance; titanium blades are also distinguished by their low weight combined with high strength properties. The blades of titanium knives do not enter into chemical reactions when in contact with food, which means they ensure proper hygiene in the food preparation process. Anodizing titanium allows you to get fantastically beautiful and rich colors of the blade. The main disadvantage, traditionally for such materials, is the high cost.

— Antibacterial. Knives with antibacterial coated blades stop pathogens, bacteria and mold spores from spreading when cutting food. However, they do not absorb odours and do not allow the appearance of unpleasant aftertastes. To prevent the blade from losing its antibacterial qualities, it is not recommended to wash it with a brush or a hard sponge.

— Ceramic. Under this "wrap" are kitchen knives with a metal blade, which is covered with a layer of ceramics. They cost much less than all -ceramic products, are just as sharp and less brittle in terms of sensitivity to shocks and drops. Usually, over time, the ceramic coating of the blade is erased and a completely ordinary metal knife appears before us.

— Marble. The coating based on marble chips improves the aesthetic component of kitchen knives and prevents food from sticking to the surface of the blade when cutting any soft foods. As a result, dirt does not accumulate on the working body of the knife, which has a pronounced antibacterial effect.

— Titanium. Titanium coating significantly increases the wear resistance of the blades of kitchen knives, prevents the blade from rusting and is resistant to all kinds of acids that get on the surface of the knives during their use for their intended purpose.

— Plastic. Plastic is often considered a cheap and low-quality material, but this is not entirely true for kitchen knives. The fact is that the term "plastic" in this case can mean various types of polymers, often with very advanced specifications. Most often, the quality of the plastic handle directly depends on the price category of the knife. With all this, the plastic handles are strong enough to use the knife for its intended purpose for at least several months, are easy to clean, and are also resistant to water and kitchen chemicals.

— Wood. The wood is pleasing to the eye and touch, can withstand hits and falls without any problems, and its durable varieties are not necessarily expensive. At the same time, this material is sensitive to water — it “absorbs” water, loses its presentation, resistance to cracks, chips and scratches (which is not very high anyway) and can even “bloom”, which is generally unacceptable for a kitchen appliance. Wooden handles are not used too widely — either in the cheapest knives, where durability is not important, or vice versa, in premium-class models, where wood plays the role of an stylish material.

— Steel. This material is considered one of the most hygienic: it is easy to clean, and the design of the knife has virtually no gaps in which dirt can accumulate. In addition, steel handles look very solid, durable and...hard, withstand hits and falls without any problems, and are also scratch resistant. On the other hand, a steel handle is more likely to slip out of your hand than a wooden or plastic one.

— Steel with an insert. A variant designed to eliminate the main disadvantage of all-steel handles (see above) — an increased likelihood of slipping. This is what inserts are used for: they are made of rubber, plastic or other similar material that increases the "grip" of the palm with the knife handle. The presence of inserts is the only difference between handles of this type and all-steel; the rest of the features are completely identical.

— Silicone. A material that looks and feels similar to the plastic described above, but has its own specifics. The main practical difference is that silicone is much softer, some of its varieties are similar to rubber. This provides a more comfortable and secure hold in the hands; in addition, the silicone surface is often made slightly rough, which improves grip and further reduces the likelihood of slipping. On the other hand, this material is more expensive than plastic, and the advantages described are not decisive; therefore, silicone handles are not common, mainly among premium knives (although there are exceptions).

The length of a blade is usually measured from the point to the neck (the bulge between the blade and the handle). The value of this parameter is determined primarily by the type of knife. For example, in models for cleaning, it rarely exceeds 12 cm — otherwise it would be inconvenient to work with small round products). Among bread, on the contrary, blades shorter than 20 cm are rarely found — loaves of bread can be quite thick, which requires an appropriate knife, etc. However, knives of the same type can also vary significantly in length. In most cases, you can use this principle: a longer knife allows you to work with larger pieces of food, but it is less “agile”, and the length of the blade can affect the price.

Knives for operations and work, in which there are increased loads on the blade and handle. The shank of the blade in their design continues until the end of the handle, usually it has the same thickness as the blade. The handle itself usually consists of two pads, planted on rivets or hidden pins. But there are other versions: with a solid metal or cast polymer handle. In such cases Full tang knives can be identified by several distinguishing features – a protruding shank at the end, a lanyard hole through which a metal shank is visible, etc.

The presence of air pockets in the design of the knife.

In its classical form, air pockets, or grantons, are small oval or oblong-shaped notches located along the blade. It is believed that they prevent the product from sticking to the blade, which is especially important when thinly sliced "sticky" foods like soft cheese. At the same time, the actual effectiveness of grantons can be different, it largely depends on the price category of the knife — the more expensive the product, the more carefully the manufacturer approaches the choice of the optimal shape of the recesses.

If we are talking about cheese knives(see "Type"), then the air pockets are made in the form of continuous slots in the blade. At the same time, such slots can be quite large, so that the tool looks more like a “knife frame” than a full-fledged knife (although this impression is misleading).