Steel guide

Ceramic knife blades, explained

Ceramic blades are made from zirconia, a very hard material that does not rust. SAMURA offers white and black zirconia blades in the Inca series, made for clean, light slicing of vegetables, fruit, fish and boneless meat.

Samura knives in Ceramic

Samura My Little Chef Kids Chef's Knife 125 mm – main view

BLACK NOVEMBER −30%

Zirconia ceramic · 125 mm

My Little Chef Kids Chef's Knife 125 mm

€19,99€14,00 with BLACK NOVEMBER

What zirconia ceramic is

Zirconia is a dense technical ceramic. Powder is pressed into shape, fired at high temperature and then ground to an edge. The result is a blade harder than knife steel that cannot rust.

SAMURA offers two versions. Zirconia ceramic gives a white blade. Black zirconia ceramic gives a black blade. Both are used in the same way.

Hardness and how it differs from steel

Ceramic is not rated on the HRC scale used for knife steel. It is considerably harder than steel, which helps the edge resist wear in light, everyday slicing.

The other side of that hardness is brittleness. Steel can flex a little under stress. Ceramic cannot, so it can chip or snap if twisted, dropped or used on hard food.

Strengths and trade-offs

A ceramic knife is a specialist for light, precise cuts. Keep a steel knife alongside it for heavier jobs.

Will not rust or react with acidic food
Light in the hand
Edge resists wear in light slicing
Brittle: no bones, frozen food, prying or twisting
Needs diamond abrasives to sharpen

SAMURA ceramic knives

The Inca series offers chef's, nakiri and utility knives, 3-piece sets and a fruit knife and peeler set, in white or black zirconia. Handles are ABS plastic with TPR soft-touch, and the edges are double-bevel.

For young cooks, the My Little Chef kids' chef's knife has a short ceramic blade, rounded for extra safety. Use it with adult supervision. See all ceramic knives.

Care and sharpening

Wash by hand and dry. Cut on wood or plastic boards, never glass, stone or plates. Store the knife in a sheath or block so the blade cannot knock against other tools.

A steel honing rod or a regular whetstone will not sharpen ceramic. It needs diamond abrasives and a light touch. Look through our sharpening tools and choose one suited to ceramic blades.

Questions

Ceramic: common questions

Do ceramic knives rust?

No. Zirconia ceramic does not rust or react with acidic food. Still wash the knife by hand and dry it.

What should I not cut with a ceramic knife?

Avoid bones, frozen food, hard squash, hard crusts and anything that needs prying or twisting. These can chip or break the blade.

Is there a difference between white and black zirconia?

Both are zirconia ceramic and are used the same way. The visible difference is the colour of the blade.

Can I sharpen a ceramic knife at home?

Only with a sharpener that uses diamond abrasives. Steel honing rods and regular whetstones will not work.

Which knife types come in ceramic at SAMURA?

Chef's, nakiri and utility knives, plus knife sets and a fruit knife and peeler set, all in the Inca series. There is also a kids' chef's knife in the My Little Chef series.