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Because I know we have some foodies here, and we're all technology nerds to a greater or lesser extent.
And I've just bought (a couple of weeks ago) a couple of cheap ceramic knives - $7 for a 4" (10cm), $12 for a 6" (16cm) and I'm seriously impressed.
I got 'em because Herself has sharpened all my Sabatier knives at the wrong angle, and blunted the lot - so it's going to take me a week with a whetstone to get 'em back, and they'll probably never hold an edge as well again. And I figured that if she plays with the short ceramic, she'll leave mine alone in future...
But the 6" ceramic is gorgeous! It glides through meat and veg so nicely that I may get more. And so far it hasn't needed any edge touch up. I know it will - but you can buy electric diamond sharpening wheels - and I know you have to use wood or plastic cutting boards, but so far it's held it's edge very nicely.
Anyone else tried 'em? Any comments you'd care to share?
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Maybe it was too cheap (I have no idea really, it was a gift), but the tip broke off in a dishwasher accident.
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I wouldn't dishwash my decent knives (or decent glassware, if I had some) so that isn't a real problem! 
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OriginalGriff wrote: $7 for a 4" (10cm), $12 for a 6" (16cm)
Did you left Wales for an oversea trip? 
I'm still using steel knifes. But at such low prices it doesn't matter if a ceramic knife breaks or steel one gets edgeless.
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No - it's just easier for most of the world to equate value to the US dollar than the UK pound!
In UK, it was £5 and £9 - but that's probably doesn't mean a lot to anyone outside the UK.
Jochen Arndt wrote: But at such low prices it doesn't matter if a ceramic knife breaks or steel one gets edgeless
That's what I figured - I paid way, way more than that for my decent steel knives (heck, I paid way more than that for my diamond steel to sharpen 'em with) and they've given me good service for over ten years. But sharpen 'em at the wrong angle...or in one of those "V" blocks without even reading the instructions, and ... 
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OriginalGriff wrote: cheap ceramic knives
So your ceramic knives were a steel? How confusing!
I am not a number. I am a ... no, wait!
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I hate them. (well, not really, I tried and broke 2 small paring knives)
They cut super nice, and stay sharp, BUT...
They are too fragile, they break if you cut something too hard (bones), they break if you drop them.
I'd rather be phishing!
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I have a meat cleaver and a hacksaw for bones, and I try really hard not to drop anything sharp (because I have a tendency to try to catch them with a hand or foot before they land and that generally gets painful)
But I agree, they aren't going to be as robust as steel. But they do slice meat beautifully....
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OriginalGriff wrote: I have a meat cleaver and a hacksaw for bones
Then you don't need another knife; anything where does two don't work, a wooden spoon does.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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I bought one on offer in Sainsburys. It was brilliant, but then I snapped the blade by stupidly trying to crush garlic with it.
So I bought another even cheaper off the internet. It is brilliant too.
Only problem is they carve up glass chopping boards.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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I bought a couple of wood boards for them - I daren't use them on my granite ones!
So they'll be harder to clean (I bleach my granites ones regularly) but wood is a natural antibiotic (apparently) so that shouldn't be a problem.
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Buy one of these[^] instead.
If you've invested in a set of Sabatier you should afford one.
You end up with knives that always have the right angle, that are sharper than new (seriously). Especially if you invest in an extra leather honing wheel.
And if you always use it you get very little wear on the knives.
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OriginalGriff wrote: Anyone else playing with ceramic knives?
My Dad told me "not to play with knives."
My Dad also told me "not to take a knife to a gun fight."
My Mum told me "Stay away from gun fight altogether you f***ing idiot"
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My mum told me "if a man comes up to you and offers you sweets to get in his car - go!"
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My mom used to rock me to sleep at night. She used real rocks.
I'm retired. There's a nap for that...
- Harvey
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PompeyThree wrote: My Mum told me "Stay away from gun fight altogether you f***ing idiot"
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Might be a difficult job to chop garlic though...
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DO NOT DROP! They will shatter.
DO NOT USE ON GLASS CUTTING BOARDS. They are ridiculously sharp and will carve up glass into tiny little bits. Hit the glass hard enough and you'll shatter the blade.
ALWAYS use on a wooden cutting board. I use bamboo. I don't use plastic boards because these knives will carve them up quickly.
They hold the edge much longer than steel does. If you've got the hand for keeping the proper angle (look it up! They do come in different angles) you can sharpen them yourself. I suggest using a large flat, fine and extra fine grit diamond stones. I use a couple of 8" stones at 25 and 9 microns for plenty of space to work and water with a little dish soap or food grade mineral oil. I don't us anything coarse grit because I never let my knives get that dull.
If you don't have the hand for it, there's no shame is sending it back to the factory for resharpening. With consistent use, you can count on doing this every 9 to 18 months, YMMV.
Oh, NEVER use a ceramic sharpening "steel". If you get a little too fast with that thing and you will shatter or chip the blade. 
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i have a ceramic paring knife that i'm almost afraid to use. it's soooo sharp - cuts everything it touches - fingers, kitchen sponges, etc.. . i'd like to get some more, eventually.
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So Wales is going back to the Stone Age? 
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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Without reading other comments make sure to buy fully ceramic and not coated. I've been using them for several years and they're the dog's, you can use them for anything bar bone and frozen food.
veni bibi saltavi
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I have picked up several at various prices and have not found a ha'p'orth of difference between them. They are all sharper than a razor and cut anything very easily! They are brittle and delicate if you use them wrongly, I have chipped a couple and broken one but my steel knives tend to get left in the rack unless there is bone or frozen things to deal with. They go in the dishwasher with no harm to the edge I can detect.
I have had one particular six-inch ceramic knife for over five years of near-daily use and apart from a couple of millimeters missing from the tip (from trying to make a hole in a microwaveable frozen thingy) it is still working perfectly and cutting like it was brand new.
Also you can use them for chopping lettuce as the remaining lettuce does not turn brown at the edge as with a metal knife - so you don't need a plastic lettuce knife (which I still have unused in my kitchen drawer).
Hint and tip: Use paper plates for cutting on - they are disposable, do not hurt the ceramic knifes, catch juice and blood, etc. and don't need cleaning or maintaining as you just throw them away when you are done or they show too much damage. I get good quality paper plates from the wholesale club (as I use them for parties and things) but the cheapest paper plates you can get will do the cutting job just as well.
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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...so the answer I am curious about is whether or not you can take them on an airplane.
I'm retired. There's a nap for that...
- Harvey
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I understand that they are designed to be detected, so you can't just carry them on.
Mind you, if you want an "interesting life" you could give it a try... 
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