ZWILLING Cutlery Basics Academy

Premium German Cutlery
by ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS
Made in Solingen, Germany
Since 1731
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ZWILLING History
 The ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS brand was established on June 13, 1731, the day knifemaker Peter Henckels registered the ZWILLING logo with the Cutlers Guild of Solingen,
Germany.
 The name and logo for ZWILLING (German for Twins) were inspired by the astrological
sign at the time of the June founding. June is under the sign of Gemini or the “Twins”
constellation.
 ZWILLING cutlery is still manufactured in our factory in Solingen, Germany.
 280 years later, the ZWILLING name represents innovative technology in the production
of knives that are harder, sharper, more durable and beautiful.
 ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS knives have been sold and distributed in North America
since 1883.
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What makes a quality knife?
4 KEYS
1. Sharpness – what makes a knife sharp?
 Acute edge angle
 Hand polished edge and smooth blade
 Thin blade
2. Retaining Sharpness – what makes a knife stay sharp?
 Hardness of steel which comes from:
 High carbon content
 Even spread of the carbides
 Improved by ice-hardening and tempering process
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What makes a quality knife?
4 KEYS
3. Durable – what makes a knife last a lifetime?
 One-piece precision forged
 Corrosion resistant steel – it won’t rust easily
 Tough/elastic steel – it won’t break or crack easily
 Full or ¾ tang
 Thickness of the blade
 Handle material and construction
4. Ergonomic Design – what makes a knife comfortable over hours of use?
 Bolster is comfortable and promotes proper handling
 Seamless transition from blade to handle
 Good weight distribution
 Comfortable handle
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Terminology
Spine
Blade
Heel
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Bolster
 The bolster forms the transition from the knife’s handle to the blade.

It should:
 guard fingers
 distribute weight properly
 be comfortable
 promote proper handling
Full Bolster
Half Bolster
Curved Bolster
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Bolster : Review + to +++ Rating
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PRODUCTION
PROCESS
BLANKS
SIGMAFORGE
Upset forging
GRINDING
Back & bolster
FRIODUR
Ice-hardening
STRAIGHTENING
GRINDING &
POLISHING blade
HANDLE
Assembly
SHARPENING &
POLISHING
CLEANING
QUALITY CONTROL
Special Formula Steel
 The ZWILLING special formula steel is produced in Germany by ThyssenKrupp
exclusively for ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS. Carbon content and alloy components
like chrome are maintained in a precise composition.
 Due to the consistent chemical composition of the steel, the production process and heat
treatment can be fine-adjusted. This enables ZWILLING to get the very best out of the
steel.
 Stainless Steel Core Components:
 Iron is the heart of steel – but it is relatively soft and prone to corrosion
 Carbon is added for strength
 Chromium is added for corrosion resistance
 Stainless means knives resist rust in humid air or when they are used to cut acidic foods
such as tomatoes, lemons and limes.
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SIGMAFORGE®
 Forging is at the core of knife production. This is when the knife gets its shape under
extreme conditions using temperature and power.
 During the forging process the SIGMAFORGE® knife is precision-forged from one
single piece.
 SIGMAFORGE® is an upset forging process. Only the part of the blank that forms
the bolster is heated. Upset forging is favored for:
 Retaining Steel Integrity – heat effects the metal. By only heating a small
portion of the blank more of the steel’s integrity is maintained
 Energy Efficiency – up to 70% less energy is used in upset forging than in
traditional forging
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SIGMAFORGE®
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FRIODUR®
 Like turning dough into great bread, the full potential of steel can only be unlocked with
the proper baking or heat treatment.
 FRIODUR® is a hardening process proprietary to ZWILLING. The process involves four
important stages of time sensitive heat treatment that unleash the full hardness and
toughness of the steel. The stages:
1. Heating: 1800°F
2. Cooling down: room temperature
3. Freezing: –94°F
4. Tempering: 480°F (twice)
 The result:
 exceptional hardness, high toughness and corrosion resistance
 57°Rockwell Hardness – an excellent property for edge retention
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Laser-controlled sharpness
 Sharpening is done in a multi step process.
 Each knife is hand-ground and hand-polished by an artisan for ultimate sharpness.
 ZWILLING then validates the work with precise laser technology to check the optimum
angle of the cutting edge.
 This creates blades with long-lasting sharpness and very high cutting properties.
 Most ZWILLING knives have an edge angle of 15 degrees on each side, 30 in total..
Santoku’s have an edge of 10 on each side, 20 in total.
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Blade styles
 The right knife for every purpose: Knives vary as much as the material they are
required to cut.
 Variations:
 Shape of blade
 Size of blade and handle
 Cutting Edge
 Bolster
 The above details determine the most suitable knife for each task. The following
pages identify blade styles and uses.
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Blade styles
 Peeling knife: small, lightweight, handy knife with curved blade and firm tip. Peels
potatoes, fruit and vegetables. Also suitable for cutting out spots and blemishes.
 Paring knife: small, light and versatile knife with a slim blade and centre tip. Peels, cuts,
cleans and garnishes fruit and vegetables. Also suitable for preparing meat and larding.
 Kudamono: Asian vegetable knife with a strong blade, straight cutting edge and firm tip,
mostly hollow ground. Cleans, peels and cuts small fruit and vegetables. Also suitable for
cutting out spots and blemishes.
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Blade styles
 Serrated Utility knife: medium-sized knife with scalloped edge. Cuts for example
tomatoes, sausages, small bread rolls and cheese. Practical for picnics and cold
lunches.
 Bread knife: long, strong blade with scalloped edge. This edge cuts effortlessly through
hard bread crusts. Cuts neat slices due to its aggressive long prongs.
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Blade styles
 Carving knife: slim knife with strong blade and fine cutting edge. For preparing all kind
of meat and for carving roasts.
 Hollow edge slicing knife: long, flexible blade with alternating hollows on each side of
the cutting edge and rounded tip. Ideal for finely slicing meats and fish (especially ham
and salmon). Also suitable for cutting cakes.
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Blade styles
 Boning knife: slim and thin, characteristically curved blade with straight cutting edge.
Best suited for cutting meat off the bone.
 Filleting knife: long, slim, thin and flexible blade for efficient filleting of fish. Also suitable
for skinning tomatoes and other precise jobs, like segmenting citrus fruits.
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Blade styles
 Chef‘s knife: sturdy, heavy knife with broad, strong blade and fine cutting edge. The allrounder for professionals and hobby chefs suitable for chopping herbs, cutting
vegetables, slicing and dicing fish and meat.
 Santoku knife: Asian-type knife with broad blade and especially sharp cutting edge. The
all rounder of the Asian kitchen can be used threefold: for preparing meat, fish and also
vegetables. All ZWILLING Santoku knives have a fine-polished RAZOR EDGE that gives
them their typical sharpness.
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Blade styles
 Chinese chef‘s knife: broad, long blade with very sharp cutting edge. Perfect for
preparing meat, fish and vegetable the Chinese way. The large blade protects the hand
even when cutting small items. Not suitable as a cleaver.
 Cleaver: sturdy broad and rectangular blade. Cuts large pieces of meat and spare ribs.
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Edge maintenance
 Knives do not stay sharp forever. If you examine a knife under a microscope,
you would see that the edge is made up of thousands of small cutting teeth.
Through use, the fine teeth on the cutting edge will eventually get misaligned,
resulting in a dull knife. It is necessary to realign the teeth on a regular basis to
renew the cutting edge; this is called honing.
 Do not hone or re-sharpen serrated knives! If a serrated knife becomes dull it
should be sharpened by a professional or replaced.
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Re-Sharpen
 Over time, a knife will have to be re-sharpened. This means the cutting edge
can no longer be renewed by realigning and has to be reground.
 Sharpening Steel realigns the edge, but it doesn’t regrind (take away a thin
layer of steel to put a new edge on the blade).
 When used correctly and honed regularly a knife only has to be re-sharpened
approximately once a year.
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99000-583 – 07/2012 Printed in Canada