What are ceramic knives made of?
These knives are made of an advanced, high-tech ceramic called zirconium oxide (also called zirconia). This material, which is second in hardness only to diamond, was originally developed for industrial applications where metal components failed. Zirconium oxide is extremely hard, wear resistant, and chemically inert. For the technically minded, zirconium oxide has a hardness of 8.2 mohs (vs. steel at 5-6 mohs and diamond at 10 mohs).

How do I sharpen ceramic knives?
You can resharpen your ceramic knife by sending it back to manufacturer or by bringing it to a qualified knife shop which has a powered diamond sharpening wheel.

Will a ceramic knife break or shatter if I drop it?
No (with the possible exception of the tip). Zirconium oxide is a very strong material. Like a forged steel knife, however, you can break the tip if the knife lands on the tip. Fortunately, we can repair most damaged tips under the five year warranty.

How can I damage a ceramic knife?
Two ways. First, you can chip the edge if you cut into bones. Second, you can break off the tip or snap off the handle if you use it to pry.

Can I put my ceramic knife in the dishwasher?
We do not recommend this for several reasons. First, it's dangerous if someone forgets about the knife or reaches in the wrong way. Second, violent motion against other objects, especially hard plates, could chip the objects and/or the knife. Third, dishwashers ruin wood handles. Finally, ceramic knives are very easy to clean with a quick wipe since food does not stick to the blade.

Why are ceramic knives so expensive?
Two reasons. First, zirconium oxide is a relatively new, advanced material which costs more than steel. Second, the U.S. government charges an unusually high import duty on advanced ceramic products.

Where should I store my Kyocera ceramic knife?
You can store your Kyocera ceramic knife in a conventional knife block, in an in-drawer tray, or in the package.

Where are Kyocera knives made?
Kyocera produces ceramic knives in Sendai, a small city in southwest Japan on the island of Kyushu.

How are Kyocera knives made?
First, we mold ceramic powder into blade "blanks" using special high pressure (many tons!) presses. Special binders in the powder allow the blanks to retain their shape before sintering (or firing), which takes several days at extremely high temperatures (in excess of 1000ø C). We then grind (on a diamond wheel) and polish the sintered blanks to form an edge and the final shape before attaching the handle.

Which Kyocera knife is sharpest?
The Kyocera KC-130 and the KC-200 are our sharpest knives. Most Kyocera ceramic knives have an edge formed by one vertical side and one angled side. The KC-130 and the KC-200 have edges formed by two angled sides.

Why is the black knife, the Kyocera KC-200, or Boker C-OS black?
These knives have a special blade made of zirconium carbide, which turns black when fired. Zirconium carbide is even more resistant to damage from misuse or dropping.

How do you make that neat Kyocera and Boker logos right into the blade of the wood handled knives?
They sandblast each logo onto the blade by hand.

How come Boker or Kyocera don't make a straight razor?
Too dangerous! A metal razor blade has a relatively "rounded" edge (under the microscope) which prevents the blade from cutting into the skin. A ceramic razor blade, however, does not have a rounded edge and slices into the skin. Thus, a ceramic shaver would be too dangerous to use. Several engineers for Kyocera in Sendai who tested prototypes can confirm this painful fact!

How do I say "Kyocera" correctly?
The correct pronunciation is "KEE-OH-SAIR-RA," which comes from "Kyoto Ceramics," the original name of the company.