Ceramic knives

[BlueTrain]

I have noticed for sale (in fine stores everywhere) things which I take to be ceramic knives. They are kitchen knives, to be sure, which definition does not prevent their use anywhere else, and bushcrafty activities generally include something to do with food and food preparation. They must be considered to be exceptionally sharp or something because some of them come with sheaths. They are all in bright colors, too.

Anyone have one? Are they practical compared with an ordinary steel knife? Can they be sharpened? Are they brittle and finally, are they even ceramic? If nothing else, they're certain new!

 

[Hog On Ice]

I use one when I am cutting dyneema cords (and chopping veggies) - they are very sharp but also somewhat fragile I think - so far I have not damaged the one I use but I am careful to only cut straight down with it and to only hand wash it - dishwashers were to be avoided if I recall the warnings on the package correctly

 

[santaman2000]

I've got a small ceramic paring kife. It's good in the kitchen but I haven't tried it for anything else. Yes it's sharp, but that's not why they have a protective sheath; that's there to protect the edge from damage. As Hog On Ice said, they're not dishwasher safe.