Frequently Asked Questions About Granton Edge Blades

Scalloped edges (also known as fluted or hollow edges) are a common feature on many kitchen knife blades; however, true Granton Edge knives are only manufactured by Granton Knifemakers in Sheffield. We answer some frequently asked questions about this unique blade below.

Click on a link below to jump to the relevant question:

1. What is a Granton Edge?
2. Who manufactures Granton Edge knives?
3. What type of steel are these knives made from?
4. How does a Granton Edge differ from a scalloped-edge blade?
5. What is a Granton Edge knife used for?
6. Are these knives suitable for slicing bread?
7. Can I sharpen a Granton Edge knife?
8. How is a Granton Edge knife sharpened?
9. What are the pros and cons of a Granton Edge?
10. What size knife can I get with a Granton Edge?

1. What is a Granton Edge?

They key feature of a Granton Edge is the scallops cut into the blade. These indents are arranged alternatively on each side of the knife. For true Granton Edges, the scallops are hand ground and extend from the edge of the blade up into the centre. This creates an extremely sharp edge that holds its sharpness while remaining strong. The reason for this is that the scalloped edges create a thin sharp edge on one side that is reinforced on the sections where the blade is not scalloped.

2. Who manufactures Granton Edge knives?

Granton Edge knives are manufactured by Granton Knifemakers in Sheffield, a company which has roots going back to 1601 and th dge. The purpose of these scalloped-edge blades is to prevent food from tearing and produce intact slices of food. The scallops allow the blade to slide past the food without catching or bending it. This helps moist or clingy food to fall away from the blade.

However, these ‘kullens’ do not have an effect on the sharpness of the blade, unlike Granton Edges.

3. What type of steel are these knives made from?

The knives are manufactured from high carbon stainless steel, which is heat treated before being ground to create a fine cutting edge. The handles are made from moulded polypropylene.

4. How does a Granton Edge differ from a scalloped-edge blade?

As noted, the term ‘Granton Edge’ only refers to knives manufactured by the Granton company. The scallops in these Granton Edge blades extend to the cutting edge of the blade.

Scalloped blades made by other manufacturers are called Kullenschliff blades, and these don’t usually extend all the way to the edge. The purpose of these scalloped-edge blades is to prevent food from tearing and produce intact slices of food. The scallops allow the blade to slide past the food without catching or bending it. This helps moist or clingy food to fall away from the blade.

However, these ‘kullens’ do not have an effect on the sharpness of the blade, unlike Granton Edges.

5. What is a Granton Edge knife used for?

Granton Edge blades are popularly used as slicers or carvers. This is because the scalloped edges create air pockets between the blade and the food that is cut, allowing slices to fall away from the knife instead of sticking to it.

This property makes Granton Edge knives a good choice for wet and sticky food like cheese, cucumber, beetroot and salmon, as well as meats such as beef and ham.

In recent times, Granton Edges have also been added to other styles of knife, especially general-purpose kitchen knives such as santoku-style knives.

6. Are these knives suitable for slicing bread?

Yes, Granton Edge knives make superb bread knives and one of our customers described the Granton Counter Knife as the best they had ever used for slicing bread.

7. Can I sharpen a Granton Edge knife?

Yes. Granton Edges are not like serrated edges, which are difficult to sharpen without professional help. Granton edges are not ‘wavy’ like some bread knives, or feature teeth like serrated knives. The edge of a Granton is even and horizontal, making sharpening possible and relatively effortless.

8. How is a Granton Edge knife sharpened?

You can use a steel to hone (realign the edge of) Granton Edge knives, and either a grinding wheel or tabletop (pull through) sharpening device to sharpen the blade. Granton Edge knives can even be sharpened using a leather strop (the type used to sharpen a cut-throat razor).

9. What are the pros and cons of a Granton Edge?

10. What size knife can I get with a Granton Edge?

You can find a Granton Edge on almost any sized knife, from 9cm pairing knives through to 35cm slicers. The most popular knives to carry a Granton Edge are santoku-style chef’s knives and meat slicing and carving knives.

27 June 2016