The origins of cutlery
Early humans and the mastery of fire
Cutlery: 2.5 million years of history!
What separates the appearance of the first humans on Earth from the creation of the Evercut® kitchen knife? Several million years!
If one can put a date on the beginning of cutlery history it would date back to around 2.5 million years ago as early man started to create diverse tools made of wood and bone with the help of stones and more precisely flint.
Later on man mastered a crucial technology: fire (approximately 400,000 years ago). This knowledge accelerated the hominization process of the first Australopithecus.
Historians are unclear of the exact date of the appearance of the first tools made of cut stones. There are countless hypothesis surrounding the role they played in early man’s life.
Stone: Evercut’s® ancestor
Man might have discovered the useful nature of fragmented stone by accident upon breaking a pebble. This produced a continuous sharp edge that could be used for many practical applications: hunting game by knocking it unconscious, stripping and scraping animal skins, butchering freshly killed game by severing the ligaments and cutting the muscles away from the joints, breaking bones, etc.
Therefore split stone may be considered the first kitchen knife in human history, despite the fact that it bears little resemblance to our contemporary tools. However this discovery marks a major turning point in human history as it solidified mans’ superiority over other animals.
These tools and weapons made of stone had exceptional cutting edges. Some experts and researchers even confirm that stone was a more efficient material than some of our modern day steel knives, with the exception of Evercut® knives of course! It is true that flint and quartz have molecular structures that are denser than steel, so it is very likely that they can offer an even sharper cutting edge.
From ancient bronze to bronze
The first objects made of copper were used around the world and particularly in Europe starting around 3,000 BC. This period is called the “chalcolithic period,” during this time man continued to create tools and flint knives. Man also discovered how to transform copper during this period. Social organization was based on the practice of Agropastoralsim.
The Bronze Age followed and saw a great shift in Neolithic society. Early metalworking was invented and populations grew at high rates as new needs arose.
Bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) held an important role in all levels of society: social, cultural, and economic. It was even held as an important element of power in the organizational structure of cities and villages.
Bronze was not only used to create diverse tools such as kitchen knives and other cutlery articles but to make weapons to protect the land and its rich heritage. Bronze weapons also helped spearhead military campaigns...
From the Iron Age to the creation of Evercut® knives
The appearance of the first iron blades
Around 1,500 BC, the Bronze Age marked the advent of knives created by pouring liquid metal that was then hammered to create a strong blade. This marked a major turning point in the history of cutlery and Anthropology due to the fact that the stone knife began to be replaced by new tools made of metal that proved more resilient and efficient.
Bronze is a very solid material that does not break. Bronze is not necessarily sharper that stone but more modern sharpening techniques gave it abrasive characteristics that had never been seen before.
Bronze knives were first used for cutting hair and men’s beards before they were used as kitchen knives.
Knife blades became progressively more thin thanks to the use of metal. These blades were mounted onto robust wood, horn or bone handles.
Around 1,000 BC the appearance of iron marked a turning point in the history of cutlery. This metal was first discovered in its pure form (meteoric iron) and was then extracted from its ore (carbonates and iron oxides) notably in Central and Western Europe.
A shift toward the rise of metalworking and cutlery
The evolution of cutlery is intertwined with that of metalworking and the development of more and more sophisticated and improved metal (for example iron) working techniques. Throughout the centuries many new trades appeared that took a central place of importance in society.
In Ancient history and the Middle Ages armorers and cutlers played a central role in society. They acted as miners, refiners, blacksmiths and alchemists! They played a significant role in society due to the fact that they created weapons for kings, barons and other conquerors.
In a period closer to this day and age, the Industrial Revolution (18th to 19th centuries) contributed to the mass production of modern cutlery and marked the end of artisanal knife manufacturing at large.
Today passionate and skilled individuals work to transform prevalent ancient knife styles, from France and around the world, by imbuing them with modern touches. In France alone there are countless knives from different regions that are part of France’s rich cultural heritage. Those who are great fans of ancient, artistic and rare knives are sure never to miss the yearly international trade fair Coutellia, which is held in Thiers, France.
Evercut®: kitchen knives made with futuristic technologies
The Stone Age is long gone and modern day cutlery companies now propose a wide range of very high-quality products. For example TB Groupe offers a broad collection of kitchen knives designed to satisfy everyone’s needs and wants: steel knives, ceramic knives, Evercut® knives…
The latter is considered to be the very best available on the market.
Titanium carbide
The Evercut® technology is the result of five years of research lead by TB Groupe. This technology consists of fusing an ultra strong material, titanium carbide, along the stainless steel blade’s cutting edge with a latest generation laser at over 4,000°C (7,232°F).
Diamond grindstones
The blade’s cutting edge is then reinforced, shaped and sharpened with diamond grindstones. Diamond is the strongest mineral in the world and the only one that is capable of properly shaping an Evercut® knife’s blade. The manufacturing process is completed with the utmost precision and quality machining and results in blades with cutting edges that are practically impossible to wear out. Their quality and finesse are exceptional.