Cryogenic procedures used to manufacture knives
What is cryogenics?
Cryogenics is a thermal treatment used in various fields for different applications. Knife manufacturers use this procedure to treat blades, hardening them to create a more durable and longer lasting blade. TB Groupe uses this process to create some of its cutlery collections.
The first two steps in the manufacturing process used to create steel knife blades are annealing and tempering. Once these two steps have been performed the metal is examined under a microscope, this often reveals numerous pockets in its crystalline structure. This thermal treatment transforms the steel’s mirco-structure from austenite to martensite, which is extremely wear resistant. However the resulting product may be weakened due to microscopic pockets of austenite that did not transform, preventing the iron from forming a homogeneous structure.
Cryogenic processes are used to dissolve these pockets of remaining austenite. In order to complete this procedure the blade is immersed in liquid nitrogen at a minimum temperature of –58° F (approx -50° C).
The aim of this method, performed at a specific stage in the knife manufacturing process, is to solidify the blade in a uniform manner, prevent potential cracking and to create an extremely wear resistant blade.
Manufacturing high-end knives
This cryogenic procedure is used on stainless steel blades in TB cutlery’s workshops. This thermal treatment is performed under controlled atmospheric conditions. The blades are placed in an isolated chamber, nitrogen is then injected into the chamber in order to keep a constant temperature of -112° F (approx -80° C). The residual austenite present in the blade after the tempering process is dissolved, creating a molecularly homogeneous structure.
The cryogenics procedure creates unbelievably sturdy blades with excellent dimensional stability. TB knives have extremely strong cutting edges which, compared with their competitors, are above average due to this cutting-edge technology. These knives also have very high levels of corrosion resistance.
After this, the knife blades must undergo a tempering process. They are slowly heated at various temperatures (between 365° F to 482° F). This process makes the blades sturdier and is calculated depending on how hard the final product needs to be. Once the blades have cooled they are ready to be mounted onto a wide variety of TB cutlery handles.
TB Groupe cutlery products manufactured with this process
5 exceptional knife collections
TB cutlery has numerous product lines; here are the knife collections which use this cryogenic procedure:
- TB Cutlery’s Absolu Bois: The product line Absolu is an elegant collection of professional chef’s knives which are Made in France and equip with natural Rosewood handles.
- TB Cutlery’s Absolu ABS: This line of knives is also part of the Absolu collection. Its handle was ergonomically designed for optimal gripping capacity. This knife’s handle is made of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), a rigid yet light thermoplastic polymer which is highly shock resistant.
- TB Cutlery’s Equilibre: The line Equilibre is composed of a wide variety of kitchen knives with extremely sharp cutting edges. Their blades, whose design was inspired by Japanese knives, offer an unparalleled precision.
- TB Cutlery’s Sens Steak: The steak knives in this product line allow you to cut a wide variety of meats with ease and precision. This collection, Laguiole Evolution Sens, may seem familiar because of its design which is a cross between the timeless and famous Laguiole knife and that of a more contemporary knife created using the most trendy materials.
One of TB Groupe’s distinctive features
The cutlery company Tarrerias-Bonjean’s implementation of cryogenic procedures perfectly symbolizes the company’s will to constantly innovate. This original manufacturing process upholds the values that TB holds dear and which help bring the company success. It should be noted that this company has handed down its artisanal knowledge from generation to generation over the past century.
For TB Groupe, the French cutlery based in Thiers, knife manufacturing follows one golden rule which has been the company’s cornerstone for years: offering its clientele the best kitchen knives on the market.
Keep in mind that the leader of French cutlery invests 5% of its funds in the research and development of breakthrough technologies. The fame of TB’s knives comes at this price.