When you think of a blade, you probably think of metal. However, there are actually many materials that can be honed into a usable blade. Here are three materials used to make blades.

1. Fiberglass

One of the most common types of composite blade materials is fiberglass. Fiberglass tends to last longer than many metal blade materials, due to its increased durability and the inability of fiberglass to rust or be affected by humidity. Because it is less likely to dull or rust, it’s useful in wet or humid environments, as well as medical settings, where blades need to be precise and easy to clean and sanitize.

2. Ceramic

Ceramic is the best material to use if you need a particularly sharp blade. Ceramic blades can be sharpened to incredibly fine points, but are much less durable and have much shorter lifespans than other blade materials. They dull quickly and can only be sharpened or honed by materials such as diamond sandpaper. They will be damaged if you try to sharpen them with more conventional means.

3. Stainless Steel

Arguably the most popular and common material used for blades, stainless steel has a wide variety of potential applications. While not entirely immune to rusting and corrosion, it does withstand these things much longer than most other types of metal blades. This means stainless steel blades tend to have longer lifespans than most metal blades as well. There are several different subtypes of stainless steel available for use in blades, but there are certain concentrations of compounds, such as chromium, that a stainless steel blade must have in order to qualify as a stainless steel product.

While most general consumers will be familiar with stainless steel and other metals used in items such as kitchen knives and hand saws, different materials and types of blades are useful for specialized work, such as manufacturing or medical procedures.