There are so many types of knives. If you are a novice cook, begin with two to three types of high class knives. A good start would be a chef's knife, a trim knife, and a bread knife.
Knives are helpful, but they are so costly. High quality materials, perfect structure and ease of handling (balance and grip) are the characteristics that make a good quality knife. To decide whether a knife is of prime quality or not, you need some basic information on the various metals which are being used in knife manufacture.
Different Metals
High carbon steel, also called crockery steel, is no longer as famous as it was before. Many knife manufacturers say that it is the best metal used for making cutlery products because it is easy to sharpen and it can remain sharp for far longer than other types of metal used for making knives. It is a bit weak, though, so care should be taken not to bend it or apply excessive pressure on it. It has a propensity to corrode, too, if it is not dried out carefully after use. To care for it properly, clean and wipe it dry after use.
High carbon stainless steel metal is now the most popular metal used in knife production because of its corrosive- and stain-resistant properties. It does not remain sharp as long as carbon steel does, but its handiness and ease of maintenance makes it a good choice of metal for knives.
There are also knives made of stainless steel. Stainless steel, however, is so tough that it is extremely hard to sharpen. However, advances in technology have made stainless steel knives that remain sharp for a number of years possible.
Titanium is another metal used in knife manufacture. Titanium knives are completed with a sintering procedure on a surrounding substance of titanium and carbon, using special metal machinery. Titanium is a strong metal so it remains useful for a longer period of time than steel. Titanium layered knives, however, do not have similar characteristics as those prepared from pure titanium metal.
Ceramic is both sturdy and fragile. It is more powerful than steel and has an edge that is extraordinarily slimmer than steel, so cutting with ceramic knives is easier than cutting with steel knives. Ceramic is also malleable so it is good for segmenting - that is, knives that are extraordinarily slim and sharp can be manufactured out of ceramic. Even if ceramic knives are not as easily broken as one might suppose, nonetheless, care should be taken when using it. If such a knife falls, the sharp edge might splinter.
Another metal used in knife manufacture is the Damascus which is prepared from two or more mixed alloys. The two different metals in the Damascus scratch at a special ratio, giving it an outstanding pattern. There are many manufacturers copying Damascus with a view to making 'beautiful' knives. However, Damascus knives are a bit of a specialty and are thus a bit rare.
Finally, there are taper ground knives whose blade is made using a solitary piece of alloy. Such a knife looks unique because the metal alloy is cut and made so that it gets thinner from the backbone to the cutting edge.