NSF approved handle materials.

jdm61

jdm61

itinerant metal pounder
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Aug 12, 2005
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Which if any of the handle materials that we commonly use are NSF "food safe?"
 
I have wondered the same thing recently...Nathan might know??
 
From Jephco's website:


HI-MACS™ is similar to Corian, but is a 100% acrylic material that is certified FSA food safe and is anti-bacterial. HI-MACS works with regular hand tools and we find polishes better and easier the Corian. LG HI-MACS comes in high visibility colors not normally seen in any material. This material is non-toxic unlike some of the more popular resin-made handle materials.

Colors: White, Black, Bone, Navy Blue, Sand, Pink and Orange
 
I wouldn't eat any of them to be honest. Actually I can't think of any common ones that would be a problem. Maybe the epoxy?
 
You would have to ask the NSF people to be sure ;) Please let us know your findings; this topic could be a major factor in selling knives to professional chefs/butchers that work in commercial inspected kitchens and whatnot.

My best guess would be G10. It's very easy to get/keep clean because it's quite hard, non-porous, and therefore doesn't absorb much of anything as far as I can tell... so that would seem just right. G10 is what I always recommend for any cutting implements meant for foodstuffs.

I've seen and used several NSF-certified knives, and they all had molded hard plastic handles... I do not know the exact plastic used.
 
Delrin is NSF approved for sure because they list it by brand name. A lot of the other stuff I have no idea what it is.
james terrio said:
You would have to ask the NSF people to be sure ;) Please let us know your findings; this topic could be a major factor in selling knives to professional chefs/butchers that work in commercial inspected kitchens and whatnot.

My best guess would be G10. It's very easy to get/keep clean because it's quite hard, non-porous, and therefore doesn't absorb much of anything as far as I can tell... so that would seem just right. G10 is what I always recommend for any cutting implements meant for foodstuffs.

I've seen and used several NSF-certified knives, and they all had molded hard plastic handles... I do not know the exact plastic used.
Click to expand...
 
How much does it weigh? The problem the I have with that acrylic polymer solid surface material is that it is very dense and heavy. Price might also be an issue. They want $5 for a 2inch x 2 inch sample, how much does a big pice cost? :eek:
i4Marc said:
From Jephco's website:


HI-MACS™ is similar to Corian, but is a 100% acrylic material that is certified FSA food safe and is anti-bacterial. HI-MACS works with regular hand tools and we find polishes better and easier the Corian. LG HI-MACS comes in high visibility colors not normally seen in any material. This material is non-toxic unlike some of the more popular resin-made handle materials.

Colors: White, Black, Bone, Navy Blue, Sand, Pink and Orange
Click to expand...
 
When I first started dipping my toes in the kitchen-knife game, one of the first things that sprang to the fore was, "how bout if you made handles on your knives to match the client's countertops?"

That's a noble pursuit, and seems like a really smart marketing idea... but so far I have not found a way to make it actually work and meet budget, unless the client has really expensive hardwood countertops.

Contrary to many people, I'm not a big fan of Corian for countertops and certainly not for knife handles. It has a weird set of characteristics of being not that great to work with, not very strong, and super easy to chip or scratch. It's also slicker than snail snot when it gets wet or greazy. It sure is available in a lot of fashionable kitchen-type colors and patterns, though. :rolleyes:

I happen to know a person that works for a major industrial supplier, and often deals with clients who need to comply with various food-safety standards; I will ask her about Delrin and its availability.
 
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I am a developer and builder and have built wineries and other facilities with commercial kitchens, and years ago I owned a pub and eatery. I can tell you the big focus on items that can come in contact with food, or is close to food preparation areas is on it being a non-pourous, easily cleaned surface without nooks and crannies that can harbor deposits/bacteria.

If you read the regulations they say no wood, but then go on to explain when and what types of wood and sealing can be used, and for what applications. The regs can be confusing but just realize the underlying goals and apply common sense. It will usually come down to the health department inspector in a particular jurisdiction.

Chef's don't have to use only NSF approved knives. Having an approval can certainly make something more sellable and remove any objections aninspector may have, but its not a necessity. If you make a knife for a professional chef that accomplishes the underlying goals the chance of an inspector ever having a problem with it are slim to nil.

I think even a knife with something like well sealed or stabilized wood could be acceptable. At most an inspector might ask a question about the handle material or take a look at it. Certainly things like non textured micarta would probably draw less scrutiny.
 
I was checking out the full Zwilling Henckels Kramer line and they have gone with four different handle materials. The original 52100 knives use blackwood, the new Meiji damascus san mai line uses Pakawood, the western damascus line uses linen Micarta and the "Essentials" line made form FC61 (AEB-L or 13C26 by most accounts) uses a Delrin type POM material. One would think that the Essentials line might be targeted at pro users to a greater degree. Sur La Table just opened a store in Tampa, so I may have to go check out those POM handled knives.
 
If you are looking for solid surface counter top material on the cheap, your best bet would be to check out local counter top contractors. I did CNC programming work for one for a little while and they had piles of trimmings, sink drops, whole kitchens worth of uninstalled countertop that they had replaced.
 
I handled one of the Zwilling Kramer essentials with the Delrin type handle today at Sur La Table. That stuff is heavy as hell. I handled one of the new Meiji line with the Pakkawood handle and it weight maybe 60-70% of what the Essential knife weighed.
 
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