We'll take the Guiess-work out for you -Giesser have been crafting knives since the late 18th Century, and it shows. The steel has been hardened to 56 Rockwell (i.e. hard enough to stand up to the grunt work but soft enough to sharpen efficiently) and the very fine blade prevents rust and glides through cutting material easily. The polypropylene handle has been specially designed to be non-slip and reduce hand fatigue - essential for the repeated, small delicate movements paring knives are used for.