Scientists Have Found a Way to Harden Wood to Make a Knife That Rivals Steel
October 24th, 2021I find this fascinating, but the demonstration videos are so ridiculous that they could only come from a university laboratory. My middle son, who was nine years old at the time, fabricated more effective wooden knives, and if you’ve ever built anything with a hammer and nails, the following demonstration is hilarious and must see.
Via: CBC:
Scientists have developed a process that allows them to manipulate wood to make it denser and harder than the natural product. They used the resulting material to make items like wooden knives and nails that rival traditional steel.
Teng Li, a materials scientist and mechanical engineer from the University of Maryland, told Quirks & Quarks host Bob McDonald that he and his colleagues made the wooden knife to demonstrate the new process they developed.
“Surprisingly, our wooden knife is actually three times sharper than the typical stainless steel dinner table knife,” he said. “It can achieve its purpose of cutting medium well-done steak very nicely without breaking.”
Their findings were published this month in the journal Matter.
Li added that the knife can be sharpened when it becomes dull, and even survive the dishwasher.
