Don't use them as steak knives. They are hard enough to cut the glaze on your dinnerware. Chef's Outlet sells the excellent ceramic cutlery from Boker of Germany and Kyocera of Japan. Most blades are stamped from sheets of steel and ground to shape. Some are forged to the general shape by hammering the hot steel and then ground to the final finish.
Forging is said to remove some impurities and, therefore, to increase toughness.
Handles You can choose between composition handles and wood handles. The choice is between the practical maintenance-free nature of composition or the beauty and luxurious feel of wood. Most professionals choose composition handles because they require no maintenance and are more dishwasher safe. The best construction is called full tang. The tang or handle part of the knife is full size and the handles are riveted to the tang with the tang showing all around the handle.