Patent ID: 8186561

Claim:
A method for creating a metallic blade for a hand-held knife, said method comprising the steps of: 1) providing a high melting temperature metallic workpiece that is to be formed into a hand-held knife blade; 2) providing a friction stir processing tool that includes a higher melting temperature material than the base material on a portion thereof; and 3) friction stir processing at least a portion of the workpiece using the tool to thereby modify characteristics thereof, wherein the friction stir processing includes modifying a microstructure of the workpiece and friction stir mixing diamond particles into the workpiece to produce a friction stir processed region; and 4) forming the blade of the hand-held knife blade from the workpiece, such that a cutting edge of the blade is formed within the friction stir processed region of the workpiece such that the edge will resist fracturing on the edge after repeated impacts thereon while also retaining a shaving sharpness, and wherein the edge will retain these characteristics longer than an edge on a conventional blade unmodified by friction stir processing which exhibits an inverse relationship between impact resistance and toughness in comparison to wear resistance and hardness.