To produce knife blades with outstanding, long-lasting sharpness, WMF combines the virtues of traditional forging with the advantages of the latest precision technology. After forging the blades, they are heat treated in a special furnace, which alters the blade steel's structure, hardening it and allowing it to be ground to sharper angles than was possible before. During the final grinding process, modern precision technology gives the blades their exact, consistent shape. Blades with Performance Cut are exceptionally sharp and retain that sharpness phenomenally well. The material used is just one element in knife quality and sharpness. The forging process is what makes the real difference. WMF operates one of Germany’s largest blade manufacturing facilities in Hayingen, Baden-Württemberg. Unlike all other large manufacturers, WMF remains faithful to traditional forging techniques. In the company-owned blade production facility, blades made of special tempered blade steel are shaped using a forging hammer, before being ground and polished several times until they achieve a smooth and flawless finish. These blades perform twice as well as the DIN standard requirement.