On a whim recently at Bed Bath & Beyond, I bought a cheap Cuisinart ceramic kitchen knife. The packaging said it was not only sharper than steel blades, but that it would retain its edge much longer.

If you buy something from a link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Stephanie Ganz is a writer and recipe developer whose work has appeared in BUST, Bon Appétit, The Kitchn, ...

Open your pocket knife and take a look at its blade. There’s a good chance it isn’t a pristine slab of steel, but rather that the area closest to the handle — an unsharpened bit called the ricasso — ...

For fans of Oliver Stone’s Vietnam epic Platoon, the word Barnes may trigger an emotional reaction. It’s the moniker of the scarfaced sergeant played by Tom Berenger, a fellow who (spoiler alert) ...