kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026
(Main)Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs - Cutlery and table holloware - Part 5: Specification for sharpness and cutting wear resistance test of cutlery (ISO/FDIS 8442-5:2026)
- Abstract
ISO 8442-5:2004 specifies the sharpness and edge retention of knives which are produced for professional and domestic use in the preparation of food of all kinds, specifically those knives intended for hand use.
Powered blade instruments of any kind are excluded.
Generally these types of knife are manufactured with blades of either plain edge design or with edges incorporating particular features to enhance or optimize aspects of cutting ability.
The following two types of knife blade are suitable for the cutting test.
Type A edges: cutting edges which can be resharpened by the user and edges with a pitch greater than 1mm;
Type B edges: cutting edges which are not intended to be resharpened on a steel.
Whilst these knives are predominantly manufactured with blades made from various grades of heat treated steels, the testing of knives of any construction or blade material is not precluded providing that the test criteria are met.
The principle of the testing is to reproduce a cutting action, by forward and reverse strokes, against a pack of synthetic test medium under controlled parameters.
- Status
- Not Published
- Public Enquiry End Date
- 19-Mar-2026
- Technical Committee
- EPO - Packaging - sales and grouped
- Current Stage
- 5020 - Formal vote (FV) (Adopted Project)
- Start Date
- 29-Oct-2026
- Due Date
- 17-Dec-2026
kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 is a SIST draft standard for materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs, focused on cutlery and table holloware. It specifies methods for checking knife sharpness and cutting wear resistance for hand-used knives intended for professional and domestic food preparation.
What does kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 specify?
kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 specifies how to measure the sharpness and edge wear resistance of knives used to prepare food by hand. The document is written for knives used in professional and domestic settings and organizes the subject into sharpness testing, wear resistance testing, terms and definitions, and two normative annexes.
It excludes powered blade instruments, and it also leaves out hunting knives, pocket knives, razors, and tool or utility knives with trapezoidal blades for tasks such as cutting carpets. Knives with special shapes, such as herb chopping knives or highly curved boning knives, can only be tested in the style of this document because not every property or method applies in the same way.
| Annex | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Annex A | Sharpness testing, including the apparatus, test medium, and the foil pressure cutting test and foil pull cutting test |
| Annex B | Apparatus for wear resistance testing, including the blade fixture, slides, card holder, transducer, and test medium |
The document also distinguishes two edge types suitable for the cutting test: type A edges, which can be resharpened by the user, and type B edges, which are not intended to be resharpened on a steel. That matters in practice because a laboratory or buyer needs to choose the test approach that matches the intended edge design.
What are the key requirements of kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026?
kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 sets out two different performance checks: sharpness measurement and wear resistance evaluation. The first looks at how easily the edge starts a cut, while the second checks how the edge holds up over repeated cutting cycles.
Sharpness testing
Clause 4 and Annex A focus on the cutting edge itself, especially the micro cutting wedge. The sharpness result is the force at the first moment of material separation, so the method is aimed at edge performance rather than friction between the blade and the test material.
Annex A gives two test principles:
- Foil pressure cutting test - a blade moves through a clamped foil in a single direction at constant speed, and the maximum force at penetration is the key value.
- Foil pull cutting test - the blade moves in two directions through foil clamped on one side, and the force profile is used to assess sharpness, pull cutting capability, and grinding homogeneity.
In practice, this means a test lab needs a motorized cutting setup, a blade holder, a foil holder, and a load cell. The note in the annex shows that the exact procedure and some foil details are still under study, so users should treat the annex as the current test framework rather than a fixed final method.
Wear resistance testing
Clause 5 says the wear resistance test is carried out before any other physical or mechanical test so the blade is assessed in the as received condition. That matters because earlier handling or testing could change the cutting edge.
The blade section tested must be straight within the stated tolerance over the stroke length, and the method uses a fixed cutting stroke with the edge presented uppermost. The procedure then cycles the blade against a prepared card stack, records the depth of cut after each cycle, and repeats until the required number of cycles for that blade type is complete.
Annex B defines the test apparatus in detail:
- a rigid card holder with clamp and support bar,
- counterbalance weights to create the required static load,
- a blade fixture with independent depth stop,
- frictionless transverse and longitudinal slides,
- and a displacement transducer for cut depth.
This matters in practice because results depend on both the knife and the machine setup. If the holder, slide movement, load, or alignment is off, the wear result will not be comparable.
Result evaluation
Clause 5.6 defines the measured cut depth per cycle and then derives several reporting values, including the decay factor, starting value, ideal curve, expected lifetime factor, theoretical total cutting performance, initial cutting performance, and total cut card. These outputs turn a series of cut measurements into a usable performance picture for comparing blades.
Clause 5.7 also notes that a new calibration method is under study. For a user, that signals that calibration practice is part of the method discussion and should be handled carefully in test planning and quality control.
What terms does kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 define?
The standard defines knife as cutlery intended for manual food preparation, usually with a cutting edge that may have serration or micro serration.
Sharpness is the force-related response when a blade cuts into a defined test material with a defined movement.
Wear resistance is the resistance of the cutting edge to wear when cutting into an abrasive test material.
A cutting cycle is one forward stroke plus one reverse stroke of the designated blade length against the test medium.
Who uses kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026?
kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 is used by cutlery manufacturers, test laboratories, quality teams, and buyers who need to compare knife edge performance. It is relevant wherever knives are made, checked, or specified for food preparation, especially when edge sharpness and edge retention are part of acceptance criteria.
It is also useful for organizations that need a common test language between design, production, and incoming inspection. The document helps them describe the edge type, set up the test correctly, and report results in a comparable way.
What changed in kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 from the previous edition?
kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 cancels and replaces ISO 8442-5:2004 as a technically revised second edition.
The main changes stated for this edition are:
- introduction of the term sharpness,
- description of the foil pressure cutting test and foil pull cutting test,
- introduction of a new evaluation method for the cutting wear resistance test,
- revision of the wear resistance test medium.
Which standards are used with kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026?
The document refers to ISO 8442-1 in the definitions of sharpness and wear resistance. That part provides the shared conceptual basis for those terms, so users should read the two parts together when they need the broader series context.
What does the kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 document contain?
kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 contains a short front matter, a foreword, and five main clauses. The technical body covers scope, terms and definitions, sharpness testing, and wear resistance testing.
The annexes add the practical test arrangements. Annex A gives the sharpness test principles and equipment, while Annex B gives the wear resistance apparatus, card preparation, conditioning, and the test setup that supports the recorded results.
The document also includes an example table for recording cumulative card cut over repeated cycles, and figures that show the sharpness testing principles and the wear resistance test arrangement. These parts are the working instructions for laboratories that need to set up, run, and report the tests.
Relations
- Effective Date
- 19-Feb-2025
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Frequently Asked Questions
kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 is a draft published by the Slovenian Institute for Standardization (SIST). Its full title is "Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs - Cutlery and table holloware - Part 5: Specification for sharpness and cutting wear resistance test of cutlery (ISO/FDIS 8442-5:2026)". This standard covers: ISO 8442-5:2004 specifies the sharpness and edge retention of knives which are produced for professional and domestic use in the preparation of food of all kinds, specifically those knives intended for hand use. Powered blade instruments of any kind are excluded. Generally these types of knife are manufactured with blades of either plain edge design or with edges incorporating particular features to enhance or optimize aspects of cutting ability. The following two types of knife blade are suitable for the cutting test. Type A edges: cutting edges which can be resharpened by the user and edges with a pitch greater than 1mm; Type B edges: cutting edges which are not intended to be resharpened on a steel. Whilst these knives are predominantly manufactured with blades made from various grades of heat treated steels, the testing of knives of any construction or blade material is not precluded providing that the test criteria are met. The principle of the testing is to reproduce a cutting action, by forward and reverse strokes, against a pack of synthetic test medium under controlled parameters.
ISO 8442-5:2004 specifies the sharpness and edge retention of knives which are produced for professional and domestic use in the preparation of food of all kinds, specifically those knives intended for hand use. Powered blade instruments of any kind are excluded. Generally these types of knife are manufactured with blades of either plain edge design or with edges incorporating particular features to enhance or optimize aspects of cutting ability. The following two types of knife blade are suitable for the cutting test. Type A edges: cutting edges which can be resharpened by the user and edges with a pitch greater than 1mm; Type B edges: cutting edges which are not intended to be resharpened on a steel. Whilst these knives are predominantly manufactured with blades made from various grades of heat treated steels, the testing of knives of any construction or blade material is not precluded providing that the test criteria are met. The principle of the testing is to reproduce a cutting action, by forward and reverse strokes, against a pack of synthetic test medium under controlled parameters.
kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 67.250 - Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs; 97.040.60 - Cookware, cutlery and flatware. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to SIST EN ISO 8442-5:2005. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
kSIST FprEN ISO 8442-5:2026 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN ISO 8442-5:2026
01-marec-2026
Materiali in predmeti v stiku z živili - Pribor in namizna posoda - 5. del:
Specifikacija za ostrino in preskus obstojnosti roba jedilnega pribora (ISO/DIS
8442-5:2026)
Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs - Cutlery and table holloware - Part 5:
Specification for sharpness and cutting wear resistance test of cutlery (ISO/DIS 8442-
5:2026)
Werkstoffe und Gegenstände in Kontakt mit Lebensmitteln - Schneidwaren und
Tafelgeräte - Teil 5: Festlegung der Schärfe- und Schnittfestigkeitsprüfung für
Schneidwaren (ISO/DIS 8442-5:2026)
Matériaux et objets en contact avec les denrées alimentaires - Coutellerie et orfèvrerie
de table - Partie 5: Spécification du tranchant et essai de résistance à l'usure de coupe
des articles de coutellerie (ISO/DIS 8442-5:2026)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN ISO 8442-5
ICS:
67.250 Materiali in predmeti v stiku z Materials and articles in
živili contact with foodstuffs
97.040.60 Kuhinjska posoda, jedilni Cookware, cutlery and
servisi in jedilni pribor flatware
oSIST prEN ISO 8442-5:2026 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
oSIST prEN ISO 8442-5:2026
oSIST prEN ISO 8442-5:2026
DRAFT
International
Standard
ISO/DIS 8442-5
ISO/TC 186
Materials and articles in contact
Secretariat: SAC
with foodstuffs — Cutlery and table
Voting begins on:
holloware —
2026-01-05
Part 5:
Voting terminates on:
2026-03-30
Specification for sharpness and
cutting wear resistance test of
cutlery
ICS: 97.040.60; 67.250
THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT CIRCULATED
FOR COMMENTS AND APPROVAL. IT
IS THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
AND MAY NOT BE REFERRED TO AS AN
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD UNTIL
PUBLISHED AS SUCH.
This document is circulated as received from the committee secretariat.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL,
TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND
USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE TO
ISO/CEN PARALLEL PROCESSING
BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR
POTENTIAL TO BECOME STANDARDS TO
WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED
TO SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS,
NOTIFICATION OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT
RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND TO
PROVIDE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION.
Reference number
ISO/DIS 8442-5:2026(en)
oSIST prEN ISO 8442-5:2026
DRAFT
ISO/DIS 8442-5:2026(en)
International
Standard
ISO/DIS 8442-5
ISO/TC 186
Materials and articles in contact
Secretariat: SAC
with foodstuffs — Cutlery and table
Voting begins on:
holloware —
Part 5:
Voting terminates on:
Specification for sharpness and
cutting wear resistance test of
cutlery
ICS: 97.040.60; 67.250
THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT CIRCULATED
FOR COMMENTS AND APPROVAL. IT
IS THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
AND MAY NOT BE REFERRED TO AS AN
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD UNTIL
PUBLISHED AS SUCH.
This document is circulated as received from the committee secretariat.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL,
© ISO 2026
TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND
USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE TO
ISO/CEN PARALLEL PROCESSING
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
POTENTIAL TO BECOME STANDARDS TO
WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
ISO copyright office
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
TO SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS,
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
NOTIFICATION OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND TO
PROVIDE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION.
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland Reference number
ISO/DIS 8442-5:2026(en)
ii
oSIST prEN ISO 8442-5:2026
ISO/DIS 8442-5:2026(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Sharpness testing . 2
5 Wear resistance testing . 2
5.1 General .2
5.2 Test length .2
5.3 Apparatus .2
5.4 Test medium .2
5.5 Test procedure .2
5.6 Evaluation / Expression of results .3
5.7 Calibration method .4
Annex A (normative) Sharpness testing . 5
Annex B (normative) Apparatus for wear resistance testing . 8
iii
oSIST prEN ISO 8442-5:2026
ISO/DIS 8442-5:2026(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of any patent
rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or on the ISO list of
patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity assessment,
as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the
Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 186, Cutlery and table and decorative metal
hollow-ware, in collaboration with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee
CEN/TC 194, Utensils in contact with food, in accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation
between ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement).
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 8442-5:2004), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— Introduction of the term sharpness
— description of the foil pressure cutting test and foil pull cutting test
— introduction of a new evaluation method for cutting wear resistance test
— revision of the wear resistence test medium
A list of all parts in the ISO 8442 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found atwww.iso.org/members.html.
iv
oSIST prEN ISO 8442-5:2026
DRAFT International Standard ISO/DIS 8442-5:2026(en)
Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs — Cutlery
and table holloware —
Part 5:
Specification for sharpness and cutting wear resistance test
of cutlery
1 Scope
This document specifies the sharpness and wear resistance of knives, which are designed for professional
and domestic use in the preparation of food of all kinds, specifically of those knives intended for hand use.
This document describes test methods for sharpness measurement and for the evaluation of wear resistance
of the cutting edge.
This document does not apply for hunting knives, pocket knives, razors or tool or utility knives (with
trapezoidal blade for cutting carpets etc.). Knives with special shapes, e.g. herb chopping knives or highly
curved boning knives, can only be tested in the style of this document since not all properties and test
methods are applicable in a meaningful manner.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http:// www .iso .org/ obp
3.1
knife
cutlery intended to be used for the preparation of food, manually guided and in general having a
...