The wood modification technology increases the hardness by 23 times. The hard wooden knife is 3 times sharper than the steel blade knife and can cut steak.

Teng Li, a senior author of the study and a materials scientist at the University of Maryland, said: "This knife can easily cut half-done steaks, and the effect is similar to that of a knife on the table

Li and his team also showed that their materials can be used to make wooden nails as sharp as traditional steel nails

Although Li's method of producing hardened wood is new, wood processing has been around for centuries

Li and his team tried to treat wood in a way that removes weaker components without destroying the cellulose backbone

After the material is processed and carved into the desired shape, it is coated with mineral oil to extend its service life

Using a high-resolution microscope, Li and his team examined the microstructure of hardened wood to determine the source of its strength

Compared with the manufacture of other man-made materials, this wood hardening process has the potential for higher energy efficiency and lower environmental impact, although more in-depth analysis is needed to determine

"In our kitchen, we have a lot of wooden blocks that can be used for a long time, such as cutting boards, chopsticks or rolling pins," Li said