Knife Anatomy

What's the name of that part? The one between that piece and the other thing?

Know the parts of a knife, from the tip to the butt with this quick guide.

Knife Anatomy Definitions

Butt: The end of the handle, furthest from the tip.

Handle: The area you hold with your hand when using the knife.

Bolster: The area of the handle nearest the blade. On some knives this tapers down towards the blade to allow for a pinch grip.

Hammered finish: A textured finish made by creating small indentations on the blade to aid food release.

Spine: The top of the knife blade, opposite the cutting edge.

Tip: The very point of the blade, furthest from the handle.  

Cutting edge: The sharpened portion of the blade used for slicing.

Grazed finish: A blade finish where an abrasive material is used to form the blade taper and is not buffed or polished, leaving a tight pattern that runs perpendicular to the cutting edge.

Choil: The area of the blade where the tang leaves the handle and curves toward the cutting edge to allow for a comfortable pinch grip.

Tang: The area of the blade that is received by the handle. Sometimes the tang is visible between two handle scales, other times it is completely hidden.

Rivet: Used to secure the handle to the tang. Not all Kai Housewares knife handles are secured this way.

Knife Anatomy

What's the name of that part? The one between that piece and the other thing?

Know the parts of a knife, from the tip to the butt with this quick guide.