What is a kitchen knife point?
A kitchen knife’s point is the sharp, pointy end of the blade where the top and the bottom edges meet. It is usually used for piercing. You can also use your knife’s point for detailed cutting or decorative carving.
What is the spine of a knife?
The spine is the unsharpened part of the blade that is opposite to the cutting edge. The thickness of this part usually determines the durability of the knife and where it is best used for. The spine’s thickness also affects the balance of the knives.
What is a single bevel knife?
Single bevel. A single bevel edge tapers on only one side of the blade. This means that the other side of the blade is either flat or concave. This kind of bevel is often used to make Japanese knives. A single bevel results in a sharper edge that fits the delicate cutting needs for Japanese cuisine.
What is a flat edge knife?
Some knives, on the other hand, have flat ground edges. This means that the point is all the way down to the edge. Santoku knives are a good example of this.
What is the most important tool in the kitchen?
Culinary knives are probably the most important tool in the kitchen. If you’re not a pro in knives, you might think they are all the same.
How to determine knife sharpness?
The sharpness of your knife is determined by a method called grinding. For example, a finely ground edge makes a sharper knife. How sharp your knife is will also depend on the quality of the knife itself and how often you will sharpen it.
Why are rivets used?
Rivets are more commonly used because they are low-maintenance and cost-effective. One downside of rivets is that they are very difficult to remove. It is actually an advantage until you have to change your handle.
What is the handle of a kitchen knife called?
Each piece of the handle is called a scale . The tang is the metal part of the knife extending from the blade to the butt.
What is the belly of a chef knife?
The belly is the portion between the tip and heel. Western chef’s knives, such as the Fibrox Pro 8-Inch Chef’s Knife, tend to have a more pronounced curve at this part of the blade. However, some knives, such as the Japanese Santoku, can be nearly flat in profile.
Why do you need a bolster on a hidden tang knife?
In hidden tang knives, it is especially important and protects the blade from high shearing forces that may cause failure. As well, the bolster often formed into a guard in order to help keep the hand from slipping forward. It provides more comfort and adds weight to the back of the blade to create more balance. Bolsters can make sharpening the entire blade more difficult.
What is the heel of a blade?
The heel of the blade is the end of the blade just before the handle, opposite the tip. Some blades have the heel blended into an extended bolster for more protection at the cost of versatility. The heel allows for high leverage providing strength for heavy cutting chores.
Why do you need a bolster on a knife?
As well, the bolster often formed into a guard in order to help keep the hand from slipping forward. It provides more comfort and adds weight to the back of the blade to create more balance. Bolsters can make sharpening the entire blade more difficult.
What is the edge of a knife?
The Edge. The edge or “cutting edge” is the sharpened part of the blade which does the actual cutting and slicing. It is generally divided into three sections for different uses, including the tip, belly, and heel.
What is a flat grind knife?
The blades of higher quality kitchen knives, such as chef’s knives and utility knives, become thicker as they approach the spine. This is called a full flat grind and produces less resistance when cutting, along with better balance. Some lower end knives, however, maintain essentially the same thickness throughout, except, of course, ...
How many parts are there in a knife?
Most knives can be divided into two sections, the blade and the handle, each of which can be further subdivided into parts. These parts can vary by knife, but they are easily recognizable once you learn their names, locations, and functions.
What is the blade of a knife made of?
It is usually made of one metal, though this can be a single piece or some sort of forged alloy. The metals used can vary, but the most common include stainless steel, Japanese steel, iron alloys, and Damascus steel.
Why is the spine of a knife important?
The spine is usually thick and heavy, which is necessary for providing strength to the knife and supporting the cutting action. The thicker and wider the spine, the more force it can withstand. The shape of the spine is usually flat, but on double-edged knives, it may be curved with its own tip, belly, and heel.
Why do you need a handle on a knife?
It is mostly there for safety since you would definitely cut yourself if you were holding the sharpened blade. It also protects the blade from moisture and rust.
Why is knowing the parts of a knife important?
Knowing the parts of a knife is essential for maintaining the knives you have and choosing a new knife to suit your needs. This helps you to examine any knife you are considering and know whether it will be right for your home.
What is a partial tang knife?
Full tangs are often found in kitchen and hunting knives, while partial tangs are useful for smaller pocket knives. For the most part, handles are usually cut to the size and shape of the tang.
What is the point of a knife?
The terms point and tip are often used interchangeably, but they are actually two different parts. The point is where the edge and spine meet. Points can be sharp or rounded. Sharp points are used for piercing and stabbing. Rounded points are utilized in some types of knives for safety.
Where does the edge of a kitchen knife start?
This is the workhorse of the kitchen knife. When dull, nothing can go on until when sharpened. The edge starts from the tip to the heel towards the knife handle.
What is a chef's knife?
The knife is not just a piece of cutlery. It is rather a piece of art that is designed to perform important functions in the kitchen. Each part of a knife contributes to the whole functionality of the knife, which makes its comfortable and efficient use possible. Having known all the parts of a knife, more so, the chef’s knife, as well as their importance, we hope that now this gives your confidence when using it. Each given part should be held with care and used the right way such that your knife delivers what you expect of it. Also, check the different kitchen shears and scissors and the different ways to put the kitchen shears to use.
What is the extension of the knife blade inside the knife handle called?
The extension of the knife blade inside the knife handle is what we call the tang. Some tangs run throughout the handle length to the butt. These are called the full tang. Whereas other tangs are just half the handle or even a quarter, hence called the partial tang.
What is the tip of a knife?
The shiny part of the knife is what we call the blade, so the most end of the blade away from the handle is the tip. The tip is the part where the spine and the edge intersect from. It is tiny and sharp. Even on the dull knives, the tip is seen to be sharp. One would say the tip is the region that wraps up the blade from the other side away from the knife handle.
Do all knives have rivets?
Not all knives have rivets, but most of them do. Rivets help to attach the knife handle to the tang. Fasteners on the blade can be one, two, or three. Most feature with three.
