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The Anatomy of a Knife

By: Frank Silkin Like most things that we cannot live without, the knife has become so much a part of our lives that we fail to realize just how complex of a tool it really is. Although many people would have trouble naming more than two distinct parts on a knife (the blade and the handle), the fact remains that there are six separate parts to a knife.

The blade of a knife is the most obvious part. It is the metallic part that extends away from the handle and has a cutting edge ground into it. It is the particular shape of the blade that defines the nature and function of the knife.

Depending on the shape of the blade, a knife can be used for skinning, filleting, chopping, and a number of other duties. The steel used to make the blade will determine its overall strength and durability. For both hygienic reasons and to ensure the long life of your knife, get blades made out of stainless steel as they are more germ resistant and will not rust or corrode like other steel products.

The point of the knife is the part that is used to pierce and stab things. Often, the point is used to help gut and clean game as it is the most capable of piercing through the membrane around the skin and allowing you to get to the meat of the quarry.

The top quarter of the blade of a knife is commonly considered the tip by knife experts. Most of your cutting can be done with the tip and the "point" is included in the tip. However, don’t forget that the tip and the point are indeed two separate parts of the knife.

The cutting edge is the part of the knife that cuts things. It is the part of the blade that faces away from you. It is sharpened and honed so that it cuts through whatever needs cutting. The cutting edge can be of many types, but the most common are the straight and serrated edges. A serrated edge is used for cutting things like bread while the straight edge is good for trimming meat.

Now comes the other part that most people are familiar with: the handle. There are plastic handles, steel handles, wooden handles and handles made of various other materials.

The butt of the knife, like the butt of a gun, is located at the far end of the handle or the exact opposite of the tip. Many companies place a compass in the butt of the knife. When it is pulled out it reveals storage space for things like matches and other survival essentials.

Now some knives do come with hand guards that are designed to protect your hands in case they should accidentally slip in the direction of the blade. Many survival knives have this feature. But, whether your knife has a guard on it or not, it is important to familiarize yourself with the basic components of a knife as this will reduce the chances of your being injured using one. The next step is to learn how to sharpen and maintain your knife so that it lasts as long as possible.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Frank Silkin is the webmaster for F knife, a fantastic resource for information about knife. For questions or comments about this article why not visit: www.yflknife.com/articles
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