Knife Collecting Archives

Japanese Swords Remain Iconic

Knife Collecting

-

September 25, 2015

In the December 2015 issue of BLADE®, Leon Kapp penned the first part of a two-part series on historic, iconic Japenese swords. He concludes the series in the January 2016 issue, which is hitting newsstands and subscribers’ doorsteps October 6th, 2015. In the first part, titled “The Sun Rises On Them Still,” Kapp begins:

It was seven long decades ago on Sept. 2, 1945, that the Japanese signed the agreement formalizing their surrender, for all intents and purposes officially marking the end of the Second World War. The ceremony aboard the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay took all of 23 minutes to close the book on a conflict that extinguished more lives and destroyed more goods and property than any before or since.

While the world has changed much since then, one of the most iconic symbols that existed long before and throughout World War II—and continues to resonate today—is the Japanese sword. To read the rest, see the December 2015 and January 2016 issues of BLADE.

Buck Prepares To Debut 2012 Knives

Steve Shackleford

-

December 13, 2011

0

POST FALLS, IDAHO–From the time Hoyt Buck made his first knife in 1902, Buck Knives’ goal always has been the same: make knives that will serve the user better, with reliable and superior performance. In the 110 years since, Buck Knives has found many ways to create an expanding line of knives that guarantee exceptional quality, with the needed features and benefits. Now they are finalizing plans for the SHOT Show where they will unveil more advances in 2012, as they celebrate their 110^th birthday with innovative new products.

Among their fresh departures is an answer to the growing demand for women’s hunting knives with the new Haley Heath ErgoHunter Adrenaline Series. As the number of active female hunters has doubled in the past decade and now totals more than 3 million, there is a growing demand for knives to meet their needs and preferences.

The Haley Heath series was developed in partnership with one of America’s most accomplished female hunters. In the joint announcement, Haley Heath said, “I am excited to be the first female featured with her own line of hunting knives and from the number-one brand in hunting.” Haley and G.O. Heath are the hosts of the popular “Family Traditions with Haley Heath” television program on the Sportsman Channel.

There are eight basic knives in the Haley Heath series – five fixed-blades and three folding lockblades, offering fixed gut-hook versions and three steel options. All are ergonomically designed for the best grip for women, including a grooved handle.

“This important series is just one aspect of our new 2012 knife line,” said CJ Buck, president and the fourth generation of the Buck knifemaking family. “We are adding other new hunting knives, of course, as well as tactical/survival knives, knives for campers and hikers, and our annual line of Limited Edition knives with so much appeal to collectors.”

Among the additions to Buck’s growing line of tactical/survival knives will be the TOPS/Buck CSAR-T Liaison neck knife, a style popular for its light weight, small size and ease of carry, yet providing the solid blade needed quickly in emergency situations.

Buck also emphasized that Buck Knives will continue to fulfill its American commitment, further reducing the use of offshore outsourcing, making all of their hunting knives in their Post Falls, Idaho, plant as well as the vast majority of their other new products.

For more on the latest in the hottest knives, knifemakers, knife shows, knife trends and much more, subscribe to BLADE® Magazine. For subscription information, click on http://www.shopblade.com/product/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us/?r+ssfb121311#BL1SU

Knife Handles: As Wood As It Gets

Steve Shackleford

-

July 12, 2012

0

ThereIn the burl category, redwood (left) and black ash (right) are among the more popular woods. Lloyd Harner uses each for the handles of his razors, as well as the most popular of all woods, ironwood (center). The hollow-ground blades are 52100 carbon steel. (SharpByCoop.com photo)

There’s no time like the present to be a stickler for wood knife handles

Curiosity about the wood of choice among makers, users and collectors in terms of utility, user friendliness and good looks gives rise to the obvious question, “Which natural wood handle material is most popular, especially for custom knives?” American Bladesmith Society journeyman smith Peter Bromley and I were discussing the subject over coffee.

“There are so many types of woods and so many variations within each type that the possibilities are nearly endless,” Bromley said. “You also have to find a piece of wood with a busy grain structure, so when you cut a handle-size piece, then the pattern carries over into the smaller portion.”

Problem is, sometimes what looks good on a large piece of wood gets lost when you scale it down to handle size.

“It’s why makers tend to like burl,” Bromley reasoned. “It’s always busy no matter how small the handle is.”

Shannon McFall of Knife & Gun Finishing Supplies, Chris Hartman of Masecraft Supply, and Chuck Bybee and his daughter Jessica Bybee Walker of Alpha Knife Supply each responded with two words: desert ironwood.

“When it’s the highest quality, the most beautiful patterns are ironwood,” McFall said. “It’s still in relatively low supply, but we haven’t had a problem with replacement yet.” The shortage problems result from government regulations regarding the material. “It has become a lot harder to get the nicely figured desert ironwood,” as a result, Walker noted. “If we can’t get it, we switch to walnut. Turkish walnut is extremely dense with high contrast and performs similar to ironwood.” Bybee said he favors the look of highly figured curly koa. For high-end stuff, koa’s deep curls are rich in chatoyance, he opined. Chatoyance is the luster a material—in this case, wood—exhibits when you move it back and forth under a source of light, Bybee explained

Hartman said ironwood is a favorite in terms of utility, looks and the best combination of both features. However, he questions whether there is a low supply of the material. “Have you ever been to a knife show that didn’t have tables full of ironwood?” he asked. With quality comes price and all those interviewed indicated ironwood is the most expensive of the woods. On the other hand, Walker said maple is probably the least expensive.

WHERE THE BURLS ARE

“Amboyna burl machines well and is a nice wood,” Walker began. She added redwood burl is always very popular—though not with production knife companies because it is more difficult to machine—along with box elder. Hartman agreed. “Amboyna burl has nice, tight patterns and it wears well, plus there seems to be a good, consistent selection available,” he said. “It looks good, feels good and sells well.” McFall cited the popularity of California buckeye, box elder, maple and amboyna burls, all of which are softer woods that must be stabilized to make them suitable for handle use.

“Maple burl probably was the first wood stabilized successfully, it’s the most readily available and the cheapest, but we don’t sell a lot anymore and it’s not in the top five,” said Mike Ludeman of Wood Stabilizing Specialists International (WSSI). “Box elder burl is the most versatile wood and we double-dye it. Black ash burl and California buckeye burl are popular, and with buckeye each piece has to be graded individually because it can look nice, but have a huge void on the inside, so each piece has to be graded individually and priced accordingly.”

McFall, whose Knife & Gun Finishing Supplies also provides a stabilization service, echoed Ludeman about the box elder and California burls. “They have the best patterns and finest colors,” she said. “Box elder takes a dye the best in single/double dyed, and you can get the effects of a lot of natural wood with more control over the colors.”

Along with advances in the stabilization process comes more options. “Something normally bland with a figure can now be dyed to a natural look, rather than staining it as in the past,” McFall noted. “You have more control over the colors.”

“BETTER” OR “JUST NEW”?

Ludeman said stabilization methods are “highly regarded secrets” in a field that is growing.

“Stabilized is not a word I like to use because it’s thrown around loosely anymore,” he noted. “I achieve 100 percent penetration of an acrylic impregnated wood.” Hartman embellished the point. “I have seen a lot of new ‘stabilizers’ advertised out there, which doesn’t make them ‘better,’ just new,” he offered. “As far as I know, the important part is proper selection and preparation of the wood, and fully understanding the entire stabilization process.” Bybee warned that amidst the growth in companies and individuals offering stabilization services, you should research the subject and exercise caution.

Factory knives with stabilized wood handles are rare. “Generally, a factory uses stabilized wood, typically U.S. maple or box elder, for a special/limited edition” because of the cost factor, Ludeman said. “It’s not something they make tens of thousands of.” Hartman concurred. “Who can supply 500 pieces of high-quality stabilized woods on a consistent basis for two years?” he asked. “You can do limited-edition runs but it’s very hard to supply quality consistently over long periods of time in that quantity.” Bybee agreed, adding, “Factories have moved almost exclusively to man-made materials, with G-10 and Micarta® dominating now, because they can count on availability and consistency.”

FUTURE WOODS

What woods will be popular in the future? “It varies because a lot of popular woods are harder to get so they don’t actually show up more,” Walker said. “Turkish walnut has a really rich color, nice dark browns with lighter streaks running through it, and I think it shows promise in gaining popularity.”

“I would love to see somebody come up with something new made from bamboo,” Hartman stated. “This could be the perfect material, it’s sustainable, has a lot of good qualities, but just not enough character or pattern to become a hot-selling knife material.” He also identified the need for a “passionate supplier” of exotic woods.

“There are a lot of ‘suppliers’ of woods, myself included, but no ‘master wood supplier’ that does only exotic woods, stabilizes and does nothing else,” he mused, “a ‘wood crazy’ company that lives and breathes wood dust for knife folks.”

The complexities involved in natural and stabilized woods make the possibilities, as Bromley noted, “nearly endless.” There is an attraction that cannot be denied. “Wood is naturally, beautifully created,” Hartman said, “and it’s a silly man who thinks he can improve on that kind of art.”—by Stephen Garger

Wood: It’s Not a Wash!

The No. 1 maintenance tip Jessica Bybee Walker offers is to not wash the knife in a dishwasher.

“A lot of knifemakers use vulcanized fiber liners, which are very susceptible to moisture and can shrink and pull back or swell up in the dishwasher and crack,” she warned. Chuck Bybee recommended putting mineral oil on your hand and rolling the handle around in it. “I also put Renaissance Wax on all my ironwood knives as one of my yearly rituals,” he said.

“Wood is a natural product so I don’t use a petroleum-based blend. I use a thin coat of olive oil on wood handles. Besides,” Peter Bromley smiled, “I like the smell.”

Stabilized woods do not require the same amount of care as untreated woods, but that does not translate as “no” care. “Basically, stabilized wood is an enhanced wood—not the cure-all for swelling, shrinking, etc.,” Ludeman noted. “The real purpose stabilization serves is to expand the availability of woods that are otherwise too soft for knife handles.” In other words, stabilized or not, use common sense and do not leave your knife sitting on the dashboard in 90-degree heat.—by Stephen Garger

Woods: Most, Good and Least

Today is Deadline to Stop Proposed Ivory Ban

Steve Shackleford

-

December 26, 2013

0

Today is Deadline to Stop Proposed Ivory Ban

An all-inclusive ivory ban that would target ancient ivory such as mammoth and mastodon in addition to elephant ivory likely will pass without your help by the end of day today, Dec. 27.

A Presidential Advisory Committee that met on Dec. 16 recommends a total ban of ivory within the USA to the task force on Wildlife Trafficking. The ban would apply to the sale of all ivory in any form and include pre-ban and antique ivory in knives, guns, musical instruments, pianos with ivory keys, etc. The ban would affect collectors, makers and anyone who sells within or to the USA. The committee will file its report on Dec. 28, so any entreaties opposing the proposed ban must be e-mailed by no later than today in order to be registered and considered before the report is filed.

The address to send your email to is [email protected]. Copy and paste the following letter—though feel free to tailor it as you see fit—to an email, and email it to the above address:

Dear Advisory Committee,

I stand against a total ban of all ivory sales in the USA.

As called for in the Presidential Executive Order, I ask that the recommendations continue to allow for “legal and legitimate commerce.”

The ivory market in the USA is stable and/or declining, and seizure records indicate that a high proportion of the seizures were personal effects lacking the correct paperwork, not the so-called blood tusks reported on by the media. The Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) analysis indicates that the amount of ivory by weight seized annually has not increased in recent years. We are not the consumers of the poached ivory. Therefore, banning ivory sales within the USA will do nothing to save the remaining world population of elephants.

The CITES MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) September 2013 report analysis, page 64, states, “Africa’s elephant populations are managed sustainably,” and that in 2013 the quote for permits for legal elephants was 1,350 animals. There is legal trade that can be monitored with DNA testing and permitting. Enforcing and policing a ban would require funds that should be used to support the ban on imports already in effect.

I fully support CITES rules, closing international borders to elephant ivory trade, a law already in effect that should be fully supported and enforced. I stand against a total ban of all ivory commerce within U.S. borders, a decision that would be an enforcement nightmare. Like Prohibition of the 1920s, it would cause a new wave of illicit commerce where a legitimate one now exists. Museums, antique dealers, collectors, artisans and individual citizens have invested in a legal and valuable material. Sanctioned trade in ivory that is legal (culled and pre-ban) and comes from unthreatened sources (mammoth, boar, warthog, antique and recycled products) can pose no possible threat to elephant herds in the wild.

I believe our mutual goals are the same and a solution can be reached. Please keep the focus where it belongs. To increase the elephant population, the killing must be stopped in Africa and at its borders.

Respectfully submitted,

____________________________ (TYPE YOUR NAME)

4 Paring Knives for Mom

BLADE Staff

-

May 9, 2018

0

Editor’s note: All images courtesy of the participating companies.

Go-To Knives

Look up paring—as in paring knife—in the Merriam-Webster dictionary and ol’ Mr. Webster says it’s “the act of cutting away an edge or surface.”

This raises a question.

If the paring knife was originally designed as a peeling knife, does it still matter? Or is it relegated to the back of the flatware drawer, consigned to a future of rust and dust?

Chef Timothy Hollingsworth, who wears the double hat of chef and owner at the California restaurants with the respective names of Otium and Barrel and Ashes, said the scrappy paring knife—with a blade less than 4 inches designed for food prep—still holds its own against $5 peelers and glinting chef’s knives. Not only is a paring knife designed to peel, it can be called on to prepare pearl onions, scrape mushrooms and cut intricate designs to give food extra pizzazz.

“For the home cook,” Hollingsworth said, “paring knives are great because you’re able to hold the vegetables or fruit in your hand while cutting, whether that’s cutting potatoes into smaller chunks, or peeling an apple and cutting it into bite-sized pieces.”

Mother’s Day is around the corner, a time that seeks to honor the women whose varied accomplishment include making many a home-cooked meal, often with paring knife in hand. From contemporary to traditional, here are four designs that represent the latest in one of Mom’s go-to tools.

Kai Luna Paring Knife

It was about 10 years ago that Scott Zahm, director of sales for the housewares division of Kai USA Ltd., and other of his compatriots at Kai noticed people used paring knives as small utility blades, chopping a handful of parsley on a cutting board, for example.

“Many home cooks prefer a smaller knife that’s less intimidating and easier to control,” he said. Kai took to the drawing board with its Pure Komachi 2 and the resulting blade shape was wider than a traditional paring knife, with a deeper belly. The shape helped users navigate a cutting board with more agility.

This issue’s cover knife (page 7), the newer Luna Paring Knife, features the same profile. “We made the Kai Luna series for the adventurous cook on a budget,” Zahm said. The knife features a tsuchime, or hammered finish, and the edge is honed to a 16-degree angle on each side.

“All of the knives in the Luna series offer the performance good cooks demand at a price that even aspiring cooks can afford,” Zahm said. “With Luna’s tsuchime finish and contemporary styling, it’s an exciting and eye-catching addition to any kitchen.”

With a modified blade shape, does the paring knife usurp a chef’s knife in utility? Not really, Zahm said. Chef’s and paring knives work with each other, handling different-sized cutting jobs. Both are essential in the cook’s workspace.

Spyderco K09 Mini Paring Knife

Spyderco “thought small” when it redesigned the K09 Mini Paring Knife. The company still offers utility knives 4 and 6 inches long. However, Spyderco’s Joyce Laituri compared the K09 to a scalpel, giving users options from peeling fruit to removing small bones from meat.

“I use mine every year at Halloween to start the pumpkin carving process,” Laituri said. “We draw the face on a pumpkin and the K09 goes through gourd like a laser. It is easily controlled letting you create intricate and even lacy designs.”

Three years ago, Spyderco reintroduced the K09 with a new handle material. The Japanese-made knife features a polypropylene grip with ridges to enhance purchase with wet hands.

The K09’s 2.25-inch blade of MBS-26 stainless steel is thinly ground. The result is a blade that keeps its edge and has a slight spring to it, Laituri observed. When it comes to how often people should reach for a paring knife, Laituri said it depends on the cook. She often uses Spyderco’s 6-inch serrated utility knife. Her husband, on the other hand, barbecues and rarely uses a paring knife.

Fällkniven CMT Zulu

“I believe the paring knife is one of the most used knives in the kitchen and also the knife with the lowest reputation,” said Peter Hjortberger, founder of Fällkniven AB. “Usually a paring knife is made for being cheap, a knife you don’t need to care much about, just a [semi] sharp edge for daily tasks.”

Fällkniven went in the opposite direction, making the 3-inch blade of the CMT Zulu of laminated COS steel, the core consisting of a stainless steel that contains a high percentage of cobalt. Hjortberger called it “technically, a very advanced steel.”

“So, instead of searching for the cheapest steel, we go for the best steel, understanding that this knife will last a hundred years or more,” Hjortberger said. “To me, this is climate smart to make high-quality knives which will last during several generations instead of uttering out crap.”

The knife is full tang and handled with Micarta. The CMT Zulu features an old-world design ground with a convex edge common on knives before the Industrial Revolution. It is made in Japan with Swedish materials and quality control.

Often, the paring knife is the most-reached-for kitchen tool, not just for cooking but also for common household chores. Paring knives are non-frightening, Hjortberger said, and women might like the more manageable design.

Case Paring Knife

According to Case’s Fred Feightner, paring knives have homes in restaurants offering nearly every type of cuisine. In 2012, Case resurrected its paring knife offering, giving home cooks the option of a handle of black synthetic or walnut. With the walnut handles, brass rivets gleam from the wood. Case offers four paring knives in its Household Cutlery collection.

“We knew people would want their household set to be complemented by a paring knife or two,” Feightner opined. “Case paring knives have been a part of the American kitchen’s tool set for many years.”

Case manufactures paring knives with either a clip-point blade, where the clip drops to the gently curving edge, and the spear-point, where the spine and edge meet in an acute tip. Both are made from Case Tru-Sharp™ surgical steel, the company’s equivalent of 420HC stainless.

Paring Knife Maintenance Tips

After use, a few moments of care can extend the life of a paring knife. While convenient for pots and pans, etc., the dishwasher is notorious for destroying knives.

“Dishwashers are never kind to household knives,” Feightner said, “because the blade edges can be dulled by the movement of the knives during cleaning, and the detergents made for automatic dishwashers will tend to stain and pit the blades. Our wooden-handled knives have natural oils and pigments within them that can be compromised by the high temperatures employed by the dishwasher. As a result, fading and splitting of the wooden handles can occur.

“We recommend hand washing, using a mild-strength detergent, followed by a prompt water rinsing and hand drying with a clean towel. Cleaning products that include chlorine and/or bleach in them can cause the stainless-steel blades to discolor and pit.”

Knives stored loosely in a drawer can rattle against each other, chipping edges and posing cutting hazards to anyone rummaging for a blade. Once their knives are clean, professional chefs store them in a knife bag, roll or case. At home, a knife block, a magnetic strip or in a drawer as long as they are in sheaths, work equally as well to preserve the life of kitchen knives. After all, from feats of culinary artistry to cutting string, the paring knife will rest in kitchens for decades to come.

Mom, or Anyone, Will Like This, too

The official knife of BLADE Show 2018 is this special edition CRKT Caligo.

Only 150 made
Serialized number
BLADE Show logo on blade
Designer TJ Schwarz’s signature on the blade

Get this instant collectible now for only $49.99 at ShopBlade.com.

Parts Of A Knife: Crash Course In Knife Anatomy 101

Matt Collins

-

November 20, 2023

2

Parts Of A Knife: Crash Course In Knife Anatomy 101

Looking to learn the proper names for everything that makes up a knife?

Like sailors, stagehands, and sommeliers, knifemakers have some very particular terms for the tools of their trade. It helps to know the lingo if you’re getting into knives, or just want to know what the hell “jimping” is when you read it in a product description.

Most of us use knives regularly, and some of us may even be sharpening pros, but there’s still a lot of knife terminology out there that doesn’t come up that often and some of it can be confusing.

Today, we’re going to clear all that up with a primer on all the major parts of modern knives. This is Knife Anatomy 101.

We’re not going to cover everything because you probably don’t need to know the exact name for the type of guard commonly found on a 14th-century German langmesser, but for those of you shopping for a new kitchen or pocket knife, this should cover everything you need to know.

Blade Essentials: Things (Most) Every Knife Has

Spine

The spine of the blade is the part furthest from the edge or edges. On a single-edged knife, this would be the side of the blade opposite the edge, and on a double-edged knife or dagger, this is the middle of the blade between the edges.

The spine on a good knife will typically be heat-treated differently than the edge. The goal is usually to make the spine of the knife softer, and therefore allow it to flex and absorb energy while keeping the edge harder and more resistant to wear so it stays sharper longer.

This is called a differential heat treat and is especially important on larger, hard-use knives or other blades that might have to take impact forces.

Point

You probably know this one, I won’t lie, but technically the point is the place where the edge and the spine or opposing edge meet, typically at a very sharp (pun intended) angle. This is what you use for piercing, and most knives have one.

Tip

Technically different than the point, the tip of the blade is the forwardmost section of the blade, usually considered to be the last 20% or so of its length.

This section may be sharpened differently, have an unsharpened false edge along the spine, or be heat-treated differently to achieve different results. It includes the point of the blade.

Edge

The edge of the knife is the (usually) sharpened portion furthest from the spine. It includes everything from the point to the heel, which we’ll get to later. Basically, this is the part you cut with, and on most knives, the whole thing will be sharpened the same.

There are some knives that have serrations for part of the blade, or certain fighting knives that leave sections unsharpened for the user to grip, though this fell out of fashion around the time the pilgrims landed in America. Today, most fighting or tactical knives are sharp from handle to tip.

One related term you will see is “edge geometry” or “edge angle” which refers to the angle at which the knife is ground or sharpened. Typically, this will be 20 degrees for something like a pocket knife or Western-style chef’s knife, or around 17 degrees for Japanese knives.

If you aren’t sure, a simple bevel gauge will tell you what the original edge is that you should be sharpening towards.

Grind

The grind of a blade, also called the geometry of a blade, refers to its cross-section and how the blade was ground by the maker. There are many different ways to grind a blade, with the most common being some form of hollow or flat grind, with convex grinds being a fairly distant third.

Every grind is a balance between strength and sharpness and is used for different things depending on the type of blade.

Some grinds lend themselves to a more robust edge that is less sharp, and some grinds, like the hollow grind you’ll find on most kitchen knives, give us an edge that is more susceptible to damage if misused, but better at slicing.

Various common grinds you’ll see frequently are hollow, flat, sabre (or saber), chisel, convex, and Scandi. All have their uses and are worth looking into further if you really want to dive into blade geometry and have the very best knife for the job.

Living on the Edge: Parts of the Sharp Part

Fuller

A fuller is a rounded or beveled section of the blade that is either added as part of the forging process or ground in before the blade is heat treated. The purpose is to reduce weight and if forged, to strengthen or widen the blade as needed.

Bolster

The bolster of a knife, usually found on a kitchen knife or other fixed blade, is a thickened section of the blade that flows smoothly into the handle. This adds strength to one of the weakest areas of any knife (the junction between blade and handle) and helps with ergonomics by providing a smooth transition.

Heel

Not all knives have a heel, but if your knife has an edge that extends down and away from the handle, then you can think of the “bottom” of the blade furthest from the tip as the heel.

This is most common on kitchen knives and is typically rounded over or left rather wide to keep your middle finger comfortable when using a pinch grip. Japanese blades are notorious for having a prominent heel.

Tang

The tang of a knife or sword is the portion that extends into the handle. This can be the back of a folding knife blade that is drilled for a pivot, or the longer unsharpened rectangular section of a fixed-blade knife that the handle is attached to.

A “full tang” is when the tang extends all or most of the way through the handle, and adds a great deal of strength, making it the preferred style for hard-use or high-end fixed-blade knives.

Choil

The choil of a knife is the space at the bottom of the edge, furthest from the tip and nearest the handle, and is left unsharpened and hollowed out. On some knives, it’s large enough to accommodate your index finger when using the knife in order to give you a bit more control.

However, the main purpose of the choil is so that the whole length of the edge can be sharpened without any issues.

Jimping

Jimping is the name of the grooves or notches added to the spine of a knife in order to increase grip. The most common places you’ll see this are on pocketknives and hard-use fixed blades, on the spine right where the blade meets the handle.

By having a grippier, high-friction surface there, you can better manipulate the knife, especially with wet or dirty hands

Getting a Handle on the Rest

Handle

As you probably know, the handle of a knife is the part you hold. On a sword, or longer martial weapon, you will typically see the handle referred to as the hilt, but there’s not really much of a technical difference here.

It includes the guard, the grip, and the pommel if present.

Guard

The guard of a knife is the bit that stops your hand from sliding forward and generally keeps you from hurting yourself with the knife. Many kitchen knives forgo a guard because you aren’t really supposed to stab them into things while fighting knives…well let’s just say swords had crossguards for a reason.

Pommel/Butt

Historically, the pommel of a knife refers to a weighted cap or round at the end of a handle that was meant to balance out the weight of a knife or sword blade. These days, few knives have one, but you may still see the bottom of a knife’s handle furthest from the tip be referred to as a pommel.

More commonly (and correctly) you’ll see this referred to as the butt of the knife.

Quillon

On a sword or knife, the quillons are part of the guard that extends outwards at a right angle to the blade to keep the user’s hand from sliding up the blade when using it. These would often be very ornate on a more elaborate piece but would often be very simple.

Final Thoughts

And that does it for this one folks, thanks for stopping by. You should now know everything you need to know about the different (common) parts of knives.

There’s some other stuff out there that might come up if you start getting beyond Western-style knives or branching out from kitchen and pocketknives, but this is definitely 99 percent of what you’ll ever need to know when it comes to knife anatomy.

Also, the very distinctive nail-like guard that protrudes out on a messer is called a nagel and it is designed to stop parried enemy blades from sliding down and cutting your hand. In case you were wondering.

More Knive 101:

What Is Stropping And How Do You Do It?
Tools Knifemaking Pros Use
Learning How To Make A Knife
Best Knife Handle-To-Blade Ratio

6 Hotties Highlight New Knives

Steve Shackleford

-

August 31, 2015

0

Case tear drop and muskrat. — New from Case is the Collector’s Tour Tear Drop and Ambassador Tour’s muskrat.

Think pink with Bear & Son’s new Model 114PK butterfly knife.

What’s hot and new in factory knives for the fall? Among them are 6 hotties ready to cut. Let’s start with Case. Its 2015 Collector’s Tour Knife is a traditional tear-drop pattern with an embellished smooth chestnut bone handle and the company’s famous “XX” scrolled bolsters. Case Collectors Club Manager Lisa Boser-Miller’s signature appears on the Tru-Sharp stainless spear blade.

The 2015 Ambassador Tour Knife is a muskrat in a smooth dark red bone handle and bolster engraving. One of the clip blades bears the signature of the owner of Coffman Hardware who doubles as a Case ambassador, Dennis Mikus.

Liong Mah designed the CRKT Viva. — The CRKT Viva is a pry tool, hex wrench, bottle opener and screwdriver all in one keychain multi tool.

Bear & Son offers up a cool butterfly in hot pink handles—the Model

114PK in a 3 5/8-inch stainless blade. The handles are epoxy-coated aluminum. Weight: 5 ounces. Closed length: 5 inches.

If you’re looking for a stout fixed blade, look no further than the Argonaut 800 from Steel Will Knives. The 6.3-inch blade is AUS-8 stainless in a satin finish and a Rockwell hardness of 56-58 HRC. Weight: 9.59 ounces. The $99.99 MSRP includes a Nylon sheath.

The Baja 4.5 features a 1095 high-carbon steel blade ina Black River Wash finish. — The Baja 4.5 is TOPS Knives’ “stretched sibling” of the Baja 3.0.

OK, so it’s not really a knife. So? Designed by Liong Mah, CRKT’s Viva is one of a growing number of key-ring multi-tools that includes a pry tool, screwdriver, bottle opener, hex wrench and more—all for a measly $9.99 MSRP.

The TOPS Knives Baja 4.5 is the “stretched sibling” of the TOPS Baja 3.0, sporting a 4.5-inch blade of 1095 high-carbon steel in a Black River Wash and a green canvas Micarta® handle. MSRP: $200 (includes a leather dangler sheath).

Grab you some Steel Will Argonaut! — The Argonaut from Steel Will Knives is one stout fixed blade.

Also Check Out:

Knives 2016, 36th Edition
The trusted guide for knife collectors, enthusiasts, knifemakers, and dealers around the world, this knife book covers the latest and greatest from front to back. A collection of feature articles explores the latest developments, history, and transformation of knives, swords, and edges of various kinds. Get your copy

Knife Collecting

Go-To Knives

Kai Luna Paring Knife

Spyderco K09 Mini Paring Knife

Fällkniven CMT Zulu

Case Paring Knife

Paring Knife Maintenance Tips

Mom, or Anyone, Will Like This, too

Looking to learn the proper names for everything that makes up a knife?

Blade Essentials: Things (Most) Every Knife Has

Spine

Point

Tip

Edge

Grind

Living on the Edge: Parts of the Sharp Part

Fuller

Bolster

Heel

Tang

Choil

Jimping

Getting a Handle on the Rest

Handle

Guard

Pommel/Butt

Quillon

Final Thoughts

More Knive 101:

Also Check Out:

Must Read Articles