Understand 11 Key Parts of a Knife: Names, Functions & Diagram

We all know in every house, we see the knife. We use them daily for various operations like cutting, chopping, slicing, piercing, and more. Its size, shape, and design differ per the type and manufacturer. But how many of you know the knife parts? We know some of them but not all. But for professional chefs, it is necessary to know the parts of a knife before selecting them. Professional chefs use different knives as per the medium of cutting. In this article, we will see knife anatomy, its components, names & functions.

Table of Contents

Knife Parts Diagram

Knife Parts Names

Parts of a Blade

Spine
Point
Tip
Belly
Cutting Edge
Bolster
Heel

Handle Parts

Tang
Rivet
Butt

Parts of a Knife

This video tells us all parts of a knife, their names & functions.

Blade

The main function of the blade is to cut and chop. Typically, it is of carbon steel or stainless steel. Before making a knife, the blade is hardened to make it strong, resistant to scratch, durable, and easy to sharpen.

Nowadays, plastic and ceramic blades are also available in the market due to their low cost, corrosion resistance, and no sharpening requires. But if we compare these blades with metallic blades, metal blades are good to use and last for a more prolonged period.

Depending on the types of use size, shape, material, design, length, and thickness changes.

Spine

It is an unsharpened portion of the blade at the opposite side of the cutting edge. It is thick and gives strength to the knife. Depending on the type of knife, its size and shape vary.

Point

The point is the front point of the knife, where the cutting edge and spine meet. It is helpful in making holes in cans or other things, like making a hole in roast to insert garlic cloves.

Tip

The tip is the first 1/5 portion of the knife, starting from the point. It is mainly for piercing, mincing, and scoring. Generally, while delight cutting during garnishing and small cuts tips come in use.

Belly

The portion right after the tip is the belly. If the knife is with a curve belly is good for chopping and slicing veggies as it gives a smooth rocking motion on board.

Cutting Edge

It is a sharpened part of the blade which do actual cutting and slicing. With time it is necessary to sharpen cutting edge due to daily use, and its sharpness reduces. Maximum blades start becoming narrowing from the heel end to the tip.

The blade’s sharpness depends on the angle of the sharp edge made with the ground. The angle closer to 90 degrees shows the cutting edge is so sharp.

Bolster

The bolster is the middle part of the knife, where the blade and handle meet. It is a thick part that helps to apply weight on the blade through the hands and helps to maintain balance during cutting. In some Japanese knives, the bolster is not present.

Heel

The heel is the end of the blade just opposite the tip and after the bolster. In some knives, the heel is blended with the bolster, and in some, the heel is not present. It is generally not sharpened to protect your finger from injury while cutting. It is especially useful on boning and chief’s knife.

Handle

The handle is the portion where we hold the knife. It consists of a tang covered by two wooden, plastic, or metal covers fasten by the rivets. Plastic is most common as it is durable, light in weight, and readily available. Its size and shape decide the look of the knife.

Tang

Tang is the portion of the handle, which is covered by plastic or metal covers and riveted. It can be a full or partial depending on the type of knife. Full tang consists of complete metal without the requirement of an additional cover for fastening.

Rivet

These are the fasteners for fixing covers on the tang. It holds two covers from both sides of the tang.

Butt

The butt is the end of the handle opposite the bolster. It is for increasing the stability and balance of the knife. In some cases, it made an attractive by giving creative shape.

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What are the different parts of a knife?

Spine
Point
Tip
Belly
Cutting Edge
Bolster
Heel
Tang
Rivet
Butt