The Components of a Knife

The knife is such a common object in our everyday lives that most of us fail to see what a complex tool it actually is. Most of us think that a knife has only two distinct parts: the handle and the blade. But, in truth, the knife is much more complex, comprising six separate parts.

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.

For instance, a knife can be used for skinning, filleting, chopping, and a number of other duties, depending on the shape of the blade. The strength and durability of the knife depends on the kind of steel it is made of. It is best to make blades out of stainless steel because it has a long life and is more hygienic. Stainless steel does not rust or corrode and it is germ resistant.

The part of the knife that is used to stab and pierce things is known as the point. It helps pierce the membrane around the skin of the quarry and is used for gutting and cleaning and getting to the meat of the game.

The tip, according to many knife experts, is the top quarter of the knife blade. This is the part of the knife that is most used as it does the cutting and chopping. Some consider the point to be part of the tip, though they are actually 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.

The handle is probably the other part of a knife, besides the blade, that people are most familiar with. Handles can be made using a variety of materials including wood, steel, plastic…basically, the sky is the limit.

The knife also has a part called the butt which is much like the butt of a gun. It is located at the exact opposite side of the tip i.e. the far end of the handle. Some knives have a compass inserted in the butt that can be pulled out. Behind the compass you would find a small storage space where you can put matches and other survival essentials.

There are many survival knives that come with hand guards to protect your hands from slipping in the direction of the blade. However, you need to know the basic components of a knife in order to reduce the chances of getting hurt while using one. Also, you need to know how to sharpen and maintain your knife to get the best out of it for a long time.

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

Frank Silkin is the webmaster for F knife, the best place on the internet for information about knife. For questions or comments about this article why not visit: www.yflknife.com/articles
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