Knife is a cutting instrument used as an eating utensil, a tool, or a weapon. Knives consist chiefly of a blade and a handle. Knife blades are made from steel, and most handles are made from hardwood or plastic. Other handle materials include antlers and cow bones.
Knives have many uses. For example, surgeons make incisions with small, straight knives called scalpels. Many artists use flexible palette knives to paint rugged lines and broad splashes of color on their pictures. Putty knives and filling knives are often used in home repair.
People have used knives throughout history. Early human beings fashioned the first knives from flint or obsidian and used them to skin animals and cut meat. Materials for making blades progressed to bronze, then iron, and steel. Today, some blades are even made of extremely hard ceramic. During the Middle Ages, many people carried their own knives and forks and used them for eating. The rounded table knife, still in use today, probably came into limited use in Europe during the 1400’s.
Types of knives.
There are two main categories of knives: fixed-blade knives and folding knives. Fixed-blade knives have a blade with a solid steel extension, called a tang, that fits into the handle. The handle is attached to the tang by such materials as glue and rivets. Some fixed-blade knives also have a pommel and a hilt. A pommel is a metallic cap on the end of the handle. A hilt is a guard where the handle meets the blade. The Bowie knife, which was made popular by American frontiersman Jim Bowie, is a fixed-blade knife.
Folding knives have a blade that closes inside a split handle. A hinge pin secures the blade to the front of the handle. A spring holds the blade closed, and on some knives a lock holds it open. Some folding knives have several blades hinged to both ends of the handle.
There are many types of knives within the two main categories. The design of the blade varies depending on its purpose. Blades differ according to (1) their thickness, (2) their depth (the average distance from their top to their edge), and (3) the shape of their point.
The chef’s knife, a kitchen utensil, has a blade designed to slice food evenly. It is thin and deep and narrows to a point. This knife is one of the most important cooking tools because it carves and dices well. Another kitchen utensil is the boning knife. Its thin, shallow blade has a sharp point. The blade bends to cut meat from around bones. Both the chef’s knife and the boning knife are fixed-blade knives.
Most table knives have fairly thick blades with rounded points. They are designed for cutting soft foods and for spreading. Most table knives have a handle attached to the tang. However, some are made in a single piece.
The hunting knife and the combat knife differ greatly from knives used as kitchen utensils. The hunting knife has a thick, deep blade that narrows slowly to a point. This sturdy knife has many uses, including skinning an animal or slicing vegetables for a camp stew. The combat knife is a soldier’s knife made to be used as a camping tool and, if necessary, as a weapon. Both the combat and the hunting knife are fixed-blade knives.
The Boy Scout knife is a folding knife with four blades. One blade is deep and thick, with a blunt point. It is used for cutting and whittling. The second blade is thin, shallow, and sharply pointed. It is used for delicate cutting. The third blade is a bottle opener and screwdriver, and the fourth blade is a can opener. The Swiss Army knife comes with as many as 20 blades and folding tools. A custom knife is made by a knifemaker for a single user or collector, using more expensive materials than factories use.
Knife safety.
Knives can be dangerous, but observing the rules of knife safety can lessen the danger. Always aim the blade away from you when cutting. Always cut on a cutting board. Always keep knives sharp. A dull knife often slips and cuts the person using it. Never place loose knives in a drawer or a sink full of dishwater, where people may cut themselves accidentally. Also, the knives will rattle against each other and become dull. Therefore, always store knives in a sheath or in a knife rack.
