Knife Anatomy

What's the name of that part? The one between that piece and the other thing?

Know the parts of a knife, from the tip to the butt with this quick guide.

Knife Anatomy Definitions

Butt: The end of the handle, furthest from the tip.

Handle: The area you hold with your hand when using the knife.

Bolster: The area of the handle nearest the blade. On some knives this tapers down towards the blade to allow for a pinch grip.

Hammered finish: A textured finish made by creating small indentations on the blade to aid food release.

Spine: The top of the knife blade, opposite the cutting edge.

Tip: The very point of the blade, furthest from the handle.

Cutting edge: The sharpened portion of the blade used for slicing.

Grazed finish: A blade finish where an abrasive material is used to form the blade taper and is not buffed or polished, leaving a tight pattern that runs perpendicular to the cutting edge.

Choil: The area of the blade where the tang leaves the handle and curves toward the cutting edge to allow for a comfortable pinch grip.

Tang: The area of the blade that is received by the handle. Sometimes the tang is visible between two handle scales, other times it is completely hidden.

Rivet: Used to secure the handle to the tang. Not all Kai Housewares knife handles are secured this way.