14.1 Introduction to Knives

Boning Knife

A 6-inch knife used to separate raw meat from the bone. The blade is thin, flexible, and shorter than the blade of a chef's knife.

Scimitar

A cimeter or scimitar is a large, curved butcher's knife, with a blade typically 8-14" (20-35 cm) long. It is used primarily for cutting large pieces of meat into retail cuts such as steaks.

Meat Cleaver

A cleaver is a large knife that varies in its shape but usually resembles a rectangular-bladed hatchet. It is largely used as a kitchen or butcher knife intended for hacking through bone. The knife's broad side can also be used for crushing in food preparation

Steel

A honing steel, sometimes referred to as sharpening steel, whet steel, sharpening stick, sharpening rod, butcher's steel, and chef's steel, is a rod of steel, ceramic or diamond-coated steel used to re-align blade edges.

Grit

A medium grit stone, typically 1000 to 1500, is usually the first stone you'll use if the knife is very dull, but not damaged. ... A very fine stone is between 6000 and 8000 gritcan be used to polish the blade to a mirror-like finish and hone the cutting edge to razor sharp.

pairing knife

A paring knife is a small all-purpose knife with a plain edge that is ideal for peeling (or "paring") fruits and vegetables, and other small or intricate work (such as de-veining a shrimp, removing the seeds from a jalapeño, 'skinning' or cutting small garnishes).

Tang

A tang or shank is the back portion of the blade component of a tool where it extends into stock material or connects to a handle

Bolster

A thick junction between the handle and the knife blade which provides a smooth transition from the blade to the handle. A bolster strengthens the knife, adds durability, and provides a counter-balance

Filleting Knife

A thin Knife with flexible blade; used for filleting fish.

Chef's Knife

Can range from 6 to 14 inches, most versatile of all knives and is used for chopping, slicing, dicing.

Vegetable Cleaver

Chinese-style vegetable cleavers (also known as Chinese chef's knives) look like meat cleavers but are more slender and versatile: besides chopping vegetables and fruits, they're also used for slicing boneless meats and mincing and crushing aromatics.

Forged blade

Knife blade made from a single piece of heated metal; it is dropped into a mold and then the metal is cut free and hammered into the correct shape.

Granton edge

Knife edge that has a series of ovals ground along the edge of the blade to prevent moist foods from sticking to the blade while slicing.

Stamped blade

Made by cutting blade shaped pieces from sheets of milled steel

whetstone

Sharpening stones, water stones or whetstones are used to sharpen the edges of steel tools and implements through grinding and honing. Examples of items that can be sharpened with a sharpening stone include scissors, scythes, knives, razors, and tools such as chisels, hand scrapers, and plane blades.

Cutting Edge

The edge is the cutting part of the blade. It extends from the point to the heel of the knife.

Heel

The rear part of the cutting edge of the blade (opposite the tip) that meets the bolster. The heel on a chef's knife is ideal for chopping tough ingredients like nuts, carrots, and even bones. The cutting edge is the sharp edge of the blade that extends from the tip to the heel.

Rivets

The rivets are metal pins used to join the scales to the tang to form the handle.

spine

The spine is the top of the knife blade, opposite the knife edge.

Tip

The tip is the forward part of the knife and includes the knife point. The tip is used for detailed or delicate cutting.

Hollow-ground

When the sides of a knife blade near the edge are ground away to form a hollow, making the blade extremely sharp.

Honing/Trueing

When you hone, you polish the rough surface of the knife's edge which reduces friction and allows the knife to cut into material better.

Utility knife

a knife with a small sharp blade, often retractable, designed to cut wood, cardboard, and other materials.

Santoku knife

a medium-sized, multipurpose kitchen knife of Japanese origin that has a lightweight blade with a straight or slightly curved cutting edge and a spine that curves downward to the tip

Slicer

designed for slicing cooked meats like smoked hams, roasted turkeys, or sirloin steaks. These knives typically have a long blade with a rounded tip. Many meat slicing knives also feature granton edges, which prevents the meat from tearing while cutting.

Tournee Knife

often also called a "peeling knife", has a very short blade, usually about 7 cm. Cutting and peeling fruit and vegetables is quick and easy with the handy knife.