Why is it bad to call the parts of the knife the way you used to (albeit wrong)? Well, at least the fact that you will not be understood on the forums and nayfovki, or they will be misunderstood, or they will still understand, but they will stick you an offensive noob label.

So, we consider the diagram, read the explanations and remember.

  1. Strip - a blade with a shank (full or in the form of a rod), without a handle.
  2. Blade length - full length from the tip of the knife to the point where the handle begins (to the shoulder of the blade or from the guard / prin, if any).
  3. The blade is the part of the knife that we use to cut. This refers to the entire visible metal part of the strip, excluding the hidden one by the handle and the details of the device - guard, pritin, etc.
  4. Shank - a metal part completely or almost completely hidden in the handle.
  5. Butt - the upper unsharpened border of the blade from the point to the handle, may have a longitudinal rib for crushing cartilage, nuts, etc.
  6. Thumb rest - a small area on the butt of the blade near the handle, usually with a notch, used when holding the blade with the thumb resting on it.
  7. The bevel of the butt is the line of transition of the butt to the point; in the European tradition, the bevel is straight or concave (the so-called "pike"), for knives of the Japanese design the bevel is smooth and convex ("sheep's hoof").
  8. Sharpened bevel of the butt - an additional cutting edge formed by two narrow slopes on the bevel of the butt to increase the effectiveness of stabbing blows, constructively brings the knife closer to the dagger (a knife with a double-edged sharpening).
  9. A false blade is a part of the butt formed by two narrow slopes, which is sometimes sharpened.
  10. Golomen is a flat side surface of the blade from the butt to the beginning of the line of descents.

    11. Dol is what schoolchildren like to call bloodstream. Naturally, the valley does not have such functions, but it is intended, rather, to lighten the weight of the blade, while maintaining its longitudinal rigidity.

  11. Point / Toe - The point where the butt (or false blade, if present) meets the cutting edge.
  12. Sharpening edge / Descent start line - can form a single plane with the descent itself if they are executed from the butt.
  13. Slopes - formed by forging or grinding, two sides of the blade coming down to the blade, forming its wedge-shaped section.
  14. Dulka - a semicircular radius groove that separates the cutting edge from the non-sharpened part of the heel; protects the heel from damage during sharpening and dressing.
  15. A cutting edge is a line that is formed at the intersection of two leads.
  16. Leads are two narrow sharpened side edges along the cutting edge that gleam when we look at the blade from the side. Often mistakenly referred to as a cutting edge, but this is not the case: they form it in the toe line.
  17. The rise of the blade is the place where the feeds, together with the cutting edge formed by them, begin to rise to the butt. It is shown here schematically, in reality, the ascent can be performed not in an arc, but in a straight line, at an angle - for example, in the American tanto.
  18. Working / combat part - often coincides with the length of the blade: this is the entire cutting edge from the unsharpened heel to the point.
  19. The working part is about the heel - on some types of knives, the area for rough work (felling, tes) has greater strength, for example, due to a larger sharpening angle.
  20. Serrated is a serrated, wear-resistant blade that can be used as a sling cutter.
  21. Mouth II is a semicircular radius groove that separates the cutting edge from the unsharpened part of the heel, protects the heel from damage during sharpening and dressing.
  22. The heel is a thickened non-sharpened part that makes the knife, as nayfoman say, more gripping due to the possibility of an additional grip with the index finger with its imposition on the non-sharpened part of the blade, and for the master it facilitates the task of pairing the blade with the handle.
  23. The toe radius is an auxiliary notch near the heel, also serves for the convenience of an additional grip on the blade with the index finger.
  24. Heel II - Another part, also called the heel, is thickened and can serve as a stop if you crush something with the shins of a knife.
  25. Shoulders are notches on the blade at the point of transition to the shank, which serve as stops when the blade is mated with the handle parts.
  26. Mounting holes - through holes on the shank and dies for joint mounting. Both one-piece fasteners (rivets) and shaped threaded fasteners (such as a furniture screw-tie) are used.
  27. Shank Thread / Screw - Threaded back of the shank that is used to tie the drawbar nut when the handle is thru mounted.
  28. Fastening / tightening nut - a shaped nut for fastening integral parts of the handle (shank, device, fittings, rings, etc.) to the shank.
  29. Handle - the entire part of the knife intended for holding it with a hand, with safety elements: overlays, shanks, guards, bolsters, backs, tops, stops, fasteners, etc.
  30. The back of the handle is a part of the handle from the side of the butt of the blade.
  31. The abdomen of the handle is a part of the handle from the side of the cutting edge; it can be shaped for ease of holding with the hand.
  32. Cheren is a one-piece part of the handle, which is attached during mounting between the device parts: the guard and the back, put on during mounting on the shank, for which we hold the knife with our hand.
  33. Handle strips / overlays - for overhead mounting, detachable paired parts that are attached to the shank with clamping fasteners through holes or on adhesives.
  34. Prints are paired metal parts mounted on the shank at the point of transition to the blade: on ordinary knives they are used for hygienic purposes, on folding knives - to increase the strength of the hinge joint between the blade and the handle.
  35. Limiter / bolster - aka guard (for example, in tactical knives). The shaped part of the handle with a stop-protrusion at the heel of the blade, as a rule, from the side of the cutting edge, serves for safe handling of the knife, prevents the hand from slipping onto the blade during stabbing strikes.
  36. The end of the bolster is the part of the bolster facing the blade.
  37. Front stop - the lower part of the bolster, the protrusion-limiter.
  38. Crimp ring / ferrule - when the handle is mounted in-situ, a special ring is put on the end of the handle to strengthen it.
  39. Cross / stop - part of the handle adjacent to the heel, equipped with double-sided front stops - on the side of the blade and butt.
  40. Boring - when mounted in-mount, an oblong metal cap, put on a part of the handle at the heel.
  41. Finger groove - serves on the handle as an additional stop for the convenience of using the knife for pulling types of cutting or when chopping.
  42. A pin - a sub-finger stop, placed between the middle and forefinger, is used for increased reliability of holding the handle with the hand.
  43. The pommel / butt plate is a separate, not always present part on the back of the handle, such as a plug, through which the tightening nut pulls together the parts of the handle during in-mount installation; can be decorated with engraving, tapping, etc.
  44. Backgauge - a rest under the little finger or the base of the palm, used on chopping knives.
  45. The butt is the back of the pommel.
  46. Lanyard hole - a hole through which a lanyard / lanyard can be threaded; It is done both to prevent the loss of a knife (when working at height or on water), and for the convenience of removing the knife from its sheath or pocket, for the most part it is found in knives of a fairly large size.
  47. A decorative rivet is a decorated fastener or decorative element in the form of a fastener on a handle.
  48. Rivets / screws - tightening fasteners for through-mounting of paired parts on the handle: pads, dies, prints.
  49. Spacers - are made to increase the grip of the palm with smooth handles (for example, thin brass washers on inlaid leather handles) or as decorative elements.

As a bonus, we also offer the scheme of the Nepalese kukri: in the European knife you will definitely not find, for example, "Shiva's tooth".

There are a huge number of different knife options. In fact, manufacturers go out of their way to make something original and different from other products. It is also functional at the same time. But all their creations can be reduced to several base profiles, on the basis of which the masters are already beginning to create. And today we are just about these basic blade profiles for knives and talk. Just in order to begin to understand the issue a little better.

1. Blade with a straight butt

One of the most common models. And not only due to the fact that such profiles much easier to manufacture, but also due to its versatility. Such a knife copes not only with specific tasks, but also perfectly shows itself in everyday practice. An increase in rounding is acceptable - this gives a large cutting edge and slightly facilitates further work. It pricks well, cuts well. Often found in common kitchen knives.

2. Drop-Point

In this case, the point is slightly shifted relative to the butt line. The upper cleavage is either even or slightly convex. Due to this, the effectiveness of the piercing blow is increased, since the point of application of the force coincides with the tip. The very geometry of the blade makes it easier to enter the material and pull it back out. In addition to stabbing blows and movements, it cuts well. Often found in knives intended for. The butt is usually not sharpened.

3. Trailing point

In this case, the point, on the contrary, is raised relative to the butt. This increases the cutting edge, but piercing becomes extremely difficult. Perfectly cuts soft tissue. It is often found in national knives designed exclusively for processing hides and carcasses. The butt can be sharpened, which significantly increases the versatility of using a knife with such blade profile.

4. Clip-Point

Also called Bowie type, after Colonel Bowie who is believed to be the inventor of this profile... The point is even lower relative to the butt line than in drop-point profile... Due to this, the effectiveness of the thrusting blow is even more increased, since the point of application of the force is located practically on the central axis of the blade. The top bevel is a concave notch that is sharpened. It can be either short or elongated. This greatly expands the scope of the knife, especially in flaying. Such blade profile it is often observed in combat knives, since it copes equally well with both piercing and cutting blows. In the second version, you can use both the blade and the sharpened recess, causing additional damage when pulled out after a piercing blow.

5. Scramasax

Quite specific profile... It is also called Wharncliffe Blade. It looks like they took the standard version, turned it over, and then sharpened the butt and blunt the blade. Ideal for scraping and provides a perfectly straight cut, as the cutting edge is uniform along the entire length of the blade, without any bends. Can be used for slashing blows. Not suitable for stabbing. Due to the nature of the application, it is rare.

6. Tanto

More precisely, "American Tanto". Classic Japanese knives with this name were straight-toed blades. But in order to simplify manufacturing, some craftsmen began to confine themselves to two even cutting surfaces, instead of one rounded one. Due to its shape, it perfectly withstands strong stabbing blows on hard material, without the risk of breaking the point. Provides a good cut as the cutting surface is uniform. Deals well with chopping blows. Often found in combat knives.

7. Spear-point

Or spear profile... Ideal for stabbing, provides deep tissue penetration and easy pulling. Double-edged. Most often found in combat or hunting knives and daggers. Other applications are extremely limited, so this blade profile is relatively rare. However, this profile is very popular among throwing knives.

8. Spay-Point

This profile most commonly used for hunting knives used for flaying. The shortened blade provides more control over the cut. The upper bevel is not sharpened to prevent damage to the skin during operation. A large curvature of the cutting edge provides a more efficient cut, and the center point allows for efficient piercing of dense materials.

9. Hawkbill blade

Blade profile shaped like the key of a bird of prey. The point is thin, well below the center line of the knife, giving the blade a sickle shape. It is this part that is sharpened. This form is extremely ineffective in everyday life and work, but for the application of cutting wounds - the very thing. Classic karambits- this is exactly a hawkbill.

10. Needle-Point

Classic stiletto. Narrow, long, double-edged. Very specific application, for household and household needs is practically useless. Only for piercing your neighbor.

11. Gut-hook

If in drop-point profile make a small hook on the upper bevel, sharpen the inside of which - we get profile gut hook ideal for butchering game. With its help, it is very convenient to cut skins and gut prey. And the rest - the same efficiency as drop-point profile... It is better not to use it only for hard piercing blows - the hook significantly reduces the strength of the blade when applied in the center.

These are the main and most common blade profiles... In addition, there are more narrowly specific options, for example: sheepfoot, dagger point, shark tooth, but more about all this sometime next time. Moreover, many simply consider them to be varieties of the main options.

Why does the knife cut.

A knife is a cutting tool, the working part of which is a blade, a blade. The geometry of the blade is laid down by the manufacturer, and determines its properties during use, that is, to cut what materials it will be used for.

The basic concepts that define the geometry and determine the use of the knife are descents, leads and cutting edge.

Slopes are of three main types: flat, convex and concave (lenticular). The shape of the slopes affects the properties of the knife as a whole and the nature of its use. The flat blade cutter is very good at cutting thick materials. A knife with convex slopes does not cut very well, but is suitable for heavy work and for chopping; most expensive to manufacture, difficult to sharpen. A knife with concave slopes is good at cutting thin materials, designed for accurate work. This form is the cheapest and easiest to manufacture, so most knives have such slopes. There are other options for descents, but they all use the ones we have already discussed.

Leads are the parts of the blade that form the cutting edge. It is on the carts that the entire sharpening process takes place. The presence of feeds facilitates sharpening and allows us to work on the edge with the necessary pressure, reducing it on fine-grained stones during finishing operations.

The cutting edge is the main working, the most loaded part of the blade. There is a lot of pressure on the cutting edge when cutting the material. The cutting edge must have a certain toughness and strength to withstand such heavy loads. The sharper the cutting edge is sharpened, the easier the cutting process is, the penetration of the edge into the material being cut.

An important concept is cutting edge sharpening angle... The sharpening angle is selected in accordance with the purpose of the knife. A knife for delicate and neat work in the kitchen, fillet work will have 20-25 degrees. Utility knives, hunting, tourist, are sharpened at an angle of 30-35 degrees. Utility knives and knives for heavy work, cuttings are sharpened at an angle of 35-45 degrees. The smaller the sharpening angle, the easier it is to cut, but the edge is also the least strong, and vice versa, the larger the sharpening angle, the stronger the edge, but it is difficult to cut with such a blade, it is easier to cut. As a rule, when sharpening, the factory sharpening angle is restored. The sharpening angle changes only meaningfully and purposefully, for specific tasks, for a specific nature of work, and without forgetting about the capabilities and characteristics of the steel itself from which the blade is made. As a rule, this requires certain knowledge and experience. Failure to comply with these requirements, and neglect them, we can get wrinkles on the edge or chipped edge areas.

Keep in mind that the angle at which a knife with symmetrical slopes is sharpened is half: if the angle between the longitudinal plane of the blade and the plane of the bar is 12 degrees, then the total sharpening angle will be 24 degrees.

The thickness of the information is an important characteristic of the blade. The lower the amount of information, the better the knife cuts and the more accurate it is for cutting. But at the same time, the edge becomes more delicate and can be damaged if inaccurate and improperly applied. For example, if we cut / chop frozen meat with some thinly blended Japanese or other knife, we will easily damage / cut out the edge.
For tourist, tactical and hunting knives, more reduction is needed, which will allow you not to be afraid to injure the edge under loads, and you can also chop small pegs with such a knife a little, etc.

It seems to me that for folding knives, the most successful mixing is 0.2 - 0.3 mm, depending on the purpose of the knife and the structure of the knife. For tourist knives, the reduction is 0.3 - 0.5 mm, depending on the purpose of the knife and the structure of the knife. For hunting 0.3 - 0.5 mm, for skin removers 0.3-0.4 mm. I repeat once again that this is my opinion, and many factors affect the reduction of a particular knife - the width of the blade, the thickness of the blade, the purpose of the knife ... Often you see knives of domestic production, in which the thickness of the reduction tends to 1 mm or more - such knives do not cut well, especially when the sharpening will shrink a little.

The shape of the cutting edge can be represented as a radius inscribed at the point of convergence of the leads.

The sharper the edge, the less effort it takes to cut and the cleaner and smoother the surface of the material being cut.
/ Hon Rok. Perfect edge /

Unfortunately, the zero radius is practically unattainable, but the closer we get to it, the sharper the knife. On a dull knife, if you look at it from the side of the edge, you can see a line - a thin, uneven shiny strip - this can be seen where the bluntness and bends of the edge are. Of course, without a microscope, the radius on the sharpened edge cannot be seen, but it is useful to know about this in order to imagine what we want to achieve when sharpening a knife.

This is what the cutting edge looks like after sharpening:

The width of the edge (or the width of the top) decreases with the increase in the depth of the stone.

Image after sharpening on a Chosera 1k stone, the width of the tip of the cutting edge in the range of 0.7 μm

Image of the cutting edge after sharpening on Shapton 2k stone, tip width in the range of 0.4 μm

Image of the tip of the cutting edge after sharpening on Shapton 4k stone, the width of the tip of the cutting edge in the range of 0.3 μm.

Image of the cutting edge after sharpening on Shapton 8k stone, the width of the cutting edge tip in the range of 0.15 μm

Image of the cutting edge after sharpening on Shapton16k stone, the width of the cutting edge tip is in the range of 0.1 μm.

Cross-sectional images of the progression are shown below.

Cross cut of the cutting edge after sharpening on the Chosera 1k stone.

Cross section of the cutting edge after sharpening on Shapton 16k stone.

Photos taken from publication http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/3488088/post357879626/, original article https://scienceofsharp.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/the-honing-progression/

To correctly understand the following material, you need to decide on the terminology, which is not always presented correctly on the Internet.

Blade anatomy

Of course, different blades in cross-section have different shapes, but their common details can still be identified and clearly identified. Therefore, we will take an averaged image, by the example of which we can analyze all the necessary terms.

Parts that can be found in the figure are marked in bold italics.

  • Blade thickness - thickness, usually measured closer to butt , where it has not yet begun descents .
  • The thickness of the information is the distance between the points where the descents end and begin carts (one point on each side, see figure). Why is the thickness of the mix? Because it is on her that the metal begins come down in one line - the cutting edge.
  • Leads are narrow planes that, when converging to one point, form a cutting edge. When examining the blade in the light, it is they who shine, and not the edge, as it is mistakenly believed.
  • Cutting edge - practically "imaginary" line, which nevertheless has a thickness of several microns, but conditionally is only a place where the leads converge.
  • Sharpening angle - the angle at which the feeds intersect (or descents - in the absence of feeds); under this term the people also understand the "sharpness" of sharpening. By the way, this angle is always greater than the one at which the slopes converge.
The smaller the angle between the slopes (and this value ranges from 8 to 50 degrees), the sharper the knife is, that is, we have to make less effort to cut.

How to correctly set the total angle of the cutting edge

This is important: if we are talking about a knife with symmetrical slopes, then the sharpening angle will be twice that under which we place the sharpening bar. For example, if we prefer to make a 30-degree sharpening for our hunting knife, then there should be an angle of 15 degrees between the blade and the bar.

From here we derive two concepts:

  • full angle, which is the sharpening angle (in our example, 30 degrees);
  • the half angle is the one at which we position the blade in relation to the bar (in our example, 15 degrees).

We determine the very size of the angle, based on the purpose of the knife.

Special, particularly delicate cutting tools

By these we mean surgical instruments, shaving aids, blades, etc.

The sharpening angle for delicate tools is 8-10 degrees.

Soft material knives

These are mostly kitchen knives: sirloin, vegetable shredder, etc.

The angle of sharpening of fillet and vegetable knives is 10–20 degrees.

Universal kitchen knives

Chef's knives for various purposes can work both on soft materials and on hard ones - cartilage, small bones, frozen fish or meat.

The angle of sharpening of kitchen "station wagons" is 20-25 degrees.

Knives for hunters, fishermen, survivalists. Tactical knives

Such tools are often "found" not only with soft camping products such as sandwiches, but also designed to cut branches, fishing lines. Sometimes they are even used as sling cutters.

The angle of sharpening of "street" knives is 22-25 degrees.

Knives and other tools for working on hard materials

These include kukris, machetes, garden knives, tourist and common household axes.

The angle of sharpening of knives for heavy work is 20-40 degrees, sometimes up to 50.

How to understand what kind of sharpening a tool requires

Sharpening does not always follow a single algorithm. For example, if we use an expensive and high-quality knife for its intended purpose and regularly take care of it, most likely, it only needs editing. But an old tool, which has not been touched by a whetstone for a long time, may require not only sharpening, but primarily repair.

The task of both dressing and sharpening is to restore the original state of the cutting edge. What could happen to her? It either becomes dull (that is, instead of the line on which the feeds converge, an additional rounded surface is formed), or it is damaged (jams and chips appear on the line of intersection of the feeds), or it is completely taken away towards one of the feeds. The latter case is typical for knives with one-sided sharpening.

  • Edit

If the cutting edge is just slightly deformed and deviated from a given straight line (without cracks and microscopic chips), it can and should only be corrected without removing a large amount of metal. On hard steels, this is done on laps, belts and slings with fine-grained abrasives, on softer steels - with the help of musats, almost smooth straightening devices, since sometimes even abrasive materials are not required.

  • Sharpening

If the feeds are already a little worn out, covered with micro-scratches and micro-chips, and the very line on which they intersect is slightly rounded (usually they say that "the edge / blade / blade is dull", and this is not quite correct), sharpening is needed. In this case, the shape of the carts is restored with the help of diamond bars or water stones.

  • Repair

The blade is subject to repair, the slopes and leads of which have already lost the geometry necessary for work: deep chips or severe wear appeared on the blade, and the thickness of the lead increased by one and a half to two times. Therefore, in order to bring the knife into working condition, it will be necessary to re-form the descents and supplies, which is beyond the power of a person without experience and a special tool.

And how did you learn to correctly deduce the angle? Or maybe you haven't done it yet? In this case, you can contact us for the service of sharpening knives and other cutting tools: we know how to do it professionally.

The geometry of the blade of the knife is very dependent on its performance and possible areas of application. In the context of this, it is necessary to separately consider:
1) The shape of the blade (what the blade looks like if you look at it from the side) - this is discussed in a separate article;
2) The profile of the blade and its sharpening (what the blade looks like in section) - what types of blade profiles are and will be discussed below.

First, a little of the terminology used in topics about the structure of the blade. In the first picture on the right an example of a blade section is presented (as if cutting it in half and looking at the resulting cut), on which you can see:
- Butt- this is the blunt part of the blade, from the side opposite to its blade.
- Slopes- This is the part of the blade that tapers from the butt to the cutting edge.
- Leads (micro runs, cutting edges)- this is the part of the blade that goes after the descents and forms the cutting edge. There may be no leads when the descents go directly to the cutting edge.
- Cutting edge.

The following measured characteristics of the blade profile are also often used ( in the picture on the right):
- Information thickness- This is the thickness of the blade in the place where the distance between the slopes is the smallest.
- Sharpening angle- the larger the sharpening angle, the more resistant the cutting edge to damage. The smaller the sharpening angle, the better the cutting properties of the knife. Typically, the sharpening angle ranges from 10 ° (straight razors) to 40 ° (hunting and tactical knives). The sharpening angle of kitchen knives is on average 15 ° -20 °.
- Slope angle- the influence of this value on the performance of the knife is more dependent on the structure of the blade as a whole.

Below are the main types of blade profiles with brief explanations. It is necessary to understand that these are only the main types of profiles, and in fact there are much more of them in various combinations.

One of the most popular and beloved sharpenings in the knife community. Provides a knife with very high cutting properties, because has no transitions of planes directly at the cutting edge, which would interfere with the cut. At the same time, it has a very high strength, because the blade thickness remains very high up to the cutting edge. Disadvantages: not very simple sharpening and more expensive production, which ultimately increases the cost of the knife.

Pentagonal sharpening with feeds, Pentagonal wedge with feeds

Two very similar blade profiles. One of the most common in modern knives, because are balanced in terms of blade strength and cutting level. A pentahedral wedge with feeds cuts a little better and is slightly less durable than a blade with a conventional pentahedral sharpening with feeds. In general, they have a higher blade strength in comparison with similar wedge-shaped or Scandinavian types of sharpening (which are without supplies). Such a profile makes it quite easy to change the balance between the strength of the cutting edge and the quality of the cut - by resharpening the leads to a larger or smaller angle.

It is often called "chisel" or "chisel" sharpening. One side of a single-edged blade is usually flat. From the pros: this sharpening will allow you to achieve significantly better cutting properties in comparison with most double-sided sharpenings while maintaining an acceptable level of strength of the cutting edge; thanks to its shape, it allows a very precise cut. Among the disadvantages: with a long cut - the blade will be pulled to the side, in view of the asymmetry of the sharpening; also one-sided sharpening is not universal for left-handers and right-handers, because the descent should be on the side of the working surface of the blade.

Sharpening in which the descents go directly from the butt to the cutting edge. It has very high cutting performance and acceptable cutting edge resistance and blade strength. On the one hand, such a blade is quite easy to sharpen, because the cutting plane is very large and therefore it is impossible to make a mistake with the sharpening angle. On the other hand, when sharpening such a blade, the metal must be removed from the entire plane of the slopes, which complicates the process.

It is often called "Scandinavian" sharpening. A popular type of sharpening of modern knives, especially in Scandinavian models. It looks like a wedge-shaped profile (see above), but in view of a slightly different geometry - it has significantly higher strength and a slightly less good cut. Knives with this sharpening are especially well suited for working with wood, because allow you to cut through the material well and, if necessary, poke it out by slightly turning the knife along its axis.

It is sometimes referred to as a "razor" sharpening. often used in razors and similar knives and delicate tools. This sharpening has the highest cutting performance of all possible, but in most cases it turns out to be inapplicable for any rough work.