What Are the Different Knife Parts? Understand Knife Anatomy

A pitmaster’s toolset includes the simple knife, as well as a grill, smoker, and digital thermometer.

You’ll most likely build a large collection of BBQ accessories over time. However, none of them are likely to see as much usage or be as important to your meal preparation as an excellent chefs knife.

Obviously, you can use a knife without ever knowing about its many pieces, but we believe that understanding how a knife is made would help you become a better cook.

We’ll also give you some pointers on what to look for while shopping for meat and barbeque tools.

The different parts of a kitchen knife

A kitchen knife seems to be a basic tool at first appearance, yet they are surprisingly intricate.

Even a normal chefs knife contains up to ten distinct portions, the design of which may have a significant impact on how the blade handles and what it is used for.

The point and tip

The point of a knife is the farthest point from the pommel, where the spine of the blade and its edge meet.

This is commonly referred to as the tip, however the tip is the short portion of the blade that rests right before the point.

The shape of a blade’s tip frequently reveals what it is used for.

Knives used for puncturing holes in items have a symmetrical spear-point, bowie-style knives have a swept-back tail-point for skinning, and a hawksbill-point, because of its curvature, boosts the cutting ability of smaller blades.

Most kitchen knives feature a drop-point, where the spine softly bends down towards the point, or a sheepsfoot-point, where the unsharpened spine curves down abruptly at the tip to produce a knife that is best suited for slicing and chopping.

The edge

The sharpened region of the knife that goes from the tip to the heel of the blade is referred to as the edge.

The blades grind is how this cutting edge is generated, and various grids have varied uses:

• Grid of Holes The cutting edge of hollow-ground blades is fine and ultra-shape. A hollow-ground edge, which is common on filleting knives and chefs knives, is great for making a smooth, clean cut. The disadvantage of a hollow-ground edge is that it is relatively delicate and will chip if used for hard cutting.
• Grind on a flat surface Flat-ground knives are less sharp than hollow-ground knives, but they are more durable. Flat ground meat cleavers have stronger blades that can cut through cartilage and bone.
• Serrated Serrated blades are especially intended to cut through difficult materials due to the teeth placed into the blade providing more shearing strength. Serrated edges are common on steak knives.

The spine and the heel

The spine of the knife is the blade’s unsharpened back. The absence of a sharpened spine distinguishes a knife from a dagger, which has an edge on both sides.

The spine’s weight influences how carefully you can wield the knife. A knife with a hefty blade is better for severe chopping, while a knife with weight concentrated in the handle is better for making delicate cuts.

A knife’s heel is the broadest section of the spine that rests right in front of the handle.

The bolster

The bolster strengthens the area of the knife where the blade meets the handle while also acting as a little guard to prevent your hand from sliding forward onto the edge.

A bolster is essential on knives used for slicing raw meat or filleting fish because it provides more leverage and prevents the blade from sliding if your hands get slippery.

The handle

The handle of a knife, sometimes known as the scales if it is formed of two sections, may be made of a variety of materials, ranging from plastic to deer antler. Kitchen knives’ handles may have finger grooves for added grip.

The handle fasteners 

Handle fasteners are classified into two types:

• Screws Screws should be examined and tightened on a regular basis since they will come loose during usage. The advantage of using screws as handle fasteners is that it makes it simple to replace a knife’s handle as it wears out.

• Rivets Rivets are a less expensive handle fastening and, although they do not come free during usage like screws, they make changing a handle much more difficult.

The tang

The tang is the portion of the blade that extends into the knife’s handle. For kitchen knives, there are three common tang styles:

• Full flavor A complete tang runs the whole length of the handle and often protrudes from the end in the form of a pommel. The knife handle is then often joined in two parts, or scales, by screws or rivets. Full-tang knives are the most robust and long-lasting blade design.
• Tangential tangent Partial tang knives are not as durable as full tang knives since they only extend a portion of the length of the handle. Partial tangs are often employed in very delicate blades that are not intended for chopping, such as filleting knives.
• Beginning of the rat-trail False tangs are used in lower-priced knives and extend just slightly into the handle. Some tangs, known as rat-tail tangs, stretch the whole length of the handle, but the tang itself is relatively thin, which means it doesn’t contribute much to the blade’s durability.False

The butt

The butt of the knife is the furthest end of the handle from the tip. Because the butt is often curved, the user determines the direction of the blade by feel. If the tang protrudes from the rear of the handle, it is sometimes referred to as a pommel rather than a butt.

Fixed Blade vs. Folding Knives

The majority of knives are either folding or fixed-blade. Almost all kitchen knives have a fixed blade.

Folding knives are often employed when storing, transporting, or concealing a fixed blade knife is difficult. Folding blades are used in camping, hunting, and pocket knives because they are simpler to store and carry.

If storage isn’t an issue, fixed blade knives are nearly always a better option for cooking and food preparation.

A full-tang fixed blade knife is significantly more robust than a folding knife, which has a partial or even no tang due to its construction. This means fixed blades will last longer and you may use them without fear of the blade shearing away from the handle.

If you have the chance, always use a full-tang single blade kitchen knife.

What knives do I need to BBQ with?

There are many fantastic knives available, but when it comes down to it, there are only three fundamental knives you will want as a pitmaster; everything else is optional.

The boning knife

A boning knife is used to remove bones, as the name implies, but it is also useful for cutting away superfluous fat.

A boning knife blade should be long, thin, and stiff, with a hollow-grind for enhanced cutting strength. For improved control and a tighter grip, the handle is often wider and thicker than that of a standard kitchen knife.

You’ll use your boning knife to french rib ends, trim the fat cap on brisket, and remove tiny bones from bird, fish, and game.

The Slicing Knife

The slicing knife has a wide blade and a curved or fully rounded tip, similar to a razor-sharp palette knife. Grooves in slicing knives assist the edge go smoothly through the flesh by allowing air, lipids, and fluids to collect.

Slicing knives are often used to cut bigger slices of brisket or ham, although they may be used to slice almost any kind of meat.

The chef’s knife

The chefs knife is the most versatile blade in your pitmaster’s arsenal, with a long, thick blade that comes to a sharp point. Because these knives are often subjected to heavy usage, it is preferable to invest in one with a complete tang for enhanced longevity.

You’ll use your chefs knife for chopping, slicing, and cutting, particularly for thick or gristly chunks of meat that your boning or slicing knife can’t handle.

A pitmaster’s best friend

A excellent pair of knives will form the foundation of your pitmaster’s toolset, so get the finest ones you can afford.

A excellent full-tang fixed blade knife is tough enough to handle almost any task. eliminating the need for replacement every several months.

With this article’s knife expertise, you now know precisely what to look for when you go out to acquire the right set of BBQ knives for you.

Do you have a favorite kind or brand of knife that you can’t grill without? Please let us know in the comments section below.