Knife is a cutting tool with a cutting edge, also known as a blade, and it is a very handy tool with a number of usages. Most common construction type of knives is either the fixed blade style or the folding opening style which also includes the auto knife and the butterfly knife. Following are the key categories of knives.
Kitchen knife
As is evident from the name itself, a kitchen knife is used in kitchens of our homes, in the activity of food preparation. They may be used for cutting vegetables, fruits, meat, bread etc. The most come type of knives used in kitchen are the Large Chef’s knife, the cleaver knife and the paring knife. By and large, these three types of kitchen knives serve all the cutting requirements in a kitchen. However within these three types of knives, there may be huge variations in shape, design, style and building material. There are knife makers who can design and produce knives as per specific likings of knife traders and sellers.
Pocket knife
A pocket knife is a knife that can be folded and kept in the pocket. It may have one blade or more depending upon the designs and purposes of such knives. Pocket knives have a number of uses from cutting open envelopes to slicing fruits and from cutting wood and barks to self defense. Pocket knives are usually multi-tool knives like the camper’s knife, butterfly knife and the Swiss army knife. Pocket knives also come in the auto knife designs. Auto knife are those knives which automatically open and fold with the help of buttons, springs and latches.
Utility knife
A regular knife which is used for general utility purposes is known as a utility knife. Originally, the utility knife had a fixed blade structure with a cutting edge or a blade and was used mostly for cutting hides, scraping hides, for butchering animals and for cleaning fish etc. Modern utility knives, apart from fixed blade style, also include the folding or retractable blade style and the auto knife as well as the butterfly knife. Some utility knives are craft knives used in craft works. Office utility knives include knives like paper cutter knives, safety cutter knives and box cutter knives.
Fighting knife
Not all knives are used for the purpose of cutting vegetables, meat and twines. Some knives have more ulterior purposes, like for example the Fighting knives. Fighting knives are basically knives which are meant to inflict serious or even lethal injury to one’s adversary in a violent and brutal physical confrontation. These are knives, designed as special purpose weapons.
Knives as collector’s item
People world over have deep obsession with custom knives and it is almost akin to art collection zest. All major knife brands in the world keep coming up with custom knives in all knife categories and in all shapes, designs, material and sizes imaginable. These custom knives get sold like hot cakes and that too at whooping prices. There is a huge demand for custom knives all over the world and particularly in Western Europe and USA. Most custom knives are hand-made and use Stainless steel or carbon steel though they may also be made of Copper, bronze, ceramics or titanium. While Stainless steel is an alloy of iron and chromium, carbon steel is an alloy of Iron and Carbon. Most common Custom knives blade design are as follows:
Clip Point
Such custom knives have a cut out or a “clip” in the top of the blade. This clip makes the tip sharper. This design is used in hunter’s custom knives, military custom knives, utility custom knives and Bowie custom knives. –
Drop Point
Drop-point blade custom knives have a convex-curved drop in the tip point. The belly remains strong. It is good for hunting purposes.
Tanto
Tanto custom knives are the classic Japanese tanto shaped knives that have a point exactly in the same line as the spine of the blade
Sheepsfoot
These custom knives have a typical blade design in which the spine of the blade curves down to meet the edge of the knife. Such custom knives have no point and a very faint or no belly. Its main purpose is slicing only and it is considered a rescuer’s knife as lack of pointed tip avoids injury to some victim who is being cut loose, for example from a seat belt during car crash.
Trailing Point
Custom knives with trailing point blade have a point higher than the spine, and a pronounced curving belly. It is a popular skinning knife.
Hookblade
Hookblade custom knives have for long been popular as gardening knives. Now these are being custom built for the tactical market too. The Hookblade design forces the cutting material towards the sweet part of the knife’s curve which has a lot of slicing power.
- Kitchen knife
- Pocket knife
- Utility knife
- Fighting knife
Kitchen knife
As is evident from the name itself, a kitchen knife is used in kitchens of our homes, in the activity of food preparation. They may be used for cutting vegetables, fruits, meat, bread etc. The most come type of knives used in kitchen are the Large Chef’s knife, the cleaver knife and the paring knife. By and large, these three types of kitchen knives serve all the cutting requirements in a kitchen. However within these three types of knives, there may be huge variations in shape, design, style and building material. There are knife makers who can design and produce knives as per specific likings of knife traders and sellers.
Pocket knife
A pocket knife is a knife that can be folded and kept in the pocket. It may have one blade or more depending upon the designs and purposes of such knives. Pocket knives have a number of uses from cutting open envelopes to slicing fruits and from cutting wood and barks to self defense. Pocket knives are usually multi-tool knives like the camper’s knife, butterfly knife and the Swiss army knife. Pocket knives also come in the auto knife designs. Auto knife are those knives which automatically open and fold with the help of buttons, springs and latches.
Utility knife
A regular knife which is used for general utility purposes is known as a utility knife. Originally, the utility knife had a fixed blade structure with a cutting edge or a blade and was used mostly for cutting hides, scraping hides, for butchering animals and for cleaning fish etc. Modern utility knives, apart from fixed blade style, also include the folding or retractable blade style and the auto knife as well as the butterfly knife. Some utility knives are craft knives used in craft works. Office utility knives include knives like paper cutter knives, safety cutter knives and box cutter knives.
Fighting knife
Not all knives are used for the purpose of cutting vegetables, meat and twines. Some knives have more ulterior purposes, like for example the Fighting knives. Fighting knives are basically knives which are meant to inflict serious or even lethal injury to one’s adversary in a violent and brutal physical confrontation. These are knives, designed as special purpose weapons.
Knives as collector’s item
People world over have deep obsession with custom knives and it is almost akin to art collection zest. All major knife brands in the world keep coming up with custom knives in all knife categories and in all shapes, designs, material and sizes imaginable. These custom knives get sold like hot cakes and that too at whooping prices. There is a huge demand for custom knives all over the world and particularly in Western Europe and USA. Most custom knives are hand-made and use Stainless steel or carbon steel though they may also be made of Copper, bronze, ceramics or titanium. While Stainless steel is an alloy of iron and chromium, carbon steel is an alloy of Iron and Carbon. Most common Custom knives blade design are as follows:
Clip Point
Such custom knives have a cut out or a “clip” in the top of the blade. This clip makes the tip sharper. This design is used in hunter’s custom knives, military custom knives, utility custom knives and Bowie custom knives. –
Drop Point
Drop-point blade custom knives have a convex-curved drop in the tip point. The belly remains strong. It is good for hunting purposes.
Tanto
Tanto custom knives are the classic Japanese tanto shaped knives that have a point exactly in the same line as the spine of the blade
Sheepsfoot
These custom knives have a typical blade design in which the spine of the blade curves down to meet the edge of the knife. Such custom knives have no point and a very faint or no belly. Its main purpose is slicing only and it is considered a rescuer’s knife as lack of pointed tip avoids injury to some victim who is being cut loose, for example from a seat belt during car crash.
Trailing Point
Custom knives with trailing point blade have a point higher than the spine, and a pronounced curving belly. It is a popular skinning knife.
Hookblade
Hookblade custom knives have for long been popular as gardening knives. Now these are being custom built for the tactical market too. The Hookblade design forces the cutting material towards the sweet part of the knife’s curve which has a lot of slicing power.