Anatomy of a Chef Knife

 

Learn the different parts of a Chef's knife's anatomy and their intended purpose...

Bolster
The bolster is the junction between the handle and blade of the knife. This is the balance point of the knife.

Spine
The spine is the long edge at the top of the blade. It is a blunt edge and allows the user to apply pressure to the knife when cutting. It can also help with the grip of the knife.

Point
The point is the very tip of the blade, used for slicing and delicate cutting.

Butt
The butt is the very end of the handle and can be used to grind or tenderise.

Handle
This part of the knife, used for grip and guidance of the blade, houses the tang of the knife (full tang sees the metal of the blade extend to the very end of the handle; with partial tang, the metal of the blade reaches approx the middle of the handle).

Heel
The heel is the very back of the blade. This can be used to apply extra force when cutting.

Cutting Edge
This is the sharp, long line of the blade, used for cutting and carving.

Tip
The tip of the knife is typically used to cut small pieces of food

Back to blog