Utility Knives Knife

Utility Knives Knife

Getting to Know the Different Types of Knives

Knives are probably the earliest tools invented by people. Although ancient knives are made from stones, the principle behind its use remains the same as today.

Now, knives are made from metal. Some are really sophisticated which are composed of different alloys to achieve strength, durability, and superior sharpness.

Knives are primarily utility hand-held equipment. They are tools that can be used to perform certain functions. As such, there are different kinds of knives that can be used for different purposes. Here is a basic survey of different types of knives known in modern times.

All Purpose and General Use Knives

The most popular all purpose knife is the retractable or switch blade type. As the name implies, the blade retracts inside the handle so you can store it safely when not in use.

It can be used for any type of cutting job. Normally, all purpose knives would have a 3 to 4 inches long blade. The handle could be made from any material depending on the manufacturer but the most common is laminated plastic. Some handle designs also include die-cast metal lining. But there are designer all purpose utility knives that have handles made from ivory, animal horn, or silver.

Another type of all purpose knives are the fixed blade varieties. These knives have more stable blades. Typically, screws are used to hold the blade firmly in place and are attached to the handle.

These knives normally have longer blades also. Handle designs would be very similar with switch or retractable blade knives. Most designer knives will fall into this category.

Cooking or Kitchen Knives

Cooking or Kitchen knives are also utility knives but they are specifically designed for the kitchen. There are many sub-types of cooking knives such as boning, fillet, chefs, cleaver, bread, and ham slicer. There are other small knives that can be used for the kitchen but these are the most commonly used varieties.

The blades of cooking knives are sometimes pliable and longer. They are not as strong and sturdy as utility knives. The blades of cooking knives are thinner to easily slice meat and other food stuff.

Precision Cutting Knives

Precision cutting knives or commonly known as thin razor knives have very small blades and very thin handles. In fact, some models are only pencil-sized with half inch thin blades.

Precision knives are ideal for cutting paper and thin cardboard. These knives are commonly used as tools for handicrafts and other highly specialized cutting jobs.

Camping or Combat Knives

These knives are bigger and composed of very strong metal alloy. Although they are utility knives also, they are more suitable for cutting very tough objects. These are commonly issued to military personnel as a general purpose tool and additional weaponry.

Because combat knives have larger and longer blades with heavy handles, it would be very difficult to use them for cutting small objects. Designer camping knives have sheaths made from leather.

Knives are already part of your daily life. They can be used for different purposes. It is really best to understand the different types of knives to know what type would be more useful for you.

About the Author

The largest Custom Knives and cutlery catalog in Scandinavia, best price guarantee. We sell Cold Steel, Gerber, Strider, Benchmade, böker, buck, emerson etc. For details visit http://www.knifenordic.se

Knife review: classic utility knives: a Carl Schlieper (German Eye) Sodbuster, Okapi and an Otter