"from Old Norse knifr 'knife, dirk'"
Understanding the different types of knives and their uses.
Blade Parts and Anatomy: This topic covers the different parts of the blade, including the tip, spine, bolster, tang, and edge. Understanding these features helps in identifying which knife to use for specific tasks.
Blade Types: This topic covers the different types of blades, including straight blades, serrated blades, and hollow blades. Knowing their differences and how they work helps in selecting the most suitable knife for a particular task.
Knife Grinds: This topic covers the geometry of the blade, including the types of grinds, such as flat, convex, and concave grinds. Understanding the grind of a blade helps in determining its best use for specific tasks.
Knife Steels: This topic covers the different types of steel used in making knives, including carbon steel, stainless steel, and high-carbon stainless steel. Knowing the properties of each steel type helps in selecting the best knife for the intended use.
Knife Handles: This topic covers the different types of knife handles, including wood handles, synthetic handles, and metal handles. Understanding the characteristics of each handle type helps in selecting the most comfortable, ergonomic, and durable handle for a knife.
Knife Maintenance: This topic covers proper care and maintenance of knives, including sharpening, cleaning, and storing. Knowing how to maintain knives helps in prolonging their lifespan and keeping them in top condition.
Knife Safety: This topic covers the essential safety precautions when using a knife, including how to hold a knife, how to cut safely, and how to avoid accidents in the kitchen. Understanding knife safety is crucial in preventing injuries while using knives.
Knife Techniques: This topic covers different knife techniques, including chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing. Knowing different techniques helps in using the right knife for a particular cutting task and achieving efficient and precise cuts.
Specialty Knives and their uses: This topic covers different types of specialty knives, including bread knives, steak knives, chef's knives, and paring knives. Understanding their unique features and intended uses helps in selecting the most suitable knife for a specific task.
Cutting Boards: This topic covers the different types of cutting boards and their properties, including wood, plastic, and bamboo. Knowing the characteristics of each type helps in selecting the most suitable board for a specific knife and cutting task.
Chef’s Knife: A versatile kitchen knife, usually 8-10 inches long with a curved blade that can rock back and forth for chopping, slicing and mincing.
Paring Knife: A small knife with a straight or curved blade typically 3-4 inches long, used for peeling, trimming and shaping fruits and vegetables.
Bread Knife: A serrated knife with a long blade typically 8-10 inches long used for cutting bread and other baked goods.
Utility Knife: A multi-purpose knife with a straight or serrated edge and a blade length between 4 and 7 inches, used for general slicing, trimming and peeling tasks.
Boning Knife: A long, thin and flexible blade, typically 6-7 inches long, used to remove bones from meat, poultry and fish.
Cleaver: A large, heavy knife with a rectangular-shaped blade, used for chopping meat and vegetables, and breaking down poultry.
Fillet Knife: A flexible, thin and narrow blade, typically 6-9 inches long, used to fillet and skin fish.
Santoku Knife: A Japanese-style, multi-purpose knife, typically 5-7 inches long, with a straight or slightly curved blade designed for slicing, dicing, and chopping vegetables, meat, and fish.
Slicing Knife: A long, narrow, and flexible blade, typically 8-14 inches long, used to slice roast beef, ham, turkey and other large cuts of meat.
Nakiri Knife: A Japanese-style knife, with a rectangular-shaped blade, used for fine vegetable slicing and chopping.
Steak Knife: A sharp, serrated or straight-edged knife, used for cutting through cooked meat on the plate.
Tomato Knife: A small, serrated knife, used for cutting tomatoes and other soft fruits and vegetables.
Cheese Knife: A specialized knife with a particular blade design used to cut cheese easily, and accurately.
"at least 2.5 million years ago"
"wood, bone, and stone (such as flint and obsidian)"
"blade patterns and styles vary by maker and country of origin"
"Hunters use a hunting knife, soldiers use the combat knife, scouts, campers, and hikers carry a pocketknife"
"chef's knife, the paring knife, bread knife, cleaver"
"daggers or switchblades"
"knives for throwing or juggling, and knives for religious ceremony or display (the kirpan)"
"copper, bronze, iron, steel, ceramic, and titanium"
"Most modern knives have either fixed or folding blades"
"in step with improvements in both metallurgy and manufacturing"
"as evidenced by the Oldowan tools"
"table knife (butter knives and steak knives)"
"soldiers use the combat knife"
"One of the earliest tools used by humanity"
"a pocketknife"
"for preparing foods (the chef's knife, the paring knife, bread knife, cleaver)"
"wood, bone, and stone (such as flint and obsidian)"
"knives for religious ceremony or display (the kirpan)"
"blade patterns and styles vary by maker and country of origin"