Knives, Knife Words, Terminology and Anatomy. I hope this helps beginning buyers and sellers with basic words and terms used to describe the basic knife anatomy.  Words like bolsters, full tang, covers and shields. The knife is one of mans oldest and most useful tools found in the kitchen, used outside, at work, for play and for sport. I want to cover in short The Fixed Blade or Sheath Knife and the Folding Knife or Pocket Knife.

First lets discuss the terms used to describe The Fixed Blade or Sheath Knife starting from the top down to the point of the knife.  With this type of knife we here words like full tang or full spine.  This describes the knife as one solid piece.  Some fixed blades might have a blade with a welded rod with threads at the end which then has the handle slipped over the rod. One might also see this with survival knives that carry needed matches or other tools in the handle. The blade stops at the handle. In general knives that are not full tang or full spine might not be as strong if too much pressure is placed on one side or the other. 

At the of end of the Fixed Blade one might see a Butt Cap or Pommel, this describes the end of the knife. Going down the fixed blade after the Butt Cap one might see Spacers then the Handle or Grip.  If the grip has an Emblem in the center it might be referred too as the Escutcheon Plate or Shield because it might look like the ear canal hence the word Escutcheon Tube.  Past the grip going down one might find another Spacer then comes the Guard, Hilt or Quillion. Some refer to this as the finger guard. One might also use the word Bolster or Bolsters to describe the metal ends of the knife but this term is usually used in referring to the metal ends on a folding or pocket knife. Down from the guard we might find The Choil, Finger Clip or Finger Cut Out which may sometimes be found within the handle or grip. From the Choil we usually find the Edge or Sharpest Part of the Knife called the Blade then down to the point. On some fixed blades we are now seeing Gut Hooks, Saw Blades or Teeth and False Edges on the back part of the spine. It is important to know how a fixed blade is made and this also includes what each part is made of wether solid or hollow.

Last lets discuss the terms used to describe The Folding Knife or Pocket Knife. Although these knives may have many parts it is generally simple in design.  Lets visualize a two bladed folding knife while looking down upon it.  A folding knife has two Side Covers, one on each side of the knife. This is where we would find plastic, rubber, wood or horn as the Covers or Handles.  Inside the Cover or along side of the Covers one might find a Shield or Emblem. At the end of the Covers we then find the Bolsters as with the Fixed Blade it is good to know if the Bolsters are solid or hollow. We usually find Solid Bolsters joined by pins, not clamped on. Next if we pull the bolsters and covers off we find the Side Scales one on each side of the Blades or Blade. This will usually be a thin piece of solid metal. In between these Side Scales we would find the Master Blade the largest blade and then the Spey Blade the smaller blade.  These blades may be found joined together at the same end or at opposite ends. The Spring is the solid piece of metal that snaps or locks the blade or blades into place.  A weak or used spring will not snap or lock.  All these parts are joined together by the End Pins.  A solid folding knife will have little or no Play. This is when the blade or blades can be wiggled side to side, which most of the time can be corrected by making sure the End Pins are tight.

I hope some of these basic terms will help answer some questions one might be asked when selling a knife or provoke some questions that should be asked when buying a knife. Enjoy as I do one of the oldest and most useful tools created by man, the knife.

Take Care,

Kris Martinelli