Glossary of Common Knife Terms

Belly – the curved part of the blade’s edge. Bellies can be plain or serrated. 

Back – the opposite side of the blade from the belly, usually the side that is not sharpened. 

Back Lock – a lock that locks the blade open positioned on the edge of the handle.

Bail – a loop at the end of knives allowing them to be attached to a lanyard or other tie.

Balisong, or Butterfly Knife – this is a knife with a two part handle that encloses the blade and can be folded back so that the two halves become one handle with the blade now exposed.

Bolster – the material between the handle and the blade of the knife.

Butt – also called the pommel is at the very end of a knife. It can be different shapes and even contain a hidden storage area. 

Choil – the choil of a knife is the part of the blade closest to the handle that is thick and does not get sharpened.  It may be shaped so that the index finger can go there or it may be decorated in some manner.

Crink – the crink is a bend at the beginning of a tang keeps multi-blade knives from rubbing against  each other.

Damascus Steel – a type of layered steel, sometimes with iron, that allows it to be forged together to create beautiful patterns and knife blades.

Diamond Coating – Diamond crystals imbedded in layers of metal plate.

False Edge – a bevel on the back of the knife that enhances the knife’s point.

Hilt – the handle of the knife including the butt and the guard.

Hollow Ground – a blade with a concave sharpened edge.

Kick  - The unsharpened area on the underside of the blade where the edge begins.

Mark Side – the side of a pocket knife that includes the nail indention.

Pen Blade – this is the smallest blade on a multiblade knife.

Point – the very tip of the knife

Pocket Blade – the biggest blade on a multi-blade knife

Pommel – the very end of the handle of a knife.  Also called the butt.  Some butts are flat and can be used to pound things, some combat tactical and fighting knives have a butt with a point.  Some contain a hole to hang the knife from a leather cord or lanyard.  Some knifemakers use the pommel or butt as a place to put storage of small items.

Quillion -  The handguard protruding from both sides of the handle (where the handle and blade come together), that prevents the hand from slipping forward onto the blade.

Spine – this is the part of the blade that is the thickest.  In a single-edged knife it is the back of the blade, in a double-edged knife it would be in the middle

Tang – the rear portion of a blade that is between two parts of the handle, or hidden within the handle.

Tang Stamp – often the tang will be marked with manufacturer’s name and other identifying information.