Understanding the different parts of a kitchen knife

Rivet: a small metal rod used to attach handles, guards or bolsters.

Corbain: the handle is pointed in the shape of a beak (corbain beak).

Guard: a part placed between the blade and the handle that prevents the hand from sliding towards the blade. The guard also protects the handle.

Bolster: This part reinforces the blade and protects the knife in the event of a fall. It is made from two pieces fixed on either side of the knife.

Heel of blade: The heel of the blade is protected by the guard.

Edge : As you may have guessed, this is the part that cuts!

Tip : The least dangerous part of the knife (or not!). Avoid pointing it at anyone, as you risk injuring him/her! And above all, be careful where you store your knives, as you risk damaging the tip.

Rigid blade, flexible blade... What's the difference?

There are rigid, flexible, narrow, wide, smooth, serrated and honeycomb blades. As we'll see, each type of blade is designed for a specific use, so there's a blade for every need.

Forged or cut?

A forged blade is heavier, stronger, sharper and stays sharper longer than a cut blade. It is forged from a raw bar of steel. Die-cut blades are, as the name suggests, cut from a sheet of steel by a press. They cost much less than forged blades, because the work is automated and requires much less material.

Silk :

This is the extension of the blade within the handle. The tang connects the handle to the blade. It comes in a variety of shapes:

A full tang knife will be of better quality, as the tang gives it better balance and makes it stronger.