A chef’s knife is one of the most common tools found in the kitchen. But not all cooks are familiar with the various parts of the knife, or even how to hold one. Learning the basic anatomy of the knife — and how to handle it like a pro — will up your game in the kitchen, and keep you safer in the process.
Whether you’ve got a $10 dollar knife, or a custom blade that cost you a minor fortune, all chef’s knives have similar basic parts. Let’s walk through them:
BLADE: The blade is the main part of the knife, and contains the most important components, including the tip, cutting edge, blade face and spine. Each of these components are used to cut, chop, slice or smash ingredients.
TIP: This is the sharp, pointed end of the knife. It’s used to score or pierce ingredients, and also for delicate cuts and slicing.
CUTTING EDGE: The cutting edge runs from the blade tip to the heel, or back, of the blade. This is the main part of the blade used for most cutting, chopping and slicing. The cutting edge is thinnest towards the tip, and thickens as it reaches the heel.
GRANTON EDGE: Not found on every knife, a Granton Edge enhances the slicing ability of a blade. The dips in the blade surface create air pockets when the knife is used, allowing ingredients to release from the blade more easily, all of which makes slicing and chopping easier.
BLADE FACE: The widest part of the blade, the blade face is often used to smash or crush ingredients such as garlic cloves, spices, seeds and nuts. And, like a bench scraper, it’s a useful tool for gathering ingredients on the cutting board and shoveling them into a bowl or other container.
SPINE: Opposite the cutting end, this is the thickest part of the blade. It’s used to crush or crack tougher ingredients, such as thick stalks of lemongrass, or bones used when making stock.
HEEL: Located at the back of the blade, the heel includes the thickest part of the cutting blade. While the tip is used for delicate cuts, the heel is used to cut or slice tougher ingredients, such as winter squash.
HANDLE: The other main part of the knife, the handle extends from the bolster to the butt of the knife. This is where the knife is held.
BOLSTER: Found on forged knives, the bolster extends from the blade, joining the blade to the tang. The bolster adds weight to the knife, helping to balance it. Depending on the brand of knife, some bolsters stretch from the handle and down the back of the blade to the cutting edge (a “bolstered edge”), helping to keep your hand from slipping onto the blade when the knife is in use.
TANG: Not shown on the photo above, the tang is the blade metal extending from the bolster into the handle itself. Depending on the brand, the tang might extend partially (partial tang) or all the way to the butt of the knife (full tang).
RIVET: The metal circles found on the outside of the handle, the rivets secure the handle to the tang.
BUTT: The back end of the knife.
HOW TO HOLD YOUR KNIFE LIKE A PRO:
Simple as a chef’s knife might seem, where and how you hold the knife will determine your level of control.
To maximize control, "choke up" on the knife. Bring your hand up the handle of the knife so that your thumb and forefinger straddle the bolster (that thick piece of metal where the end of the handle meets the end of the blade), with your index finger and thumb gripping the blade face (see the image below).
If you’ve never held a knife like this before, it may feel weird. But as you use the knife, you’ll find you can balance the blade better, directing the cutting edge where and how you want for better control. For more information, I demonstrated the technique in a short video a few years ago which you can find here.
“Choke up” when holding a chef’s knife for better control. (Noelle Carter)