What Are The Parts Of A Knife

If you examine a hunting knife, you will see that it is actually made up of a number of different components. Each of these different components has its own unique and specific functions. Let’s break down what the hunting knife is all about by looking at each of its individual components and the purposes that they all serve.

The Blade
The blade is responsible for cutting, skinning, stabbing and slicing. There are a myriad of different styles and sizes of blades and hunting knife blades are composed of a number of different types of alloys and steels as well. These alloys are created by adding elements to steel in order to produce different characteristics. By adding materials like chromium, carbon, silicone, molybdenum and manganese to steel, hardness, flexibility and other characteristics can be created.

The Knife Guard
The knife guard is designed to prevent the hand from sliding onto the blade during its use. The guard is most commonly made out of metal, or sometimes it is part of a molded handle. The knife guard is only deigned to prevent injury from contact with the blade.

The Handle
The handle is used to hold the hunting knife in the desired position. Hunting knife handles are especially important because you are going to need to have a firm grip on the knife in order for its use to be safe as well as accurate. The composition of the knife handle will address a number of different needs including visual appeal, shape, utilitarian use as well as durability. There are a number of different materials that knife handles can be comprised of, including bone, stag, wood, fiberglass, micarta, zytel, carbon fiber, titanium, leather, aluminum and many others.

The Shank
The shank is the extension of the blade. The shank is usually composed of the same material as the blade itself. In more modern hunting knives, the blade and the shank are both stamped, hammered or laser cut from the same piece of steel, giving both pieces more strength together. The handle and the knife guard are connected by rivets to the shank. This allows for the guard, the handle and the blade to become a single solitary unit that is much stronger, much more durable and also much safer for use in hunting situations.

The Pummel
Also known as the butt, the pummel is attached to the end of the handle and is most commonly comprised of metal. The primary use for the pummel is to prevent the handle edge of the knife from being damaged. Sometimes you will find a storage compartment in the pummel of the knife, and other hunting knives have a compass built it.
Once you understand what goes into the composition of a hunting knife, you can better choose the right hunting knife for your needs. Knowing what features are responsible for what purposes will help you better make the most out of the safety features and functional characteristics of your hunting equipment.

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