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Product Help | KitchenAid

Anatomy of a Knife

Anatomy of a KitchenAid® Knife

KitchenAid Knives are designed for superior performance when preparing meals. Whether you are cutting, slicing, dicing, chopping, mincing, or trimming, these essential kitchen tools deliver excellent results. Understanding the knife’s construction is important to optimize the use of KitchenAid Knives. The following explains each part of the knife, as well as its purpose:

Handle

The handle is the part you hold while using the knife–it can be made of plastic, wood, or rubber. Scales are the parts of the handle that create its grip, accented with an endcap.

Tang

The tang is the part of the blade that extends into the handle, giving the knife balance.

Bolster

The bolster is the band that joins the blade of the knife to its handle. It provides balance for the knife and added comfort for your hand, while also keeping fingers away from the sharp edge of the blade.

Heel

The heel is the edge near the handle. This area of the edge cuts through large or tough foods with ease when pressure is applied.

Edge

The edge is the sharp cutting part of the blade. It extends from the point to the heel of the knife.

Spine

The spine is the dull top of the blade, opposite the edge. This part of the knife can be carefully pressed on for added control while cutting.

Tip

The tip is the forward quarter of the blade that includes the knife point, and it is best for cutting small or delicate foods.

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