Anatomy of a Kitchen Knife: Every Part Explained

Most people use knives for years without knowing what any of the parts are called. That's fine, you don't need the vocabulary to cook well. But when you're trying to understand why a knife performs the way it does, or what a sharpener means when they talk about the bevel or the apex, the terms help. Here's every part of a kitchen knife, what it does, and why it matters.

The Blade

Tip — the pointed front end of the blade. Used for precision work: scoring, piercing, detail cuts. On a German chef's knife the tip curves upward; on a Japanese gyuto it's more acute. The tip is the most vulnerable part of the blade to chipping or breaking if it contacts a hard surface at an angle.

Edge — the sharpened bottom of the blade, running from tip to heel. This is what does the cutting. The geometry of the edge, its angle, its grind, its finish, determines how the knife performs. When people talk about sharpening a knife, they're talking about restoring or refining the edge.

Apex — the very tip of the edge, where the two bevels meet. The thinnest point of the knife. When a knife goes dull, it's usually the apex that has rolled, bent, or chipped. Sharpening rebuilds the apex. Honing realigns it.

Bevel — the angled surface ground into the blade to form the edge. Most kitchen knives have a double bevel: one bevel on each side, meeting at the apex. Some Japanese knives have a single bevel: one flat side and one angled side. The angle of the bevel, measured in degrees per side, is what sharpeners refer to when they talk about sharpening angle. A narrower bevel angle produces a sharper, more delicate edge. A wider angle produces a more durable one.

Spine — the thick, unsharpened top of the blade, opposite the edge. The spine gives the blade its rigidity. Thicker spines mean a more robust knife; thinner spines mean a lighter, more nimble one. Japanese knives tend to have thinner spines than German knives, which contributes to their different feel in use.

Flat — the broad side of the blade between the spine and the edge. Used for smashing garlic, transferring chopped food, and general blade work. The flat is also called the face or the side.

Heel — the rear portion of the edge, closest to the handle. The widest, thickest part of the cutting edge. Used for heavy work, cutting through dense vegetables, breaking down harder ingredients. The heel takes the most force in a rocking chop.

Belly — the curved section of the edge between the tip and the heel on knives with a curved profile. German chef's knives have a pronounced belly that allows for rocking cuts. Japanese gyutos have a flatter belly that favors push cutting. The shape of the belly determines which cutting technique works best with that knife.

The Bolster and Guard

Bolster — the thick collar of metal between the blade and the handle on forged knives. The bolster adds weight and balance, protects the hand, and acts as a finger guard. On a full bolster, the metal extends all the way to the edge, which means the heel of the blade can't be sharpened as easily, the bolster gets in the way of a flat stone. This is a known tradeoff with fully bolstered German knives like classic Wüsthof and Zwilling lines. Half-bolster designs stop short of the edge, solving this problem.

Guard — sometimes used interchangeably with bolster, though technically the guard refers specifically to the part that prevents the hand from slipping onto the blade. On knives without a bolster, most Japanese knives, Victorinox Fibrox,  a choil or a handle design feature serves the same protective function.

Choil — the small notch or indentation where the edge meets the bolster or handle. On knives with a choil, you can place your index finger there for a pinch grip closer to the blade. The choil also marks where sharpening begins — the edge starts just past it.

The Handle

Handle — the part you hold. Materials vary widely: polymer, wood, pakkawood (wood stabilized with resin), stainless steel, G-10 composite. Handle shape, weight, and material affect balance and comfort significantly. A well-balanced knife feels like an extension of your hand; a poorly balanced one tires you out.

Tang — the portion of the blade steel that extends into the handle. A full tang runs the full length and width of the handle and is visible along the spine and bottom edges, those are the rivets holding it in place. Full tang knives are generally more durable and better balanced. A partial tang extends partway into the handle. Rattling handles on older knives usually indicate a partial tang that has loosened over time.

Rivets — the metal fasteners that secure the handle scales to the tang on traditionally constructed knives. Usually three rivets on a classic Western handle. Purely structural, though they're also a visual marker of a traditionally made knife.

Why Any of This Matters for Sharpening

The parts that matter most for sharpening are the bevel, the apex, and the bolster. The bevel angle determines what angle a sharpener works at. The apex is what's being rebuilt or refined. And the bolster, on fully bolstered knives, can limit access to the heel of the blade, which is one reason professional sharpening produces better results than pull-through sharpening on German knives: a skilled sharpener can address the full length of the edge, including the area near the bolster.

Understanding the difference between honing (realigning the apex) and sharpening (rebuilding the bevel and apex) also becomes clearer once you know what the parts are. A honing rod works on the apex. A whetstone works on the bevel. Both matter, and neither replaces the other.

Related: Knife sharpening angles by brand · How to use a honing rod · How often should you sharpen your knives? · Mail-in sharpening kit