What are the parts of a shoe knife?
What are the parts of a shoe knife? |
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Blade |
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The blade is the most important part of the shoe knife and is usually made of carbon steel. This gives a hard, sharp cutting edge but needs cleaning after use to prevent rust or stains gathering. For more information see: What is a shoe knife made of?
Most shoe knives have straight blades, but you can also get ones that are curved or serrated. |
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Blade end |
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Shoe knives are available with a variety of blade ends to suit different tasks. They can be square, sharp, round, curved or tapered.
For more information see: What are the different types of shoe knife blade? |
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Tang |
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The tang is the metal part of the knife that continues up into the handle. There are several types of tang, including full, partial, stick and stub. | |||
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Frequently the tang is hidden and you can’t see how far up the handle it goes. However, you should be able to get an idea by holding the knife in your hand. Heavier knives are likely to have longer and wider tangs.
Look at the position of the rivets too. The further up the handle they extend, the larger the tang is likely to be. The price should also give you a clue as to its quality. |
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Heel |
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The heel is on the underside of the blade next to the handle. Not all shoe knives have a heel, but ones that do tend to have a short one. A deep heel would get in the way when you’re carrying out precise work and need to hold the knife close to the blade. | |||
Handle |
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Shoe knife handles may be made of wood, plastic or steel and are attached in various ways. They can be riveted, forged, glued, moulded or clamped on.
For more information see: What are the different types of shoe knife handle?
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Ferrule |
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A ferrule is a metal sleeve that reinforces the joint where the knife blade meets the handle.
It can be made of various metals including stainless steel, brass and steel alloy, and can be chrome or nickel plated, providing protection and reinforcement for the blade and handle. Not all shoe knives have ferrules. |
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Guard |
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Finger guards are sometimes built in but often come as an optional extra. They help stop your hand slipping down onto the blade, which can be particularly useful if the handle gets wet or greasy. | |||
