Anatomy of a Chef Knife

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Updated August 2026 · 7 min read · UK Japanese knife specialists

Knowing what the parts of a chef's knife are called is genuinely useful, not just trivia. It's the difference between "the pointy bit near the handle keeps catching" and "the heel is too tall for my board" — and when you're comparing two knives, the spec sheet assumes you already know what a bolster and a tang are.

Here's every part of a chef's knife, what it actually does, and what to look at when you're choosing one. If you're weighing up blade shapes rather than parts, our comparison of a chef's knife versus a santoku is the better starting point.

The blade

Point and tip

The point is the exact spot where the cutting edge and the spine converge — the sharpest, narrowest part of the knife. The tip is the front section of the blade running back from the point, roughly the first quarter of its length.

You use the point for piercing and scoring, and the tip for fine work like trimming, deseeding and slicing shallots. It's also the part most likely to snap, because it's the thinnest steel on the knife — which is why you shouldn't use a chef's knife as a lever or a tin opener.

Cutting edge and belly

The cutting edge is the sharpened line running the full length of the blade from the point to the heel. On a chef's knife it isn't straight — it curves gently upward towards the tip, and that curve is called the belly.

The belly is what makes the rocking motion possible: you keep the tip in contact with the board and rock the handle up and down, and the curve does the cutting. A nakiri or a santoku has a much flatter edge, which is why they suit a straight up-and-down chop instead.

Keeping this edge in good order is most of knife ownership — our guide to sharpening a knife on a whetstone covers how.

Bevel

The bevel is the ground taper on each side of the blade that brings the steel down to the cutting edge. Most Western-style and most Japanese-steel chef's knives are double-bevelled — ground on both sides, so the knife cuts straight and works in either hand.

Traditional single-bevel knives such as a yanagiba are ground on one side only. They cut more finely but are handed, and they need a different sharpening technique. We've compared the two in single bevel versus double bevel knives.

Heel

The heel is the rear end of the cutting edge, the widest and thickest part of the blade. It's where you put force: cutting through a butternut squash, a chicken joint or a hard root vegetable, you drive down through the heel because it has the most steel behind it.

Blade height at the heel matters more than people expect. A tall heel gives your knuckles clearance above the board and gives you a wide face to scoop with; a short one feels nimbler but has you scraping your fingers.

Spine

The spine is the unsharpened top edge of the blade, running from the bolster to the point. It's blunt on purpose, so you can rest your index finger or the heel of your other hand on it and push down for extra control.

A well-finished spine has its corners eased off. A sharp, square spine will dig into your finger during a long prep session — worth running a thumb along when you're comparing knives.

Choil

The choil is the small unsharpened notch on the underside of the blade, right where the cutting edge stops and the bolster or handle begins. It gives the edge a defined end point so you know where to stop sharpening, and it stops the sharpened edge running into the bolster.

Some cooks also pinch here with thumb and forefinger for a grip closer to the blade.

Bolster

The bolster is the thickened collar of steel where the blade meets the handle. It adds weight at the pivot, which is why a bolstered knife usually balances at or near this point, and it gives your index finger something to brace against in a pinch grip.

Not every chef's knife has one — many Japanese-steel knives are made without a bolster to keep the blade lighter and to let you sharpen the full length of the edge. Neither approach is better; a bolster suits a heavier, more Western feel, and going without suits a lighter, faster knife.

The handle

Tang

The tang is the part of the blade steel that continues back into the handle. It's the single biggest indicator of how a knife is built.

• Full tang — the steel runs the entire length and width of the handle, and you can see a strip of it sandwiched between the two handle scales. Strongest, heaviest, and the tang is visible at the butt.
• Partial tang — the steel stops part-way down the handle. Lighter and cheaper to make, but a weaker joint under heavy force.
• Hidden tang — the steel runs deep into a one-piece handle but isn't visible from the outside. Common on Japanese-style knives with round or octagonal wooden handles; it can be perfectly strong, it just isn't on show.

There's more on this in our guide to why the tang matters.

Scales, rivets and butt

The scales are the two pieces of handle material fixed either side of a full tang — wood, stabilised burl, resin, or a composite such as pakkawood. Rivets are the pins holding them on; on a well-made knife they sit perfectly flush, because a proud rivet becomes a blister after twenty minutes of prep.

The butt is the very end of the handle. It closes off the tang and, on a full-tang knife, is where you can see the steel running right through. It is not a tool — using the butt of a kitchen knife to crush or pound risks cracking the handle scales and loosening the rivets.

Every part at a glance

Part	What it does
Point	Where edge and spine meet — piercing and scoring
Tip	Front quarter of the blade — fine, delicate work
Cutting edge	The sharpened line doing all the actual cutting
Belly	The curve of the edge — enables the rocking chop
Bevel	The ground taper down to the edge, one or both sides
Heel	Rear of the edge — the strongest point, for force
Spine	Blunt top edge — rest a finger here to guide pressure
Choil	Unsharpened notch marking where the edge ends
Bolster	Thickened collar at the blade–handle junction
Tang	Blade steel extending into the handle
Scales & rivets	Handle material and the pins fixing it to the tang
Butt	End of the handle — not a pounding tool

What to actually look at when you're buying

Now that the vocabulary makes sense, here's where it matters on a shop page.

• Blade height at the heel. Around 45–50mm on a 20cm chef's knife gives most people knuckle clearance. Too short and you'll graze the board.
• Whether there's a bolster. A bolster adds heft and finger protection; no bolster means a lighter knife and an edge you can sharpen end to end. Pick the feel you prefer, not the one that sounds premium.
• Spine finish. Run a thumb along it. Eased corners, not square ones.
• Tang type. Full tang for maximum robustness, hidden tang for a lighter Japanese-style balance. Partial tang only if the price reflects it.
• Rivets flush with the scales. A cheap giveaway of build quality you can check from a photo.

Frequently asked questions

What are the parts of a chef's knife?

A chef's knife has eight main parts. On the blade: the point, the tip, the cutting edge with its curved belly, the bevel, the heel, the spine and the choil. Joining blade to handle is the bolster, and the handle itself is made up of the tang, the scales, the rivets and the butt.

What is the bolster on a chef's knife for?

The bolster is the thickened collar of steel between the blade and the handle. It adds weight at the pivot point, so a bolstered knife usually balances at or near it, and it gives your index finger something to brace against. Many Japanese-steel knives have no bolster at all, which keeps the blade lighter and lets you sharpen the full length of the edge.

What is the difference between the point and the tip of a knife?

The point is the exact spot where the cutting edge and the spine converge, and it is the sharpest, narrowest part of the knife. The tip is the front section of the blade running back from the point, roughly the first quarter of its length. You pierce and score with the point and do fine trimming and slicing with the tip.

What does full tang mean on a knife?

Full tang means the blade steel runs the entire length and width of the handle, sandwiched between two handle scales, so you can see a strip of steel along the edge of the handle and at the butt. It is the strongest and heaviest construction. A partial tang stops part-way down the handle, and a hidden tang runs deep into a one-piece handle without being visible.

What is the heel of a knife used for?

The heel is the rear end of the cutting edge and the thickest, widest part of the blade, so it is where you apply force. Use it for hard work such as cutting through squash, root vegetables or a chicken joint, where you want the most steel behind the cut.

What is the choil on a knife?

The choil is the small unsharpened notch on the underside of the blade where the cutting edge stops and the bolster or handle begins. It marks where to stop sharpening and prevents the sharpened edge from running into the bolster. Some cooks also pinch here for a grip closer to the blade.

What is the spine of a knife for?

The spine is the blunt top edge of the blade running from the bolster to the point. It is unsharpened so that you can rest your index finger or your other hand on it and push down for extra control. On a well-finished knife the corners of the spine are eased off, because a square spine digs into your finger during long prep.

Do Japanese-steel chef knives have the same parts as Western ones?

Largely yes, with two common differences. Japanese-steel chef knives are often made without a bolster, which keeps the blade lighter and lets you sharpen the full length of the edge, and they frequently use a hidden tang inside a round or octagonal wooden handle rather than a visible full tang between two scales.

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