JM 1ST APPROACH

1.4116
This is a carbon, martensitic stainless steel with moderate corrosion resistance, good strength and the ability to obtain and keep excellent hardness (RC 55-57) and wear resistance.
Carbon-0.45-0.50%, Manganese-0.40%, Chromium-14.50-14.80%, Vanadium-0.10%, Molybdenum-0.60%

1070, 1095
Simple tool steels with 7/10 of 1 percent of carbon or .95 Carbon and little else in the alloy. Makes good springs, knives, tools etc. Much used in old time production knives. 1095 Cro-Van
An easy to sharpen carbon steel used in knife making. Proven to be one of the most popular steels used in KA-BAR knives.
Carbon-0.95-1.1%, Manganese-0.30-0.60%, Chromium-0.40-0.60%, Nickel-0.25%, Vanadium-0.161%, Molybdenum-0.06% Rockwell 56-58

13C26
13C26 is a martensitic stainless chromium steel. After heat treatment the steel grade is characterized by:
    •    High hardness
    •    Good corrosion resistance
    •    Very good wear resistance
13C26 is used mainly for razor blades, but is also the standard grade for surgical knives and for different types of industrial knives for the food industry.

14-4CrMO
14-4CrMO is a wear resistant, martensitic stainless tool steel that exhibits better corrosion resistance than 440C. The combination of the high carbon and molybdenum contents results in the formation of hard, wear-resistant molybdenum carbides in the microstructure of the steel. The molybdenum carbides provide superior wear resistance and edge retention for cutting tools and knives.
C-1.05, Mn-0.50, Si-0.30, Cr-14.00, Mo-4.00.

154CM
A high-carbon, high-alloy, space-age, stainless steel first used for knives by R. W. Loveless about 1972. At that time it was vacuum melted. After a few years the quality declined and makers followed Loveless to the Japanese just-alike ATS-34, using the same formula. The quality has been restored and this steel is not only being used by makers, it is also being used in high-end production knives.
Carbon 1.05%, Manganese 0.5%, Chromium 14.0%, Molybdenum 0.4 - 0.55%.

19C27
19C27 is a martensitic stainless chromium steel with a high carbon content. After heat treatment the steel is characterized by: A very high hardness and good wear resistance.
This grade is used for the production of industrial knives for cutting synthetic fiber, paper and plastic films.

20CV
A highly wear resistant, powder metallurgy stainless tool steel with a unique combination of high wear resistance, high corrosion resistance, good impact toughness, and excellent polish ability. 20CV contains 20% chromium and 4% vanadium, which is the highest level of chromium in any high vanadium stainless tool steel available today. These qualities make 20CV well suited for a wide variety of industrial and custom knife applications.
Carbon-1.90%, Manganese-0.30%, Chromium-20.00%, Vanadium-4.00%, Molybdenum-0.60%

3Cr13
This is a stainless steel. CRKT has used this steel in their Guppieâ„¢and the Zilla-Toolâ, The Dogfishâ, and both Triumph N.E.C.K. models also have this steel.
0.32% Carbon, 12.00-14.00% Chromium, 1.00% Manganese, 0.04% Phosphorous, and 1.00% Silicon with a 54-56 Rc.

4034
C 0.43-0.5%, Si, Mn

416
A mild stainless, the knife makers choice for bolsters and guards; not suitable for blades but will take just enough hardening to make it suitable for engraving.

420
A stainless spring steel much used in inexpensive production knives from Taiwan. Very useful in tantos and other knives. Also should be outstanding for axe heads.
Carbon content can range from 0.15 to 0.6% the balance is 1.0% Manganese and 12-14% Chromium.

420HC
An improved form of 420 that works well with high production tooling; much used by Buck, Gerber, etc.
Carbon 0.5-0.7%, Manganese 0.35-0.9%, Chromium 13.5%.

420J2
A stainless steel that has a low carbon and high chromium content making it a shock absorbing steel that bends instead of breaking. 420J2 has excellent resistance to corrosion and fair edge holding capability. The Rockwell hardness is seen at 54-56. A common use is as liner material for folding knives. It has a low hardness and wear resistance for a cutlery stainless steel but is fairly tough and very corrosion resistant.
Carbon-0.15%, Manganese-1.0%, Chromium-12.00-14.00% Rockwell-49-53

425 Modified
400 series stainless which means you get average initial sharpness, below average edge holding, easy resharpening, above average corrosion resistance, and below average lateral toughness. Should also have fairly decent impact toughness.

440A
A high-carbon stainless steel with about .7% Carbon, used in most American production knives and in some handmade knives as well; works well through tooling.
0.60 to 0.75% Carbon, 1.0% Manganese, 16.0-18.0% Chromium and 0.75% Molybdenum.

440B
0.75-0.95% Carbon, 1.0% Magnesium, 16-18% Chromium, and 0.75% Molybdenum.

440C
The most popular high-carbon stainless used by custom knifemakers for many years. First used by Gil Hibben about 1966. This is a great steel when properly heat-treated. It cannot, however be heat-treated with a blow-torch or welding torch.
0.95 - 1.20% Carbon, 0.40% Manganese, 17.0% Chromium, 0.50% Vandium, 0.50% Molybdenum.

440XH
An air-hardening alloy with high carbon and high chromium content. It is corrosion resistant and can be described as a high hardness 440C stainless steel or corrosion resistant D2 steel. Possesses corrosion resistance equivalent to 440C.
Carbon-1.60%, Manganese-0.50%, Chromium-16.00%, Nickel-0.35%,Vanadium-0.45%, Molybdenum-0.80%

5160
A steel popular with forgers, it is extremely popular now and a very high-end steel. It is essentially simple spring steel with chromium added for hardenability. It has good edge holding, but is known especially for its outstanding toughness. Often used for swords (hardened in the low 50s Rc) because of its toughness, and is also used for hard use knives (hardened up near the 60s Rc).
Carbon-0.56-0.64%, Manganese-0.75-1.00%, Chromium-0.70-0.90%

52100
A ball-bearing steel used by forgers. It is similar to 5160 (though it has around 1% carbon vs. 5160's-0.60%), but holds an edge better. It is less tough than 5160 however. It is used often for hunting knives and other knives where the user is willing to trade off a little of 5160's toughness for better edge holding.
Carbon-0.98%-1.10%, Managanese-0.25-0.45%, Chromium-1.30%-1.60%
5Cr15Mov
Chinese steel first seen in 2005 and 1st knives appeared in from CRKT 2007-08.
Hardness is only 55-57, but tends to hold a good edge.

6061 Aircraft Alloy
Probably the most commonly available, heat treatable aluminum alloy. Used in the manufacture of heavy-duty structures requiring good corrosion resistance, in general structural and high pressure applications, wire products, and in pipelines. Capable of being hot forged. Easily cold worked and formed in the annealed condition. Stamping, bending, spinning, deep drawing are accomplished using standard methods. Machinability in the harder T4 and T6 tempers is good. In other words, it makes great folder handles, fixed knife pommels, screws, etc.

7Cr17
Gerber is about the only knife company to use this steel. They claim it is about the same as 440C and by the charts it is. It was used as a marketing ploy to show that they had a steel no one else was using.

8Cr13MoV
Chinese stainless steel with a high performance-to-cost ratio, often compared to AUS-8 (somewhat like 440B or 440C) but also to AUS-6 (somewhat like 440A). Tempered around the Rc56 to Rc58 range. Featured in the Tenacious and Byrd line of knives by Spyderco.

9Cr18Mo
The high quality stainless steel made in China consists of 18% chrome , 1% molybdenum and 0.9% carbon. It is mostly applied to barbor scissors, medical treatment spring, rolling bearing, bistoury, surgical appliance, etc. Its corroding resistance and processing quality is very good, and after heat treatment the hardness can be up to HRc58-60.

A-2
An excellent air hardening tool steel used by handmade knife makers and by speciality makers. Performs best at about 60-61 Rc (see hardness).
1% Carbon, 1% Molybdenum, and 5% Chromium.

African Blackwood
An African Blackwood, also called Mozambique Ebony, it is a rich black with dark brown graining. Used to make fine clarinets, one of the very best woods for knife handles.

Alligator Clip
A clip often used on the back of ID badges, it is sometimes used for fastening small knives to the clothing.

Alumina Ceramic
A ceramic material largely made up of Alumina, very abrasive, it is extruded into rods to make up sharpening tools.

Aluminum
Just like titanium, aluminum is also a nonferrous metal. Commonly used as handles, aluminum gives the knife a solid feel, without the extra weight. The most common form of aluminum is T6-6061, a heat treatable grade. The most common finishing process for aluminum is anodizing.

Amber
Fossilized pitch from pre-historic evergreens, much used in jewelry; now used by some makers of handmade knives; best known of these is D'Alton Holder.

Amboyna Wood (also spelled Amboina)
Sometimes referred to as padouk, this is a rare, exotic hardwood with a fragrant aroma which varies in color from yellow to golden brown to red. It is used in cabinet making and is an excellent wood for both turning and finishing. From the Pterocarput indicus tree of the jungles of Southeast Asia.

Anodization
An electrochemical process which adds color to titanium, which is especially conducive to this coloring process. Depending on the voltage used, colors can vary (high voltage = dark color, low voltage = light color).

Arkansas Stone-(Novaculite)
Discovered by Europeans about 1816, these deposits had already been a source of tools for thousands of years. Until the development of modern Alumina, the Arkansas stones were the undisputed leader in knife sharpening. The black hard will still put on a polished edge that can be obtained no other way by hand. The Washita and Soft Arkansas have largely been replaced by ceramic.

Arkansas Toothpick
Early name for Bowie knives, as the first was believed to have been made in Arkansas and the natives of that state were thought to be so tough that they picked their teeth with knives of that size. After the movie, The Iron Mistress, about 1955, it began to mean a large dagger with a needle pointed blade, very unrealistic. Some modern Arkansas makers apply the name to more sensible sized knives.

Arm knife
Small knives carried near the shoulder on the left arm by many tribe of the Sudanese. Double edge blade about six inches long.

Assegai
Portuguese word for spear, often applied to the Zulu stabbing spear. The word was never used by the natives.

ATS-55
Not a widely known Japanese alloy, ATS-55 is similar to ATS-34, but with the Molybdenum content reduced and new elements added. It appears the intent was to get ATS-34 edge holding with increased toughness and decreased cost.
Carbon-1.00%, Manganese-0.50%, Chromium-14.00%,Molybdenum-0.60%, obalt-0.40%

ATS34
A high-carbon, high-alloy, stainless steel, a Japanese copy of 154-CM, preferred because it is vacuum melted, and 154 is not.
Carbon 1.05%, Manganese 0.4%, Chromium 14.0%, Molybdenum 4.0%.

AUS-10
0.95-1.1% Carbon, 0.5% Magnesium, 13-14.5% Chromium, 0.49% Nickel, 0.1-0.27% Vanadium and 0.1-0.31% Molybdenum.

AUS-4
Also designated 4A, a Japanese stainless steel, roughly comparable to 440A (AUS-6, .65% carbon), 440B (AUS-8, .75% carbon) and 440C (AUS-10, 1.1% carbon). Used by CRKT in several of their knives.
Carbon-0.40-0.45%, Manganese-1.00%, Chromium-13.00-14.50%, Nickel-0.49%. Rockwell 55-57

AUS-6
Japanese stainless, fits between 420 and 440A. Carbon 0.55 - 0.65%, Manganese 1.0%, Chromium 13.0 -14.5%, Nickel 0.49%, Vandium 0.1 - 0.25%.

AUS-8
Widely used by top Specialty knife makers like A. G. Russell, Spyderco, etc. The addition of vanadium fits this steel between 440A and ATS-34 in performance.
Carbon 0.7 - 0.8%, Manganese 1.0%, Chromium 13.0 - 14.5%, Nickel 0.5%, Vandium 0.1 - 0.25%, Molybdenum 0.1 - 0.3%.

Awl
A very old tool, the old fashioned leather punch is a form of awl. The awl is sort of a hand held drill.

Axis Deer (India Stag)
The smaller of the two Indian and SE Asian deer that furnish antler for the knife industry; these are all shed horn harvested in the jungle by natives.

Badelaire
Heavy 16th Century saber.

Baldric
A shoulder belt or sling for carrying a sword.

Ballistic Cloth
A heavy nylon type material used for gun cases and knife pouches.

Barlow
A design that is not less than 150 years old. This was an inexpensive knife usually made with iron bolster and liners, always a one or two blade jack knife with longer than normal bolsters; today Barlow knives are usually made in keeping with each firms standard quality and are much sought after by collectors.

Barong
The combined tool and weapon of the Moros of the southern Philippines. The Barong has a leaf shaped blade of about 15 inches by three inches wide that curves to the point and to the handle on both the edge and the back.

Basket Hilt
A sword hilt that entirely covers the hand with connecting bars from guard to pommel, best known of these is the Scot's Broadsword, less well known is the Venetian Schiavonia.

Bayonet
A knife, sword or spike intended to be fastened to the end of the barrel of a rifle or musket. The first bayonets were called plug bayonets because the handle was plugged into the barrel. Bayonets were very important when the firearm was single shot, much less important with fully automatic weapons. The earliest bayonet was the so-called Plug Bayonet which was a large dagger with a small pommel that "Plugged into the barrel of the musket changing it into a spike.

Bead Blast
A process by which steel, aluminum, and titanium are finished. Bead blasting is commonly found on tactical folding knives and fixed or bowie knife blades, for it provides a 100% subdued, non-glare finish.

Bearded Ax
An axe with the lower part of the edge hanging below the principle part of the head as does a goose wing ax. Many of the northern Germanic peoples used axes of this type both for felling trees and for fighting.

BenchMark Knives
Formed in 1976 to produce knives designed by Blackie Collins.

BG-42
BG42 is a ball bearing steel which also has very strong hot resistance. It is basically to 154CM modified with a significant increase in vanadium and a small increase in carbon and chroimum. Due to the ability of vanadium to strongly carbide and the need to produce a strong secondary hardening, BG-42 is austenized at 1121 C or 2050 F which is much higher than most cutlery stainless steels. It is also made by Vacuum Induction Melting/Vacuum Arc Remelting (VIM/VAR) which refines the steel to a very high purity and thus offers very high fatigue properties. Q-fog tests by Spyderco show BG-42 as hardened by Reeve to have superior corrosion resistance to ATS-34/55 and VG-10. The trade name by Timken for this steel is Lescalloy. Blades used in BG-42 :
* SOG : Recondo
The Recondo has a very inefficient grind for a cutting tool so it was not possible to obtain much information about the ability of the steel in that regard. The knife could have been reground into a decent cutting tool but it had severe problems with ergonomics and other aspects. It did suffer brittle failure fairly easily which is in general to be expected of that class of steel.
Summary : BG-42 is a very high purity, high wear, martensitic stainless steel which offers very high heat resistance. The hot hardness is likely not of significant benefit for knife blades but the other attributes often cause it to be highly praised among discriminating users. It is generally regarded to be in the same class as 154CM but better in most respects for cutlery due to the VIM/VAR process and use of a small amount of vanadium carbides to reduce the large chromium carbides.

Black Oxide
A coating put on military knife blades to kill all reflection.

Black Pearl
The correct term is "Black Lip Mother of Pearl". This is very rare and probably the most expensive of all mother of pearls.

BlackJack Knives
At one time, probably the largest of all specialty knife makers and the only one that specialized in fixed blade knives rather than folders. Began like the others with knives imported from Japan but built a large factory in Illinois and produced all their knives in the US. BlackJack went out of business in 1997.

Bladesmith
One who forges a blade to shape.
Blood Groove
This is a false therm that is used to sell knives, there is no such thing as a blood groove and there is no sucking action that will hang up a knife in a victims body. The term is "Fuller"; this is a groove that lightens and stiffens the blade.

Bolo
The word is Spanish but has come to mean a large jungle knife used in the Philippines.

Bolsters
The metal material at the blade end of knife handle; today these are usually of nickel silver or a mild stainless steel. In older less expensive knives they were often made of iron or mild steel.

Boot Knife
A knife small enough to be concealed in a boot, generally considered a defensive knife.

Bowie Blade
There is no single historical shape, but today it is thought to be a blade shaped very much like the Buck 110 blade.

Bowie Knife
A large knife with a blade that might range from 6 to 14 inches; the original had a blade that was probably 9 inches long with a sturdy guard projecting from both the top and bottom of the knife between blade and handle. Invented by Rezin Bowie and made famous by his brother James, who died at the Alamo.

Bowie, James
The man who made the Bowie knife famous, The knife was actually designed by his brother Rezin.

Buck
A company started by Al Buck whose father had taught him to make knives. Al started in his garage and in the 1960s incorporated and began to make production knives. These are really nice people who make good quality knives. The knives of a special 420HC and better stainless have developed a reputation for being difficult to sharpen, if you sharpen them on ceramic or diamonds you will never have any problem.

Butt Cap
A metal, stag or plastic fixture at the pommel (the end away from the blade) end of a knife handle.

Camillus Cutlery
Established about 1875 and in the 1890s and early in the 20th Century made most of the really great knives now sought after by collectors. (Knives like the OVB and others).

Canoe
A pocket knife with the handle ends curve up and make a canoe.

Caper
A knife designed to do the delicate work of skinning around the eyes and lips of trophy animals; this work is called caping because you are removing the cape of the animal.

Caps
The metal reinforcement at the non-blade end of a folding knife handle.

Carbon
The mineral that transforms iron into steel. High-carbon steel results when .5 percent or more carbon is present. Only a bare .8+ can be absorbed by the iron, the balance in extremely high carbon steel goes to add hardness. Expressed as C.

Carbon Fiber
Composed of thin strands of carbon, tightly woven in a weave pattern, that are set in resin. It is a highly futuristic looking material with a definite "ahhhh" factor. Of all the lightweight synthetic handle materials, carbon fiber is perhaps the strongest. The main visual attraction of this material is the ability of the carbon strands to reflect light, making the weave pattern highly visible. Carbon fiber is also a labor-intensive material that results in a rather pricey knife such as case collectible knives.

Case Knife
An old time term much used by hunters until the 1940s now almost never used in the old meaning of a large folding knife or a fixed blade with a sheath. Today it would only be used to mean a knife made by the W. R. Case & Sons Company.

Case, W. R. & Sons
Once the most widely distributed of all American made pocket knives. Has passed through several hands in the past 20 years and is now making a comeback in the hands of the Zippo Lighter family. Look for real improvement.

Cattlemans knife
A knife with a clip or spear master blade, a spey blade and a leather punch. Made with many handle shapes.

Ceramic
See Alumina Ceramic, and Zirconia

Chipped Flint
The first knives were probably broken pieces of flint or some other form or chert (jasper, agate, novaculite, quartz or other stone with a conchoidal fracture) exposing sharp edges. Many people are knapping flint in the old ways and some are fastening these blades into stag or wood handles.
Chital (see Axis - India Stag)
The smaller of the two Indian and SE Asian deer that furnish antler for the knife industry; these are all shed horn harvested in the jungle by natives.

Choil
The cut away area between the edge and the tang of a pocket knife blade and between the edge and the guard of a straight knife. The choil may or may not have enough space for a finger, it's true purpose is to allow the edge to be sharpened all the way to the tang in a pocket knife and to the end of the edge in others. Any reference of choil and finger space or choil and handle is improper.

Chromium
Produces hardness and better edge holding when combined with other alloying materials. Used in fairly large amounts, it produces a blade that resists rust. Takes over 14% to produce high-carbon stainless steels. Expressed as Cr.

Cinquedea
A 15th Century Italian dagger, very wide at the hilt; usually used as a left hand dagger. Name means five fingers wide.

Claymore
The two handed sword of the Scots.

Clip Point Blade
A blade on which the back line breaks and slants downward to produce a finer and more useful point.

Cobalt
Increases strength and hardness, and permits quenching in higher temperatures. Intensifies the individual effects of other elements in more complex steels. Expressed as CO.

Collins, Blackie
Founder of the Blade magazine and the most prolific inventor in today's knife world.

Combat Knife
The K-Bar of WWII shows what a combat knife should be; it can open cans of food, it can dig a foxhole or it can be used in hand-to-hand combat.

Common Mark
The short crescent shaped groove commonly seen on pocket knife blades.

Congress Pattern
An old pen and pocket knife shape, made with two or four blades.generally a pen blade and a larger sheepfoot blade or two of each. The ends are lower than the center of the back of the handle.

Copper
Increases corrosion resistance. Expressed as CU.

Cordia wood
Cordia wood is very similar to Teak and is occasionally used as a substitute for Teak in shipbuilding.

CPM 10V
CPM 10V was the first in the family of high vanadium tool steels made by the Crucible Particle Metallurgy process. Crucible engineers optimized the vanadium content to provide superior wear resistance while maintaining toughness and fabrication characteristics comparable to D2 and M2. Since its introduction in 1978, CPM 10V has become recognized worldwide and sets the standard for highly wear resistant industrial tooling.
Carbon-2.45%, Manganese-0.50%, Chromium-5.25%, Vanadium-9.75%, Molybdenum-1.30%Rockwell 58-62

CPM 15V
CPM 15V is intended for applications requiring exceptional wear resistance. It has more vanadium carbides in its microstructure than CPM 10V and provides more wear resistance and longer tool life in those applications where 10V has proven to be successful. CPM 15V also offers an alternative to solid carbide where carbide fails by fracture or where intricate tool design makes carbide difficult or risky to fabricate.
Carbon-3.4%, Manganese-0.5%, Chromium-5.25%, Vanadium-14.5%, Molybdenum-1.3% Rockwell-59-62

CPM 1V
CPM (Crucible Particle Metallurgy) 1V is a medium carbon, high alloy tool steel which exhibits high toughness combined with high heat resistance. It is suited for hot or cold applications demanding high impact toughness that also requires moderate wear resistance.
Carbon-0.55%, Chromium-4.5%, Vanadium-1.0%, Molybdenum-2.75%, Tungsten-2.15% Rockwell 56-59

CPM 3V
CPM 3V is a high toughness, wear-resistant tool steel made by the Crucible Particle Metallurgy process. It is designed to provide maximum resistance to breakage and chipping in high wear-resistance steel. CPM 3V is intended to be used at 58/60 HRC in applications where chronic breakage and chipping are encountered in other tool steels, but where the wear properties of high alloy steel are required.
Carbon-0.80%, Chromium-7.50%, Vanadium-2.75%, Molybdenum-1.30% Rockwell 58-60

CPM 9V
CPM 9V is designed for use in tooling that encounters severe wear. Its toughness, or cracking resistance, is higher than other high-wear resistant cold work tool steels permitting it to be used in some applications where CPM 10V, D2 or high-speed steels do not have sufficient resistance to cracking. It is usually limited in hardness to about 56 HRC or lower, and is therefore not intended for applications requiring high compressive strength.
Carbon-1.8%, Manganese-0.50%, Chromium-5.25%, Vanadium-9.0%, Molybdenum-1.3% Rockwell 53-56

CPM-S30V
CPM S30V (commonly referred to as S30V) was introduced by Crucible in 2002 in response to demand from the knife industry for a steel with more wear and corrosion resistance and more toughness. It has vanadium added for higher wear resistance and more molybdenum for better pitting resistance. It is also more resistant to edge chipping with superb edge retention.
1.45% Carbon, 14% Chromium, 2% Molybdenum and 4% Vanadium.

CPM-S60V
(New Name for CPM440V) A unique tool steel made by the Crucible Particle Metallurgy process.. It is designed from a 440C stainless base with added carbon and Vanadium for exceptional wear resistance and good corrosion resistance. An excellent candidate to replace ATS-34 and 154-CM.
2.15% Carbon, 0.4% Manganese, 17% Chromium, 5.5% Vanadium and 0.4% Molybdenum.
CPM-S90V
2.3% Carbon, 14% Chromium, 9% Vanadium and 1% Molybdenum

CPM440V
This is a steel that would be impressive but when you know that it is a Powder Metal steel with the resulting extreme purity, you know that it has to be a great knife steel. Very expensive and not at all easy to work.
2.15 Carbon, 0.40 Manganese, 17.0 Chromium, 5.50 Vanadium and 0.4% Molybdenum

Crink
A slight bend at the tang in a knife with two or more blades that allows the blades to close without touching.

Cryogenic Quench
A modern addition to heat treating tool steels. After the normal heat treat the steel is lowered in temperature very low. Before it became widely available with heat-treating firms many makers were using liquid nitrogen and doing it at home.

Custom Knife
The following paragraph is the correct meaning of Custom Knife, however in today's knife world it means a knife not made in a factory, it can be handmade or assembled from mass produced parts.. Today the term is totally without meaning.
A Custom Knife is one in which the customer has either designed all or part of the knife OR a knife in which the customer has specified the materials in a makers own design. Selecting one of the listed handle materials in a makers catalog to be put on a blade of the makers design does not make a custom knife.

Cutlass
A curved blade sword sharp on one edge with a strong cover for the hand used on naval vessels in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Cutlery Steel
Any steel with enough alloying materials that enable it to make good knives; for wide acceptance today that means it must also be stainless. To make good knife blades it must be able to take and hold an edge. Can range from 1070 or 420 to CPM-S60V.

D-2
An outstanding knife steel, a high-carbon, high chrome tool steel which is often used for the steel cutting dies in every tool and die shop in the U.S.; with 1.5% Carbon, 1% Molybdenum, 12% Chromium and 1% Vanadium, D-2 can be hardened far beyond the favored 60-61 Rc. The first heavy user was Jimmy Lile; the strongest convert has been Bob Dozier. This air hardening steel takes a really good edge, and holds it. This steel has been recently made popular by the great results in the performance of D-2 heat-treated by Dozier.

Dagger
Double edged sheath knife with a symmetrical blade intended for stabbing.

Damascus Steel
There is more mis-information about Damascus steel than about any other subject in the knife world. Bill Moran, the man credited with the reintroduction of Damascus said that if a knife was going to be used then the blade needed a center core of tool steel between two outer layers of Damascus. This statement applies to "layered Damascus" not to what may have been the original Damascus, that is Wootz which is believed to have originated in India. Wootz has been brought back by a group of professors assisted by blacksmith Al Pendray. Layered damascus, that is layers of different steels welded together, was made in Scandinavia, Japan, India, Toledo, Solingen and maybe even in Damascus. Today it is made in all parts of the world for handmade knives, swords and even for production knives. Quality ranges from poor to wonderful.

Damasteel
In the 1970s Era Steel in Sweden and Crucible Metals in U.S.A. patented a process of making steel by blowing finely divided powdered iron, carbon, and other materials into a billet and then applying heat and pressure until a steel is achieved with finer grain, finer carbides, therefore greater strength and better wear resistance. This process is what we know as Powder Metal.
The Swedes went on to invent a method of blowing the particles into patterns; the result is "Damasteel". It has the look of pattern welded Damascus yet is actually a superior, powder metal stainless tool steel.

Desert Ironwood
Native to the Sonoran desert (Northern Sonora Mexico and southern Arizona) it is a very dense tight grained wood, takes a very high polish, tends to darken with use and age.

Diamond Cross Section Blade
Most often found in a stiletto or rapier blade.

Dirk
The Scottish Dirk is single edged and is a descendent of the Kidney Dagger and was basically used as a left hand knife while fighting with the broadsword. There were also the Dirks carried by midshipmen in the early years of the United States Navy, those usually had slim, curved, single edged blades. This was more a badge of office than a tool.
Today the term dirk is obsolete, these are made only for people who want to dress up in antique clothing for plays and reenactments.

Dozier, R. L. (Bob)
Prominent Knife maker, Sheath maker (Kydex) and the manufacturer of the worlds very best belt grinder for knife makers.

Drop Forged
Also called closed die forging, the form of the finished item is built into the die, the steel is heated and the hammer forms the plastic steel into the recesses of the die.

Drop Point
A blade design made popular in handmade hunting knives by Bob Loveless beginning about 1969, used earlier by Randall and others.

Eared Dagger
Originating in Venice from Oriental predecessors the Eared Dagger was distinguished by two round plates set an angle to each other at the pommel.

EDC
Short for "Every Day Carry".

Edge
The cutting portion of the blade.
Ergonomics
Making knife shapes that work with the structure of the human hand. Claimed by many, achieved by few.

Escutcheon
A small metal inlay on the handle of the knife to place the initials of the owner or the trademark of the maker or just for decoration, often shaped as shields, hence the name, but, can be of any shape.

European Stag
Antler from the Red Deer, a large elk like animal found throughout Europe. Has been used for knife handles for at least as long as there have been knives of metal, and probably long before that. This stag has never been a substitute for the antler of the axis and sambar deer of India and Southeast Asia. The European Red Deer has a very coarse and open center, much like the American elk. Because of the large amount of pith in the center, it mostly has to be used as handle scales. The antler of the Red Deer is a limited substitute for the antler of both the Axis and the Sambar, that have both been embargoed by the Indian government.

False Edge
A sharpened area on the back of the point of some large knives.

Ferrara, Andrea
A maker of extremely fine sword blades from the middle of the 16th Century his work was so celebrated that he was counterfeited in his own time and after. Many of his blades and copies were used in the basket hilted broadswords of Scotland.

Fiber Glass (in plastic handles)
Many of today's thermoplastic materials are improved by adding chopped glass fibers often as much as 40% of a product may be glass. Adds great strength.

Fighting Knife
A knife that is intended for killing sentries, for hand-to-hand fighting and little else.

Flat Ground
The surface of the blade is flat from or near the back of the blade to the beginning of the sharpening bevel. Most production pocket knives are flat ground; most handmade hunting knives are hollow ground.

Folding Knife
Any knife that allows the blade to be folded into the handle. Pocket knives, Folding hunters etc.

French Mark
A Long Mark with short marks pressed into the steel at the bottom of the mark that look like the top of a castle wall.

Full Length Tang
A tang that runs through the hilt, handle and pommel.

Full Tang
A tang which shows all around the handle of the knife between two pieces of handle material.

Fuller
A groove that lightens and stiffens the blade. Also known as a blood groove, though the term is inaccurate.

G-2 Stainless
When seen on the blade of an older Spyderco knife it means one thing, used today it means a Gingami (Japan) steel of very high quality.

Gentleman's Knife
Any knife that is trim and elegant in form. something that could be carried without embarrassment anywhere.

GIN-1
A stainless steel with slightly less Carbon, slightly more Chromium, and much less Molybdenum than ATS-34. GIN-1 has no Nickel, Tungsten or Vanadium. Slightly softer than AUS-8. Also known as Gingami-1.
Carbon-0.90%, Manganese-0.60%, Chromium-15.50%,Molybdenum-0.30%

Gladius
The short stabbing sword of the Roman Legions. The blade was 18-24 inches long.

Goose Wing Axe
The most beautiful of the Bearded Axes, most often seen as a Northern European axe sharpened one side only for squaring timbers.

H1
H1 steel is a stainless steel that is precipitation-hardened and contains nitrogen instead of carbon, which cannot rust.
Carbon-0.15%, Chromium-14.00-16.00%, Manganese-2.00%, Molybdenum-0.50-1.50%, Nickel-6.00-8.00%, Nitrogen-0.10%, Phosphorus-0.04%, Silicon-3.00-4.50%, Sulfur-0.03%

Hafted
In pocket knife language, to have the handle put on the knife. In general English it means to have put on a handle of a tool, including knives.
Hammer Forged
A hammer beaten (forged) hot steel into shape.

Handmade Knife
The blade and handle are shaped by hand, either the blade or handle is held in the hand and applied to the cutting medium, i.e. the grinder, etc. or the knife is fixed in a vise (or otherwise held) and the cutting medium (files, abrasive strips, portable grinder) is held in the hand and applied to the knife.

Hardness
The measure of hardness for tool steels is most commonly done with a Rockwell tester, see Rockwell. The best hardness for one steel is not always the best for another. Generally, the best knives with steel blades should be hardened to the high 50s or low 60s on the Rockwell C scale. An exception to general hardness rules is for Stelite, (not a steel) will be about 42 on C scale.

High Alloy
A highly complex alloy rather than a simple one.

High-Carbon
A steel with .5 Carbon or more, the term high carbon steel is often used to mean a non stainless steel; this is not a proper use as all stainless knife steel is also high carbon.

High-Carbon Stainless
Any stainless steel used to make a knife blade must be high carbon to make a decent knife. Any high carbon Stainless steel will stain. It stains less than other steels but it will stain.

High-Speed Steel
Steels designed to machine other steels. These machine tools will hold an edge even when heated red hot by friction.

Hilt
To a sword collector the hilt encompasses the entire handle and guard; to the modern knife world, hilt and quillion mean the same thing: the guard, single or double, between the handle and the blade. Made of brass, nickel silver or stainless steel, sometimes of damascus steel.

Hitachi Super Blue Steel
The term "blue steel" actually refers to the color of the paper wrapper in which the raw bar stock is shipped. This is a high-carbon non-stainless steel in the 1.4% to 1.5% carbon range alloyed with silica (0.1% to 0.2%) and manganese (0.2% to 0.3%), and with chromium (0.2% to 0.5%) and Tungsten (2.0% to 2.5%) added for toughness. This is significantly more carbon than is found in most U.S. steels which tend to have about 1.0% carbon. This added carbon allows the blades to be hardened in the mid-60s Rc. allowing for a thin razor edge.

Holder, D'Alton
An important maker of hand made knives, served almost 20 years as an officer of the Guild; first modern maker to use amber in knife handles, has taught many others to make knives.

Hollow Ground
The surface of the blade is concave; if properly ground to a thin edge this is a very effective way of making a knife, is done by grinding the blade on a round surface (face of a wheel) and forming a hollow above the cutting edge and below the top edge of the blade.

Hone
Used as a noun it means a fine stone used to put a finished edge on a knife or razor. Used as a verb it is the action of finishing the edge of a knife.

Honing Oil
A light oil used to keep the surface of a sharpening stone free of steel deposits and debris.

Horn, Jess
A very important maker of hand made folding knives. One of the very first to achieve world wide prominence.

Hunter
A style of sheath knife. Used for hunting, camping and skinning.

Hunting Knife
A knife used for skinning and butchering large and small game. Originally a kitchen knife carried into the field, now very special knives are designed every year. Today it usually means a knife with a blade of 3 to 6 inches with a guard between the blade and the handle.

Inlays
Objects of metal or other material inlaid into the handles of a knife or it could be the handled material inlaid into an inter frame knife.

Integral Hilt
The hilt and blade are machined or forged from the same piece of metal; the term "full integral" means that the blade, hilt, tang and pommel are all from the same piece of steel.

Interframe
Ron Lake, another folding knife maker who achieved world prominence about 1972; invented the Interframe method of inlaying handle material in solid metal handle frames.

Jambiya
The Arab knife, found in every country the Arabs have lived in. Strongly curved blade, double edged with a rib in the middle. Each country has a somewhat different version.
Japanese Blades
Blade styles unique to Japan. Jin Tachi, the longest, from about 33 inches. Katana and Tachi 24 to 30 inches. Wakizashi 16 to 20 inches, the Tanto and Aikuchi with lengths of 11 to 16 inches and the Yoroi Toshi having blades of 9-12 inches and the Kwaiken with blades of 3 to 6 inches. A really good understanding of the blades of Japan requires more study than that of all other knives combined.

Jimping
Also known as Lashing Grommets. The notches in the back lower blade of some knives to provide better thumb control of the knife

Jigged Bone
Bone that has had the surface cut to give a textured finish. Originally done to imitate deer antler, then in many different textures just for beauty and to give a better grip.

Kard
Persian knife with straight blade and handle and with no guard, often has an armor piercing point.

Katar
The most common of Hindu India's knives double edge blade ranges from a few inches to sword length. The handle is made up of two bars extending from the back of the blade in line with two or more cross bars that make up the handle at right angle to the blade.

Kevlar
A material of great strength used to make bullet proof garments and used to reinforce thermoplastic material sometime used in knife handles.

Kevlar Reinforced Zytel (ST-801)
See Kevlar.

Khanjar
Arabic for knife, this is generally used for the Persian version, a double edged dagger with a curved or even double curved blade and a handle pistol grip shaped, often of jade or other stone.

Khyber Knife
The knife of the Afridis and other tribes living in or near the Khyber Pass between Afghanistan and India. With a long straight back that is heavily ribbed on the back and that tapers to a fine point this knife has no guard and the sheath encloses the handle and is worn slid under the sash.

Kick
A projection at the bottom of the tang at the end of the edge, by resting on the spring this projection controls the distance of the edge from the back spring when the knife is closed.

Kidney Dagger
Also called the Ballock Dagger, carried in Northern Europe and England in the 14th and 15th century generally across the back for left hand use. It got it's name from the wooden handle with it's carved guard of two lobes.

Kilij
Like the Persian Shamshir this Turkish Saber is often included in the category Scimetar. The Turkish Kilij generally has the same curved edge intended for the draw cut but the curve stops for the last 8 or 10 inches of the back to the point. None of this class can be used for thrusting.

Kopis
The forward curved knife or sword of Egypt, carried by Alexander to much of the ancient world.

Kraton
A man made material resembling rubber that can be molded into knife handles or handle parts to offer better gripping ability.

Kressler, Dietmar
The most prominent of European makers of hand made knives, trained in the U.S. in the early 1970s.

Kris
The knife of the Malay Peninsula, the blade is usually of Damascus with layers of nickel-iron between layers of steel. Offers a unique appearance.

Kukri
The knife of Nepal and the Gurkha troops from that country. This knife is believed to be descended from the Kopis of Alexander's army. Very heavy point and light handle combined with the forward curve make it very effective in combat or the jungle.

Kydex
Material used for very strong and convenient sheaths. Must be molded to each individual knife.

L-6
A high carbon, band saw steel that is very tough and holds an edge well, but rusts easily. It is, like O-1, forgiving steel for the forger. If you're willing to put up with the maintenance, this may be one of the very best steels available for cutlery, especially where toughness is desired. Typically used in swords.
Carbon-0.65-0.75%, Manganese-0.25-0.80%, Chromium-0.60-1.20%,Nickel-1.25-2.00%, Vanadium-0.20-0.30%, Molybdenum-0.50%

Lake, Ron
One of the very first folding knife makers to become well known.

Laminated Steel
Very hard tool steel core, the outer sides are of softer material that gives great strength. Harry Morseth began the use of this material in the U.S. about 1946. It had been used for centuries in Scandinavia and in Japan.
Lanyard
Sometimes used to attach a knife to clothing or belt.

Lanyard Hole
A hole usually found at the butt of a knife handle to attach a thong or lanyard.

Laser Scrimshaw
Using a laser to mass produce scrimshaw designs on knife handles.

Liner
Thin sheets of metal between the blade and the handle material of folding knives.

Liner-Lock
Michael Walker modernized the old use of the center liner for locking a blade open. Never successful outside of linemen's knives until Walker developed a knife with easy moving blade and positive lock and a detent to keep the blade closed.

Lockback
A folding knife that has a lock release at the rear of the back of the handle.

LocTite
Material used to keep screws from unscrewing.

Long Mark
The long straight groove often seen on the main blade of stock knives.

Long Pull
See "Long Mark"

Loveless, R. W.
The Dean of Hunting knife makers. He has made enormous contributions to the hand made knife field; is a great designer of hunting knives. Loveless knives are the most expensive and the most sought after un-adorned hunting knives in the World.

M-2
High-Speed Steel that works well between 62-66 Rc. First used in American Cutlery in kitchen knives and folders by Gerber Blades in the 1960s.
85 Carbon, 6.35 Tungsten, 5.0 Molybdenum, 4.0 Chromium, and 2.0 Vanadium.

M-4
A high speed steel, very hard to work but makes a great knife blade that is very difficult to sharpen.
1.3 Carbon, 6.35 Tungsten, 5.0 Molybdenum, 4.0 Chromium, and 5.0 Vanadium.

Main Blade
The largest blade in a knife with two or more blades.

Main Gauche
Left hand dagger used with a rapier about 17th Century. Very fancy guard around the hand with long quillions.

Malay Archipelago
The thousands of islands found between Indo China and Australia.

Malay Pirates
In the previous centuries many of the peoples living in the Malay states were pirates and sailing through their waters was very dangerous.

Manganese
Expressed as Mn. Increases toughness and harden ability.

Mark Side
The side of the blade with the Nail Mark that can be the obverse or the reverse side of the blade.

Marlinspike
A tool for working with rope. Often attached to the handles of sailors knives.

Masamune
Japan's greatest sword maker b. 1265 d.1358.
Matte Finish
A brushed or satin finish, term usually applied to all metal pocket knife handles.

Mediterranean Barlow
A Barlow knife with a Mediterranean shape: the blade at the large end of a tapered serpentine handle. Must have the distinctive long Barlow bolsters.

Micarta
Phenolic resin and layers of cloth or paper; makes very fine knife handles. Originally a Westinghouse trademark.

Molybdenum
Is used to increase hardness in tool steels. Expressed as Mo.

Moran, W
Well know blade smith, made famous by Ken Warner, Bill Moran is one of the founders of the "American Blade smith Society".

Morseth Knives
The firm started by Harry Morseth and continued after 1971 by A. G. Russell. Most famous for use of Laminated Steel and 3 piece stag handles.

Morseth, Harry
Pioneer knife maker, began selling knives in the 1920s.

Mortise Tang
A method of applying scales to a narrow tang. Used by Marble's and the Swedes in the early part of this Century and by D. E. Henry in handmade knives. Half the thickness of the tang is removed from the inner surface of each scale.

Mother of Pearl
The shell of the pearl oyster from the South Pacific, a popular knife handle material; expensive.

Muskrat Trapper
A pocket knife usually about 4 inches closed and usually of serpentine shape with a blade at each end, most often both California Clip blades.

N690
Bohler N690, the equivalent of 440F, which is 440C with a bit of Cobalt. It is imported from Switzerland.
1.07% Carbon, 17% Chromium, 1.5% Cobalt, 1.1% Molybdenum, 0.1% Vanadium

Nail Mark
A groove cut or pressed into the back of the blade for the thumb nail to easily open the knife.

Nail Pull
see Nail Mark

Nickel
Adds strength and toughness. Expressed as NI.

Nickel Silver or German Silver
A alloy of copper, zinc and nickel.

Nitrogen
Used in place of carbon for the steel matrix. The Nitrogen atom will function in a similar manner to the carbon atom but offers unusual advantages in corrosion resistance. Expressed as N.

Novaculite
The Latin name for the stone from which Arkansas Stones are cut. This stone is found in a wide range of density and ranges from very coarse to very very fine.

O-1
Probably the most popular knife steel of the 20th Century. The first choice of almost all beginning knife makers and still the primary steel for the famous Randall Knives. O-1 is a simple and basic tool steel that can be hardened to well over 60 Rc. It is a great general purpose tool steel and is very forgiving to the inexperienced knife maker. This oil-hardening tool steel can be used by both the blacksmith and the stock removal makers.
.9% Carbon, 1% Manganese, 5% Chromium and .5% Tungsten.

Obsidian
Volcanic glass: whenever it could be found it was much preferred to the more common forms of chert. Glass was much easier to work and worked cleaner than any of the other materials available to primitives.

Obverse
The front side of a knife, with the point of the knife to the left and the edge down, you are looking at the obverse (front) side of a knife.
Oosic
Walrus, dogs, bears and raccoons and probably whales and seals have a bone in their penis, this bone is called an oosic. The walrus oosic is large enough to make into knife handles and is more popular than pretty.

Parang
Malay for Jungle knife, many versions.

Pearl
The shell of the pearl oyster from the South Pacific, a popular knife handle material; expensive.

Pen Blade
A very small spear point blade originally meant for trimming quill pen points.

Pen Knife
Used for trimming the points of quill pens, now a style of knife carried by men who want a very small and unobtrusive knife for dress wear.

Pewter
Originally an alloy of tin & lead, now pewter dishes are made lead free.

Philips-Screwdriver
A screwdriver meant to fit the Philips screw with its cross slot.

Phosphorus
Improves strength, machinability, and hardness. Creates brittleness in high concentrations. Expressed as P.

Pillow Sword
Meant to be by the bedside as the name implies.

Pocket Blade
See Main Blade

Pocket Clip
A clip intended to keep a knife or other tool at the top of the pocket for easy access. Made popular by Sal Glasser of Spyderco.

Pocket Knife
Any knife that can be comfortably carried in a pocket, may have several blades, almost always a folding knife.

Point
The extreme end of the blade where the line of the back and the line of the edge come together.

Pommel
A Middle English word for the butt end of a sword or knife handle.

Poniard
A small dagger with a blade of triangular, round or square cross section cannot cut. Fit only for thrusting or stabbing. Also poingard.

Pouch Sheath
An improved sheath, the handle is half covered; friction holds the hilt and or the handle, keeping the knife safely in the sheath. The pouch sheath will not work with double hilted knives.

Powder Metal
Patented by Era Steel in Sweden and Crucible Metals in U.S.A. in the 1970's.
This is a method of making steel by blowing finely divided powdered iron, carbon, and other materials into a billet and then applying heat and pressure until a steel is achieved with finer grain, finer carbides, therefore greater strength and better wear resistance.
The Swedes went on to invent a method of blowing the particles into patterns; the result is "Damasteel". It has the look of pattern welded Damascus yet is actually a superior, powder metal stainless tool steel.

Puma Knives
German trademark: these knives were made popular in America by importer Kurt Guttman in the years following WWII.

Qama
The Georgian national knife, very like the Kindjals of the Cossacks.

Queen Cutlery
A knife making firm. First American firm to make heavy use of stainless steel in knife blades.
Quillion
A bar between the handle and the blade can be either single or double.

Randall Knives
Handmade knives by a small firm founded by W. D. Randall in 1938. Owned and operated since 1976 by Gary Randall, son of founder.

Randall, W. D.
Inspired by a Scagel knife in the 1930's Bo, (as he was called) was the second successful maker of hand made knives in this century.

Rapier
A long thin sword meant for thrusting, Early versions were double edged and could cut as well as thrust, later models were only for thrusting. The art of fence developed and the rapier followed, it got longer then shorter. It began with the "Broad Sword" of the 15th Century and ended as the "Small Sword" of the 18th Century and then the Epee of today.

Reverse
This is the opposite side of the knife than the obverse side. Knives are usually marked on the obverse rather than the reverse.

Ricasso
The flat area above and behind the hollow or flat ground area of the blade.

Rockwell Hardness (Rc)
The C scale which is used for measuring the hardness of tool steels is measured by pressing a diamond a precisely measured distance into the steel. These measurements can be understood throughout the world.

Rondell Dagger
The handle is spool-like with a round disc as hilt and as pommel.

Rucarta
Man made material. that offers attractive appearance, great strength and durability. Phenolic resin and layers of cloth. A trademark of A. G. Russell's Knives

Russell, A. G.
Founder of The oldest Mail-Order Knife Company; founder and President of "The Knife Collectors Club", the oldest knife collectors organization. One of principle founders and Honorary President of The Knife Makers Guild. First inductee into the Knife Digest Cutlery Hall of Fame and an Inductee into the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame. No longer active as a knife maker but very active as a knife designer and knife buyer.
"Description taken from his website"

Sabre
A sword with a slightly curved blade, single edge with a short back edge, most often a sword for use mounted.

Sabre Ground
Blades ground half to two thirds from the edge to the back and the top front third of the blade with a strong false edge.

Sambar
A very large, elk sized deer in India and S.E. Asia; the antler is used for knife handles and is commonly called stag or India stag.

Sandvik 12C27
Tool steel made in Sweden, Swedish steel has always been a premium steel for tools because the iron ore is very clean, that is to say it has very little Sulphur S or Phosphorus P in it.
Carbon 0.6%, Manganese 0.35%, Chromium 14.0%.

Sandvik 12C27MOD
Sandvik 12C27Mod is a martensitic stainless chromium steel developed for the manufacture of kitchen tools with high wear and corrosion resistance properties. After heat treatment the steel grade is characterized by high hardness with very good wear and corrosion resistance. Sandvik 12C27Mod is used mainly for kitchen tools, such as different types of knives and scissors, which need to tolerate dishwashing.
Carbon-0.52%, Manganese-0.60%, Chromium-14.50%

Satin Finish
A finish that is not mirror polished; the lines from the fine abrasive gives a satin appearance.

Scagel, William
In the 1960s and 1970s, Bill Scagel was virtually unknown to most of America's growing leigons of knife collectors. But Scagel has become a household word to knife collectors today. He was the first truly great knifemaker of the 20th century. It was a Scagel knife that inspired Randall to begin his knifemaking career and it was a handful of Scagel knives in the Randall Musuem that led collectors to begin searching out knives by this great pioneer. Most of Scagel's production is still out there in old trunks and gun cases, as "Granddad's old hunting knife".
In his book, For Knife Lovers Only, Harry McEvoy said "During his 90 years, Bill Scagel produced more real treasures in cutlery than most other knife crafters, before or since. His hunting knives enjoyed such a fabulous reputation that hunters literally beat a path to his door over a period of some 50 years to purchase,... those beautiful, functional, handcrafted Scagel blades."

Scale
To knife people the word scale refers to the handle parts on each side of a full tang hunting knife or the parts on the sides of a pocket knife or folder.

Scrimshander
One who performs the art of scrimshaw.

Scrimshaw
Using a needle or knife point to scratch or cut designs on whalebone or ivory. Sailors on whaling ships made it popular in this country and it has been popular with knife people since the mid 1960s.
Seax
The knife or sword of the Saxon peoples.

Seme
The sword of the Masai of East Africa, much wider near the point.

Serrated
The serrations may vary from saw teeth to wide scallops in the edge; helps in the cutting of seat-belts and plastic rope.

Sgain Dubh
A small single edged knife with no guard that the Scots often carried in the stocking or the armpit.

Shamshir
The sabre of the Persian, the name probably led to the word Scimitar we use for all of the deeply curved eastern sabers.

Shashqa
The sword of the Cossacks. straight or slightly curved without a guard.

Sheepfoot Blade
Has a straight edge with the back of the blade falling in a strong curve to the point of the blade.

Shield
see Escutcheon

Silicon
The principle element in the new man made rust preventatives.

Slip Joint
A term that is used for ordinary folding knives that do not lock.

Small Sword
The rapier evolved into the Small Sword and it remained in this form from the end of the 17th century until men no longer wore swords as part of their daily dress. It was still worn as part of diplomatic dress as late as the 1940s.

Spacer
Material layered between the handle material and the hilt or guard of the knife. Generally of contrasting color.

Spear Point Blade
The edge and the back of the blade curve to each other and meet in the middle.

Spey Blade
Blade intended for the castration of livestock. The cutting edge curves up strongly to meet a very minor clip. Most often found in Stock knives or Cattleman's knives.

Spring Steel
Any tool steel that will remain flexible when properly heat treated.

Spyderco
A specialty knife company formed by Sal Glasser about 1978, introducing the concept of an easily opened knife clipped to the top of the trouser pocket. His patent on a round hole in a hump on top of the blade has made his company a huge success.

Stag
Deer antler, generally from one of two deer native to India and S.E. Asia; the Sambar and the Chitel. Recently and historically the antler of American white-tail and mule deer.

Stainless Steel
The only stainless that will not rust is used in sinks and hospital fittings. Any stainless that will hold an edge will be subject to humidity, salt and acid fluids. (Stainless means just that when applied to knives, It stains less).

Stiletto
A dagger with a slim blade intended for stabbing.

Stock Knife
Three bladed knife with clip main blade, sheepfoot blade and spay blade.
Sub Hilt
A second hilt behind the index finger on the lower edge of a fighting knife handle; another R. W. Loveless design feature.

Sulfur
Improves machinability when added in minute quantities. Expressed as S.

Swedge
A bevel grind on the edge of the back of a blade. If it were sharp it would not be a swedge but would be a False Edge.

T15
A "Super High Speed Steel" Not suitable for knives.

T5MOV
A stainless steel, most likely a variation of 440C.
Carbon-0.5%, Chromium-14.0%, Vanadium-0.15%, Molybdenum-0.35%

Tang
That part of the blade that is either fastened between scales to make the handle or goes through a hole in the handle material. Also the part of a pocket knife blade that is between the handles.

Tapered Tang
A method of grinding a full tang to taper to the butt of the knife, improving balance as well as appearance. Brought to modern knife making by R. W. Loveless.

Thong Hole
A hole at the butt of a knife handle intended for a wrist thong or lanyard.

Titanium
A material that can be both hard and tough, widely used to armor jet-fighters. About 1/3 lighter than steel it is very useful for knife parts. It will not hold an edge so is not useful as a blade.

Tomahawk
The fighting ax of the American Indian, began as a club with wooden or stone head became a hatchet with the advent of iron heads from the Europeans.

Trapper
A two bladed knife, most commonly with both blades at the same end, the blades often a drop point and a long spey blade. The exception to the blades being at the same end is the Muskrat Trapper which always has a blade at each end.

Tungsten
Used in small quantities in several steels used in handmade knives. Helps to produce a fine, dense grain structure. Expressed as W.

Turkish Clip Blade
A very distinctive blade shape that has a very long clip, even more than a California Clip; also has a curved edge.

Vanadium
Expressed as V. Helps to produce fine grain during heat treat.

VASCOWEAR
A very hard to find steel, with a high vanadium content. It is extremely difficult to work and very wear resistant.
Carbon-1.12%, Manganese-0.30%, Chromium-7.75%, Vanadium-2.40%, Molybdenum-2.40%, Tungsten-1.10%

VG-10
A serious rival to 154CM and ATS-34. Users report superior performance in edge holding. Presently available only in knives made in Japan.
0.95 - 1.05 Carbon, 0.5 Manganese, 14.5 - 15.5 Chromium, 0.10 - 0.30 Vanadium, 0.90 - 1.20 Molybedenum

W-1
W1 is basically simple high carbon steel with no vanadium and is easily hardened by heating and quenching in water, just as with plain carbon steel alloys. W1 is commonly used for hand operated metal cutting tools, cold heading, embossing taps and reamers as well as cutlery.
Carbon-0.70-1.50%, Manganese-0.10-0.40%, Chromium-0.15%, Nickel-0.20%, Vanadium-0.10%, Molybdenum-0.10%, Tungsten-0.50%

W-2
A tool steel that is not stainless. Shallow hardening, rather weak, and makes durable knives only if held below 54 HRC. Rusts very easily due to the lack of chrome and vanadium. Only alloying elements are carbon and manganese.
Carbon-0.85-1.50%, Manganese-0.10-0.40%, Chromium-0.15%, Nickel-0.20%, Vanadium-0.15-0.35%, Molybdenum-0.10%, Tungsten-0.15%

Wharncliffe Blade
A blade with a straight edge and an almost needle like point.

Wharncliffe Handle
A serpentine handle with one end larger than the other, often used in three blade whittler patterns.
Whetstone
A stone for whetting, or sharpening edged tools.

White Steel
With traditional Japanese "Shirogami" or "White Steel" blade and bamboo handle and sheath, he has created for us another traditional Japanese hunting knife. "White Steel" and "Blue Steel" are terms that have only recently come into use in the U. S. Created by Hatachi, the terms actually refer to the color of the paper wrapper in which the raw bar stock is shipped.
The chemical breakdown for White Steel is 1.4% carbon, 0.1% silica, 0.2% manganese, 0.02 phosphorus and 0.004% sulfur. This is significantly more carbon than is found in most U.S. steels which tend to have about 1.0% carbon. This added carbon allows the blades to be hardened in the mid-60s Rc. allowing for a thin razor edge. With no chromium, this steel is definitely not stainless.

Whittler
A blade arrangement, large blade at one end and two smaller blades at the other, with the large blade working on both springs.

Yataghan
The most beautiful of all sabers, with it's forward curved blade it would have been as fine to use as to look at. Said to be Turkish in origin made with out guard and always with eared pommel.

Z60CDV14
A clean high carbon stainless from Sweden. Higher in Nickel and Molybdenum than AUS-8, with a little less Carbon. Chosen for a balance between ease of sharpening and edge retention.
Carbon 0.6 to 0.65%, Manganese 0.45%, Chromium 14%, Nickel 0.15%, Vanadium 0.15 to 0.2%, Molybdenum 0.55 to 0.6%

ZDP-189
One of the new powder metal steel of Japan. The only information I have shows 3.0 Carbon and 20.0 Chromium. Rockwell up to 65-67 Rc, great edgeholding and toughness. Brought to the market place by William Henry Knives.

Zirconia
Material of great hardness, (included in ceramic used in making ceramic blades) and used as grain on grinding belts for grinding knives.

Zytel
A thermoplastic material used in molding handles for knives, generally containing 25 to 50% chopped fiberglass or Kevlar" fiber or carbon fiber.