fixed blade knives are great tools to have for hunting self-defense survival
and tactical tasks some people even prefer to have a small fixed blade knife
over a folding knife as their EDC or everyday carry because they can be drawn
so quickly from their sheaths and are ready to use immediately they're also
considered much tougher than a folding knife knowing the anatomy of your fixed
blade will not only help you understand the specs you'd like to see in one of
your own but will also reveal all the unique touches and features that knife
makers add that could contribute to a nice overall appeal let's start from the
bottom up the end of the knife's handle is called the pommel which can also be
referred to as the butt of the knife but more accurately is a piece of the handle
that can sometimes be used to hammer or strike some pummels come with a glass
breaker tip which is just what it sounds like a pointed part of the pommel that
can shatter glass in an emergency situation say when you're trapped in
your car after an accident moving up the knife you may see a lanyard hole having
a lanyard in that hole gives you the option of securing the knife to your
hand which will make chopping safer since you can have an extension of the
handle tied securely to your wrist the same principle works for the sheath of a
fixed blade by looping paracord through it your Knights can be carried as a neck
knife or secured more tightly to your leg you may see this in outdoor knives
and survival knives we're having a fixed blade within easy reach is a priority
along the broad sides of the handle as we move past the lanyard hole you'll see
the pins and rivets of a knife your knife handle could have screws which
make the handle scales interchangeable or removable being able to remove the
handle scales the material on either side of the handle which make up a
complete grip is a pretty cool feature that not only makes your knife more
customizable and versatile but easy to clean and maintain it also reveals the
tang of the knife and the type of Tang has a large impact on the quality and
potentially price of a fixed blade knife your knife could be a full tang fixed
blade if you look along the spine of the handle you'll be able to see that it's a
one-piece construction of steel from the blade all the way to the bottom of the
handle this is the strongest fixed blade knife
type you can buy which is why it's super popular for heavy-duty tasks like
trailblazing and chopping wood a skeletonized tang is also a one-piece
construction so it too will be extremely durable with the additional benefit of
saving you weight these tang styles come with or without
scales you'll often see skeletonized knives used as backup knives and outdoor
in survival situations but some people like to customize their knives with
colorful paracord and will use them as their go-to camping tools they can be
extremely lightweight since you lose a lot of the weight when you mill out the
handle which makes for a pretty comfortable carry around your neck or on
your belt loop a partial tang is when the steel of the blade extends only part
of the way down the length of the handle with this Tang you won't see the steel
spine alongside the full length of the handle like you do on a full tang knife
a narrowing tang is similar but instead of a blunt piece of steel that stops
halfway down the handle it has a gradual narrowing that extends a little deeper a
stick Tang or a rat tail Tang has a steel segment that goes all the way to
the bottom of the handle scales but the portion of steel in the handle is just
as its name implies a stick like piece let's move on from tangs and get back to
our knife anatomy lesson some fixed blade knife handles have pronounced
finger grooves that are designed to fit your fingers and help give a secure
comfortable grip moving up the handle scales and toward the blade we have a
bolster which is the segment that allows the blade to transition into the knife
handle some fixed blade knives give you a finger choil
a finger choil is an unsharpened groove that's designed specifically for your
index finger there may also be a sharpening coil which is a cutout in the
blade that allows you to sharpen the entire length of the blades edge
bolsters and finger toys offer both functionality and safety when used
correctly they can help keep your fingers from traveling up the edge of
your knife blade some fixed blades have a guard incorporated into the bolster or
handle which is a piece of the handle that just as the name suggests guards
your finger from slipping upwards towards the sharp edge of the blade the
guard flares out pretty significantly from the handle in some cases and can be
much more subtle than others some knife lovers who don't intend to use their
fixed a blade for repetitive you too you still want a pronounced guard just
for the way it makes a nice look just like a finger choil
its coveted for its functionality as well as its aesthetics fixed blades
have a ricasso a small portion of Steel right above the guard of a knife
directly above the ricasso you may find another toil but definitely not one for
your finger this is just a small indent you'll see on some fixed blades that
flows into the sharpened edge of the knife
the blades heel is where you'll start to see the sharpened edge of the knife the
broad flat side of the knife is the cheek where you'll really get the first
good look at the nice finish the spine or the back of the knife is the thick
usually unsharpened portion that is opposite of your knife's edge near the
base of the spine some knives have jimping small notches that are designed
to give your thumb a better grip when putting pressure on the knife for
powerful cuts the edge is the sharp part of the steel that's used for cutting and
this is where you'll see the knife's bevel or grind the type of grind
indicates how the steel was thinned to get a cutting edge and the bevel is the
ground steel on the side of the blade that leads directly toward the sharpened
edge the belly of the blade is a term for the rounded portion that curves
under the knife's point which is the very tip of the knife's blade depending
on the blade shape of your knife you'll have what's referred to as a full belly
or you may not have a belly at all it increases the knife's ability to slice
and you'll often see skinning knives at the very distinct belly other knife
types like this stiletto dagger have very little curve at all a serrated
blade has a teeth like edge that can make up the entirety of the cutting edge
which is called a full serration or just a part of it which is called a partial
serration or a combo edge serrations are good for cutting through things that may
have a harder surface texture it acts as a saw that can rip through material
whereas a plain edge blade specializes in cleaner slicing choosing the proper
blade steel is very important in your selection if you'll actively use the
knife in the field and are equipped to maintain an edge and keep the knife
cleaned up then a carbon steel like 1095 would be the best choice this will rust
if not maintained but is a workhorse and an economic material
d-2 tool steel is very popular on higher-end hunting knives because it's a
very hard material and although technically not a stainless steel will
resist rusting the various stainless steels will hold an edge longer
generally and are popular including bucks 420 stainless which has many fans
in the world but also many who feel it is difficult to sharpen the popular 440c
stainless is economical and dependable we'll go over blade steel more
thoroughly in another video a great benefit of having a fixed blade knife is
that they're very easy to clean folding knives have a hollow handle that can
catch dirt and grime but a fixed blade knife can be easily maintained because
it has no internal mechanisms fixed blades also come in a wider range of
models and sizes machetes Karambit sand push daggers are only a few examples of
the extremely versatile collection you'll see under the fixed blade
umbrella some even come with additional features like a gut hook that's designed
to give you a more precise skinning capability while hunting because your
fixed blade is most likely going to take on some tough work the handle material
is very important g10 handles are made by taking layers of fiberglass cloth and
soaking them in resin then baking the compressed piece under intense pressure
this is a tough handle material that is generally textured to keep your hand
from slipping and it's very durable and can withstand hard use while giving
great all-weather performance and alternative to g10 is as I tell handle
or a fiberglass reinforced nylon handle you all get the same grip and weight but
it's less expensive and requires very little maintenance micarta handles tend
to be a bit pricier but they also perform well in wet weather conditions
in fact unpolished micarta tends to give you a better grip in a wet environment
because it soaks up blood and sweat if you want something a little more
hygienic you can go with a polished micarta handle but that will take out
some of the grip eNOS rubber handles are also known for their no slip grip and
they can be a very comfortable and ergonomic handle that won't fatigue your
hand of course those aren't the only handle
options for fixed blade knives you'll often see beautifully crafted bone stag
and wood handles and these are preferred by many for their looks and
functionality stag in particular is a high-end hunting knife choice for many
another important aspect of choosing your fixed blade knife is where you keep
it a few of the most common fixed blade sheath materials are leather Kydex and
nylon each one has benefits and drawbacks leather is a traditional
choice that looks great and provides a quiet unsheathing but if you don't wheel
it up and maintain it properly you'll probably eventually see some cracking
that will make holstering your knife difficult and potentially dangerous
carbon steels will also rust more readily in leather because of the tannin
used in curing you can also choose a Kydex sheath which is made from a
durable thermoplastic material that's able to withstand exposure to salt water
and wet weather it may not be as beautiful or as quiet as a leather
sheath but it definitely provides a safe place for your knife kydex is made to
fit your knife perfectly without using straps it has a low profile which is
great for those who want to concealed carry and with some kydex sheets you
can have your knife in a tip-up sideways or tip down position nylon is a less
expensive option that works relatively well and many nylon sheaths have a pouch
that allows you to keep gear with you the better you care for your knife the
longer it will last and the better it will perform clean your knife and oil it
after use store it properly without moisture left on the blade and try not
to store it in a leather sheath find the perfect fixed blade knife at knife
Center the original and largest online catalog of knives anywhere in the world
we're constantly updating our website and YouTube channel with new videos and
tutorials so check back often thanks for watching