Tip
The forward-most point of the blade. Its geometry affects piercing precision and strength.
BLADE/ANATOMYA collector’s visual glossary
A knife,
named properly.
From the tip to the tang, every line has a name and a job. Start with the two that get mixed up most often: the choil is a notch or recess; the ricasso is a flat, unsharpened section of blade.
See the difference ↘Blade length
01 Tip02 Spine03 Primary grind04 Edge05 Ricasso06 Choil07 Pivot08 Handle
CHOIL
A notch or curved recess. It may give sharpening clearance or make room for a finger.
RICASSO
The flat, unsharpened blade section between the grind and handle or guard.
01 / The working vocabulary
Twelve parts worth
knowing by name.
Knife geometry is not decoration. These transitions affect cutting, sharpening, grip, carry, and strength.
Belly
The curved part of the cutting edge. More belly gives a longer slicing arc.
Primary grind
The large bevel that thins the blade from its full stock toward the cutting edge.
Edge bevel
The narrow, sharpened bevel that forms the cutting apex.
Spine
The back of the blade opposite the cutting edge, usually left at full or near-full thickness.
Swedge
A bevel along the spine that reduces mass and can improve penetration. It may be sharpened or false.
Jimping
Machined grooves that add traction for a thumb or finger.
Plunge line
The visible transition where the primary grind ends near the base of the blade.
Ricasso
The flat, unsharpened blade section between the grind and the handle or guard.
Sharpening choil
A small notch between the cutting edge and ricasso that gives a sharpener clearance.
Finger choil
A larger curved recess near the blade-handle junction, shaped to accept a finger.
Tang
The part of a fixed blade that continues into or through the handle.
02 / The important nuance
Same vocabulary.
Different geometry.
The locations stay relational, not absolute. Designs move, enlarge, blend, or omit these features.
Configuration A
Sharpening choil
A small relief notch sits between the end of the sharpened edge and the ricasso. It lets a stone reach the heel without climbing the ricasso shoulder.
Configuration B
Finger choil
A larger recess sits at the blade-handle junction. It may be cut entirely into the blade or formed partly by blade and handle, depending on the design.
Configuration C
No separate choil
The edge may transition into the ricasso without a distinct cutout. Some designs also minimize the ricasso until the transition is visually subtle.
Field note
If an arrow points to a small semicircular notch at the heel of the edge, it is pointing to a choil. The ricasso is the broader unsharpened flat beside that notch, not the notch itself.
Clearance
or control.
The compact sharpening choil exists mainly to separate the cutting edge cleanly from the ricasso. A finger choil is ergonomic: it creates a forward index-finger position for control. Calling both a “choil” is normal, but the qualifier matters.
- Look for
- A concave notch or recess
- Typical job
- Sharpening clearance or finger placement
Flat
and unsharpened.
The ricasso is part of the blade, commonly left at or near full stock thickness. It provides transition space between the ground blade and handle or guard, often carries a maker’s mark, and can contribute strength near the junction.
- Look for
- A flat section behind the grind
- Typical job
- Transition, marking, and structural mass
03 / Reference bench
Terminology checked
against knife makers.
Usage can vary by knife category, especially in culinary knives and historical swords. For the modern folding and fixed-blade definitions above, we cross-checked manufacturer glossaries.
Kershaw knife anatomy ↗Spyderco glossary ↗Smith & Wesson knife glossary ↗From anatomy to apps
Two small parts.
Two serious vaults.
CHOIL and Ricasso are also two knife collection apps with different strengths. We compared every current feature and gave each its due.
Read CHOIL vs. Ricasso ↗