History of the Knife
Posted: Thursday, September 11, 2008
by Daniel Ownbey
IM ALL U NEED LLC
From the days of cavemen man has been using knives as a vital tool for his survival. The earliest forms of knives were shaped by a method called “knapping" which is the percussive flaking of rock. Chipping away little chunks until a blade was formed. The most common rock used in this process was obsidian, which is a naturally formed glass, or a hard stone we all know as flint. Before these materials, blades were formed from wood and bone. Now from the stone age of knives so to speak the knife was constantly evolving becoming more and more proficient in its design. During this evolution man had discovered alloys such as copper, bronze, and iron. These metals served their purpose as a better material then stone and glass. Still these materials were soft and proved to be inferior. Not having the capability of holding an edge with prolonged use, even after a few cuts the blade would become dull. Even though this would be a problem the knife was still superior to it ancestors of wood, bone, rock, and glass versions. These knives still resembled their predecessors in look and style. Most of which were forged as a double-edged dagger. These times were known to many as the Dark Ages. Medieval times are where the knife evolved with leaps and bounds. The knife transformed with the aid of greed and power into the sword. The way of life and the rule of the land was “live by the sword" which brought upon the inevitable “die by the sword".
This is a prime example of how mankind is always building on products and technology, always growing in knowledge and using it to his advantage. Steel being much harder and having the capability of holding an edge much longer with extensive use. Steel was the metal of choice and used for forging swords, spears, arrowheads, axes, knives, and much more. Having resilience and flexibility at the same time. Still through out all this the fixed blade was the only blade wielded by farmer and Knights alike. The next major step in the evolution of the knife was the pocketknife. Although we are not real sure of the date the first pocketknife was forged, we do know that the production of lock back blades wasn’t until the 1900’s.
There are now two broad types of knives that we still use today, fixed blades and folding knives a.k.a. pocketknives. These two categories cover everything from swords to Swiss army knives, and everything in between. The materials of the blades have changed as well due to the technology that we have today. Knife blades are primarily steel though, but they are also made of a variety of materials as well such as carbon fiber, ceramics, titanium, plastic, and still yes still wood. Wooden blades are used as training tool for law enforcement and martial arts. (Self defense training.) Ceramic blades are generally used in kitchen cutlery. The edge on this type of blade will out last the traditional steel blade up to ten times. But they are not with there faults; they are extremely brittle and can shatter. For example if you cut frozen food or try to cut through bone they can shatter like a drinking glass hitting a tile floor. If used properly with this in mind these knives will bring the person who uses it a lot of satisfaction while cooking. Even though the ceramic blade is primarily used in the kitchen there are still a few companies that make a folding ceramic knife, Precision ceramics, Tachi knives, Flint knives, and Boker knives just to name a few.
Titanium, carbon fiber, and plastic are mostly found in tactical knives. Carbon fiber and titanium also hold there edge longer than steel, and it should go without saying, but the plastic does not even come close. Tactical blades come in various designs and blade styles. Among the most popular are the drop point, the tanto, and the serrated blades. They are designed with one thing in mind and if I have to explain it you just wouldn’t understand. The butterfly knife and the switchblade or spring assisted blade would also fall under the tactical knife category. These knives like all others have many laws that govern them. And these laws differ from state to state and country to country.
This is because as we all know a knife has the potential of becoming a weapon and this is the cause for these laws. In many areas switchblades are illegal with the exception of a one handed individual, law enforcement, and the military. Carrying a knife with a blade over a certain length is also prohibited in some states. Carrying s knife in an airport in a school or a county building is strictly prohibited and enforced. Even with the potential of turning into a weapon in a split second they are also vital tools to everyday life.
We have followed the evolution of the knife from its earliest years up to the present. From custom blades to the more traditional knife the ever evolving forging techniques and manufacturing of the knife is far from over. As technology and ingenuity also take it’s ever changing course of evolution. We here at imalluneed.com are looking forward to the future with great anticipation, eagerly waiting for the next generation of the constantly changing knife…
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)This really helped me out.
thanks... Alot.
very useful, liked it. but could have done with some pictures to go along with the text.
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