Lesson #2: PARTS OF A KNIFE

Lesson Overview: Students will learn the different parts of a chef’s knife.

Materials Needed:

□ Chef’s knife

□ Parts of a knife handout

□ Parts of a knife poster

□ Bell or buzzer (for ‘Family Feud’ game)

□ Cardboard, approximately 8”x 10” (one piece per student), optional

□ Aluminum foil, optional

Performance Objective 2: Student draws and identifies the nine parts of a chef’s knife from memory.

TIME: 30 minutes.

Step 1: Pre-instructional activities:

Discuss the need to know the parts of something in order to refer to it correctly. Ask students for
examples of this concept.

Step 2: Content presentation:

Refer to the diagram in Appendix A for the parts of a chef’s knife. Discuss each of the following
labeled parts.

a. Handle.
i. Butt-The butt is the end of the handle of the knife.
ii. Rivets-The rivets are metal pins used to join the scales to the tang to form
the handle
iii. Scales-The scales are the part of the knife that creates the handle. Scales are
often made of synthetic material or wood. Two scales are typically attached
to the tang with rivets.
iv. Tang-The tang is the part of the blade that extends into the handle of the
knife. It is the surface to which the handle attaches to the blade.
v. Bolster-The bolster is the band that joins the blade of the knife to its handle.
The bolder provides balance for the knife and also helps to protect the hand
from getting in the way of the knife edge.
 b. Blade.
i. Heel-The heel is the rear part of the edge, opposite the point.
ii. Spine-The spine is the top of the knife blade, opposite the knife edge.
iii. Point-The point is the part of the knife where the edge and spine come
together. The point is often used for piercing.
iv. Edge-The edge is the cutting part of the blade. It extends from the point to
the heel of the knife.
v. Tip-The tip is the forward part of the knife and includes the knife point. The
tip is used for detailed or delicate cutting.
(Parts of the knife from Sharpening Skills. See references.)

Step 3: Learner Participation

a. Divide the students into 2 teams and play review game with students using the knife parts and
definitions.
b. Have students complete their own knife identification sheet as review.

Step 4: Assessment
Students should be given the Knife Identification Sheet found in Appendix B to complete from
memory. Answer key is found in Appendix C.

Step 5: Follow-Through Activities

Students do not need to know all the parts of the knife to successfully complete the transfer of
knife skills to the home setting.

Craft-Students can be given the sheet of cardboard or cardstock and piece of aluminum foil to
create a knife of their own to use as a memory aid.

Refer to the knife cutout poster when watching ‘The Lost Art of Cooking’ in Lesson 3.