Next Level Terms Related to Industrial Knives

Industrial knives and blades sound simple. 

There’s a piece of metal.  One side of the metal is sharp and it’s used to cut things.

That’s certainly correct, but knives are much more complex than that. To demonstrate we’ve compiled a list of next level terms related to industrial knives. 

The following is stuff you’d expect to learn in a graduate level knife class. It’s not the easy stuff they teach freshmen in Knife 101.

Babbitt Slots – Babbitt slots are found on machine knives. They allow Babbitt metal to be used to hold a knife in place.

Babbitt Metal – Babbitt metal is an alloy used for the bearing surface in a plain bearing. It was invented by Isaac Babbitt in 1839.

Camber – Camber is an arch or bend in a saw blade.  There’s positive and negative camber. Positive camber is when the cutting edge bends backwards. Negative camber is obviously the opposite but insiders usually say, “the edge arcs forward.”

Chatter – Chatter is the sound a machine makes when it’s attempting “too heavy a cut.”

Double Bevel – Double bevel refers to a blade that has bevels on both sides of the blade. Bevels are caused by grinding. So a double bevel blade has been ground on both sides.

Expansion Slots – Expansion slots are cut into a blade to allow it to expand and contract under extreme temperatures and pressures. The ability to expand and contract prevents the blade from twisting and warping.

Included Angle – The included angle is the sum of the angles of the two bevel angles. If a double bevel blade has an included angle of 24 degrees, then each of the bevel angles are 12 degrees.

Initial Sharpness – Initial sharpness refers to the sharpness of a new knife. Instead of using the word “new,” engineers with Hyde Industrial Blade Solutions like to say “out of box.”

Manufacturability – Manufacturability refers to how easily steel can be blanked, ground, heat-treated, and machined.

Secondary Bevel –  The secondary bevel is the second bevel of a double bevel blade. You’ll be able to find it because it’s the steepest bevel and the one that starts closest to the end (or tip) of the blade.

Tang – Tang is part of the blade that extends into the handle. For machine knives, tang is the part of the knife in the clamp assembly. A full tang blade extends the entire handle and is stronger than a half tang blade which only extends half way down the handle.

Twist – Twist refers to a blade that is not straight or flat.

Interested in learning more about knives? Check out these articles:

• 25 Terms You Need to Know When It Comes to Cutting Knives
• Key Terms Related to Circular Blades
• Scientific Terms Behind Hand Knives