From knife terminology - choil

23. července 2024

The English word choil refers to a cutout on the blade of a knife that is located near the handle. One example of a choil from Mikov's production is the cutout on the Patron knife.

Many of the technical names for knives have ancient historical roots or are related to the method of construction.But when we look for the origin of the term choil in knifemaking, we are surprised to find that it has no historical roots. As far as we have been able to trace, choil was not used at all on knives in the ancient and medieval periods.The reason for this could be that its production is not so simple and therefore it started to appear only in the 19th and especially in the 20th and 21st centuries. Thus in English, from which the word originates, it has no linguistic or historical links to indicate from what it was derived. So simply the word choil originated among knifemakers and people who are not interested in knives have little idea what it is.

So why do knife makers, and of course Mikov, use choil on the blade? It provides a place for finger placement, which allows for better grip and control of the knife, especially for detail work. In addition, it becomes a sort of protection zone when sharpening the knife, making it easier to sharpen evenly along the length of the blade.Finally, it also acts as a barrier to prevent the hand from slipping up to the knife blade and injuring it while working.

Of course, the choil has some disadvantages as well, as it shortens the blade and slightly complicates production.Therefore, knife designers must always consider whether it is suitable for the purpose for which they are designing the knife. Likewise, customers must make good choices as to whether they need a choil or whether a knife of conventional design will better meet their requirements.