Knives have been in existence ever since the existence of man. They can be used to dress game, prepare food, for work, the great outdoors and many other purposes. Based on this broad categorization below are the different types of knives:
Knives table
| Category | Knife | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor | Kukri |  |
| Outdoor | Bushcraft |  |
| Outdoor | Balisongs |  |
| Outdoor | Hunting Knives |  |
| Outdoor | Machete |  |
| Outdoor | Pocket Knives |  |
| Outdoor | Survival |  |
| Outdoor | Neck knife |  |
| Outdoor | Multitools |  |
| Outdoor | Skinning |  |
| Outdoor | Scandinavian knives |  |
| Outdoor | Whittling |  |
| Combat | Fighting |  |
| Combat | Trench |  |
| Combat | Bayonets |  |
| Combat | Boot |  |
| Combat | Karambit |  |
| Combat | Tanto |  |
| Combat | Push daggers |  |
| Combat | Tactical |  |
| Combat | Assisted opening knife |  |
| Combat | Throwing Stars |  |
| Combat | Throwing Knives |  |
| Cooking | Chef’s Knife |  |
| Cooking | Boning Knife |  |
| Cooking | Clever |  |
| Cooking | Bread Knife |  |
| Cooking | Paring Knife |  |
| Cooking | Carving Knife |  |
| Specialty | Diver |  |
| Specialty | Scalpel |  |
| Specialty | X-Acto Knives |  |
| Specialty | Electrician |  |
Outdoor knives
Kukri
This is a middle Asian knife weighted at the front. They are great for chopping tasks. Large kukris knives can be used to cut down tree branches since they have a more downward power. Find out more about kukris.
Bushcraft
Used by those in the woods for bushcraft purposes.
Bowie
Everyone knows the legendary bowie knife. It’s iconic, it’s sexy, you’ve got to love it.
Balisongs
Also known as butterfly knives, these are Philippines traditional work knives. They allow the user to open the knife single handedly. They are mostly used for recreation as their flipping action is fun.
Hunting Knives
These are knives used by hunters to gut game. They are painted in camouflage a times
Machete
This is a long and heavy knife used to cut limbs, coconuts and tress. It can be used in the kitchen and also to gather firewood. They are very popular and vary according to regions they come from. There are many different types of machetes.
Pocket Knives
These are small pocket size knives that people carry around in their pockets. They have blades that fold into the handles.
Survival
These are knives used outdoors. Some of them have compartments where one can store survival gear such as a whistle, small reflective devices or a fire starter. Find out more about survival knives.
Neck knife
A neck knife is a knife that hangs around your neck for easy access.
Seax
My favorite historical blade is the seax. It’s just a spectacular specimen.
Multitools
Also known as leathermans or gerbers, this knife combines several tools into one. They have pliers, openers, screwdrivers etc.
Skinning
A specialty knife to skin animals.
General outdoor knives which have a “Scandinavian” edge.
The most famous Scandinavian knife is the Puukko.
Whittling
A specific knife used to whittle wood.
Combat
Fighting knives
Light and strong. Check out my in depth article on the combat knife.
Trench Knife
This is a hybrid between a brass knuckles and a bayonet. It allows one to slash, punch and stab with a single tool. They were mostly used during WWI.
Bayonets
These are knives attached to the front of rifles. They give soldiers a sword like rifle to thrust with. They are not very good for slashing as most damage it can bring is from thrusting. It was mostly used by the British army when they were fighting Afghanistan rebel forces. They took zero causality.
Boot knives
A dagger attached to your boot. Check out my boot knife guide.
Karambit
Small, highly curved blade originating in Asia. Check out the best karambit.
Tanto
The traditional Japanese knife which in modern times has changed significantly. Check out my Tanto knife guide.
Push daggers
Can be used to punch. Check out my Push dagger article.
Tactical Knives
These are modern day fighting knives that have also been designed to do other utility roles.
Assisted opening knife
You open the knife to a certain point before the opening mechanism will do the rest of the work for you. Check out the best assisted opening knife.
Throwing Stars
These are a range of throwing knives. They are normally shortened and circular in shape.
Throwing Knives
This is a very popular sport. The knives are balanced and not sharp however they have sharp points.
Cooking Knives
Chef’s Knife
This knife is also known as a cook’s knife. It is used for almost every job in the kitchen. It is good for cutting, chopping, dicing and slicing. It has a gentle slope so that one could rock it back and forth during chopping. They are non-serrated.
Boning Knife
If you are not a vegetarian, this is the second basic kitchen knife you should be having. It looks like the chef’s knife but a bit smaller. It is used to remove fish filet, meat from bones and also cut up meat chunks. Some people have been using this knife to chop vegetables because it gives them more control.
Clever Knife
This knife is used by butchers to cut through bone and meat. It is very big with a tall blade. Its weight is meant to add power to the swings. Clever knife is great to tasks such as cutting through thick bones, cutting fish heads off and some people use its back side to mince garlic.
Bread Knife
These knives are long and serrated designed to cut bread without having to force it down. Unlike when using normal knives to cut bread, the bread knife cuts bread without squishing it and producing a lot of crumbs.
Paring Knife
This is a small knife with a blade approximately 3-4 inches. It is used to prepare vegetable, fruits, and garnish. The knife is very light and can fit easily in the hand.
Carving Knife
This knife can be automatic or mechanical. It is normally long and serrated. It is used to carve turkeys, breasts and roasts. It is the least used knife in the kitchen.
Specialty Knives
Besides kitchen knives, there are other types of knives used around the house or on the job site. They include;
Diver Knives
These are very sharp knives with sturdy and heat resistant handles. The handles go into a sturdy sheath which has a strap for attachment to the leg. They are mostly used underwater.
Scalpel
This is a knife used in medicine during surgery. The knife is made of high carbon steel and is very sharp.
X-Acto Knives
These knives are used to do detailed cuts in arts. They are also popularly used in architect to make miniature models.
Electrician Knives
The knives are insulated to protect a user from electrical shock. They look like a pocket knives
And those are all the major types of knives!
