Do you know a scalloped blade from a serrated? Do you know the difference between allow steel and carbon, and when to use which?
When it comes to high-quality industrial blade technology, precision is everything. Whether you’re slicing, dicing, or slitting, understanding the right tools for the job can make all the difference. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide to essential blade and knife terminology. It’s crafted to help produce industry pros like you stay sharp—pun intended—and ensure we’re working together to develop cutting solutions that fit your exact needs
Alloy Steel
A blend of steel with other elements like carbon, nickel, vanadium, and chromium to create a blade with specific qualities such as hardness, flexibility, or durability.
Arbor (Mandrel)
The shaft that a circular blade rotates on.
Arbor Hole (Bore Hole)
The central hole of a circular blade. Shapes and sizes vary by blade size, application, and manufacturer.
Bevel
An angled surface ground to form one side of a sharp edge, found on both straight and circular blades.
Bevel Angle
The angle at which a bevel is ground relative to the blade's original plane.
Bevel Width (Bevel Length)
The distance from the start of the beveled surface to the sharpened edge.
Blade Width
The total width of a straight knife from the sharp edge to the bottom, including any bevel or teeth.
Bolt Circle
The circle formed by the center of multiple mounting holes at the center of a circular blade.
Bolt Slots
Slots on a straight knife for mounting it to machinery.
Burr (Wire Edge)
A small metal edge left during grinding. Deburring is a crucial part of quality knife manufacturing.
Carbide
An alloy of tungsten and carbon, processed to form an extremely stiff material, ideal for industrial cutting.
Carbon Steel
Steel with added carbon for hardness and edge retention without deformation.
Chromium
A metal added to steel to enhance hardness, wear, and corrosion resistance.
Circular Blade (Slitter Blade)
A rotating disk with a sharpened edge for continuous cutting action.
Compound Bevels
Multiple bevels at progressively higher angles to create a durable cutting edge.
Corrosion Resistance
The ability of metal to resist rust. Steels with high carbon or chromium content, like stainless steel, excel in corrosion resistance.
Double Bevel
A blade with bevels on both sides of its sharpened edge.
Drive Holes (Pin Holes)
Off-center holes for mounting and rotating a circular blade.
Edge
The sharpened side of a blade, which can be beveled, scalloped, serrated, or toothed.
Edge Retention
A blade's ability to maintain sharpness during use.
Face
On single-beveled blades, the surface opposite the beveled edge.
Hardness
A measure of steel’s resistance to deformation, often measured by the Rockwell Hardness Scale.
Heat Treatment (Tempering)
A process of heating and cooling metal to improve toughness.
High Carbon Steel
Steel with a carbon content of 0.5% or higher.
High-Speed Steel
Steel designed for high-heat industrial applications, often containing molybdenum.
Hop
Refers to a circular blade that is not perfectly round.
Included Bevel AngleT
he combined angle of both ground surfaces on a double-bevel blade.
Laser Cutting
A precise cutting method using lasers, ideal for cutting blade forms from sheets of material.
Machine Knives
Commercial packaging and food processing knives used for slicing, slitting, wrapping, and more.
Notched Blades
Blades with square edges or slots for creating partial cuts, common in packaging.
Pitch (Tooth Pitch)
The distance between teeth on a tooth-edged blade, typically measured as teeth per inch.
Rockwell Hardness Scale
A scale used to measure material hardness, commonly Scale C for blade alloys.
Run-Out
Misalignment in a circular blade's rotation, which can be caused by blade warping, twisting, or mounting errors.
Scalloped Blades
Blades with undulating edges that provide perforating and shear cutting actions.
Serrated Knife
A blade with teeth, often used for sawing or tearing cuts.
Straight Knife
A blade with parallel sharp and non-sharp edges.
Strength (Toughness)
A metal’s ability to withstand mechanical force without breaking or chipping.
Straight Blade
Straight blades are flat and typically have a sharp edge on one side, making them versatile for chopping, slicing, dicing, scoring, and trimming. They can be crafted from materials like stainless steel and high-speed steel.
Tang
A blade extension used for mounting in certain applications.
Tear Notch
A notch allowing easier opening of consumer packaging.
Thickness
The total thickness of a blade's sharpenable edge.
Tooth Back
The non-sharpened edge of a blade’s teeth.
Tooth Loading
When debris collects on the teeth of a blade. Coatings like Titanium Nitride or Teflon can reduce this.
Tooth Pitch
The spacing between teeth on a toothed blade, usually measured as teeth per inch.
Twist
When a knife is not flat or straight.