the meaning of utiity

[knives4ever]

so ive seen plenty of knives but ive noticed alot of "kitchen" knives say "utility" knife. in this case what are they saying? you can make a sheath for it and use it for work? its an all purpose knife? why not just call it a kitchen knife??

 

[A_T_WorkHorse]

Actually, as an experiment, I think you should try to do just that. Take pics and write a review. I bet you'll find your "utility" knife more useful than you seem to think!

 

[Sonnydaze]

Some of them would work out okay for casual carry use, but most handles are not thick enough for good purchase, and the blades are likely to be very thin stock. Of course, they would slice well, but kinda of hard to get 'em to fold, and one carried in a sheath would likely be a 3-4" paring knife which is better off saved for peeling potatoes. A blade any longer than 4" is obtrusive or illegal or perhaps both. Plus, it would look "silly." (my opinion only)
I wouldn't consider one for anything considered moderate or heavy-duty. It would likely bend or snap, depending on heat treat and blade-steel.
I say...Keep 'em in the kitchen. It is more probable, AFAIK, to see folks use heavier-duty folding knives to double in the kitchen also. I think something like a Spyderco Stretch or Caly 3.5, particularly in ZDP-189, or even a BenchMade 710 in D2 or M390, to be an excellent "double-agent."

 

[Krav]

Some of them would work out okay for casual carry use, but most handles are not thick enough for good purchase, and the blades are likely to be very thin stock. Of course, they would slice well, but kinda of hard to get 'em to fold, and one carried in a sheath would likely be a 3-4" paring knife which is better off saved for peeling potatoes. A blade any longer than 4" is obtrusive or illegal or perhaps both. Plus, it would look "silly." (my opinion only)
I wouldn't consider one for anything considered moderate or heavy-duty. It would likely bend or snap, depending on heat treat and blade-steel.
I say...Keep 'em in the kitchen. It is more probable, AFAIK, to see folks use heavier-duty folding knives to double in the kitchen also. I think something like a Spyderco Stretch or Caly 3.5, particularly in ZDP-189, or even a BenchMade 710 in D2 or M390, to be an excellent "double-agent."

Caly 3.5 vg 10

 

[Sonnydaze]

Krav, nice fillets. I think you know "sharp" when you see it.
Sonnydaze

 

[jc57]

Here's some information that may help clarify the term:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_knife#Utility

 

[Codger_64]

so ive seen plenty of knives but ive noticed alot of "kitchen" knives say "utility" knife. in this case what are they saying? you can make a sheath for it and use it for work? its an all purpose knife? why not just call it a kitchen knife??

If I understand you correctly, you are asking the "root" of the term "utility knife" as used in kitchen knives? When refering to the specific catagory "kitchen knives" or more properly "Kitchen cutlery", it refers to a general kitchen use knife as opposed to one designed for a specific purpose in the kitchen.

As an example I'll refer to my 1941 Sears Roebuck & CO. catalog. Sears was at that time whe Nation's largest retail merchandiser of goods. They advertise no less than eight different branded sets that year, differing mostly in blade steel and handle design and materials. The knife names are thus:

Bread knife
Paring Knife
Utility knife
Grapefruit knife
Butcher knife
Slicer knife
Chopper knife (also called cleaver)
Boneing knife
Sticker knife
Skinning knife

Each blade is shaped a little differently for a different use in the kitchen. Or in rougher butchering in preparing meats for the kitchen. The ones called "utility" are multipurpose, intended for many different chores in the kitchen. The blade shape is like that of a small boning knife, usually around five inches of narrow blade and around 9 1/4" overall. Of course today if you go into a store and ask to see a "utility knife", you will be taken to the tool section and shown folding or retracting utility knives with replacable blades that workmen in the construction trades use. And what we now genericly call a "scout knife" was originally a "camp utility knife".

 

[Codger_64]

Here is a picture of page 639 of the 1944 catalog. Hopefully you can make out enough text to be of help.

 

[Franciscomv]

I think your question has been answered, but I'll add that some paring knives actually make pretty good work knives. I have a few Opinel and Victorinox 4" knives that I've modified to different shapes (mostly shortened them a bit and turned them into sheepfoot blades) and bought cheap leather sheaths for them (about $2 each at my friendly local feed store). I use them at the ranch and have one or two in each toolbox. A.G. Russel's Woodswalker has been working fine for me and it's about the same thickness as these cheap paring knives.

 

[pmeisel]

Codger, I wish I had an old Sears catalog. Grew up with that as prime reading material in the early 60s, and I'll bet the 40s and 50s were better.

 

[Codger_64]

I have most of them from the late 1930's through the early 1960's. They are a great resource for knife identification and history, and a lot of other topics as well. For instance I found an old waterfall bedroom suit at a secondhand store, with exotic inlaid wood verneers. Looking in my catalog collection I found the set sold by Sears in the 1940's.

Bicycles, clothes, sporting goods... it's all there still. I had to quit acquiring them though because of the cost and storage space they take up.

 

[knives4ever]

thanks for the help guys! and thank you codger that catalog was helpful:thumbup: