Knives are arguably man’s oldest tools, sharpened flints being the beginning of our development of knives. For thousands of years cutting tools have been used to catch and kill game, to skin and butcher it for cooking, to prepare its skin and sinews for use in clothing and tentage, to cut wood for fires and tools and, of course, as weapons. Metals, at first copper and bronze, subsequently iron and then steel, replaced stone as the material of choice. Metals are capable of holding a more durable edge than stone though obsidian, a glassy flint, is possibly sharper and finds use in specialist optical surgery. Even in this modern era there is a great demand for knives of all types.
below: Stages in the forging of a blade from blank to finished knife
Created on 02/04/2003 10:24 AM by admin
Updated on 11/05/2006 10:10 PM by admin
|
|
