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Knives were a common sort of cutting tool used in everyday life, with a multitude of potential functions. Knives resembled daggers, but tended to be smaller and used for non-combat purposes.[1][2][3]

It is better to have a bad knife than a good dwarf.
— An (alleged) old elven expression[4]

Description[]

The average knife was a small single-edged, pointed blade, but they could also be serrated or hooked for specialized purposes. Typical heavy-duty blades were usually made from iron or steel, but dining cutlery could make use of brass and silver designs, and knapped flint or sharpened bone could also serve as cutting tools.[5][1][2][3][7]

Knives and other small blades were often kept sharp through the regular use of a leather strop, a stiff piece of treated leather.[8]

Variations & Usage[]

HuntingKnife

Hunting knives for killing, slicing, sawing, gutting, and skinning.

  • Knives could be used as weapons if nothing else was available. Though they were generally not designed for combat and had a painfully short reach, a knife was more easily concealable and basically ubiquitous among all manner of folk, and so found regular use.[9][10]
  • Kitchen and table knives joined forks, spoons, plates, bowls, mugs, and cauldrons in the preparation and serving of meals for homes, inns, and taverns.[7] The knife was a common unit of measurement used in cooking, referring to the amount of a gluey substance such as fat that could be held atop the flat of a large kitchen knife.[11]
  • Butcher's knives were used in conjunction with other tools in the shop to drain the blood from carcasses, skin them, and produce cuts of meat.[4]
  • Cleavers were a kind of heavy axe-like knife used for chopping through ingredients for cooking.[7]
  • Death knives, a variety of concealed knives.[12]
  • Folding knives were simple devices that folded one or two blades inside the handle.[10]
  • Hunting knives referred to those knives used for preparing fresh animal carcasses in the field, and were specialized for quickly gutting, cleaning, and skinning kills.[5][4]
  • Jugglables often included blunted knives among the other objects, in order to add some flair and drama to the performance.[6] Sleight-of-hand "magic" tricks could also use special retractable knives that only appeared to impale the subject.[13]
  • Medical tools included various fine and delicate knives such as scalpels intended for cutting into a patient and addressing internal injury or illness.[3][14] Dissections, anatomy studies, and the harvesting of reagents from carcasses used a similar set of knives and other tools.[15]
  • Neverwinter knives were small blades that could be hidden inside jewelery and accessories.[16]
  • Penknives were small, delicate blades used for office work.[17]
  • Push knives were small T-shaped blades of minimal size, designed to be stabbed into the target.[10]
  • Razors were extremely sharp, fine blades that were ideally used for carefully shaving hair.[18] They could also be used for cutting throats.[4]
  • Leatherworkers used specialized tools for working with hides and leather. The round knife was a large-bladed knife used for slicing through material, while the swivel knife was a small and delicate chisel-like tool.[19]
  • Sashimi knives were a type of of kitchen knife unique to Kozakura, so named for their use in preparing sashimi.[20]
  • Scaling knives were blades used to remove scales from fish.[21]
  • Shanks were simple blades mainly used by cheap thugs and thieves.[22]
  • Skinning knives were large, solid blades used by hunters and butchers, designed to carefully cut through hides and remove them without damaging them or the meat.[5][4]
  • Taxidermy knives were thin, delicate blades used to prepare remains for preservation.[23]
  • Throwing knives were light, balanced blades designed to be thrown rather than used to thrust or slash.[10]

Notable Knives[]

Appendix[]

See Also[]

Appearances[]

Video Games

Organized Play & Licensed Adventures

Gallery[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Connie Rae Henson & Dale "slade" Henson (August 1992). The Magic Encyclopedia Volume One. (TSR, Inc), p. 50. ISBN 9781560764298.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Dale Henson (February 1993). The Magic Encyclopedia, Volume Two. (TSR, Inc), p. 86. ISBN ISBN 978-156076563.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Larian Studios (October 2020). Designed by Swen Vincke, et al. Baldur's Gate III. Larian Studios.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 63. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 9. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 28. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), pp. 65, 66. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
  8. Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 59. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
  9. Gary Gygax (August, 1985). Unearthed Arcana (1st edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 26. ISBN 0880380845.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Template:Cite dragon/140/An Assortment of Knives
  11. Ed Greenwood (January 1996). Volo's Guide to the Dalelands. (TSR, Inc), p. 68. ISBN 0-7869-0406-2.
  12. John Nephew, Carl Sargent and Douglas Niles (1989). The Complete Thief's Handbook. Edited by Scott Haring. (TSR), pp. 101–101. ISBN 0-88038-780-7.
  13. Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 29. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
  14. Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), pp. 143, 144. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
  15. Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 42. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
  16. Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), pp. 130–131. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
  17. Allen Varney (May 1989). Knight of the Living Dead. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 22A, 156C. ISBN 978-0880385985.
  18. Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), pp. 34, 100. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
  19. Cryptic Studios (June 2013). Neverwinter. Perfect World Entertainment.
  20. Jon Pickens, et al. (December 1986). Night of the Seven Swords. Edited by Karen S. Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 43, 46. ISBN 0-88038-327-5.
  21. Allen Varney (May 1989). Knight of the Living Dead. (TSR, Inc.), p. 93B. ISBN 978-0880385985.
  22. Ed Greenwood (January 1993). Volo's Guide to Waterdeep. (TSR, Inc.), p. 76. ISBN 1-56076-335-3.
  23. 23.0 23.1 Ossian Studios (June 2018). Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford. Beamdog.
  24. Gary Gygax (August, 1985). Unearthed Arcana (1st edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 106. ISBN 0880380845.
  25. Sean K. Reynolds (2000). Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 77. ISBN 0-7869-1710-5.
  26. Jennell Jaquays (February 1988). The Shattered Statue. Edited by Steve Perrin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 15. ISBN 0-88038-498-0.
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