History of the knife
The importance of the knife for human development
What invention was most important to human development? Was it a bicycle, a printing press or a steam engine? Or Facebook? Wrong, it was probably a knife.
Why was the knife so crucial to the development? It allowed its owner to do jobs he couldn’t do without it. What’s more, he was able to do them in a very short time. The knife therefore provided our ancestors with time to develop their skills and communication.
The history of the knife
The knife appeared 2.5 million years ago, when the ancestors of man lived on the world. It was one of the first tools that the inhabitants of Earth adopted. Since those times, the knife has accompanied man to the present day. It is not surprising, then, that one has a special bond with this instrument.
Already in prehistoric times people used the knife not only for hunting but also for survival. Later, knives became essential tools for shelter construction and food preparation. The original knives were merely sharp objects and only gradually evolved into the modern knife we know today.
Technological progress
The original knives were made of wood, bone and stone. Flint, a soft stone that can be easily shaped, played a particularly important role. The discovery of metallurgy made it possible to produce tools from metal. Knives were made of copper, bronze, iron and carbon steel.
Today’s knives are mostly made of steel, or ceramic or titanium.
A significant event in the development of the knife was the discovery of stainless steel. Thanks to it, the use of the knife has become widespread, especially in gastronomy.
The development of the knife handle is a separate chapter. The prehistoric knife had no handle, the blade with the edge was held directly in the hand. In the Stone Age, people found that it was better to work with a tool that had a special part designed for holding, a knife with a handle was created.
Originally, the handle and the blade of the knife were one unit. Handles made of other material appeared only in the Celtic culture around 600 thousand years BC. The first handles were made of bone.
Later, wooden, metal and leather handles appeared. Nowadays, a wide variety of materials are used for handles, from natural to synthetic. In between are the so-called stabilized materials, which are natural materials (wood, horn, but also others) impregnated with synthetic resin to increase durability.
In medieval Europe, knives became larger and longer and evolved into the sword. Later, other weapons such as spears and axes began to appear, and the knife became a weapon of war.
Knife in society
Knives are widely used in food preparation. During the 15th century, wealthy men began carrying knives, which had a dual purpose: for defense and as a tool for eating. In those days, hosts did not offer their guests crockery or cutlery. Guests started bringing knives with them to cut their food. From 17th century, the use of knives for eating became widespread.
An interesting development took place at the end of the 1730s. In an effort to curb aggressive behaviour, Cardinal Richelieu persuaded King Louis XIV to ban the use of sharp knives at the dinner table by decree. This led to the development of the round-edged dining knife as we know it today. Since a round knife cannot be skewered, a fork with 4 prongs was created.
Knives today
Knives are used for various purposes. There are hunting knives, camp knives, cooking knives, table knives, fighting knives and ceremonial knives. Today, EDC knives (everyday carry knives) are becoming increasingly popular, as they are not in the way and can be kept close at hand at all times.
Look, shape i materials from which the knives are made, has always been subject not only to purpose, but also to fashion and personal taste. It has always been true that a knife reflects the personality of its owner.
The knife and the law
In connection with the history of the knife, it is worth mentioning its connection with culture and law. The knife served not only as a tool but also as a weapon. It therefore gave the owner an advantage over potential rivals. There have always been greater or lesser efforts to regulate the ownership and carrying of knives.
These tendencies are still present today. There are states where owning and possessing a knife can be a crime. So the mere ability to commit a wrong is punished. Fortunately, the Czech Republic is one of the liberal countries where we look at the knife as a tool.
Although today the knife does not play such a fundamental role in people’s lives as it used to, there are still many people who want to own a good knife.
Why?
Because a knife has a soul.
More about the history of the knife can be found here.