Why do butcher knives have that hole?

If you are fond of cooking and cutting, and have a range of butcher knives, you will notice a hole at the edge of each butcher. But the normal knives don’t have any holes, though chefs use both of them for the same purpose. Want to know the reason behind the hole? Then keep reading the article.

The butcher knife is a piece of knife used for processing meat, such as splitting, stripping, and cutting meat. Each butcher knife contains a hole. But most people don’t know why butcher knives have that hole. Some often Google to know the reason, while others remain in the dark.

Therefore, in this article, I am going to discuss why butcher knives have that hole comprehensively. Along with this, you will get to know the usage of butcher knives and some answers to the questions that people frequently ask. So, let’s start.

What is a butcher knife? 

There are several types of knives. Among them, butcher knives are one of the most used knives that chefs everyday use. Butcher knives are usually large-sized, rectangular-shaped with a thick knife. They are 6 to 8 inches long and contain a large, strong blade.

Though these knives have slight curves in general; some have Granton edges as well. So that chefs can cut the piece of meat without tearing the meat.

The usage of butcher knives:

Usually, chefs and other people use a butcher knife for the following purposes:

• To cut the meats without tearing the piece
• To shape the bones
• Stripping
• Cleaving
• chopping heads off the fishes

Why do butcher knives have that hole?

There are several reasons why the butcher knives contain a hole. Some of them are mentioned below:

1.    Large size: These butcher knives tend to be larger and wider than other types of knives. You can keep the other types of knives easily in the drawer because of their smaller sizes. But you will face difficulties when it comes to butcher knives since they are larger and wider. Therefore, there is a hole at the edge of the knife to keep them hanging.
2.    To avoid accidents: It is a fact that a knife that can cut the bones of an animal can cut your bone too. If a butcher knife slips and falls on the floor, it can cause severe damages to your body. That’s why chefs don’t keep these knives on the board but hang them using the hole on the wall to avoid accidents.
3.    Helps to cut: when you cut a big piece of meat while holding just the handle, you will feel resistant. It will finally distort the perfect shape of the meat due to the extensive force. But if you place one hand in the hole part and another in the handle, the total force will cut the meat effortlessly and smoothly.
4.    Provides easy access: If you place the knife in a high place, you can easily catch the knife with its hole.
5.    Restoring the knife: Sometimes, the knives get stuck with the meat, and you can’t just move the knife from the meat. It is especially true for the frozen meats. At that time, the hole helps to retrieve the knife.

FAQ:

What are the dissimilarities between a butcher knife and cleaver?

The basic difference between a butcher knife and a cleaver is that the butcher knife is larger, wider, and has a thicker blade with a hole. A butcher knife is more convenient for slicing, trimming, and removing fat from raw meat.

On the other hand, a cleaver is like a butcher knife, but they are lighter, containing a slighter, taller blade. Moreover, all cleaver doesn’t contain holes. These knives are convenient for cutting bone and cartilage.

How to hold a butcher knife properly?

The best way to hold the butcher knife is to place your hand strength in the handle to secure the knife in one hand and to place your thumb on the upper part of the blade with another hand to protect it more securely.

Final verdict:

There is no doubt a butcher blade is a wholly convenient thing to have. It really eases the process of cutting meat. You can also cut the bone of the meat and trim, slice, and remove fat from the meat. There are several merits of having a hole at the edge of the blade, such as the hole really helps store the knife, cut the meat without distorting the shape, retrieve the knife, and so on.

But it is also a fact that if your knife has a large hole, the cutting part will be impotent. As a result, the blade can be displaced while cutting meat. So, keep a bird’s eye on the hole and other parts of the knife before buying it.

We hope, now you know why there is a hole in a butcher knife. We also believe that you have found the article very comprehensive and helpful.