Knives have been an integral part of human tools and weapons for thousands of years. As such, many colorful slang terms have developed over time to refer to knives.
Common Slang Terms for Knife
Here are some of the most common slang terms for knife:
| Slang Term | Meaning |
| Shiv | A crudely made homemade knife, often seen in prisons |
| Pigsticker | Large hunting or survival knife |
| Switchblade | A folding pocket knife with a button to automatically deploy the blade |
| Stiletto | A thin dagger with a long, slender blade |
| Butterfly knife | A folding pocket knife that splits in half and spins around the handle |
“Shiv” is one of the most common slang terms for a homemade or improvised knife, especially in prison. A shiv is often crafted by sharpening scrap metal or glass into a crude but effective stabbing weapon.
Other prison slang for knives includes “shank” and “tool.” Outside of prison, “pigsticker” and “stiletto” are slang terms used to describe large hunting knives and daggers, respectively.
Regional Slang Terms for Knives
Some knife slang is region-specific:
| Slang Term | Region | Meaning |
| Chiv | British | A knife, especially one used as a weapon |
| Clicky | Australian | Switchblade or automatic opening knife |
| Fourchettes | Cajun | Small folding pocket knife |
“Chiv” is British slang for a knife or stabbing weapon. In Australia, switchblades are known as “clickies” because of the clicking sound they make when opened automatically.
Cajuns in Louisiana have colorful slang like “fourchettes” (meaning “little forks”) for small penknives. There are certainly many other regional knife slang terms to be found.
Slang Terms by Blade Type and Use
Knife slang often describes the type of blade or purpose of the knife:
| Slang Term | Meaning |
| Toothpick | A very small, thin blade |
| Wharncliffe | A blade with a straight cutting edge and a drop point |
| Carpet knife | A utility knife for cutting carpet, packing materials, etc. |
| Lightsaber | A tactical or combat knife with a long, thin blade |
| Rocker | A knife adapted for skinning through a curved, semi-circular blade |
As these examples show, slang terms often describe a particular style of blade, like a short “toothpick” blade or a long “lightsaber” blade designed for combat and self-defense.
Terms like “carpet knife” and “rocker” refer directly to the purpose or use case of a particular knife. This practical slang gives color to the many specialized uses of knives.
Rhyming Slang and Metaphorical Terms
As with other types of slang, slang terms for knives sometimes rely on rhyming words and clever metaphors:
| Slang Term | Possible Origins |
| Breadknife | Rhyming analogy to a household bread knife |
| Saturday night special | Cheap knives associated with late-night street crime |
| Toothbrush | Comparison of a very small knife to a toothbrush |
| Razor | Comparison of a knife’s sharp cutting edge to a straight razor |
Rhyming slang like “breadknife” and metaphorical terms like “Saturday night special” add color and humor to knife slang vocabulary. These terms paint a vivid picture of how knives are seen in society.
Knife Brand Names as Slang
Famous knife brands have also come to stand in as slang terms for knives in general:
| Slang Term | Original Knife Brand |
| X-Acto | X-Acto precision knives |
| Box cutter | Stanley box cutter utility knives |
| Buck knife | Buck Knives brand of hunting knives |
| Kabar | Kabar brand combat/tactical knives |
Because these brands are so well-known, their names became shorthand for referring generically to certain types of knives. This demonstrates how influential certain brands can be in shaping slang and terminology.
Obscure and Uncommon Knife Slang
There are many more unusual and obscure slang terms for knives drawn from history and culture:
| Slang Term | Meaning |
| Flick | Dagger or pocket knife |
| Grinder | Homemade prison knife |
| Hogleg | Very large sheath knife |
| Linoleum lifter | A heavy-duty flooring knife |
| Lonsdale | Unbranded Asian-made knife |
These examples provide a glimpse into the rich vein of eclectic slang that knifemakers and enthusiasts use to describe different facets of their craft. There are likely many more examples of obscure knife slang waiting to be discovered.
Conclusion
The array of colorful slang terms for knives reflects the tool’s important place in society. From crude shanks to elegant stilettos, knives have a mystique that lends itself to their own vivid vocabulary. Regional terms, prison slang, brands becoming generic names, and rhyming metaphors all contribute to the knife’s lyrical language on the streets and in popular culture.