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43-550: The Pistolet Mitrailleur MAS modèle 38 (MAS Model 38 Submachine Gun) was developed from the experimental MAS-35, itself derived from the STA 1922 and the MAS 1924 both in 9 mm produced immediately after World War I. Prior to the development of this weapon France used a variety of German and Swiss submachine guns. MAS, the Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne (Saint-Étienne Weapons Factory),

86-481: A hunting knife , soldiers use the combat knife , scouts, campers, and hikers carry a pocketknife ; there are kitchen knives for preparing foods (the chef's knife , the paring knife, bread knife , cleaver ), table knife ( butter knives and steak knives ), weapons ( daggers or switchblades ), knives for throwing or juggling, and knives for religious ceremony or display (the kirpan ). A modern knife consists of: The blade edge can be plain or serrated , or

129-447: A tantō , a common Japanese knife. An athame , a ceremonial knife, is used in Wicca and derived forms of neopagan witchcraft. In Greece , a black-handled knife placed under the pillow is used to keep away nightmares. As early as 1646 reference is made to a superstition of laying a knife across another piece of cutlery being a sign of witchcraft . A common belief is that if a knife

172-451: A combination of both. Single-edged knives may have a reverse edge or false edge occupying a section of the spine. These edges are usually serrated and are used to further enhance function. The handle, used to grip and manipulate the blade safely, may include a tang , a portion of the blade that extends into the handle. Knives are made with partial tangs (extending part way into the handle, known as "stick tangs") or full tangs (extending

215-406: A cradle, to protect the baby; knives were included in some Anglo-Saxon burial rites, so the dead would not be defenseless in the next world. The knife plays an important role in some initiation rites, and many cultures perform rituals with a variety of knives, including the ceremonial sacrifices of animals. Samurai warriors, as part of bushido , could perform ritual suicide, or seppuku , with

258-453: A layered structure, combining the attributes of both. For example, a harder, more brittle steel may be pressed between an outer layer of softer, tougher, stainless steel to reduce vulnerability to corrosion. In this case, however, the part most affected by corrosion, the edge, is still vulnerable. Damascus steel is a form of pattern welding with similarities to laminate construction. Layers of different steel types are welded together, but then

301-557: A number of different materials, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. Handles are produced in a wide variety of shapes and styles. Handles are often textured to enhance grip. More exotic materials usually only seen on art or ceremonial knives include: Stone, bone, mammoth tooth, mammoth ivory, oosik (walrus penis bone), walrus tusk, antler (often called stag in a knife context), sheep horn, buffalo horn, teeth, and mop (mother of pearl or "pearl"). Many materials have been employed in knife handles. Handles may be adapted to accommodate

344-427: A sharp edge for years with no maintenance at all, but are fragile and will break if dropped on a hard surface or twisted in use. They can only be sharpened on silicon carbide sandpaper and appropriate grinding wheels. Plastic blades are not sharp and are usually serrated to enable them to cut. They are often disposable. Steel blades are commonly shaped by forging or stock removal. Forged blades are made by heating

387-445: A single piece of steel, then shaping the metal while hot using a hammer or press. Stock removal blades are shaped by grinding and removing metal. With both methods, after shaping, the steel must be heat treated . This involves heating the steel above its critical point, then quenching the blade to harden it. After hardening, the blade is tempered to remove stresses and make the blade tougher. Mass manufactured kitchen cutlery uses both

430-427: A small amount of carbon. It is not able to take quite as sharp an edge as carbon steel, but is highly resistant to corrosion. High carbon stainless steel is stainless steel with a higher amount of carbon, intended to incorporate the better attributes of carbon steel and stainless steel. High carbon stainless steel blades do not discolor or stain, and maintain a sharp edge. Laminated blades use multiple metals to create

473-596: A stud, hole, disk, or flipper located on the blade, all of which have the benefit of allowing the user to open the knife with one hand. The "wave" feature is another prominent design, which uses a part of the blade that protrudes outward to catch on one's pocket as it is drawn, thus opening the blade; this was patented by Ernest Emerson and is not only used on many of the Emerson knives, but also on knives produced by several other manufacturers, notably Spyderco and Cold Steel . Automatic or switchblade knives open using

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516-412: A utility tool the knife can take many forms, including: The knife plays a significant role in some cultures through ritual and superstition , as the knife was an essential tool for survival since early man. Knife symbols can be found in various cultures to symbolize all stages of life; for example, a knife placed under the bed while giving birth is said to ease the pain, or, stuck into the headboard of

559-472: A wavy, scalloped or saw-like blade. Serrated blades are more well suited for tasks that require aggressive 'sawing' motions, whereas plain edge blades are better suited for tasks that require push-through cuts (e.g., shaving, chopping, slicing). Many knives have holes in the blade for various uses. Holes are commonly drilled in blades to reduce friction while cutting, increase single-handed usability of pocket knives, and, for butchers' knives, allow hanging out of

602-703: Is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade , usually attached to a handle or hilt . One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago , as evidenced by the Oldowan tools. Originally made of wood, bone, and stone (such as flint and obsidian ), over the centuries, in step with improvements in both metallurgy and manufacturing, knife blades have been made from copper , bronze , iron , steel , ceramic , and titanium . Most modern knives have either fixed or folding blades; blade patterns and styles vary by maker and country of origin. Knives can serve various purposes. Hunters use

645-435: Is an OTF (out-the-front) switchblade, which only requires the push of a button or spring to cause the blade to slide out of the handle and lock into place. To retract the blade back into the handle, a release lever or button, usually the same control as to open, is pressed. A very common form of sliding knife is the sliding utility knife (commonly known as a stanley knife or boxcutter). The handles of knives can be made from

688-460: Is transferred from the hook on the blade's tang to the hook on the rocker bar and thence to the small rocker pin. Excessive stress can shear one or both of these hooks rendering the knife effectively useless. Knife company Cold Steel uses a variant of the lock back called the Tri-Ad Lock which introduces a pin in front of the rocker bar to relieve stress on the rocker pin, has an elongated hole around

731-529: Is unknown. The French police continued to use the MAS-38 after World War II until it was replaced in the 1950s by the MAT-49 submachine gun. The MAS-38 is 623mm (24.53 in) long with a 224 mm (8.82 in) barrel; it weighs 2.87 kg (6.33 lb) empty. It uses a 32-round box magazine. The muzzle velocity is 350 m/s (1,148 ft/s) and it has a rate of fire of 600 to 700 rounds per minute. The MAS-38

774-412: Is used to mechanically strengthen the knife. Knife blades can be manufactured from a variety of materials, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. Carbon steel , an alloy of iron and carbon , can be very sharp. It holds its edge well, and remains easy to sharpen, but is vulnerable to rust and stains. Stainless steel is an alloy of iron, chromium , possibly nickel , and molybdenum , with only

817-594: The July Monarchy , annual production was well over 30,000 firearms. In 1864, the modern factory was built, new steam-powered machines were installed and the first military standardized bolt-action rifle, the Chassepot , was produced from 1866 on, then the Gras rifle after 1874. The MAC-designed Lebel rifle entered production in 1886. MAS later designed and manufactured the family of rifles chambered in 7.5×54mm French , from

860-699: The MAS-36 through the MAS-49/56 , then later the FAMAS bullpup assault rifle , which uses the 5.56×45mm NATO round. In 2001, weapons production ceased as MAS was absorbed into the Nexter Group. OPTSYS, a Nexter subsidiary specializing in optical equipment and protected vision for armored vehicles, is currently located in Saint-Étienne. Knife A knife ( pl. : knives ; from Old Norse knifr 'knife, dirk' )

903-408: The liner lock , an L-shaped split in the liner allows part of the liner to move sideways from its resting position against the handle to the centre of the knife where it rests against the flat end of the tang. To disengage, this leaf spring is pushed so it again rests flush against the handle allowing the knife to rotate. A frame lock is functionally identical but instead of using a thin liner inside

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946-869: The General Inspector of the Royal Arms Manufacture of Charleville . 12,000 weapons were being produced each year when the French Revolution began in 1789. The city was renamed Armsville during the Revolutionary period and production increased to arm the French Revolutionary Army . Subsequently, the French Empire required a threefold increase in production to meet the needs of the Grande Armée in its conquest of Europe. By 1838, during

989-533: The MAS-38 did not detract from its accuracy, but its cartridge was underpowered compared to the German 9mm standard pistol ammunition. Manufacture d%27armes de Saint-%C3%89tienne (MAS) The Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne , often abbreviated to MAS ("Saint-Étienne Weapons Factory" in English), was a French state-owned weapons manufacturer in the town of Saint-Étienne , Loire . Founded in 1764, it

1032-405: The blade is not released by means of a button or catch on the handle; rather, the blade itself is the actuator. Most assisted openers use flippers as their opening mechanism. Assisted opening knives can be as fast or faster than automatic knives to deploy. In the lock back , as in many folding knives, a stop pin acting on the top (or behind) the blade prevents it from rotating clockwise. A hook on

1075-437: The effect of preventing French soldiers from using captured enemy ammunition. The MAS-38 is easily recognizable due to its unorthodox receiver layout. This is because the receiver and butt diverge in alignment from the axis of the barrel by several degrees, making the weapon compact as its bolt recoils inside a tube running through the buttstock, while also enabling a lighter bolt to be used by providing mechanical disadvantage to

1118-404: The forging and stock removal processes. Forging tends to be reserved for manufacturers' more expensive product lines, and can often be distinguished from stock removal product lines by the presence of an integral bolster, though integral bolsters can be crafted through either shaping method. Knives are sharpened in various ways. Flat ground blades have a profile that tapers from the thick spine to

1161-481: The full length of the handle, often visible on top and bottom). There is also the enterçado construction method present in antique knives from Brazil, such as the Sorocaban Knife , which consists in riveting a repurposed blade to the ricasso of a bladeless handle. The handle may include a bolster, a piece of heavy material (usually metal) situated at the front or rear of the handle. The bolster, as its name suggests,

1204-468: The gun as a substitute standard weapon, naming it the 7.65 mm MP722(f) . They continued production of the gun for their own armed forces and supplied some to the Vichy French . On April 28, 1945, one was used by Italian partisans to execute the former Fascist leader Benito Mussolini . Production ended in 1949. By that time 1,958 were manufactured before German occupation, and further production

1247-425: The handle material uses a thicker piece of metal as the handle and the same split in it allows a section of the frame to press against the tang. A sliding knife is a knife that can be opened by sliding the knife blade out the front of the handle. One method of opening is where the blade exits out the front of the handle point-first and then is locked into place (an example of this is the gravity knife ). Another form

1290-465: The handle of the knife on both sides allowing the user to slide the bolt backward freeing the knife to close. The Axis Lock used by knife maker Benchmade is functionally identical to the bolt lock except that it uses a cylinder rather than a rectangle to trap the blade. The Arc Lock by knife maker SOG is similar to the Axis Lock except the cylinder follows a curved path rather than a straight path. In

1333-492: The needs of people with disabilities. For example, knife handles may be made thicker or with more cushioning for people with arthritis in their hands. A non-slip handle accommodates people with palmar hyperhidrosis . As a weapon, the knife is universally adopted as an essential tool. It is the essential element of a knife fight . For example: A primary aspect of the knife as a tool includes dining, used either in food preparation or as cutlery . Examples of this include: As

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1376-422: The pressure from the expanding propellant gases. To allow a natural aiming stance, the butt had to drop while the receiver had to remain in alignment. This required that the bolt approach the breech at an angle and the face of the bolt was cut obliquely to allow it to close evenly on the cartridge. The MAS-38 also features an unusual safety catch: the bolt was locked (in either the forward or rear position) by pushing

1419-428: The rocker pin to allow the mechanism to wear over time without losing strength and angles the hooks so that the faces no longer meet vertically. The bolt in the bolt lock is a rectangle of metal that is constrained to slide only back and forward. When the knife is open a spring biases the bolt to the forward position where it rests above the tang of the blade preventing the blade from closing. Small knobs extend through

1462-489: The sharp edge in a straight or convex line. Seen in cross section, the blade would form a long, thin triangle, or where the taper does not extend to the back of the blade, a long thin rectangle with one peaked side. Hollow ground blades have concave , beveled edges. The resulting blade has a thinner edge, so it may have better cutting ability for shallow cuts, but it is lighter and less durable than flat ground blades and will tend to bind in deep cuts. Serrated blade knives have

1505-410: The stock is manipulated to create patterns in the steel. Titanium is a metal that has a better strength-to-weight ratio, is more wear resistant, and more flexible than steel. Although less hard and unable to take as sharp an edge, carbides in the titanium alloy allow them to be heat-treated to a sufficient hardness. Ceramic blades are hard, brittle, lightweight, and do not corrode: they may maintain

1548-473: The stored energy from a spring that is released when the user presses a button or lever or other actuator built into the handle of the knife. Automatic knives are severely restricted by law in the UK and most American states. Increasingly common are assisted opening knives which use springs to propel the blade once the user has moved it past a certain angle. These differ from automatic or switchblade knives in that

1591-405: The tang of the blade engages with a hook on the rocker bar which prevents the blade from rotating counter-clockwise. The rocker bar is held in position by a torsion bar. To release the knife the rocker bar is pushed downwards as indicated and pivots around the rocker pin, lifting the hook and freeing the blade. When negative pressure (pushing down on the spine) is applied to the blade all the stress

1634-444: The trigger forward. A valuable feature was that tools were not required for its disassembly. A very high quality weapon, the MAS-38 was machined from solid steel with only a few stamped parts. It was designed with a buffered sear assembly to prevent wear and increase the life of the internal parts. A dual range sight system was concealed within the receiver so as to be out of sight until it was flipped up for use. The odd appearance of

1677-449: The user's hand, folding knives typically have a locking mechanism. Different locking mechanisms are favored by various individuals for reasons such as perceived strength (lock safety), legality, and ease of use. Popular locking mechanisms include: Another prominent feature of many folding knives is the opening mechanism. Traditional pocket knives and Swiss Army knives commonly employ the nail nick, while modern folding knives more often use

1720-411: The way when not in use. A fixed blade knife, sometimes called a sheath knife , does not fold or slide, and is typically stronger due to the tang, the extension of the blade into the handle, and lack of moving parts. A folding knife connects the blade to the handle through a pivot , allowing the blade to fold into the handle. To prevent injury to the knife user through the blade accidentally closing on

1763-521: Was a French supplier of arms that manufactured several firearms for the French military, including the MAS-36 rifle , the MAS-49 rifle , and the FAMAS . It is now part of Nexter . The French Ministry of War said it had no need for a submachine gun and mass-production did not begin until 1939. The German army seized the MAS plant in 1940 just as the MAS-38 was entering large-scale production. The Germans accepted

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1806-461: Was chambered for the 7.65mm Longue cartridge, which although similar to the .30 Pedersen cartridge is not an exact copy. The 7.65 French Longue cartridge is nearly identical to its predecessor used by the Pedersen device, but with slight differences in the groove of the shell. This was also the cartridge used for France's M1935 series of service pistols, allowing for limited standardization, but with

1849-509: Was merged into the French state-owned defense conglomerate GIAT Industries in 2001. Saint-Étienne was well-known as a center of sword and knife manufacturing beginning in the Middle Ages. In 1665, a Royal Arms Depot was created in Paris to store military weapons made in Saint-Étienne. The Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne was created by royal decree in 1764 under the supervision of

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