Knives have been around for thousands of years. They were used for hunting and food preparation, but also for self-defense, skinning animals, sewing wounds, and sharpening sticks to make spears or arrows. In modern times chefs used knives to prepare their dishes with precision and speed.

Many people enjoy collecting cool knives - there's something about them each in its own way that appeals to people worldwide! Some contain vintage ones dating back many centuries while others are into more modern collections or more traditional ones like hunting knives or pocket knives.

The earliest types were made of stone and they started off pretty much as sharp-edged rocks. Around 20,000 years ago flint was ground down into blades and flakes used as knives. These blades were chipped away to produce sharp edges, and this grinding process became more specialized over time to make smaller blades.

Knives have been around for a long time and they make an excellent tool. It's not surprising then, that there is a lot of variety in the styles of knives that are popular today. Some people favor stabbing, some favor slashing, some favor chopping; weapons such as real swords and maces can be used for both piercing and slashing. 

It is not so much what type of blade the knife uses but how it is employed in combat which determines what style a knife may be classified into. Not surprisingly, most popular knife styles fall into these ten amazing categories including:

Dagger knives are typically used for stabbing and come in a variety of shapes. Most modern daggers today are curved or leaf shaped. They can either be straight or curved blades with half tang construction. 

The blade is usually 4-8 inches long with a double fullered edge which gives it the ability to deliver a thrusting penetrating blow to the opponent. Daggers are generally made from quality stainless steel and are very dependable knives for fighting due to their ability to stay sharp and their excellent balance for combat.

A bowie knife is a style of knife that uses the bowie's curved design to focus the force from a blow in the heavy forward stabbing motion. Bowies are usually made from stainless steel and are usually 6 inches long with a straight or clip point blade. The point is sometimes replaced with a slightly rounded tip which can give the knife an advantage in fighting.

Hunters are somewhat similar to daggers, being both stabbing weapons but hunters tend to be smaller in size and lighter in weight than daggers, thus being easier to use for stabbing. 

Hunters are primarily designed to be used in the forward thrusting motion and have a slightly curved blade with a very light tip. Hunters come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Hunting knives are usually made from quality stainless steel, but many manufacturers will also use carbon steel.

Combat knives are most often used for stabbing and slashing applications, and although they can also be used for cutting or chopping, it is rare that any knife could survive if it were to be used for cutting purposes. Combat knives are sized much less than hunting knives due to the fact that most combat situations involve fighting rather than stalking an opponent.

Combat knives also tend to be much heavier than hunting knives due to the fact that they are designed for use in battle, so while they are often lighter on weight than daggers and bowies, they can still be heavy enough to cause significant damage or even kill an opponent.

Combat knives usually have a straight or slightly curved blade with a clip point or spear point and the handle is made out of wood. The blade has a thick spine that tapers down to meet the edge of the knife which helps drive the force of a thrust deeper into an opponent. These knives can be made from stainless steel, carbon steel, Damascus steel, and other alloys depending on manufacturer preference.

Kukri knives are meant to be used in a slashing motion. This is accomplished by a heavy blade design with a thick spine and the edge of the knife sharpened almost all the way up to the spine. The kukri machete is an extremely effective fighting knife because of its design and its effectiveness as a slashing weapon. 

This knife is a curved Nepalese knife with a straight handle and an inwardly curved blade that is typically between 30-70 cm (12-27 in) long. The hilt of the kukri can vary considerably in style, but it typically consists of a bolster which is pierced by two holes used for tying the hilt to the weaver’s necklace worn around the neck.

There are many different types of kukris, and they are popular with military personnel and outdoorsmen. They were originally designed by Gurkhas as tools used primarily for killing animals and cutting undergrowth while wearing cumbersome heavy woolen clothing on long treks through dense jungle terrain.

Survival knives differ slightly from combat knives; they also have straight or slightly curved blades with either clip or spear points, but survival knives are generally made from either stainless steel or carbon steel. 

They also have a thicker blade with a heavy spine and the edge sharpened all the way up to the spine. A Survival knife helps prevent loss of grip or control in hand to hand fighting and are used for self-defense as well as hunting.

Folders are tucked away into a pocket or concealed in an outer sleeve and can be used to stab, slash, chop, or stab-chop depending on what you hold it with. They are made from quality stainless steel and titanium. Folders are one of many blade styles, and they're popular with many chefs and people who love to cook. 

They are designed so that the two halves of the knife can neatly fold together when not in use. This reduces any chance of damage to the blades, which can sometimes happen when knives are stored in a drawer or on a rack.

Some folders have single-piece construction, while others have handles that fit over the blade tangs. There is also variety in terms of blade shape; some folders have either a sheep's foot or spear tip shape for their pointy end.

Folding knives or pocket knives are similar to folders but they have a locking mechanism which helps lock the blade into place when folded open. They are also made from quality stainless steel and titanium. A folding knife could serve any number of purposes. 

It's often used for household chores or for being prepared in case of emergency; it might be used by hunters who want to take different types of game or need to field dress an animal quickly and easily; it might be useful for wilderness survival; and it could be very useful in self defense when you're faced with an aggressor who wants your belongings or wants you dead.

Belt knives are designed to be worn around the waist and have a small lever on the back of the knife that folds the blade into a compact position and locks itself when it is locked into place. They come in many varieties with various styles of handles with different grips and locking mechanisms. 

The belt buckle knife usually has a metal blade. They have a single or double-edged metal blade, which they fold inwards towards the sheath. Belt knives are not just handy in hunting, but also as an eating utensil, for gutting fish and dressing game, for skinning animals and general utility.

Multitools or tactical knives are made from quality stainless steel and tend to be very durable for everyday use around camp, in the kitchen, or for other uses where you may need multiple tools all accessible in one convenient location. They can include attachments such as saws, wire cutters, screwdrivers and blades. They often have a belt clip to attach it to the user's pocket or come with an integrated keychain. 

The term comes from the Swiss Army Knife of the United States which is also called the U.S.-Swiss Army Knife or USSAK for short, which uses twofold spring action for opening and closing its blades in addition to other features seen on more contemporary knives.

All types of knife styles are amazing tools and used for a variety of purposes. These include everything from the popular "survival knives" with their thicker blades and serrated edges, to small concealed folding knives. For these reasons and more, you should always keep a knife in your bug out bag. They are now used as self defense weapons in certain situations.

There are many different styles of knives, but one of the most popular and useful styles is the folding knife. Its main advantages are that it can be easily transported and concealed, it is lightweight, and it has a lock mechanism to keep the blade in place while it's not in use. It is one of the most useful tools to use in every situation. Also, these knives are handy and you can easily use them anywhere.