monocoque

English translation: monocoque

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	monocoque
English translation:	monocoque
Entered by:	reubenius

13:13 Dec 24, 2005

French to English translations [PRO]
Other / kitchen equipment

French term or phrase: monocoque

un choix de 2 couteaux: un couteau monocoque, et un couteau monobloc plus lourd et plus epais.
They're made of 18/10 stainless steel.

I'd like to know if there are proper terms for 'monocoque' and 'monobloc' when talking about knives? I'd translate 'monobloc' as 'one piece', but how is 'monocoque' different? 'single-shell' doesn't sound right for a knife.

Merry Christmas to all. Any help much appreciated, as always.

reubenius KudoZ activity Questions: 163 (none open) (5 without valid answers) (12 closed without grading) Answers: 58 United Kingdom
Local time: 07:48

monocoque and single piece knife

Explanation:
just to complicate your life, it's obviously not that simple -

they both mean all in one piece, so I searched lots of sites that sell knifes - canadiantire.ca, sears.ca crem.com (centre du rasoir)
it seems that monocoque is really all in one piece, and various selling sites use monocoque in both French and English (not those three but sites where people sell things - like eBay or less known stores)
I checked LaGuiole (The French knife!) but they don't have monocoque or monobloc knifes ;-(

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Note added at 2 hrs 0 min (2005-12-24 15:14:04 GMT)
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how about simple, direct translations :
monocoque and monoblock (this from GDT) ?

Selected response from:

DocteurPC
Canada
Local time: 02:48

Grading comment

Mpnpcoque did indeed seem to mean hollow-handled. I went for monocoque and monobloc, after finding it on a website. Thank you and thank you to everyone who answered.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +4

See explanation below...

Tony M

3 +3

hollow-handled

Anna Quail

monocoque

FIROOZEH FARHANG

full tang/partial tang

S K

monocoque and single piece knife

DocteurPC

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

47 mins confidence:

full tang/partial tang

Explanation:
Blade Length (Tang)
Full Tang
The metal extension of the knife blade goes the full length of the handle. This results in a well balanced knife that is less tiring and easier to use.
Partial Tang
The metal extension of the knife blade goes only 60-80% up the handle. (I just did a bit of research on web-but not sure these apply to these knives, although it does seem to relate to the extent the blade carries through into the handle)

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Note added at 49 mins (2005-12-24 14:02:53 GMT)
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http://www.kitchenemporium.com/info/cuttype.html

Check out this website-it also discusses knife manufacturing

S K
Ireland
Local time: 07:48
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

58 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

hollow-handled

Explanation:
I came to this conclusion in a rather roundabout way... I looked up "couteau monocoque" then found the equivalent in German, and then tried to work out what that would be in English... my German's not excellent, so I might be wrong, but it's something to do with hollow :-)

213-161040 Cuillère à café
prix CHF 5.40 pièce
213-161010 Cuillère à soupe
prix CHF 7.50 pièce
213-161020 Fourchette
prix CHF 7.50 pièce
213-161030 Couteau monobloc
prix CHF 7.50 pièce
213-161430 couteau monocoque
prix CHF 14.80

213-161040 Kaffeelöffel
Preis CHF 5.40 Stück
213-161010 Tafellöffel
Preis CHF 7.50 Stück
213-161020 Tafelgabel
Preis CHF 7.50 Stück
213-161030 Tafelmesser/Monoblock
Preis CHF 7.50 Stück
213-161430 Tafelmesser Hohlheft
Preis CHF 14.80

http://www.abegglen-pfister.ch/eshop/Default.aspx?Lang=0&Cat...

"hollow handled assembled knives"

http://www.cutlery-shop.com/assets/s2dmain.html?http://www.c...

"Knives
In the case of knives, a distinction is made between hollowhandled and monobloc knives."
http://www.zwilling.com/country/ww/language/en/sql/kapitel/d...

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Note added at 1 hr 1 min (2005-12-24 14:14:41 GMT)
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This would fit in with your description:
"un couteau monocoque, et un couteau monobloc plus lourd et plus epais."
If the monobloc knife is not hollow, it should be heavier...

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Note added at 1 hr 2 mins (2005-12-24 14:16:04 GMT)
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Sorry, forgot... Happy Christmas!

Anna Quail
France
Local time: 08:48
Native speaker of: English

1 hr confidence:

monocoque and single piece knife

DocteurPC
Canada
Local time: 02:48
Native speaker of:

French,

English
PRO pts in category: 11

Grading comment

Mpnpcoque did indeed seem to mean hollow-handled. I went for monocoque and monobloc, after finding it on a website. Thank you and thank you to everyone who answered.

7 hrs confidence:

monocoque

Explanation:
monocoque
or
mono-bladed.
MONOCOQUE TITANIUM LITE
Monocoque composite structure that combines titanium, aluminum reinforcement layers and a fiber glass monocoque. What is produced is a ski with greater stability and steering precision

FIROOZEH FARHANG
Native speaker of:

French,

Persian (Farsi)

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

See explanation below...

Explanation:
I'm not sure I can help you with the actual translated terms, but maybe I can help with some additional explanation. First a question: are these kitchen or table knives? It will alost certainly affect the translation.

Many knives are made from a single piece of (e.g.) stainless steel -- these are 'monobloc'

Certain other knives have a separate handle and blade --- and this is where the difference between kitchen/table knives may be important.

It could be a handle made of a different material (wood, plastic, etc.), or a handle made of the same or similar material; in either case, I think the principal is the same --- the handle is to a greater or lesser extent hollow.

Think of those knives of the rather 'classic' 'regal' style, that have a stainless steel blade, joined to a (clearly hollow) fancy handle decorated in a very Baroque sort of fashion (à la Spanish royal silver cutlery)

This would certainly be different from the kind of 'bistro retro' table cutlery that has a 2-piece handle rivetted either side of the flat rear end of the blade -- or the equivalent in kitchen knives, which often have two wooden (or other) 'cheeks' rivetted or bolted through the handle.

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Note added at 9 hrs 45 mins (2005-12-24 22:59:19 GMT)
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A quick Google threw up, amongst many others, a couple of references that looked interesting; first, to this juxtaposition of 'monoblock' and 'hollow handle':

Hospitality House Cutlery Page 3
CUTLERY PAGE Please quote catalogue number in yellow when ordering. Go To Cutlery Page: ...
Table Knife SS Monoblock
Dessert Knife Hollow Handle ...

www.hospitalityhouse.com.au/cut3.htm

..and this one the confirms my definiton of monoblock:

Robert Welch - Cutlery/Flatware - Satin/Brushed Finish - Radford Satin -

UK based designer of houseware, cutlery, silverware and glassware products, ...
The mono-block knife is forged from a single ingot of especially hardened ...

www.welch.co.uk/product.asp?instanceid=103859

Tony M
France
Local time: 08:48
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 294

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