What is a Ricasso?

The Ricasso is the thick, unsharpened section of the blade, closest to the handle. Leaving it there can make sharpening easier as you don’t have to fiddle around and precision sharpen as you get right up to the handle. In some cases, a person may grip that area, and the Ricasso allows for a safe area to grip in that case. Please my my illustration of the Anatomy of a Knife for a visual.