Cutlery. The name of the indentation in a pocket-knife where the edge of the blade adjoins the ‘tang’ or thick part by which it is hafted; or the corresponding part of any knife where the cutting edge ends. Hence Choil v., to make this indentation or slope in a knife; Choiler, an instrument for making the choil.
Choil has been used in Sheffield from before the memory of the oldest inhabitant: it is also in use in cutlery establishments in U.S. (N. & Q., 7th S. VII. 197, 1889). 1888 in Addy, Sheffield Gl. Ibid. (1889), in N. & Q., 9 Mch. 199. This filing cutlers call ‘choiling,’ and they do it by means of a rather smooth three-sided file … one could not call the choil of a table knife an indentation … it is a rounding off.
