Head Knife. Round Knife?

[stelmackr]

I used to have a translation dictionary that gave the meaning for British English Language to American English Language, such as:

torch....flashlight

rubber....eraser

lorry.....truck

..so I am not surprised that head knife and round knife might mean different things on each side of the pond.

[gmace99]

we spell things different like colour. I also heard you have a different meaning for spotted dick

[LakeHavasuLeather]

Why is a leather knife called a Head Knife ??  Who came up with this and why a "Head" Knife.  I understand the round knife, as the blade is round or half round.  In French it's a Demi Lune  or Half Moon (moon is round) knife ??  

[bikermutt07]

These things have been around since long before the English language. I don't think the terminology means that much. 

I did like the bird's head comment though, that makes sense.

[HondoMan]

In Germany, we refer to the round knife as a Halbmond Messer (Half-moon knife) and the head knife as a Viertelmond Messer or quarter-moon knife.  

For what it's worth, I agree with gmace99 and pabloz.

Names are important when referring to tools.  Want a hammer?  What type?  Cobbler's hammer, claw hammer, tack hammer, dead-blow hammer, maul, sledgehammer... etc.  Giving anything the wrong name is a sign of ignorance.

... bird's head you dumbass.  Brilliant!   

[Samalan]

Once, I was teaching a classroom of kids about the many different kinds of hammers a woman came to pick up her boy early. I was just finishing up when she came over to me and said Are all of those hammers yours I said Yes, they are. She then said If you were my husband, I would kick you right in the ass I asked her why, and she said in a heavy Irish brogue Why would a man need more than one hammer? after I explained just the hammers on the table, she got the point. She said to me Wow, I never thought of that. LOL to Hondo Man's point, you don't use a 22oz waffle head framing hammer for finish work. or a tack hammer for framing. LOL