Knife switch

Knife switch

Knife switches are a more or less obsolete type of power switch used in the 1800s. The live (hot) parts of the switch are uncovered and uninsulated, and they are unsuitable for use at shock-risk voltages. Knife switches have a relatively large contact spacing when open, so in the 1800s were often used to control power machinery running at high voltage, a use that can only be considered dangerous, Above about the Knife switch information content.