A composite knife having a top surface, a bottom surface and two sides, a frontside having a cutting edge and defining an acute cutting angle (θ θ 1 , θ 2 θ 3 ) for the cutting edge, the cutting angle establishing, in a selected reference plane perpendicular to the cutting edge, a first reference axis (RA1) that bisects the cutting angle and a second reference axis (RA2) perpendicular to the first reference axis, and an opposed rear side, the composite knife comprising: a cutting edge insert having a front end that includes the cutting edge and a threaded insert mounting hole ; and a knife body for removably mounting the insert, the knife body having a body mounting hole adapted to align with the insert mounting hole when the insert is mounted to the knife body, so that the insert mounting hole and knife body mounting hole share a common hole axis (HA, HA 1 HA 2 ); the cutting edge insert and knife body being cooperatively adapted so that, in an operative, assembled configuration of the knife in which an elongate fastener (16, 1 6 A, 26, 66A, 66B, 76, 96) is inserted through the body mounting hole and a threaded end of the fastener is threaded into the insert mounting hole and the fastener is tightened so as to produce a compressive force between the cutting edge insert and the knife body directed along the common hole axis for removably mounting the cutting edge insert to the knife body, characterized in that the insert will contact the knife body at respective compression supporting surfaces (C 3 - C 12 ) of the cutting edge insert and knife body, and an interlocking portion of the cutting edge insert will mate with a corresponding interlocking portion of the knife body, the interlocking portions being distinct from the respective compression supporting surfaces (C 3 -C 12 ), with the common hole axis (HA, HA 1 , HA 2 ) closer to being in alignment with the first reference axis (RA 1 ) than the second reference axis (RA 2 ). a cutting edge insert having a front end that includes the cutting edge and a threaded insert mounting hole ; and a knife body for removably mounting the insert, the knife body having a body mounting hole adapted to align with the insert mounting hole when the insert is mounted to the knife body, so that the insert mounting hole and knife body mounting hole share a common hole axis (HA, HA 1 HA 2 ); the cutting edge insert and knife body being cooperatively adapted so that, in an operative, assembled configuration of the knife in which an elongate fastener (16, 1 6 A, 26, 66A, 66B, 76, 96) is inserted through the body mounting hole and a threaded end of the fastener is threaded into the insert mounting hole and the fastener is tightened so as to produce a compressive force between the cutting edge insert and the knife body directed along the common hole axis for removably mounting the cutting edge insert to the knife body, characterized in that the insert will contact the knife body at respective compression supporting surfaces (C 3 - C 12 ) of the cutting edge insert and knife body, and an interlocking portion of the cutting edge insert will mate with a corresponding interlocking portion of the knife body, the interlocking portions being distinct from the respective compression supporting surfaces (C 3 -C 12 ), with the common hole axis (HA, HA 1 , HA 2 ) closer to being in alignment with the first reference axis (RA 1 ) than the second reference axis (RA 2 ). <EOS>