shapes

[owl_girl]

for practicality what is your personal preferred shape for a small and or big knife? and why? how dose it work better for you than another shape? whats that shapes purpose?

i see a lot of "survival" knives in shapes that look uselessly trendy. "tacticool" as my bf puts it. which is fine for a knife collector that hangs them on a wall but of little use to a bushcrfter. unfortunately i think many beginners go for these knives thinking they are bad@ss and actually plane on relying on them in the field.

when i watch knife reviews i often wonder why that person chose the knife shape that he did. if its actually the best for his intended tasks or if he just liked the way it looked. its not usually discussed. this left me wondering how much thought most people really put into it. i mean do most people analyze how a knifes shape will effect its performance? i would think so but when i look on youtube or knife forums it dosnt seem like it.

we have been looking to get another big knife (something we can chop and baton with) and one of the knives we were considering was the SP10 marine knife.
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now i dont think it would be a bad knife, however we decided against it because of the way the tip clips like that. reasons being...
1. it would take weight off the front in comparison to one with a flat spine. this is bad for us cause it reduces chopping power.
2. the tip is more fragile then one thats a bit more blunt. not that i think its likely to brake but we will be batonning with it and it just gives a better piece of mind to have one thats as sturdy as it can be.
3. the angle of the tip looks like it might be a bit awkward to baton on wile trying to keep the blade straight. unless we were batonning at the very end of the tip but as i said in #2 that looks like a weak spot.

i believe the tip would be good at delicate work compared to a more blunt one but thats not what we want so we are going with something else.

[crashdive123]

Here’s a link that’ll give you some ideas about intentions on designs. http://www.knivestown.com/ktown/blade_shapes.asp As you know, there is no one perfect design – that whole different tools for different jobs thing. I’m still playing around to see what I like best, but lean toward drop point knives. Here’s one I drew up that I’m about to start on with a little bigger belly on it.

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[hunter63]

O.K. I'll bite, Mr Dumas wants to know........What's Quote>but we will be batonning with it< Quote?

[rebel]

http://www.knife-making-supplies.net...de-shapes.html

http://www.knife-making-supplies.net...-shapes-2.html

This might help with your question OG.

[owl_girl]

i think i have a basic understanding of shapes. my question was more about what do you like to use for your situation and why.

[owl_girl]

batoning is when you whak your knife threw wood with another stick
http://media.photobucket.com/image/b...Batoning-2.jpg
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[Rick]

I really don't have a "preferred" shape. I'm more concerned with what I intend to do with the knife and whether or not the knife will do the job. Like everyone else, I have several and they all look a bit different. If it looks cool, so be it. If it doesn't, so be it.

[welderguy]

O.K. I'll bite, Mr Dumas wants to know........What's Quote>but we will be batonning with it< Quote?

I beleive Batenning is making small strips of wood from a large piece , but I may be wrong.

[welderguy]

Sorry OW I guess we posted that reply about battening at the same time

[owl_girl]

I beleive Batenning is making small strips of wood from a large piece , but I may be wrong.

its the technique of hammering the knife through the wood like a wedge instead of chopping.

[Rick]

Wedge, guys. Not wedgie. Not wedgy. Not wedgee. Wedge!

[welderguy]

speaking of wedgies. did I ever tell ya the story about........

[Rick]

(head slap!)

[panch0]

I personally like a drop point, thats the shape I find most usefull in my activities that require a knife.

[welderguy]

drop point or a clip point are my personal preference for a blade shape.

[hunter63]

batoning is when you whak your knife threw wood with another stick
http://media.photobucket.com/image/b...Batoning-2.jpg
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Thanks, I guess I had not heard that before, though I have used this in the past.
I guess I can chalk up a new word for today.


Looked it up found this, looks like a good site to cave ariund on.

http://funditor.110mb.com/wiki/index.php/Batoning_Wood
Thanks again.

[Ole WV Coot]

Might as well give my opinion which is splitting wood, use a hatchet or axe. Knife shape, general all around use a good Nessmuk style blade. I still have my '64 K-Bar, false edge sharpened and a John Ek edge & 1/2, both retired to a case. The K-Bar opened cans and dug holes, the Ek was a weapon period. I believe the right tool for the job. A multipurpose tool is a little bit good for everything and great for nothing. My personal opinion.

[Batch]

If all you have is a knife then batoning maybe a critical skill. If fire fuel is limited and you have to shave, splinter and chop then you'll want to baton.

I baton my axe to split wood and such. It gives me much more control and I can do so much more safely and efficiently.

I consider using a baton a critical part of bushcraft. At least in my personal experience.

[Camp10]

I use drop points more than any other and I make more drop points so I would have to guess that others feel the same.

[Rick]

I have also batoned my fair share.