Knife blades come in different shapes to meet various uses. When buying your pocket knife, you must be able to select your blade well. Are you new to this? This guide will be very useful for you to learn more about cutlery, as well as blade selection. You will be able to easily identify the different blades, their objectives and uses.
What you need to know about knife models
While we know that there are several dozen types of blades, we will just talk about the most common ones. In this regard, know that there are mainly two types of knives: fixed blade knives and folding blade knives.
For survivalists, the fixed blade is by far the favorite. It is much easier to use, and is also characterized by great robustness. Folding blades are generally used when the need for space arises, or for more occasional knife use. But in the end, the essential thing is to have a knife that can suit you in all points. For this, you will need to select your blade carefully. The choice will be made according to the usefulness of the knife, not just the aesthetics (although it's a very important aspect).
The main blade shapes
The straight-edged blade
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The straight-edged blade is probably the most common type of blade. It comes in the form of a normal blade, with a flat back, used for cutting and piercing. It's a very versatile model. Moreover, it's easy for the user to place their fingers on the back to increase cutting force. |
The drop point blade
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The drop point blade is one of the most common blade shapes in the folding knife market. It's also called a Bourbonnaise blade, with its slightly descending and equally strong tip. The drop point blade is so robust that it can be used for many purposes. Whether for perforating, slicing, piercing, cutting, or other... the user can use it without risk of damaging the tip. The drop point style is a must in the cutlery world. In addition to being very popular, it's also the most common pocket knife shape on the market currently. However, care should be taken not to confuse this blade with the spear point type. |
The spear point blade
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The spear point presents itself as a much more aggressive version than the drop point. The main difference between the two models is that spear point blades are sharpened (sometimes with a false edge) along part of the back of the blade, or even the entire length. This is what allows it to effectively perform piercing tasks. It's a very powerful blade. |
The clip point blade
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The clip point blade exists in several forms, and could even remind of saber blades. It is characterized by an unsharpened back that extends about half its length, before following a concave curve towards the tip. As for the edge of the blade, it is mainly straight. But it manages to curve from the upper third of the blade, towards the tip. The clip point type offers the possibility of cutting and slicing with incredible precision, even in the most difficult to access areas. If you have a versatile knife, this type of blade could prove very useful. It sharpens easily, and can also offer an extremely sharp point. However, this blade has a slight disadvantage. If used improperly, it's possible that the very fine tip could be easily chipped. |
The trailing point blade
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For hunting knives, the trailing point profile is the indicated blade type. It's easy to recognize thanks to its forward curve strongly directed upwards. It's generally used for skinning, but it can also be used for applications such as hunting. It's also the ideal blade for skinning dead animals, and even fish. Fishermen tend to favor this type of blade. Its main advantage lies in the fact that it always offers a greater cutting edge length compared to other blades, thanks to its curvature. It can be very useful in piercing tasks if the knife is not very curved. It's a difficult blade to sharpen. |
The needle point blade
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In French, Needle means aiguille. Understand therefore that this blade strongly resembles a needle, because it is particularly thin. It can be used for perforating or stabbing. And that's why it's widely used in the field of self-defense. |
The tanto blade
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For tactical knives, the tanto profile is generally used. It's a type of blade highly prized by defense professionals and military personnel. With a straight grind (or non-rounded if you prefer), this blade undoubtedly has the most recognizable shape of all common blades. It has a straight unsharpened back, a parallel edge, but also a straightening towards the tip that starts around the upper third of the blade, following a pronounced angle. In the end, we have a knife with a very solid tip, but which remains limited in slicing tasks. It's also not very easy to sharpen. |
The reverse tanto blade
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As you've probably understood, the reverse tanto is a variant of the tanto we just described. It's also called inverted tanto. This blade is characterized by a straight grind on one side, and rounded on the other. It's a subtle way to break the "aggressive" side that has always been attributed to this blade. The reverse tanto blade can therefore be described as a much softer version of the tanto. |
The Sheep Foot blade
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The Sheep Foot blade has a back and edge that are parallel until the back curves sharply towards the edge. It's an easy blade to identify. Moreover, the name Sheep Foot comes from the fact that it was initially used to cut their hooves. For MAM or Maserin cutleries, this is a very popular blade. It's perfect for chopping. But it's impossible to use it for piercing. |
The WharnCliffe blade
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Very similar to the Sheep Foot style, the WarnCliffe style differs by its longer curvature and more pronounced rounding. For the American brand Spyderco, the WarnCliffe blade is exactly what they need for their folding knives. It also allows for creating a remarkable design. This type of blade is generally used for cutting branches. |
Which edge for your knife blade?
When purchasing your knife, it's not just the blade that needs to be carefully selected. The edge is also very important. To know whether to favor the smooth edge or the serrated edge, we invite you to read their different characteristics:
Smooth edge
The smooth edge is undoubtedly the most precise. There is no serration, which guarantees very clean cuts. Even when cutting an A4 sheet and making horizontal movements, the result remains very clean. Moreover, smooth blades are easy to sharpen.
The only disadvantage with this edge concerns the difficulty with which you might cut fibrous materials such as ropes, or plastic.
Serrated edge
Several terms can refer to the serrated edge, namely crenellated, serrated, toothed, etc. But in the end, it just refers to a very versatile toothed blade. It has the power to saw with great force, especially when it comes to ropes and thin branches. For outdoor uses, know that this is the indicated edge. It can prove to be very effective.
However, it should also be noted that sharpening a serrated edge is very complex. Cuts are also not as precise as with a smooth edge.
Mixed edge
Situated between smooth and serrated, the mixed edge is a very interesting compromise. In fact, knives with this type of blade are the most versatile and effective. This edge consists of a smooth part and a toothed part. The only drawback is that sharpening is sometimes very difficult, if not impossible. In addition, there are sometimes cutting zones that are too small in some cases.
Thanks to this guide, you will now be able to properly identify the main knife blades, in order to make an impeccable choice. There is no really best shape or best edge. You just need to make sure that your knife model and its blade are perfectly suited to your needs and uses.