Knife blades come in different shapes to suit different uses. When buying a pocket knife, you need to choose the right blade. New to knives? This guide will help you learn more about knife making and blade selection. You’ll be able to identify different blade shapes, their purposes, and their uses.
What to know about knife designs
There are dozens of blade shapes, but we’ll focus on the most common. First, knives fall into two main categories: fixed-blade knives and folding knives.
For survivalists, a fixed blade is the clear favorite. It is easier to use and exceptionally sturdy. Folding blades are generally chosen when space is limited or the knife will be used only occasionally. Ultimately, what matters is finding a knife that suits you. That means choosing the blade carefully based on what you’ll use the knife for, not just its appearance, important as that may be.
The main blade shapes
The straight-back blade
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The straight-back blade is probably the most common blade shape. It has a flat spine and can be used for cutting and piercing. This versatile design also lets you place your fingers on the spine to apply more cutting force. |
The drop-point blade
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The drop-point blade is one of the most common shapes on the folding-knife market. Also called a Bourbonnais blade, it has a slightly lowered, sturdy point. Its strength makes it suitable for many tasks, from piercing and slicing to cutting, without easily damaging the tip. The drop point is a staple of knife making and one of the most common pocket-knife blade shapes available today. It should not, however, be confused with a spear point. |
The spear-point blade
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The spear point is a much more aggressive design than the drop point. The main difference is that spear-point blades have a sharpened edge, or sometimes a false edge, along part or all of the spine. This makes them effective for piercing. It is a powerful blade design. |
The clip-point blade
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The clip-point blade comes in several forms and can even resemble a saber blade. It has an unsharpened spine that runs straight for about half its length before curving inward toward the point. The cutting edge is mostly straight, then curves toward the point from roughly the upper third of the blade. A clip point can cut and slice with remarkable precision, even in hard-to-reach areas. It can be a useful choice for a versatile knife. It is easy to sharpen and can have an extremely sharp point. This blade does have one minor drawback: if used improperly, its very fine tip can chip easily. |
The trailing-point blade
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The trailing-point profile is well suited to hunting knives. It is easy to recognize by its strongly upturned front curve. It is generally used for skinning, though it can also be useful in hunting. It is especially suited to skinning game and fish, making it a favorite among anglers. Its main advantage is that its curve provides a longer cutting edge than other blade shapes. If the curve is not too pronounced, it can also be useful for piercing tasks. This blade is difficult to sharpen. |
The needle-point blade
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“Needle” refers to the blade’s needle-like shape: it is especially slender. It can be used for piercing or stabbing, which is why it is widely used in self-defense. |
The tanto blade
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Tactical knives commonly feature a tanto blade. This blade shape is popular with defense professionals and military personnel. With its angular grind, it has perhaps the most recognizable shape of any common blade. It has a straight, unsharpened spine and a parallel cutting edge that angles sharply upward toward the tip, beginning around the upper third of the blade. The result is a knife with a very strong point, though it is less suited to slicing. It is not particularly easy to sharpen, either. |
The reverse-tanto blade
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As you’ve probably guessed, the reverse tanto is a variation on the tanto described above. Its name comes from its reversed profile. This blade has a straight grind on one side and a curved shape on the other, subtly softening the “aggressive” look traditionally associated with the tanto. The reverse tanto can therefore be seen as a noticeably gentler version. |
The sheepsfoot blade
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The sheepsfoot blade has a spine and cutting edge that run parallel until the spine curves sharply down toward the edge. It is easy to recognize. Its name comes from its original use in trimming sheep’s hooves. It is a popular blade shape among knife makers such as MAM and Maserin. It is excellent for chopping but cannot be used for piercing. |
The Wharncliffe blade
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Very similar to the sheepsfoot, the Wharncliffe differs in its longer curve and more pronounced rounded shape. The American brand Spyderco favors Wharncliffe blades for its folding knives. This blade shape also makes for a distinctive design. It is generally used to cut branches. |
Which edge should you choose for your knife blade?
When buying a knife, the blade shape is not the only thing to choose carefully. The cutting edge matters, too. To help you decide between a plain edge and a serrated edge, let’s look at their characteristics:
Plain edge
A plain edge is perhaps the most precise type of cutting edge. With no serrations, it makes exceptionally clean cuts. Even when cutting an A4 sheet of paper with sideways movements, the result remains neat. Plain-edged blades are also easy to sharpen.
The main drawback of this edge is that it can be difficult to cut fibrous materials such as rope, as well as plastic.
Serrated edge
Whether called toothed or serrated, this versatile edge has a series of teeth. It can saw effectively, especially through rope and thin branches. For outdoor use, it is often the right choice and can prove very effective.
Bear in mind, however, that sharpening a serrated edge is very difficult. It also cannot make cuts as precisely as a plain edge.
Partially serrated edge
Combining a plain edge with serrations, a partially serrated edge offers an appealing compromise. Knives with this type of blade are especially versatile and effective. The edge has one smooth section and one serrated section. Its main drawback is that sharpening can sometimes be very difficult, if not impossible. In some cases, the cutting sections are also too small.
With this guide, you can now identify the main knife blade shapes and make a well-informed choice. There is no single best blade shape or edge. What matters is choosing a knife and blade that suit your needs and intended uses.