Are there specific uses for the different blades?

O

Omega Leather Works

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Jun 13, 2007
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Sorry if this has been asked before...
I know that some modern folder blade shapes are well suited for certain tasks. A deeply recurved blade, for example, is optimized for draw cutting.

My question is... Traditional knives often have two or more blades, but I'm struggling trying to figure out why I'd use one blade over another. Are there uses designated to each blade type? How do you use the different blades?

Thanks!
 
Carry around just a stockman for a week and you'll discover that you've used all three for different things. Guarantee it.

pmew
 
I have known folks who carry multi blade knives with each particular blade sharpened, or not, to a different degree for different tasks. One that comes to mind is a three blade stockman knife. The sheepsfoot blade left more or less dull and used for scraping, stripping wire, and other non-cutting chores. The spey blade kept reasonably sharp for rougher cutting work. Sharpening pencils, cutting cardboard, opening packages and such. And the main clip blade kept SCARY sharp for food prep, emergency scalpel and the REAL cutting work.
 
Of particular note are the wharncliffe/sheepsfoot/lambsfoot, all of which have a straight edge and pretty fine point, handy for a lot of things, especially scoring or cutting a flat surface or along a, straight edge. The spey has curve or belly near the tip, which is useful for skinning and scooping cuts while whittling or carving.
 
You will be surprised by the variety of answers you get. With time, as you carry and use some multibladed knives, you will find your own way of using different blades. I've been through the same path myself, and it has been quite a funny discovery trip.
Personally, I prefer a smaller, pointy blade (pen/wharncliffe) as secondary for opening boxes and such, and a larger main blade for "cleaner" cuts (usually food). For reasons I can't explain (since they're pretty different), for main blade shape I like both a good clip (or drop) blade and a sheepsfoot.

Fausto
:cool:
 
It seems I've been going against the crowd, since I tend to prefer my sheepsfoot much sharper than the Spey blade. It seems most of the Spey blades I've seen from the factory were rather obtuse already, so I tend to use them for scraping anyway. The way the edge curves around means I have more scraping area, and the lack of a fine point removes any concern about ruining the tip.
 
I use single bevel carbon blades of 12" at work. It is great for glass smooth cuts.

just about nothjng is sharper than a yanagi.
 
I carry trappers. I sharpen the spey for slicing/food prep (30 deg), & the clip for tough ugly work (40 deg).
 
There are specific uses, but you'll find that these uses are specific to the people that use them.

For example, on a stockman, some keep the pen/spay blade scalpel sharp for delicate, detailed work. Some dull them up and use them for scraping or cleaning out fingernails. Lots of people like to put a relatively obtuse, course edge on the sheepsfoot for opening packaging, cutting cardboard, and other "rough" work.

That's the beauty of carrying a multi-blade slipjoint. Make it your own.
 
Oooooh... Ok, the light just went on over my head.

It just never occurred to me that you might keep a different edge on the different blades. That makes all of the sense in the world... It's actually a fantastic idea.

I'm definitely going to be trying out different edges. I'm a bit of a sharpening nut, so this should be fun. Carbon steel is probably the number one draw for me to traditional knives, and I doubt I'll ever buy a SS slipjoint (again). Not that there's anything wrong with stainless, it's just that when carbon is available, I take it!

You guys are great btw. :thumbup:
 
This is one I have a different answer. I hear the answers of varying levels of sharp. Here is what I do. I get the spey blade as sharp as I can, the sheepsfoot as sharp as I can and the main blade as sharp as I can :)

Personally I like the pen blade for secondary and clip or spear for the main.



Kevin
 
the sheep's foot or the spey are new weapons from the past to combat one of mankind's worst enemies in recent years: the blister pack. how frustrated are you when you try to open a blister pack with just your hands, or some flimsy pair of scissors?
 
richstag said:
This is one I have a different answer. I hear the answers of varying levels of sharp. Here is what I do. I get the spey blade as sharp as I can, the sheepsfoot as sharp as I can and the main blade as sharp as I can :)

Personally I like the pen blade for secondary and clip or spear for the main.



Kevin
Click to expand...

I hear that. ;)

They will all always be sharp, but I'll use differing levels of acute versus obtuse. My carving wharncliffe (for example) will probably have a very acute and polished edge, while a clip point main would probably have something a little more robust and toothy. The clip would be perfect for cutting fibrous material and animal flesh (steak, yum), while a spey I might keep somewhere in the middle.

I'm liking this multi-blade idea more and more as I think about it. :)
 
hank_rearden said:
the sheep's foot or the spey are new weapons from the past to combat one of mankind's worst enemies in recent years: the blister pack. how frustrated are you when you try to open a blister pack with just your hands, or some flimsy pair of scissors?
Click to expand...

Ain't that the truth.
 
YES! I can get on board with that. All SHARP, but different finishes and angles. That makes a ton of sense to me.



Strigamort said:
I hear that. ;)

They will all always be sharp, but I'll use differing levels of acute versus obtuse. My carving wharncliffe (for example) will probably have a very acute and polished edge, while a clip point main would probably have something a little more robust and toothy. The clip would be perfect for cutting fibrous material and animal flesh (steak, yum), while a spey I might keep somewhere in the middle.

I'm liking this multi-blade idea more and more as I think about it. :)
Click to expand...
 
You guys are too smart for me. I sharpen all of the blades the best I can and just kind of use whichever one seems about the right size or shape for what I'm about to cut on. Oddly enough, I don't have to think too hard on it. There you are, with something that needs a knife, and somehow you instinctively pull open a blade that'll work best for that particular thing.
 
As others have said different blades, different uses. But some multiblade patterns are multiple blades for one use, like the muskrat. The muskrat has two blades at opposite ends, both clippoints of the same size and style. In this case the second blade, being the same, is so that when you're first blade gets dull and you have a lot of the same type of cutting to do (or at least just like the cutting style of that type of blade) you can pop out the second blade and keep going without having to stop and sharpen. I think that's why it got named the muskrat, I imagine guys back in the day running traplines and having to skin a lot of muskrats might really dull a blade before finishing and didn't want to stop working and start sharpening. And one muskrat is skinned the same way as the one before it, so a different blade style is not needed.

I'm not a hunter or trapper by the way, so others can correct me on this. But I believe that wsa the case with that pattern anyways.
 
Noname, that was my original assumption, but it didn't really add up with different blade types. I wasn't even aware that there was a pattern that included two of the same blade types.

Very cool! ;)
 
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