Basic Knife Shape Question Please

They're fullers, also known as blood grooves. They lighten the blade, and many think that it also helps strengthen a long blade, like the cross section of an I-beam, although whether thats true is debatable...
 
This is a fuller - also known as a 'blood groove' - its purpose is to
1 Stiffen blade - yeah I know it sounds wierd but apparently it has that benefit
2 Lighten blade
3 Alter balance - a consequence of a lighter blade

Because it is so common on military bayonets (and for the above reasons), is has given rise to the theory that it's purpose is allow blood to exit and air to enter in order to make it easier to pull the blade out '= blood groove' but I have yet to see any evidence that this is so. The classic Fairbairn-Sykes, Applegate-Fairbairn and EK military "commando" knives seem to function quite well without the fuller. These days, and with the quality of steels available, I think the fuller is used more for marketing purposes than function. e.g. Nieto's pig-sticker is plain, Muela's version has a fuller. I doubt that any pigs they've been used on would have noticed any difference
 
5370H55V said:
They're fullers, also known as blood grooves. They lighten the blade, and many think that it also helps strengthen a long blade, like the cross section of an I-beam, although whether thats true is debatable...
Click to expand...

The alternative take on this is that you end up with a lighter, better balanced blade that has the same stiffeness - although the 'makes the blade stronger' claim just won't go away.
 
Welcome to the forums. Everything I know about em has been said.
 
If the blood/suction theory were valid (and it's not), a simple twist of the rifle, and hence the bayonet, would release any suction, irrespective of any groove. The fuller simply lightens the blade while maintaining its strength.
 
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