BENT vs. STRAIGHT HANDLES on LARGE KNIVES

Cobalt

Cobalt

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By BENT I mean like the new Busse or TOP's Anaconda, combined with a straight blade.

I find myself liking the bent handles on the larger blades because it makes the knife easier to control. However, I noticed that on smaller blades I still prefer the straight handles for control.

For me the approx. 7 inch blade knives feel best with straighter handles while the 9 inch heavy blades start to feel better with the slightly bent handles.

What do others who have both designs feel about this?
 
Well, i don't have either, although i am in the process of ordering a new Steel Heart II E model..... I initially disliked the look of them, and my traditional side screamed. but the more i look at them....I'm slowly being convinced. Still, i hope they don't take over.

James

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I like bent,{or to be more precise} angled handles on a knife. Think of one of these handles like a pistol grip on a handgun or pistol. The angle allows for more of a natural grip & improved pointing ability in fighting knives especially. And you hold your wrist in a natural position with less stress & fatigue, especially if the knife is used over a long period of time. I believe as time goes by, ergonomics will be used more & more in designing knives.

Doug.
 
Yessir, I like bent. They are easier to handle and are more comfortable on the hand.
This is especially true for me on knives that will see chopping work.

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It seems that the bent handle would increase your leverage on tougher cuts. Is that true?

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Brandon


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I too like bent handles. It does give you more leverage- this is wht a kukri cuts sooo well. I like bent handles on small knives as well. My AFCK has a bent handle and it would be a far less efficient cutter if the handle was straight. I don't think that bent handles belong everywhere, but they do provide a mechanical advantage for many cutting chores.

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"Come What May..."
 
If angled handles are so good for general purpose work, why haven't kitchen cutlery makers gotten into them? I've never seen a kitchen knife of any kind (Chef's, paring, carving, bread, etc) using an angled handle. Don't get me wrong. I find the angled handle does indeed work well on heavy choppers, then again, my Livesay RCM is the heaviest choper I've got and it has a straight handle... I'm not saying they don't have their place, but I question their universal applicability...
 
Kitchen knives will probably not come angles. I think that for fine cutting and slicing work, straight knives are still better. No matter what else we use bent knives for, we think in straight lines and it's easier to mentally visualize were a straight knife will be versus a bent handle or blade knife. This might also be true for fighting unless you use the Bando style, designed for khukuri's. These are just some thoughts, but a straight knife probably requires less practice to get good with than a bent handle knife.
 
Cobalt- your last post makes sense. One thing that I have never liked is extreme bends and really funky curves, mainly because you have to retrain your movement, and you are moving away from the basics. For instance, some of Laci Szabos bent knives, I love the looks of them, and I bet they work wonderfully, but if you use his crazily bent knife all day, and then try to go back to a straight handle, I am betting you are going to have a problem.

So, I am for bent or canted handles to a certain degree, but you can go too far.

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"Dropped" handles give me more power in a large knife. Your able to drop your hand back on the handle (if made right) and effectively have more swinging wieght/power.

There was a good article by Tim Potier a while back in K.I., if im not mistaken, on the dropped handle.

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I first got introduced to bent knives with my MT SOCOM. It was subtle but I noticed. Then I got a Busse #7 and I was sold. I can't wait to get my BM-E and see what that's like. I also like the reverse bent on the Grohmann knives. It's great for keeping your hand out of what you're cutting.

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There are only two types of people; those who understand this, and those who think they do.
 
On working knives, such as skinning, boning, breaking, and chef's knives, you commonly find the blades bent backwards. This allows you to work the edge down to a surface like a cutting board or bone and keep your knuckles out of the way. The best design for some of these applications is a slightly back tilted blade that projects edgewards ahead of your knuckles. The Grohmann skinners would be a good example.

I particularly hate forward tilting blades on hunting knives since there are times I need to use the knife inverted, with the edge pointed up. I want to extend my index finger along the side of the blade to keep the point from punturing internal organs. A forward tilt blade makes this virtually impossible.

In a fighting knife, the hottest thing I've ever tried was a Belgian style Epee pistol grip. I wouldn't want to skin an elk using one though.
 
The human hand is very adaptable, curves are more ergonomic. I also happen to find curves more pleasing to the eye and more natural. I mean how many straight lines do you find in Nature or in your hand?
 
Well, I like both curved and straight, but I don't think that either is ideally suited for everything. Maybe the issue might be which is more usefull in more situations.

PhilL, you state that what in nature is a straight line? here are some answers for you. Trees grow pretty straight. Saguaro Cactus. how about a spiders web. It's a bunch of intersecting straight lines. Ever heard of the term line of sight. Or what about "the shortest distance between two objects is..taadaa". Spears and Arrows are pretty straight, except for polish spears. The supporting leg bones of all large animals are straight. A porcupine's quills. There is quite a bit of straight stuff in nature.

Is there a good tradeoff? maybe. But I don't think it's in some of the latest designs. I think that bent handles as extreme as the new Busse for example are way too bent. Great for chopping though. What about some of the less pronounced curves like the knives mentioned here. The AFCK is not a highly bent handle and neither is the microtech, and they may be the best compromise.
 
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