Cliff:
A 1/16" knife has about 5% of the strength of a 1/4" thick knife so it is much more limited.
Indeed, much more limited. However, for the vast majority of users that I see, a 1/4" blade of tempered spring steel is far overbuilt. If the intended use is mainly camp chores and the like, a much thinner blade will suffice. Of course, if people want to carry more knife than they need, that is there choice. I have seen Humvee and super built off road 4x4 trucks in the suburbs that have never left concrete. If people want to put up with the rough ride, bad gas mileage, etc, and not get the benefits, that is there choice. Similiarly, if people want to use a 1/4" thick bowie knife with a 10" blade for cutting a stick to roast a hot dog on, that is their choice.
For the rare circumstance where a big, thick bowie is needed, they are a great tool. Lesser knives would no doubt snap or shatter. But those uses are pretty rare for someone like me, and I am guessing for many others. But the big, thick knives looks cool, they carry the allure of assocation with those who need that kind of strength and toughness. The most experienced outdoorsmen I know all carry what many consider to be humble knives, but they know how to use them.
Nice knife, what are your thoughts about the hump specifically.
It makes the blade wider, and thus less able to turn in tight spaces for wood carving, some food prep, etc. But it is good for scraping, cracking open nuts, and the like. On the whole, I can't really say it is a superior design for my uses than a standard drop point, but I have found it a nice feature when I have had occasion to use it. For example, it allows a nice spot for a pinch grip.
If I was more of a hnter, I would probably think it was much more useful, especially for use inverted when making bellly cuts, skinning, etc.
Overall, the blade shape is nice for meat slicing.
Consider that the difference between Alvin Johnston's knives and Dale's in relative cross section is actually much larger than the difference between Dale's and the heavy tacticals. This would imply that all of the above implications/labels could just as easily be applied to Dale and the people who use his knives by Alvin or someone who uses his knives. Now you could argue that Dale uses a greater cross section and tempers his steel much softer so his knives are more able to resist impacts and general non-precision cutting loads. This is a prefectly valid arguement and a simple consideration of an extension of the exact same principles would produce knives such as the RD9.
If you allow that a choice to use a knife ground like Dale does over a knife ground like Alvin does is valid then you also have to allow that the same choice can be made by someone else who sets a different tolerance for lateral loads/impacts and this does not imply that he is any less skilled or ignorant than the person who chose Dale's knife over Johnston.
That is a valid argument. Point well taken. All things are relative.
In the bottom picture is a small half tang utility knife by Dale, 1/16" O1, run much harder than his 15n20. Though its performance could be increased with the addition of a hollow relief grind, as is this knife out cuts an Opinel.
I'd like to see a version of the Deerhunter in A2 or 13C26, both full hard.
I would prefer full hard M2 with a different handle design. Something like the handle on the Wharncliff blade above.
I'd actually be curious if 0.9 and 1.1 mm blades were offered free which ones would end up being used.
Among tradesmen, what is cheap and readily available is going to be used is my experience.
:thumbup:
