Big belly

J

Jack Lewis

Joined
Nov 24, 2007
Messages
70
I’m slowly realizing the nice curved knife belly that is aesthetically pleasing to me doesn’t seem serve much purpose. So… what *is* its purpose?

I know there are rare, special applications. Skinning, and so forth. But in daily life — spreading butter, say — a pronounced belly seems less useful, or even a hindrance.

With time I seem to be gravitating more and more toward a modified wharncliffe, maybe. Not flat, but not full-bellied either. Is there something I’m overlooking?
 
dogstar said:
I think this is indicative of our time. Nowadays we open packages. Back in the day I bet there was more food processing and working with natural materials in everyday tasks.
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I think this is probably true. Although for us to reach back to a day when the average person was processing game and so forth, we may have to reach a ways. (And I’m happy to admit I open packages, but I also use my knives in lots of more demanding ways.)
 
I definitely prefer straighter blades. A little belly is fine, but big, sweeping bellies don't suit the tasks I use a knife for.
 
Jack Lewis said:
I think this is probably true. Although for us to reach back to a day when the average person was processing game and so forth, we may have to reach a ways.
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Do we though? Just 100 years ago, the automobile was just beginning to become a popular idea, and safety razors were starting to become more popular then straight razors were as preferred method of shaving, and life was completely different for the "average" person... It's all perspective really, but you really don't have to go "that far" back to a day when average folk were processing much of their own foods...

Even today, while sure, the "average person" in the developed parts of the world may not, the average person in certain regions and/or cultures, say rural WV or rural Wyoming, (or rural Vietnam, or Russia) is still doing quite a bit more then the city slickers. Due to volume, the shear amount of people who live in cities compared to rural areas definitely brings the overall average down, but there are still people today, average in their own neck of the woods, who do process much if not nearly all of their own still.

But, with a plethora of options to choose from, just find what suits your daily needs the best and rock on with it...
 
3D Anvil said:
I definitely prefer straighter blades. A little belly is fine, but big, sweeping bellies don't suit the tasks I use a knife for.
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Yep, I guess that’s what I’m wondering, as well. It seems like straighter blades may be generally more useful in real-world applications but we — I’m including me! — have held on to the sweeping bellies because they look nice.

That’s not to say, again, that they don’t have applications. I’m not throwing away any knives, here. But maybe — maybe! — the blade best suited to daily tasks is not quite so bellied.
 
"Each to their own notion.", said the old woman; as she kissed the cow.
 
Jack Lewis said:
I’m slowly realizing the nice curved knife belly that is aesthetically pleasing to me doesn’t seem serve much purpose. So… what *is* its purpose?

I know there are rare, special applications. Skinning, and so forth. But in daily life — spreading butter, say — a pronounced belly seems less useful, or even a hindrance.

With time I seem to be gravitating more and more toward a modified wharncliffe, maybe. Not flat, but not full-bellied either. Is there something I’m overlooking?
Click to expand...

I love my wharncliffes (seaxes, reverse tantos, etc.). But there are some things that are easier with bellied knives, and deeper bellies, too. A Nesmuk, for instance, is made to grab the blade front with your hands, say, when cutting or scraping off a hide. In the same way, you can scrape off glue from an object with your bellied folder. Cutting hard cheese in the kitchen, or - say - an onion on a cutting board with “swing motions” is easier with a deep, bellied blade. A rounder, bellied tip, say in a Kephart, allows you to cut out holes in round cutting motions. And finally, the Saracen deep bellied trailing point sword is made for wide round slashes .... etc.

They all have their purposes, let’s not discriminate :) This is BF after all, you need a few of each bladeshape :)
 
I find i use the section of blade between the belly and the tip a lot. Pushing into the cut sometimes almost like a chisel. Especially if i have to scrape a sticker or paint.

I like lots of belly and high tips or the opposite perfectly straight edge coping or wharncliff.
 
ferider said:
I love my wharncliffes (seaxes, reverse tantos, etc.). But there are some things that are easier with bellied knives, and deeper bellies, too. A Nesmuk, for instance, is made to grab the blade front with your hands, say, when cutting or scraping off a hide. In the same way, you can scrape off glue from an object with your bellied folder. Cutting hard cheese in the kitchen, or - say - an onion on a cutting board with “swing motions” is easier with a deep, bellied blade. A rounder, bellied tip, say in a Kephart, allows you to cut out holes in round cutting motions. And finally, the Saracen deep bellied trailing point sword is made for wide round slashes .... etc.

They all have their purposes, let’s not discriminate :) This is BF after all, you need a few of each bladeshape :)
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All excellent points!
 
I too, like the looks of blade shapes with greater belly and sometimes edge curve is helpful/useful, especially in the food prep, game prep scene, or my home kitchen.

Having a more precise tip is valuable to my current day to day life, so I I favor less belly in my knife purchases. Also, it's easier for me to sharpen an edge that is generally straighter rather than curvy.
 
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