Blade thickness?

J

Justin Presson

Joined
Dec 4, 2013
Messages
891
Got a question from a newbie. I want to make a simple hunter style knife and just not sure how thick of steel to order? I'm thinking the knife total length would be 8 inches long or so. Want to use 1084. Thanks for the help.
 
I assume your talking 3"-4" cutting edge length. For that blade length on a hunter, I prefer 1/8" or 5/32". On my knives I generally go with 1/8" stock when the blade is at or near 3" in length. When I get to 4" in length I like to use 5/32". In either case I generally prefer to use a full flat grind with a gradual distal taper. If you grind with an acute distal taper you can get away with slightly thicker stock, but even then I can't imagine ever needing to go beyond .200" or so.
 
Yes I was thinking between 3-4 inch blade and used for field dressing whitetails. Since you were talking about the tapper and grinds, does anyone have a chart or link that has the different grinds? Still trying to learn all the terminology that goes with knife making :D
 
Any hunters I have made have been 1/8 aside from some very large ones in 3/16. 3/16 is on the thick side, 1/4 is too thick in my opinion, and 5/16 is way over the top.
 
I am in the process of making a hunter and using 3/32 from all that I researched it's a good size for a skinner, I'll be using 1095 though
 
In a blade that size. I use .090" to .125" steel. Take a good commercial knife that is used by accomplished hunters and measure the spine thickness....you will be surprised to find most are far below 1/8", and some are 1/16". I have never seen a normal use commercial hunter with a 1/4" thick blade. A well make knife does not need thickness to avoid breaking, but does need thinness to cut well.
 
chad2 said:
I was taking into consideration the length of his blade.
Click to expand...

He said overall of 8". That would be a 3.5" blade or so.. 1/8" is plenty thick. Any thicker wouldn't skin out as well.

I have a 1906 MSA (Marbles) 5.5" (blade) skinner that is the pride of my collection. It was used daily by both my great-uncle and great-great uncle. It has field dressed and skinned literally 1000's of critters, been abused to some degree, and is 3/32" at best. It even survived me being a dumb kid who didnt know how valuable it is and using it as a throwing knife... Simple old school carbon steel. Takes and holds an incredible edge.

The funny thing is it also brings up leather thickness.... We constantly use 8-10oz leather concerned with how it will hold up. The factory 2oz at best sheath was used (stuffed in a boot) for this one's whole life and is still in fairly good shape considering...

I like overbuilt stuff as much as the next guy, but there is a point where it starts to impact performance.

0dad737fbd019a2cdb3a752dbbeb5964.jpg
 
LucyCustomKnives said:
He said overall of 8". That would be a 3.5" blade or so.. 1/8" is plenty thick. Any thicker wouldn't skin out as well.

I have a 1906 MSA (Marbles) 5.5" (blade) skinner that is the pride of my collection. It was used daily by both my great-uncle and great-great uncle. It has field dressed and skinned literally 1000's of critters, been abused to some degree, and is 3/32" at best. It even survived me being a dumb kid who didnt know how valuable it is and using it as a throwing knife... Simple old school carbon steel. Takes and holds an incredible edge.

The funny thing is it also brings up leather thickness.... We constantly use 8-10oz leather concerned with how it will hold up. The factory 2oz at best sheath was used (stuffed in a boot) for this one's whole life and is still in fairly good shape considering...

I like overbuilt stuff as much as the next guy, but there is a point where it starts to impact performance.

0dad737fbd019a2cdb3a752dbbeb5964.jpg
Click to expand...

I like that knife, thanks for the input.
 
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