Boker AF Mini Smatchet -- what's the purpose of a hole in the ricasso?

pyton357ru

pyton357ru

Joined
Aug 26, 2002
Messages
362
Greetings!

Recently I got a chance to examine closely AF mini Smatchet made by Boker. Very decent dagger, but I could not get one detail out of my mind. There is a hole drilled through the ricasso on one side of blade (one with W. Fairbairn signature, to be exact:) ) And I see no reason for it to be there. Blade, edges, handle -- they are symmetrical. No other AF has this detail. So -- what is it for?

Thanks beforehand!
 
I have seen that on knives that have synthetic handles. Perhaps it's to assist with press-fitting the blade into the handle? Just my guess.
 
IIRC, the reason for the hole is to help you tell which edge is which, both visually and by feel. You might sharpen one edge to be coarse or thick and leave the other one fine or thin. Since the knife is symmetrical, adding a hole in the ricasso on one side enables you tell them apart easily. (Markings on the blade might wear off or be hard to see.) I'm not sure how useful it really is, but I think that was the idea.
 
IIRC, cerulean has it right. I remember reading that in the original, full size combat smatchet design, the intention was that one side would be used for utility purposes, while the other could be kept full sharpened for combat use. The hole allowed the soldier to easily tell the different by sight or feel on the otherwise symetrical blade.
 
Knowing what edge you had forward in in low-light is what I heard.6 of one half a dozen of the other I guess.
 
cerulean said:
IIRC, the reason for the hole is to help you tell which edge is which, both visually and by feel. You might sharpen one edge to be coarse or thick and leave the other one fine or thin. Since the knife is symmetrical, adding a hole in the ricasso on one side enables you tell them apart easily. (Markings on the blade might wear off or be hard to see.) I'm not sure how useful it really is, but I think that was the idea.
Click to expand...

this is what i have heard FWIW.
 
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