Can’t imagine wanting to use anything other than a wharncliffe

L

Lovecraftian

Joined
Apr 14, 2023
Messages
15
I’m not skinning anything, just open boxes, cut through rope and plastic. I’ve done cut tests on plastic bottles and paper with both a wharncliffe and a drop point and the wharnie truly has a tendency to ‘grab’ the material whereas anything with a belly just slides right off, even if it’s sharp. I don’t know, ever since I touched a wharnie, I never went back to a drop point, I just can’t see it. It’s even amazing at stabbing things given the downward pressure on the spine rather than stabbing ‘with the belly’.

Anybody else been impressed with a wharnie’s performance?

And anyone been disappointed by it (outside of skinning something)?
 
For woodcarving and kitchen work having a blade with a belly is way better in my experience.

For rope cutting absolutely I agree with you. Having an edge with no curve is ideal. The Leatherman Wave’s straight-profile fully serrated blade is like a lightsaber against the twine I’ve cut with it.
 
Good for some things, not so good for others......Just try making a peanut butter and fluff sandwich with this.....
It won't be pretty......
6i75V28l.jpg
 
For opening packages, cutting cardboard, a wharncliffe is stellar. However, many people here are into using their knife for slicing food and whittling, where a wharncliffe is not useful.

For a time, I was really into folders with that blade shape.
 
K.O.D. K.O.D. Must whittle differently than I do. A Wharncliffe is my first choice.

A couple other random thoughts on the subject

A wharncliffe is that sweet spot that has some of the advantage of a hooked blade but is still easy to sharpen.

The invention of the Stanley utility blade seems to coincide with the decline in popularity of straight edge blades on pocket knives. Really the thin disposable blade is a better choice for most tasks that require a straight edge.

The biggest problem I see with straight edges is the way the tip wears with hard use. It almost seems like it is trying to become a swept up tip. So you either have to sharpen away the entire edge to fix the point or bring the spine back to regain the point.

While better at some tasks, it is far worse at others. A drop point or clip point can do it all.
 
FWIW I find wharncliffe blades a little to pointy I prefer a sheepsfoot or coping blade.
 
I like a wharncliffe if I'm also complimenting it with a curved blade. Like a 2 blade wharncliffe trapper or Hawbaker muskrat. If I'm only carrying one blade, I like something that's not quite a wharncliffe, but still with a very tip-forward edge and a minimal/gradual belly. Like a Kershaw Leek, Benchmade 940, Spyderco Delica, etc.
 
Wharnies are just the best for overall utility work. Just like OP said the control you have with the tip makes it such a great blade shape.
 
I like a little bit of Both.... Straight edge and belly.
I agree with the poster above about the insingo blade style being just about perfect. I've never owned one, but without knowing, or seeing them previously, I kinda make a similar style. I've made quite a few, they seem popular.

* Blue blade is going to be an edc
 
Drop bear said:
I thought whittling knives basically were wharncliffes

Click to expand...

eveled said:
Must whittle differently than I do. A Wharncliffe is my first choice.
Click to expand...
It’s true that a lot of whittlers like wharncliffe blades, but in my own experience they are lacking compared to blades with some belly. There are a few techniques I use all the time that can only be done if the knife has belly, and whenever I’ve tried wharnies I end up frustrated that I cannot complete certain sections of a project without switching to another knife. I have pretty much stopped using wharnies to whittle at all.

Of course, this is just my own experience and everyone’s milage will vary based on how they whittle.
 
I encourage you not to hastily abandon or dismiss other blade shapes, even if they are unrelated to the wharncliffe. It's essential to explore and appreciate the diverse range of blade shapes available in order to make informed choices about the best tool for the task at hand.

I have only had trouble using wharncliffes in areas where I would need a belly, or depending on how the handle is shaped, getting the full length of the edge to cut onto a flat surface. Most people could get by with any bladeshape, we used to get by with rocks.
 
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