Curved or flat blade ?

J

Juicytarget

Joined
Mar 4, 2018
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167
Hi guys


On my way for the perfect EDC, and after chosing my steel, i'm now wondering :
How should an EDC blade be ?

Should the blade be flat all the way long or should it be curved ?

I've read things like "a curved edge creates more cutting surface for the same length"
But also "a curved edge will only be used on it's curved part, so you won't have more effective cutting surface"

I have to chose between these two grinds, for a 3,5-4 inches (the blade ofc) fixed EDC, made in elmax, what would you take and why ?

Also, because it would be a slicer, i was wondering if a flat/microconvex would be a good choice.
Is a simple full flat edge better or will the microconvex realy improove the cutting performance ?


Still, the main question is:

Is a curved blade more efficient at cutting than a flat blade ?
 
Not really an answer to your question but how are you sharpening skills? Recurves can be tricky to learn to sharpen properly. For that reason I don't really carry recurves to often I can put as edge on one. Just not as good as I would like.
 
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You should do some research to further specify your question, although perhaps you intended it as general. For example, curved could refer to recurve or a Persian style blade or relative to a flat blade this may include a knife with belly. It also seems that you have confused the blade's grind with blade shape.
 
I like to carry multi blade knives (traditional), I have both curved and straight blades on the same knife.
 
Belly for slicing, flat for pushing. I like flat edges, or those with minimal belly, for EDC. Think the modified sheepsfoot from benchmade or a nessmuk for a slight belly. The dead flat blades are great for utility but if you're cutting against a hard surface, like a cutting board, you'll quickly find a limitation in the design. The low, point tip of a wharncliffe is very useable though and they seem to bite in hard at the tip. I don't prefer hollow grinds on wharncliffes knives as it seems like it makes the tip too fragile (i.e. Kershaw leak) but it works decently on a sheepsfoot. FFG or a high flat grind are nice.

I'm not overly a fan of convex grinds unless it's a chopper or something specifically for wood or other denser media. I just like to sharpen standard bevels more even though there is probably some convex'ing after a while or stropping between sharpenings on the stone.
 
IMHO.... ALOT of which is better question boils down to your specific daily habits and most commonly encountered cutting medium...

If you were a fisherman or dock worker and spent ALOT of time around ropes and nets... curved would make a better EDC choice...

If you were a warehouse worker and spent a lot of time cutting open boxes.... straight blade would be better....

for GENERAL USE day to day in MY mind's view of an average man's average day.... a straight blade is more useful day to day.... but its close enough to a 60/40 split that it would not make life changing difference one way or another....

Think about your day, your environment, what do you envision yourself using the knife for.... would a curved blade make those tasks easier?....
 
LastRodeo said:
I like to carry multi blade knives (traditional), I have both curved and straight blades on the same knife.
Click to expand...

This is a great option too. My favorites are muskrat/moose patterns or trappers like the bottom one in the first photo or one of the two blade options in the 2nd. The big sowbelly trapper is too big for EDC, IMO, but it will make a nice hunting knife. I'm also a big follower of clean blade/dirty blade, belly blade gets the clean stuff and the straight blade gets the dirty stuff.
n9vYHNNl.jpg

XgQU3pNl.jpg
 
Oh Hey... what is that top knife in the second pic? that's SMEXY!


A.G. Russell Sowbelly Trapper?....

hummm.... gotta hunt one of those up...
 
Juicytarget said:
Hi guys


On my way for the perfect EDC, and after chosing my steel, i'm now wondering :
How should an EDC blade be ?

Should the blade be flat all the way long or should it be curved ?

I've read things like "a curved edge creates more cutting surface for the same length"
But also "a curved edge will only be used on it's curved part, so you won't have more effective cutting surface"

I have to chose between these two grinds, for a 3,5-4 inches (the blade ofc) fixed EDC, made in elmax, what would you take and why ?

Also, because it would be a slicer, i was wondering if a flat/microconvex would be a good choice.
Is a simple full flat edge better or will the microconvex realy improove the cutting performance ?
Click to expand...

As for these questions the simple answer is:

Go out and actually use some knives and find out.

That is the only way you can find what is best for you. We can't tell you. Reading stuff on the internet can't tell you.

I mean, how can you know what your "perfect EDC" is when you don't know these answers from use?

Read less, cut more.
 
CPP said:
You should do some research to further specify your question, although perhaps you intended it as general. For example, curved could refer to recurve or a Persian style blade or relative to a flat blade this may include a knife with belly. It also seems that you have confused the blade's grind with blade shape.
Click to expand...


Sorry un fact i'm just having a hard time explaining it clearly.
I'm still not perfect at english, but i'm trying to do my best :)
 
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Hawgsnawt said:
Oh Hey... what is that top knife in the second pic? that's SMEXY!


A.G. Russell Sowbelly Trapper?....

hummm.... gotta hunt one of those up...
Click to expand...

It is, I have a belt sheath for it as well.

If you get serious about buying one, I've been considering selling it since it's on the bulky side for my daily uses but I haven't taken the time to bring it hunting yet either which is where I think it would do much better. Kind of like a 2-bladed, slipjoint, buck 110. Bulky but very useful if you actually decide to use. It's been sitting in a drawer since this picture probably. I think I tried EDC'ing for about a month with the belt sheath but wasn't quite my flavor. I might "pay it forward" in this thread eventually https://bladeforums.com/threads/pay...doing-this-again.1582646/page-9#post-18090526
 
marcinek said:
For what?
Click to expand...

For cutting a bit of everything, from food when i will only have this knife on me, to cardboard, plants sometimes, fish, small branches, small rope, plastic...



I'd say that a very small belly, to help me at cutting on a hard surface, but still keeping the easy-to-sharp aspect may be ok.

I won't hide the fact that i actually never sharpened a curved flat blade.

It is, to me, a bit like "ease of shapening" vs "cutting confort".
 
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Juicytarget said:
:D:D didn't think about this one
Click to expand...

Exactly my point.

I am not singling you out, but we see this thread over and over. Folks ask "What is the best knife for me?" or "What is the best steel?" or "What grind is best?"

We don't know. You will when you use knives and find what you like. Buy a Case stockman, buy a Mora, buy an Opinel, buy a Vic Fibrox chefs knife, buy a Vic Sak Tinker, buy a RAT-1. And go and use the crap outta them.

Then, you will begin to have an idea of what features will be in your ideal edc.

I don't want you to waste your time thinking "These guys will tell me what is the best knife for me."
 
marcinek said:
This is your only knife correct? Who makes it?
Click to expand...

I mean, it could be crappy bogus "AUS-8." I love AUS-8. It holds an edge a reasonable amount of time, it sharpens easily, and it is inexpensive.

How did you decide Elmax? Have you used it? Have you sharpened it?
 
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