Define a knife usage?

[wuyeah]

This is might be prob a very basic question to knives. The usage.

Here is 2 knives for example that I fail to see the biggest difference.

Hattori Slice "Kitchen" knive. It is 9" 1/2 blad with over all 14.6inch long Thickness is about .2inch (less than .2, i round it off)

Here is a Dawson custom short sword knive. It is 10" blad overall is 15inch thickness .25inch.

Specs are pretty similar, no? Blade shap is pretty similar, no? handle is prob the biggest difference. Dawson custom has his iconic index finger hold. The Hattori has typical kitchen knife look. It doesn't thin to hold the blade.

How do we defind "kitchen slicer" or "short sword"? Can Kitchen knive be a short sword? or use as short sword? Can short sword be use as kitchen slicer? What marks the line, what is the line?

 

[MORIMOTOM]

kitchen knife is singular in its design, cuttin food.

short sword is also singular in design, cuttin people.

kitchen knife could be used as a sword, but not for long. it will probably snap into at least two peices. probably far more brittle, and definitely thinner.

sword will take more abuse and be useful in more situations. chopping, camp knife, etc. and it will cut food without breaking.

the line is subtle, but if the description says "kitchen knife", then its for food.

if the description says "short sword", then its for people.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

The kitchen knife and short sword probably are tempered differently and the slight difference in thickness would also change the way they can be used. The balance may be different also, with the sword more blade heavy.

The line was always close. What's the difference between a Searles bowie and a butcher knife? Mostly weight and balance, as far as usability goes.

I don't use kitchen knives in the kitchen. Most of my food prep is now done with Bark River or Scandinavian knives, with some folding tactical knives also at one time.

 

[cerulean]

Hattori Slice "Kitchen" knive. It is 9" 1/2 blad with over all 14.6inch long Thickness is about .2inch (less than .2, i round it off)

Hmm... are you sure about the thickness of that knife? I looked at a couple of places online (like here and here) and they listed the thickness of what appears to be that same knife as 3mm, which is 0.118 inches (rounded off). If the sword is .25 inches, that means that it's over twice as thick as the kitchen knife. The kitchen knife also looks like it has a full flat grind, while the short sword has more of a saber grind. If that's the case, then there would be a huge difference in the overall weight and thickness of the two blades, even though they may have a similar shape and length.

 

[roughedges]

As well, while the specs are similar, the Hattori Slice would be vastly superior for making very thin, fine cuts in veggies, fish, etc.

 

[wuyeah]

Hmm... are you sure about the thickness of that knife? I looked at a couple of places online (like here and here) and they listed the thickness of what appears to be that same knife as 3mm, which is 0.118 inches (rounded off). If the sword is .25 inches, that means that it's over twice as thick as the kitchen knife. The kitchen knife also looks like it has a full flat grind, while the short sword has more of a saber grind. If that's the case, then there would be a huge difference in the overall weight and thickness of the two blades, even though they may have a similar shape and length.

I must type in the wrong number when i do the "inch".......wow now sure is sky difference in thinkness. That was my original wonder. Its only near .05 inch difference "what is the difference".

 

[Whoever Wherever]

As aknife maker I can tell you that .118 and .25 are not close to eachother in my mind. 1/4 inch thick is pretty thick and more in line with a user knife of that size. .118 is going to allow much thiner slicing, more delicate work and cause the knife to be to brittle (when combined with a high RC, a critical spec that you did not mention and ultimately much more important when discussing the difference in a kitchen knife and a chopper).