Distal tapered blades

kidwholaughs · Dec 3, 2009

Hey Guys,

Upon the reading reviews from Mr Dagon, I got a Chambriard Le Companion slippie. It has been a really pleasure using it. One thing I noticed is that this knife blade has a distal taper, ie the blade gets progressively thinner. I have noticed that European knives do this. SAK is a great example as well as nicer kitchen knives. This feature makes cutting food so much nicer. I have read in Jackknife's stories that a Hen and Rooster stockmen had distal tapered blades.

My Cases and Queen knives all use clip blades with drawn swedges to achieve the taper on the blades.

My question is this: Does any American cutlers offer slippies with distal tapered blades or is this an European thing?

God Bless

Durwood · Dec 3, 2009

All of Ray Cover's slipjoints have distal tapers.

KnifeHead · Dec 4, 2009

We need pix of these slip joints with distal tapers, hopefully showing the distal taper.

4Mica · Dec 4, 2009

One way to get a mental image of it is to think of a knife with a tapered tang and imagine that same thinning going the other way. The distal tapered knife blade tapers from the handle to the tip.

mckgreg · Dec 4, 2009

Is this what you're talking about?
Greg

KnifeHead · Dec 4, 2009

I hope we see more pix of slip joints with distal tapers(assuming mckreg's is one..it looks like it is) Are there really advantages to having distal tapers on a slip joint other than the coolness factor? The blades are already pretty thin if they are properly ground. Also, it is darn near impossible to balance a slip joint. That's the two reasons I know of for tapers.

I think the reason it's not prevalent in slip joints(generally speaking) is due to the size of the knives, the availability of dimensioned steel for stock removal, and the slip joint making process in general.

Bladesmiths beat tapers into fixed blades as part of the forging process and saving steel was a by-product. They help(ed) to balance the entire knife and thin the business end of the blade out to the point. You see tapered blades/tangs a lot in old fixed blades because they are forged. Forged/tapered blades from tip-choil and choil-tang also "stretched" the amount of steel needed to make a knife.

That said, there is a certain coolness factor in stock-removal tapering the blade, and even the backspring, on slip joints....well....because you can. It just takes time and more belts. :thumbup:

I have to admit I didn't know that Ray Cover's knives had distal tapers. got any pix?

kamagong · Dec 4, 2009

Kerry,

I just happened to have my KHnutbuster at hand for examination. Lo and behold, my favorite knife has a distally tapered blade! Is it something you always do, or was it just a by-product of the grinding process?

I'll try and take some pictures later today. IIRC I have a couple of other knives with distally tapered blades.

KnifeHead · Dec 4, 2009

kamagong said:
Kerry,

I just happened to have my KHnutbuster at hand for examination. Lo and behold, my favorite knife has a distally tapered blade! Is it something you always do, or was it just a by-product of the grinding process?

I'll try and take some pictures later today. IIRC I have a couple of other knives with distally tapered blades.

As far as I know, a full distal taper will start from the plunge cut, or even back farther closer to the handle, and continue to the tip of the blade. The process of grinding a blade should result in a taper to the tip of the blade or you end up with a pry bar.

VCM3 · Dec 4, 2009

Halfrich
The top,a lockback,the bottom,a big slipjoint

Tony Bose · Dec 4, 2009

This taper is a come as you grind the blade. The lower the point is on the blade the more taper it will have.

kidwholaughs · Dec 4, 2009

Greg,

You nailed it on the head. I guess I meant full distal taper. Kerry, Greg showed a top shot of exactly what I was talking about. Here is a side view of this knife. The Chambriard knife's point does not drop but the blade is fully distal tapered. This effect is not achieve by any swedging. If you notice carefully, Victorinox does as well. I kinda like this special touch, but I guess it's also a pain to grind. I don't even think that the blade is completely flat ground. I noticed that SAK blades have an asymmetrical flat like ground. Very interesting.

God Bless

4ever3 · Dec 4, 2009

Im not sure it could be ground without it unless it was a Cleaver, but then I'm still wet behind the ears...

Will Power · Dec 5, 2009

kidwholaughs said:
Greg,

You nailed it on the head. I guess I meant full distal taper. Kerry, Greg showed a top shot of exactly what I was talking about. Here is a side view of this knife. The Chambriard knife's point does not drop but the blade is fully distal tapered. This effect is not achieve by any swedging. If you notice carefully, Victorinox does as well. I kinda like this special touch, but I guess it's also a pain to grind. I don't even think that the blade is completely flat ground. I noticed that SAK blades have an asymmetrical flat like ground. Very interesting.

God Bless

Very elegant knife on view there :thumbup: So, you feel its slicing ability is superior to usual blades?

Thanks, W

kidwholaughs · Dec 5, 2009

willgoy said:
Very elegant knife on view there :thumbup: So, you feel its slicing ability is superior to usual blades?

Thanks, W

Mine cuts like a folding paring knife. That' why I love it. I think of it as a refined Opinel. I suspect that the full distal taper has a lot to do with it.

God Bless

KnifeHead · Dec 5, 2009

4ever3 said:
Im not sure it could be ground without it unless it was a Cleaver, but then I'm still wet behind the ears...

I'm sure you're right :thumbup:

I said this kinda already but I will put it another way....the process of grinding a knife with an edge that should be equal thickness from choil to point will result in a distal taper but not a full distal taper. It makes the blade thinner in the process and that's a good thing because as we know, thinner cuts better.

KnifeHead · Dec 5, 2009

kidwholaughs said:
Greg,

You nailed it on the head. I guess I meant full distal taper. Kerry, Greg showed a top shot of exactly what I was talking about. Here is a side view of this knife. The Chambriard knife's point does not drop but the blade is fully distal tapered. This effect is not achieve by any swedging. If you notice carefully, Victorinox does as well. I kinda like this special touch, but I guess it's also a pain to grind. I don't even think that the blade is completely flat ground. I noticed that SAK blades have an asymmetrical flat like ground. Very interesting.

God Bless

It is a sweet looking knife. Thanks for posting the image.

kidwholaughs · Dec 5, 2009

KnifeHead said:
It is a sweet looking knife. Thanks for posting the image.

Kerry,

SS bolsters, liners and pins. Filework on the spring with an very well hafted scales. The French can really put together a nice little package. But I am loving the taper the most

God Bless

zerogee · Dec 5, 2009

Doesn't matter whether the blade back drops toward the tip or the edge rises toward the tip or both -- if you do a full height grind (ground from edge to back of blade) - and you work to keep the edge thickness and geometry roughly the same overall, you *will* get the distal taper effect.

Tony Bose · Dec 5, 2009

zerogee said:
Doesn't matter whether the blade back drops toward the tip or the edge rises toward the tip or both -- if you do a full height grind (ground from edge to back of blade) - and you work to keep the edge thickness and geometry roughly the same overall, you *will* get the distal taper effect.

Well said. It's not magic.

kidwholaughs · Dec 5, 2009

Come to think of it. Ya'll are right. It's not magic but it's magical. It makes me happy every time I look at it.

God Bless