Do Smaller Knives Need As Much Edge Retention?

[RBid]

What is the cash value of the answer to this question?

I may be missing something, and am open to that possibility, but it seems to me that a 3” knife and a 10” knife are unlikely to be purposed similarly. I’m not going to chop with my Domino, and I wouldn’t take an ESEE 6 to work, etc. Also worth noting: my use of folders makes edge retention an asset, with occasional spikes of heavy use (not “hard use”— cardboard, zip ties, plastic, and poly-weave straps), during which I am likely to be doing 100-200 cuts in a day.

Taken in context of my personal use, the shorter knife having excellent edge retention provides more value than the longer knife.

Does anyone else have an opposing conclusion, based on their personal use?

 

[BenchCo Spydermade]

Less edge (smaller blade) would need more edge retention to cut the same amount as a longer blade. Also makes a difference what the blades are cutting. For food prep I am l Iikely to go for more length and food is a pretty soft cutting medium. For cardboard I prefer something small like a dragonfly or toughlite. That's gunna put a lot of wear on that little edge.

 

[danbot]

What is the cash value of the answer to this question?

I may be missing something, and am open to that possibility, but it seems to me that a 3” knife and a 10” knife are unlikely to be purposed similarly. I’m not going to chop with my Domino, and I wouldn’t take an ESEE 6 to work, etc. Also worth noting: my use of folders makes edge retention an asset, with occasional spikes of heavy use (not “hard use”— cardboard, zip ties, plastic, and poly-weave straps), during which I am likely to be doing 100-200 cuts in a day.

Taken in context of my personal use, the shorter knife having excellent edge retention provides more value than the longer knife.

Does anyone else have an opposing conclusion, based on their personal use?

I took it as a hypothetical type question.

 

[RBid]

I took it as a hypothetical type question.

That’s fair.

 

[blades&wrenches]

I prefer the opposite. Higher quality stainless with high edge retention in smaller folders and tougher tool steels for larger blades.

 

[Ten_Mile_Knives]

What is the cash value of the answer to this question?

I took it as a hypothetical type question.

It was a totally hypothetical question. Of course the uses of long and short blades are very different, the way they are used, the steels, used, and the materials cut are all going to be different because a smart user picks the right tool for the job. My question was more of an academic discussion on whether longer blades leave more room for edge damage mistakes and if that leads to less need for tough/edge-holdy steels in shorter blades. I think this question makes the most real world sense when talking about bushcraft/woodworking where there are a lot of scooping cuts that put radial and lateral forces no the edge more than slicing cardboard.

 

[DocJD]

I prefer the opposite. Higher quality stainless with high edge retention in smaller folders and tougher tool steels for larger blades.

Agreed . I'm most concerned with toughness in a big blade especially for chopping wood . Edge retention can come first only for a small knife (for me) where toughness is not primary .

 

[danbot]

It was a totally hypothetical question. Of course the uses of long and short blades are very different, the way they are used, the steels, used, and the materials cut are all going to be different because a smart user picks the right tool for the job. My question was more of an academic discussion on whether longer blades leave more room for edge damage mistakes and if that leads to less need for tough/edge-holdy steels in shorter blades. I think this question makes the most real world sense when talking about bushcraft/woodworking where there are a lot of scooping cuts that put radial and lateral forces no the edge more than slicing cardboard.

Okay, so more a question of edge stability or strength than of edge retention.

 

[Ten_Mile_Knives]

Okay, so more a question of edge stability or strength than of edge retention.

Yes

 

[22-rimfire]

I prefer the opposite. Higher quality stainless with high edge retention in smaller folders and tougher tool steels for larger blades.

That is my preference also, at least at the present. I might choose something like CPM-154 for a small blade and not really want it for something over about 5 inches due to the use or potential use.

So, I would tend to go with smaller blades being of higher end steels which typically hold an edge longer and I want sharper.

 

[Hickory n steel]

All I can really say is that if my machetes had the same steel as my knives they'd probably have chipped out big-time by now.
Bigger blades need to handle shock and impact, smaller blades really don't .

 

[Wowbagger]

Do Smaller Knives Need As Much Edge Retention?

No but as a knife user I need and want seriously wear resistant steel in my small knives. I mean why would I want "easy to sharpen" sucky steel in any of my knives when I have what I need to EASILY sharpen the high alloy tool steels etc. ? !

Ladybug with ZDP-189.
. . . makes me do this