Do you like a belly in your blade?

J

J1427

Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
171
Hey guys, so I was cutting some food with a sheeps foot blade with a straight edge and I realized I never use the belly of my skyline. Do you like a straight edge or a curve? What are the pros and cons? What can for example a kershaw knockout do that my skyline can't? And vice versa?
 
People have often said a curve is much harder to sharpen and in that way less desirable... I haven't really found that to be the case, I think once you learn the basics of sharpening, sharpening a curve is pretty much just as simple. Sharpening a nice straight edge does go quicker for me, but sharpening a knife with a curve/recurve isn't necessarily harder, just takes a bit more time/care.

I guess I usually end up carrying something with a bit of belly to it, but the phenomenal-slicing Opinel is one of my all-time favorite knives.

So I guess in a roundabout way I have avoided answering your question altogether, sorry about that. ;)
 
J1427 said:
Haha it was a good non-answer. What are the benefits of the belly though?
Click to expand...

Speaking generally, a belly gives good all-purpose (i.e. both slicing and slashing) factors to the blade itself. Typically a knife with more belly will often have a less acute point and vice versa, so often big belly blades won't have the piercing power of straight ones, if that's a factor which is important to you.

An exception is the clip point though, if one "clips" the point of the knife, even those with lots of belly can be very pointy.

A tanto style blade for example has (usually) greater than average piercing power but below average slicing power.

For a knife design that's pretty much ALL belly, take a look at trailing point skinning knives.

I hope I've kinda helped. Just speaking very generally here and I know others will have valid exceptions.
 
In full flats yea but iv some sabre grinds that just jam up with all that real estate dragging behind but that's me expecting a one blade dose it all :confused:
 
Bluebs4 said:
In full flats yea but iv some sabre grinds that just jam up with all that real estate dragging behind but that's me expecting a one blade dose it all :confused:
Click to expand...

I'm kinda the same way... I never carry more than one a day on me. I try to match with what I might be doing but still, if I have a favorite that day, it's the one that gets put on... I think it's cool a lot of people can EDC 2 or 3, but that's just not me I guess.
 
I like belly in my blade a lot more than a blade in my belly, that's for sure!

Seriously though, it depends on the task at hand. Belly does make for some nice slicing, particularly any kind of food prep. Try slicing veggies with a wharnie.
 
Definitely depends on the task. I really like Spydercos leaf shaped blades for all purpose
 
For a knife to be all purpose I like it to have some belly. Nice for chopping garlic - just roll the blade up and down on the chopping board whilst moving side to side & voila!
 
I like belly, as long as there is some straight blade near the ricasso. I find it makes a knife more versatile. Good for slicing against a board. It allows you to get some blde edge into a deep job, rather than just tip. A smaller blade with a good belly can seem to do tasks that are too big for a wharncliffe.

I may be a bit biased. My first knife was a trailing point hunter that I used for everything, so I got used to belly as a child.
 
I like belly, but I like belly that is spread out evenly across the length of the edge (such as Spyderco's leaf blade, as many have pointed out) rather than concentrated near the tip like in a traditional clip blade. I lean towards a straighter edge with just that slight symmetrical bowing.
 
The more I use my knives the more I'm drawn to a gradual belly. Something akin to the spyderco military or this custom I have pictured below. They seem to flow with the movement of my arm more. The only thing I've ever really liked a deep belly for is when carving depressions like the bowl of a spoon in which I've found the Izula to be perfect. Outside of that, I really don't need that kind of belly on my knives. A modified wharncliffe with a gradual curve all the way through sounds about right for my next knife.

 
I do, but I've found over the years, aside for a hunting/skinning knife, I've gone away from knives with a lot of belly, especially those with a longer flat section and then very "steep" belly near the point. For day to day cutting they just don't seem to do as well for me and in the past with a lansky a little harder to sharpen at a consistent angle, not so much of an issue with an edge pro now.

I really like the spyderco PM2, Manix 2, MT socom blade shape for my everyday use, the BM 940 isn't bad either. I find that the Umnumzaan, 0560, BM 950 are about the limit of the amount of belly I'd prefer for an EDC. The one, and probably only "downside" to my VCEP is that I feel it has a little more belly than I'd like, and the ZT 0770 not quite enough. It's definitely something I've become very conscious of when evaluating a potential purchase now, right up there with having learned what I prefer for handle/blade length/ratio.
 
For me, straight edges (no belly) are better suited for general utility/edc type cutting chores. Knives with belly are nicer for food prep/skinning. Just me though. :) :thumbup:
 
HWF said:
For me, straight edges (no belly) are better suited for general utility/edc type cutting chores. Knives with belly are nicer for food prep/skinning. Just me though. :) :thumbup:
Click to expand...

+1, it's not just you, I'm right there on this.
 
I very much like the look of them. Big fan of the ZT 0350 and carry it a lot! I do agree a bit with the food prep/skinning aspect of HWF's comment but I can use an 0350 for about anything and be happy with the result!
 
I love a long gentle belly which Spyderco love to use.
DSC_0149_zpsd429250c.jpg

DSC_0153_zps7ab6af72.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top