Does "blade width" matter?

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DangerZone98

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Dec 7, 2019
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So around these parts, we talk a lot about how blade length and blade thickness affect function and performance. A longer length for example generally diverges into two possible routes: heavy chopper territory or sleek machete territory. Of course, some knives could competently cover those two fronts. For blade thickness, I understand this as a tradeoff between durability (er, batonability?) or ease of slicing. Thicker blades tend to be more durable but also lose out on slicing ability somewhat.

For this thread, let's define blade width as the distance between the spine and cutting edge. Does width have any noticeable effect on knife function and performance?
 
Depends on what you are using the knife for.
I typically carry both a modern and a traditional knife. A lot of times I reach for the traditional because the wider blade of the modern knife is too wide to allow the blade to get to the part of the thing I want to cut.
 
Of course it matters. I usually refer to that as the "height" or "tallness" of a blade.

A tall- I'm sorry, "wide" blade slices and digs through material easier, less "wedging it apart".
I know he's comparing grind lines, but it's the same concept; a "wider" blade will have more room for a taller grind and be better cutters.

Example, I picked up an UP Bravo over the standard bravo due to the wider blade:
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Less abrupt grind that allows it to cut much better.

Like my fellas mentioned, it's less suitable for precision tasks (such as digging zip ties, cutting tags/wristbands, etc) than "thinner" blades such as traditionals, or like the CEO or something. Or batoning 🤪
 
I also carry both traditional and modern to cover different tasks. One thing about a deep blade is that it can be thinner at the edge and farther up towards the spine even on ff grind making it slice better and less binding. Traditional knives usually have less depth and are more sleek and slimmer in design so that’s where I prefer a hollow grind unless it’s a thin blade stock then ff is nice. I think a lot depends on the thickness of the blade stock as to how deep the blade is and what it’s being used for. I don’t get into batoning with my knives and prefer a froe or axe to split wood so they can be relatively thick.
 
I lean towards narrower blades simply because I have an easier time cutting things. I do have what I consider to be wide blades for the blade length and they work fine but not a well as a narrow blade. That is just my experience your may be different.
 
Depends what you're cutting. Wide(r) blades that have a thin high grind such as the Master Hunter work great slicing through soft materials like meat/flesh, but may not perform quite so well as a fillet knife when it comes to slicing fish. Interestingly, Buck's classic Pathfinder (105) has quite a narrow blade but very similar contour to the 119. All the more reason to have several of each 😁 .
 
In general, the combination of a blade's width and thickness, among other factors, play into the geometry of the blade, so yes it's an absolutely critical dimension to make note of. The wider the blade, the thicker stock can be used without creating a wedge, improving performance. Conversely, the wider blade can indeed get in the way of the task, as others have mentioned, requiring thinner stock for effective cutting. Thinner stock is not necessarily weaker though, I've seen thick blades snap and I've seen thin blades flex, it strongly depends on the heat treatment and geometry.

On bigger blades, a very tall blade can negate the advantage of a thick spine if it's too narrow behind the edge, the edge can fail but the spine will stay intact. Good geometry is always the key.
 
I like them wide!
It's nicer when you prep food, I think, and to spread something like peanut butter, etc. on bread.

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DangerZone98 said:
For this thread, let's define blade width as the distance between the spine and cutting edge. Does width have any noticeable effect on knife function and performance?
Click to expand...

Wider blades allow for higher grinds and a gradual transition to a more acute geometry.

Better geometry equals less resistance and better performance.

A good example of this is the typical dagger. Daggers traditionally have narrow blades that severely hinder the ability to create an optimal edge geometry. As a result, most daggers cut poorly.

A wide blade made from thin stock that has a high hollow or flat grind will make a phenomenal cutter.

Unfortunately, many knives are overly thick, narrow and feature shallow grinds.
 
Lots of folks talk about wider getting you better geometry for slicing, but in theory trigonometry says you can scale similar triangles easily. There may be practical limitations, but there’s a solution for everything.

I like traditional coping blades- they can cut tight curves in things like card stock or pumpkins. As the distance from the edge to spine increases, so does the minimum effective radius. This makes for more stable straight cuts, but good luck making small circle eyes in a Jack-o-lantern.
 
I agree lots of confusing word usage.....???

Width IS Thickness.


Height defines a broad knife.

Strength comes from it's height, not it's thickness, unless Prying.....


You would never say a knife is 2" wide....haha.
It is 2" Tall.



I'm not 6'2" wide.



PS..... I love tall knives for Everything, except carving spoons.
 
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As others have already said here , the tall / broad blade is good for straight through chopping / slicing .

It can lend to great strength and still be a good slicer . It just will not want to turn .

The main limitation is for "turning " or paring type use .

Just like a scroll saw will be a narrow blade .
 
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