Dropped edges

[2knife]

This might sound crazy to many of you... I'm having a hard time justifying it (in my own mind) as an essential element of good blade design. Anyone have any good reason for it? Is it purely cosmetic, or functioning? I guess I'm seeing dropped edges on everything and wonder if it's just an accepted norm or is there a legitimate reason?
David

 

[blademan 13]

You tend to see them on most forge blades because they are the result of the forging process. The are created by the forging process and cleaned up during the grinding. Stock removal demands that they be part of the design. Regardless of how they originate, I like them because;

They lead to a more refined look. With the ricasso being narrower than the blade, the designs tend to flow better.

Ease of sharpening. I like being able to sharpen the entire edge and have it look good afterwards. I don't like sharpening "up" into the blade.

These are just the reasons I prefer a dropped edge. I like them enough so that I even go through the trouble of putting a dropped edge on stock removal blades I grind.

 

[joeshredd]

...and depending on the chef or style of cuisine, you should watch a good chef use the tip of that drop to affect cuts on, for instance, avacados, and then smack the tip of the dropped edge into the seed and lift it out in one simple motion... It can be useful depending on it's configuration.

I really like the angles on the dropped edge as evident in the Gaucho-style knives coming from the Boys from Brazil. In this case, it's a completley different function than say the style found on a French Chef's knife or a Sushi-style knife... Like Blademan said, it makes it easier to actually sharpen the whole edge, and I like it as it forms a deep choil that is rounded enough to use without cutting into your finger...

Different uses to be sure, but the dropped edge is more than a result of the process, or it would get ground off more frequently than not...

 

[Bailey Bradshaw]

Dropped edges are functional for two primary reasons. First is it gives more width to the blade allowing for a more accute bevel angle making ht eknife cut better. Second, it allows the user to work close to a surface and not have your hand in the way, like a chef's knife. It is a feature that has become synonimous with Bowies. It isn't necessarily a deliberate feature of the forging process, but must be done with care and skill to get it to drop down nice and square.

 

[Megalobyte]

You guys are talking about the area often referred to as the choil? If so, and a dropped edge is what I'm picturing, I like them, to me it's evocative of a forged blade, not sure why, but when it isn't dropped, and instead, rounded or removed all together, it seems less forged, and more stock removal to my eyes.

I'm attaching a pic with an arrow pointing to what I think we're talking about can somebody confirm it for me?

Ari