Factory Bowies with False Edges

R

RLANG

Joined
Apr 22, 2010
Messages
49
I do not own any custom bowie knives but I have handled several. The knives with sharpened clip points were very impressive. I was amazed with the craftsmanship of the blade grinds and bevels; especially of the precision of the sharpened swedges (false edges). I was surprised with how sharp the edge of a steeply beveled swedge could be made.

In stark contrast, the false edges of factory bowie knives are poorly ground; even if the product is advertised as having a fully sharpened false edge.

My question is, is mass production just not capable of producing a blade with a usable false edge? Or, is the advertising just a marketing ploy for tactical gimmicks?

I understand that cost effectiveness in factory production is paramount and that terminology can be misleading. Some knife enthusiasts have said that a true false edge or sharpened swedge does not mean that the edges have been actually sharpened; only that the bevels meet at the spine (in contrast to the swedge on a folder).

Obviously, a custom maker can produce a product any way he wishes (with a price to match). I am just curious, but do not worry. I have no interest in improved stabbing penetration or tactical back cutting.

Thank you for your replies.
 
If you are asking if the grinds on custom, handmade knives are better than those on mass-produced, factory-made knives, then the answer is yes.

Unless the custom maker sucks.
 
when pumping out hundreds, if not thousands of blades a day is the goal of these companies, there is no way that they can achieve the same level of quality as a knifemaker who spends upwards of 30 hours on a knife.
 
A false edge is exactly that, a non sharpened edge. Depending on most companies, I'd guess that it isn't a matter of poor quality. It is more an issue of overall legality as they cannot control where their knives will end up. Some countries, states, jurisdictions, countys, etc will deem this as a double edged weapon (illegal to own, carry, etc.). They get traded, sold, stolen, etc. To reduce the likelihood of a lawsuit, it seems that they leave it as a cosmetic only. You can easily have that false edge sharpened.
 
Last edited:
If the two bevels on a false edge actually meet at the spine, then it is a sharpened edge, not false at all. See post above detailing the legal ramifications of this geometry.
 
Makes sense. A swedge with bevels that meet is called sharpened (and considered as such legally), regardless of the actual degree of sharpness. Since a custom maker can be precise, his bevels can meet at a zero edge and produce a swedge with cutting ability.

Regarding terminology, most makers/collectors use false edge and swedge (or even swage) interchangeably. However, a few are more precise in usage, i.e., a false edge is a sharpened swedge. How sharp is it? Who knows, at least the bevels are ground to meet. The false in false edge may refer to the edge's length. An edge is called false if it does not run the full length of the blade. Therefore, if a swedge is sharpened it is a true false edge.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top