How important is a pointy tip?

D

DangerZone98

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Dec 7, 2019
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Apologies if this has been discussed before. Out of curiosity, how important is a pointy tip for your usual uses? The needle-like tip, I mean? In my case, piercing ability is nice to have but I don’t necessarily need the pointiest tool in the shed. For boxes, it’s convenient to poke and cut, but that’s about the most use I get out of a sharp point. And even the fairly tame point of a drop point knife shape will manage this just fine.
 
I normally carry at least two knives with a point: a stockman, and either a Buck 110 or Old Timer 6OT/7OT or a two blade slipjoint folding hunter.
Along with the stockman, I have a minimum two blade knife with a spear point, such as a 4 blade scout/camp/Demo knife, or a sunfish, canoe, or Harness Jack.

Most of whet I "need" a knife for these days does not require a sharp point. I could "get by" with only the stockman or canoe/Sunfish ... but what fun would that be?

For peeling critters, I like a drop point or spear point best. For fileting fish, and opening a yummy turtle, a sharp point comes in right handy. :)
 
It's important enough to me that that I miss it when I don't have it. The only knife I have without a pointy tip is a CRKT Batum. I use that one in the yard for digging and hacking open bags of dirt and gravel. Since the point is pretty much useless, I use that giant goober of a choil to rip bags open.
 
For me personally, it is very important. I specifically look for that in a folder. I don't hard-use my folders. They're for cutting up food, and getting into packaging. A pointy tip can help start a cut in plastic, or various materials.

That's one of the reasons I like my PM2.
Different strokes for different folks. Some people hate the delicate tip of the PM2.
 
For me, the pointy tip is a clear indication of someone who knows how to sharpen a knife properly, or not. So, while this does not answer the OP's question directly, to me it is important as an indicator of sharpening technique.
 
Pointy tip.... hmmm. I just started to carry the Rough Ryder Reserve Kayak model with my Small Tinker which does not have a real pointy tip. The tip is part of the reason I chose to carry the RRR. I also want to try one out. It is new.

In general, I want a pointy tip with a knife for just about any application. It is the main reason I favor a clip point on a traditional knife.
 
Interesting question. I found an old Victorinox grafting knife once while metal detecting an old tree nursery, from back in the 20's. The blade is virtually squared off on the end by design. It looks like it has had a lot of use.
 
Try making a neat detailed cut in a sheet of something tough without a point, or opening a clamshell, or any of a million other common use cases without a point. A point is handy. Surgeons must love pointed knives, every scalpel I've ever seen came to a sharp point for some reason or other . . .
 
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