Interesting (at least, to me) blade thought and question

T

Trout Tamer

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I was thinking about knives the other day (what else?) :cool: and an interesting thought regarding the basic features and common denominators of all knives crossed my mind. Before I give the thought, I'll pose the question: what is the most basic feature by which we categorize knives and their intended usage? This feature is found on all knives... what is it? Some basics are assumed here - it has a blade, it has a handle, it's made for cutting things. Other than that, this feature pertains to ALL knives. So, what do you think it is? I'll post my thought in a day or two. :)
 
I say it is the tip. The tip begs the blade to be used in one manner over another. A tanto can thrust. A dive knife's tip will pry. A rescue knife's tip will not poke. This determines how we use a particular knife.
 
"i think the most basic feature is dependability"

I guess I should have clarified the question. I agree that dependability is fundamental. What I am thinking about is in reference to physical characteristics of the knife.

Great replies, keep 'em comin'!
 
Hand Fit/Comfort, how the knife fits comfortably in your hand determines how it's held, this in turn determines the main function of the blade shape, is it used for slicing, stabbing, or slashing.
 
Trout Tamer said:
I'll pose the question: what is the most basic feature by which we categorize knives and their intended usage? This feature is found on all knives... what is it? Some basics are assumed here - it has a blade, it has a handle, it's made for cutting things. Other than that, this feature pertains to ALL knives. So, what do you think it is?
Click to expand...
Hmm... interesting question.

I think that all knives have blades. However, I don't think that all knives necessarily have a handle that is separate and distinct from the blade. Also, many knives are not made for cutting; some are made for spreading or scraping.

IMO, all blades have some type of edge, though it doesn't have to be sharp. Not all blades have a point.
 
The most basic feature of knives?..... I think it is the fact that we all need one.
 
Ok, what I was thinking is that the tip is the most fundamental element that categorizes a knife's intended use. Knifeclerk said it at the beginning. The reason I thought this was along the same lines of reasoning as Knifeclerk: all knives have a tip of some type. Cerulean said that not all knives have a point; that is true, but all knives do end somewhere, and the manner in which the knife ends is what determines its general purpose. A rescue knife has a sheepsfoot point, to minimize poking the victim. A spear point is very fine, for ease of penetration or fine cutting. A clip point can do a bit of everything, save be blunt. Y'all get the idea.

Could it be that the entire blade shape and geometry is designed after the point? The intended cutting medium is decided, then the most beneficial point style is determined. After the point is determined, the blade's geometry is configured. Perhaps the blade's design flows from front to back... I wonder. If this is the case, then the tip/point style is much more important thanI at first thought... :cool:
 
I'd go a little further and say the tip of the blade instead of the tip of the knife, because there are plenty of tools that have blades but aren't knives, such as screwdrivers, spatulas, etc. The tips of different screwdrivers determine what they're used on, and the tips of spatulas determine how you can use it best (rounded, angled, squared off).
 
The original "knife" was a hand axe or later, a sharpened pebble. Either would be used like an ulu: hold the back of the blade and scrape or cut. The hand axe would open a carcass and tear off chunks of meat. The pebble was getting into the idea of precision cutting, and would developed a point as the most precise part of the blade.

The primary characteristic of a knife, as opposed to a club to smash or a spear to pierce, is the edge, to cut.
 
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