Kathathu question

[fandorin]

Hi to everybody on this forum,
I know that Chris Reeve one piece knives are known for their strength. I like the tripple hollow grind of Kathathu, but have the suspicion that it might weaken the strength of the blade. I would like to know your opinions and especially the opinion of the manufacturer. Thank you. Alex.

 

[jki]

The Kathathu is an extremely strong knife in terms of its resistance to bending forces. The two "ridges" formed on either side of the center grind create reinforcing ribs down the length of the blade. Since the grind is repeated on both sides of the blade, these ridges actually are quite thick and robust. This can be seen by looking at a Kathathu straight on at the tip. It is like having the spine of a normal blade repeated twice in the center of the blade. I am not yet willing to test this, but I am would bet that a Kathathu would be significantly more difficult to put in a vise and bend than a non-dagger grind of the same size. The two ridges also extend all the way to the tip, and so the tip strength and piercing ability of this knife should also be much greater than a normal single edge blade. So the Kathathu should make a very fine piercing, prying tool. Let us know when you try it out that way!

 

[toothed]

Sounds like the benefits of an I-beam design: lighter weight using less material and with little trade-off in strength. Maybe an engineer can confirm this theory. I like my Kathathu for its looks and am not too concerned about its strength.