Walking Man said:
...My question is: Who finds these useful? As far as I can tell they are little more than thick warnecliff blades, with little function other than backup knife. We were just fine with out them, so why start now?
They are extraordinarily useful, and the traditionally made ones are far more than just a chunk of steel cut on an angle. I have seen and used many of them, none of which could be remotely described as "thick" or "warnecliff".
When traditionally made they are a forge-welded lamination of a thin layer of very hard steel and softer iron. The lamination and chisel grind means that they sharpen to an edge that most western blades can only dream about, given an equivalent investment of sharpening effort.
In the west they are used primarily as a woodworking tool, a role in which they excel. As a striking knife for marking out, the chisel grind and hard steel makes them THE superior tool. They are also very useful for detailing around dovetail cuts, and other more general shaping. No double-bevel knife can perform some of the tasks that a Kiradashi does with ease.
In Japan they are used for all sorts of precision cutting, particularly in the decorative cutting of food items.
They are not really an "every day carry" sort of blade, nor were they intended to be. That is because their users will simply
have one or more of them
already at the everyday locations where a blade is needed.
They are likely to have limited appeal where there is little need for a precision blade (How many western cooks carve vegetables into the shape of chrysanthemums? If you do not do fine wood work then you may never need to mark a line that is thinner than can be done with a pencil), but to those who do have such a need, once they have used a kiradashi nothing else will suffice.
Bowies may be much more common, but across the entire spectrum of cutting, the kiradashi design is of considerably greater utility.
cheers, Bangtail
