Knife Design

[RyanSean97]

I'd like to hear you guys' thoughts and discussion on knife design. Some points or topics I'm looking for along with general discussion are:

- Favorite design style (anything from blade shape, handle contours, specific styles, traditional, Japanese, etc.)
- Reasons (if any) why you prefer the style you do (functional, aesthetic, etc)
- Photos or names of knives that capture the style you like or want to talk about as reference

This doesn't have to be practical, it was just a fun thought that I had and wanted to see some different views and preferences you guys had from all over the forums. The more pictures, the better!

As for me, I've always gravitated to a more traditional utility style of knife. Specifically, the drop point and the clip point blade are tied for my all time favorite blade shape for everyday use. They both have plenty of belly for slicing, some flat area for general use, and both have very useable tips that can accomplish a variety of everyday tasks. They also happen to be the best hunting knife designs so that is a bonus as well. The Loveless drop point and the Buck 119 are perfect examples of each respective design.

 

[Chuck_Nunface]

I like-a the Bowies.

 

[RyanSean97]

I like-a the Bowies.

The Bowies are-a the best

 

[Ruari]

I like clip point bowie style blades. Some that I like are Kabar 1217, I wish they did the swedge a bit more like the WW2 grind, less of a swoop, more of a straight line. I also like the SOG SEAL 2000, Pillar and Tech bowie, nice grinds and very useable blades.
The Cold Steel Leatherneck is great, but the swedge could have a bit more material ground back.

USN MK2 (note the straighter swedge grind)

Kabar 1217 (more of a curved grind)

SOG

 

[shane45-1911]

Also a fan of clip point Bowie-esque type blades.

 

[bdmicarta]

I like a clip point bowie style because it provides a relatively keen point and for utility use I actually use the point a lot. I like some spear points depending on the swedge pattern at the top of the blade. The curved clip of the KaBar is appropriate for that design but I flat swedges can make a nicer looking blade for me. I spent a lot of time collecting fixed blade hunting knives and those are typically drop point. Those don't have as much point but don't need a point that much. For EDC I typically carry a Spyderco with fairly keen point such as a PM2 or Manix2.
Other design features I like- I like a blade with combination of curved edge and straight edge, or in the case of my EDC folders a continuous curve is OK. I don't like recurve edges because I want to be able to sharpen using a flat stone.
For the handle I like a front quillon or bolster that provides a stop to keep your hand from sliding onto the blade. Sometimes finger grooves will provide this. I also like something at the butt or pommel that keeps the blade from slipping out of your hand.
Another minor design point that makes sense to me for a using knife is to tilt the entire blade down a little bit compared to the axis of the handle so that when you are holding the handle and trying to push the blade through something the knife wants to tilt a little bit in your hand and this keeps the blade from slipping out of the cut.

 

[Srtr]

For edc folders I really like the pm2 and sebenza. Don't think they can be beat in terms of looks and function for my use.

Fixed blades I really like the bark river bravo 1 LT

 

[Bob Denman]

Bowie Knives are pretty cool...

 

[Spey]

1) Favorite design style. - Depends on the application.
2) Reasons (if any) why you prefer the style - See #1 above.
3) Photos or names of knives that capture the style you like - See #1 above.

Favorite cutting medium most often tends to be wood.
Therefore have gained affinity for scandi-grind knives and saber-grind knives (latter, better for splitting).
For soft mediums, like for example clean slicing radiator hose, etc. tend to prefer FFG grinds.

At very young age, first folder included three different blade profiles (Clip, Sheep, Spey), and after using each different profile over years found how the variations each performed with varied daily tasks. Others may have various other reasons for what/why they carry a specific profile. To me it's about how the tool performs the task at had.

Few daily examples to meet the pic request:

Small branches bark stripped with sharp 90-degree spine to make pick-up stick pair :


Feather Fuzzing using sharp 90-degree spine (fire-starter medium):


Bark Stripping using sharp 90-degree spine (Quarter Staff handle area) :


Typical daily carry for medium sized wood processing with Saber-Grind (RatManDu at 15-dps) :


Graphic example of why I prefer a Saber-Grind for this type of application:
(needed to make wood wedge for recovery of this FFG, when my RatMaDu was splitting larger rounds effectively of same wood, same day)
Tomahawk was used to buck the wood (haft barely visible on right)


Sharp 90-degree spines (L-R RatMaDu, ESEE-4, Enzo) :
(Note: Rubber liner on right-side of ESEE-4 to create palm-swell effect, same on my ESEE-6)


RatMaDu 90-Degree Spine :
(This knife effectively replaced my ESEE-6 (due to the FFG vs Saber-Grind performance and my typical applications)


ESEE-4 90-Degree Spine :


Same Scandi knife as above, now wearing radiused linen micarta :

 

[RousingRabbles]

1) Favorite design style. - Depends on the application.
2) Reasons (if any) why you prefer the style - See #1 above.
3) Photos or names of knives that capture the style you like - See #1 above.

Favorite cutting medium most often tends to be wood.
Therefore have gained affinity for scandi-grind knives and saber-grind knives (latter, better for splitting).
For soft mediums, like for example clean slicing radiator hose, etc. tend to prefer FFG grinds.

At very young age, first folder included three different blade profiles (Clip, Sheep, Spey), and after using each different profile over years found how the variations each performed with varied daily tasks. Others may have various other reasons for what/why they carry a specific profile. To me it's about how the tool performs the task at had.

Few daily examples to meet the pic request:

Small branches bark stripped with sharp 90-degree spine to make pick-up stick pair :
View attachment 1687252

Feather Fuzzing using sharp 90-degree spine (fire-starter medium):
View attachment 1687257

Bark Stripping using sharp 90-degree spine (Quarter Staff handle area) :
View attachment 1687261

Typical daily carry for medium sized wood processing with Saber-Grind (RatManDu at 15-dps) :
View attachment 1687262

Graphic example of why I prefer a Saber-Grind for this type of application:
(needed to make wood wedge for recovery of this FFG, when my RatMaDu was splitting larger rounds effectively of same wood, same day)
Tomahawk was used to buck the wood (haft barely visible on right)
View attachment 1687280

Sharp 90-degree spines (L-R RatMaDu, ESEE-4, Enzo) :
(Note: Rubber liner on right-side of ESEE-4 to create palm-swell effect, same on my ESEE-6)
View attachment 1687295

RatMaDu 90-Degree Spine :
(This knife effectively replaced my ESEE-6 (due to the FFG vs Saber-Grind performance and my typical applications)
View attachment 1687307

ESEE-4 90-Degree Spine :
View attachment 1687310

Same Scandi knife as above, now wearing radiused linen micarta :

Dang, now you got me wanting to pick up an Enzo Birk again!

 

[MolokaiRider]

1) Favorite design style. - Depends on the application.
2) Reasons (if any) why you prefer the style - See #1 above.
3) Photos or names of knives that capture the style you like - See #1 above.

Favorite cutting medium most often tends to be wood.
Therefore have gained affinity for scandi-grind knives and saber-grind knives (latter, better for splitting).
For soft mediums, like for example clean slicing radiator hose, etc. tend to prefer FFG grinds.

At very young age, first folder included three different blade profiles (Clip, Sheep, Spey), and after using each different profile over years found how the variations each performed with varied daily tasks. Others may have various other reasons for what/why they carry a specific profile. To me it's about how the tool performs the task at had.

Few daily examples to meet the pic request:

Small branches bark stripped with sharp 90-degree spine to make pick-up stick pair :
View attachment 1687252

Feather Fuzzing using sharp 90-degree spine (fire-starter medium):
View attachment 1687257

Bark Stripping using sharp 90-degree spine (Quarter Staff handle area) :
View attachment 1687261

Typical daily carry for medium sized wood processing with Saber-Grind (RatManDu at 15-dps) :
View attachment 1687262

Graphic example of why I prefer a Saber-Grind for this type of application:
(needed to make wood wedge for recovery of this FFG, when my RatMaDu was splitting larger rounds effectively of same wood, same day)
Tomahawk was used to buck the wood (haft barely visible on right)
View attachment 1687280

Sharp 90-degree spines (L-R RatMaDu, ESEE-4, Enzo) :
(Note: Rubber liner on right-side of ESEE-4 to create palm-swell effect, same on my ESEE-6)
View attachment 1687295

RatMaDu 90-Degree Spine :
(This knife effectively replaced my ESEE-6 (due to the FFG vs Saber-Grind performance and my typical applications)
View attachment 1687307

ESEE-4 90-Degree Spine :
View attachment 1687310

Same Scandi knife as above, now wearing radiused linen micarta :

Dang, now you got me wanting to pick up an Enzo Birk again!

Those Birk 75 are great little folders. I have a couple scandi versions and a FFG with countoured and polished g10.

The fit and finish is superb.

 

[David Mary]

For EDC use, I like a spear point blade, as it can do everything well enough. It doesn't tip slice like a wharncliffe, but close. It doesn't skin like a trailing point, but it has enough belly to get the job in the hands of a competent person. I like a blade right around 3 3/4" long, which is big enough for "tactical" carry, but small enough to go relatively unnoticed in public settings. I like it to have a "negative blade angle" with relation to the handle, for increased cutting ability via increased leverage without straining the wrist. The handle is Suretouch in order to get the versatility and durability of G10 with the grippiness of rubber. Finish of this material doesn't matter. Contoured, textured, or flat (as long as a rubber layer is exposed in the later case, obviously) are all more than grippy enough. Steel would ideally be stainless, to the tune of something like LC200N, or MagnaCut.

My favorite design in this size range I have come up with so far is the Prevail, heavily influenced by some Spydercos I owned and modded. I made one in LC200N for myself already, but it found a new home. I plan to make myself one in 3/32" LC200N with a high sabervex grind. Here is a beefy but slicey one in 1/8" 8670 with green Suretouch, some forge scale, and a similar grind to the one I'll make for myself. My Prevail in LC200N will be most likely a similar handle to this, but probably blue and a little thinner (light and fast for me!), and with black carbon fiber tubes instead of brass pins or tubes.

 

[Bob Denman]

David... You're killing my sense of financial responsibility with that knife.

 

[David Mary]

 

[Bob Denman]

Oh great: now I'm also hungry!

 

[rctic]

I like hollow grinds with wharnie shape for a n edc

 

[Spey]

Dang, now you got me wanting to pick up an Enzo Birk again!

Uhm ..., try one !
Flavors to meet most tastes - Scandi in D2 or S30V and FFG in S30V

If I had known construction quality was of Taichung origin I would have picked up a Gen-1 many years earlier. Good news, the Gen-2 versions are even better

RE: my comment about quality of Taichung origin ...

Below my comparisons.
Left: my Sage-1/2 with FrameLock RIL Scale (Chris Reeve Integral Lock)
Mid: my CF Enzo
Right: my Linen Micarta Enzo
Note: construction similarities (almost identical).
1) CF Peal-Ply is virtually the same except for thickness.
2) Nested Stop-Pin
3) Stand-Offs virtually identical (Enzo slightly smaller O.D.)
4) Mill Finish on liners virtually identical
5) Chamfering of liner identical


Carbon Fiber Peal-Ply over Black G10
Left: my Sage-1/2 with RIL Scale (Reeeve Integral Lock)
Right: my CF Enzo
Note: construction similarities (almost identical).
Carbon Fiber Peal-Ply same construction.
CF Pattern virtually identical.
Chamfering virtually identical.


Knife functional with scales removed (floating strop-pin).


The main difference in construction (Taichung Sage v Enzo) is that while the Sage follows fairly standard practices where externally visible fasteners hold entire knife together, where-as with the Enzo the externally visible fasteners only secure the scales to the liners (providing excellent structural support) and all other fasteners including pivot are hidden under the scales. Additionally, there are two large scale locating pins and the stop-pin keeping all in alignment. This type of construction makes for a very rigid assembly, that after proper tuning requires very little maintenance. I am a year of use with no pivot maintenance required after my initial disassembly/reassembly.


Now that I have finally acquired my white ivory linens I can finally come out and say ...
IMHO this is Taichung manufactured, commissioned/designed through Scandinavia, marketed and possibly assembled in Scandinavia.
Regardless, one hell of a pleasantly and surprisingly good knife. Best scandi folder I have used.

PS: anyone see any similarities to the GB-1 ... OMG (GB-1 even had proud liners like the Enzo Gen-1)
I would be curious to know which was released first the GB-1 or the Enzo75 Gen-1 (appears I have another research project LOL)
I believe GB-1 was 2011-12 and the Enzo Gen-2 was 2012-13 and Enzo Gen-1 ?? (3/2010, possibly even earlier?)

 

[POCEH KOCEB]

I believe Gen 1 Enzo was released before GB 1.