Knife ergonomics and blade shape

hwpaintballer

hwpaintballer

Joined
Jun 12, 2008
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I realized today how important a knife with good ergonomics and a useful blade shape is. After four hours of stringing and breaking beans I couldn't be more happy with Knife X, the blade had a nice straight edge most of the length of the blade then it rolled up to the tip, creating an almost tanto look. The straight edge and the tip of it proved to be worth it's wait in steel. Also the handle was nice and comfortable, it almost never left my hand.

The only reason I didn't go with the Izula is 'cause I didn't want to stain it with bean juice and I figured it would be easier with a thinner blader.

The knife I used today was a folder, oh and Knife X isn't really the name of it. I just didn't want to get started on brand arguing.

So what do you guys look for in a knife, more importantly on the blade shape and ergo side of things?
 
i look for the right tool for the job , and if its purty then thats a bonus.....

i just picked up a set of japanese kitchen knives by onion and shun, and i am super happy, there giant razor blades and can the extra thin blades make dealing with a moutian of veggies a breeze the steel is some kinda stainless and it cleaned up real easy even in onion and tomatto and other high acid veggies.....

i do use about every knife i own for food prep....

and i also have this little guy .... good little companion... and is razor sharp but small and fits your hand perfectly. if i didnt have it i would probably have the izula with me more....
 

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to tell you the truth, I've never used any of my knives for that long of a period. I'll cut some things here or there, maybe peel an apple, but I've never handled the same knife for 4 straight hours. I guess if I put it that way, I choose knives mainly on looks and materials used.
 
I guess I'll put it this way: My RC-4 is the toughest knife I own.:D

My priorities:

1. Feel in the hand. I gotta like this the most for a knife I will trust. This is a combo of handle feel, amount of hand placements upon the knife that can be used with without awkwardness, discomfort or "hot spots," grip material, balance, and overall weight. Gotta feel lively and balanced for a small to medium knife and a little forward heavy for a bigger one..
2. Cutting ability. (Edge profile) If it can't bite and cut into or through tough material, without serrations, I have no use for it.
3. Cutting ability. (Blade profile) If it can't make a slice rather than wedge through like an axe I have no use for it.
4. Cutting ability. (Belly) If it can't stay true and go where I want to take it, though hide, or viscera, or even when making a straight cut without dragging or hanging up on cardboard, I have no use for it. The knife has to have some belly towards the tip that can be guided precisely from the handle.
5. Grind. Prefer a scandi, will take a flat, convex, or hollow if it makes sense overall on the knife's own design terms. Don't much like recurves though.
6. Edge retention. I want the knife to put in as much work as I would like to perform without anything more than a touch up inside of any four hour window.
7. Blade characteristics. I like knives under 5.0" in blade length and under 10" OAL unless they are dedicated choppers. I like a useable point capable of at least light drilling without snapping off. I like the blade to be about 3/8ths thick max on the spine.
8. Toughness. I try to be smart about knife use, but I'll take carbon steels in fixed blades every time because they are more resilient than stainless steel ones. I could care less about patinas, and I wish I could get a factory uncoated RC-4 and just stain it up. Better yet, I'll take a sprint run RC-4 in CPM3V please.
9. Ease of carry. I didn't like the RAT-5's glass breaking point, nor do I much dig the RC-5's pointed pommel. The end of my fixed blades are ideally capable of some emergency hammering for breaking open acorns, or crushing up some dandelion, or busting open crustaceans.
10. The maker. I want no BS knives so I get them from people and companies I can trust.
 
Besides the pictures you occasionally post Boats, I would have to say that was one of the better posts I have seen. Thank you for taking the time to respond :thumpup:

:D I also liked the emergency acorn opening part.
 
I feel you should pick the knife for the job at hand. I do of coarse prefer my rats for most outdoor-hunting-camping duties. However, I feel it would be better while fishing to have a stainless mora bc i live in a saltwater enviroment and you need some flex in a knife used to fillet fish. In the kitchen go with kitchen knifes. In my meat market I use forschner boneing, butcher, and breaking knives. As much as i love my rats you should always use the knife built for the job.(if you have it-if not make do with what cha got)
 
I'll start with the handle. I usually go with a fully contoured handle, but I do love my RAT's. Also got Blind Horses' Bushcrafter and love the rounded handle. Just a little bit of pommel sticking out for hammering purposes.

Blade I like 3-1/2" to 4-1/2" with scandi, full flat or convex grinds. Blade designs I like straight spine(like traditional scandi knives), spearpoints and drop-points. Scandi and spearpoints for general bushcraft and drop-points for hunting/bushcraft. Like thinner around .125", no more than .188". Carbons 1095, O1 and A2.
 
I like a knife that feels right and works well for cutting tasks.

A few things ive learned is:

that I am not a huge fan of super large knives. I just find them to big to actually use.

I hate recurves. Look cool, great at first but im just no good at sharpening them :)

Some knives just feel great in my and and others do not, and its not just ergos

Great customer service means a lot to me, and I have to like the maker of a knife.

I only love knives after ive used them for a while. It takes a while for a knife to become a friend so to speak. Many never make it for me.
 
hwpaintballer said:
The only reason I didn't go with the Izula is 'cause I didn't want to stain it with bean juice
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LOL, hey put that knife back in the safe :p

I love watching my Izula stain, I sometimes flitz it shiny just to watch it happen again :D
 
Ergos and usability of the blade are incredibly important to me. That's why I like RAT's and Spyderco's so much. :D
 
hwpaintballer said:
The only reason I didn't go with the Izula is 'cause I didn't want to stain it with bean juice and I figured it would be easier with a thinner blader.
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theonew said:
LOL, hey put that knife back in the safe :p

I love watching my Izula stain, I sometimes flitz it shiny just to watch it happen again :D
Click to expand...

:D If your going to quote me, quote all of it. The only shiny thing left on my Izula is the edge.
 
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