Knife "features" I fail to understand

L

LostCause

Joined
Apr 1, 2022
Messages
840
I'm not really that into knives, I just use my stuff, I often lurked on here in the past and I mostly looked about steels.

If you check some videos or reviews on knives you find interesting you can notice few things:

1. Sharp spine?
I get it that you can scrap ferro rod with it, but I also know every ferro rod comes with scraper. Also, why don't they just use a lighter? Ferro rod comes from factory just like the lighter does. If you really want to flex then make friction fire...
I never wished my knives were uncoated with sharp spine...

2. Scandi grind?
It's not really slicey if blade has any kind of thickness to it and edge suffers damage more easily, plus you have to remove a lot of material to take the damage out once it happens.

3. Lanyard hole?
I never put string on any of my knives and I can't see point of it for anything except larger fixed blades you can chop with.

4. Really round handle?
I'm not talking about oval like Ka-Bar has, it has some indexing, I'm talking about more round shape. It'll twist and rotate in your hand.

5. No either choil or guard?
How am I supposed to know where edge starts? What if I ever need or wish to stab something?


I'm just new and kind-of a "knife noob" so excuse me if some of these questions is off point.
 
I never understood the ferro rod idea. Lighters are inexpensive and commonly available.

Scandi grinds? I use a Morakniv as a work knife and it seems to cut anything I need without a problem. That being said, I generally prefer a flat grind.

On the topic of knife features, I can see no reason for a ricasso or choil on the blade, since I never feel the impulse to put my finger on the blade. I prefer my blades sharp and my handles blunt. Why do you think they call it a handle? Could it be that your hand belongs there? Just my opinion, free of charge.
 
1. I use it to scrape other things too, in the kitchen or in the field.

3. Sometimes it is the only way to retain a knife. Eg no bags, no pockets.. or to attach a small float. Super handy IMO.

5. You get to know your knife in time. It becomes an extension of your body. Unless you have too many... :rolleyes: :D Then just be careful and enjoy the ergonomics.
 
kobold said:
1. I use it to scrape other things too, in the kitchen or in the field.

3. Sometimes it is the only way to retain a knife. Eg no bags, no pockets.. or to attach a small float. Super handy IMO.

5. You get to know your knife in time. It becomes an extension of your body. Unless you have too many... :rolleyes: :D Then just be careful and enjoy the ergonomics.
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Thanks! Now that's helpful :)
 
Welcome!

Sharp spines can be nice for fire prep or handle/tool making by letting you scrape without dulling your edge.

Scandi grind is very nice for carving and not particularly delicate if given a very slight convex (or even a secondary bevel if you know you’re cutting extra tough material).

Lanyard holes on folders/small fixed blades can be nice for fob attachment for quicker/easier draw.

I’m with you on round handles and lack of guards. 👊
 
I don't understand why there's a bottle opening notch on so many products... I get that we're spoiled with twist offs here in the states, but why did the condor camp shovel I bought have a bottle opener? If I feel the need to open a bottle with a knife I'll use the spine or handle. It's not rocket science.
 
Wild Willie said:
I don't understand why there's a bottle opening notch on so many products... I get that we're spoiled with twist offs here in the states, but why did the condor camp shovel I bought have a bottle opener? If I feel the need to open a bottle with a knife I'll use the spine or handle. It's not rocket science.
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Totally agree, even Glock knife has beer opener 🤣
 
1) Blame it on the "bushcraft" nonsense. I do like a sharp spine on SOME knives (and I hate coatings, period). Not so much so I can use a ferro rod, but a sharp 90 degree spine has its uses for scraping as mentioned. It also is visually appealing in some cases. A 90 degree spine gives that "finished" and well-engineered look that some crave. A rounded spine looks sloppy and shoddy sometimes.

2) Blame it on the "bushcraft" nonsense Pt. II. A scandi grind does have its uses though. Think "scalpel". A scandi grind is quite sharp by nature. While it is somewhat fragile as you indicated, it excels at delicate precision slicing requirements.

3) I am not a fan of lanyards on MOST knives, however if there is risk of dropping the knife I see the purpose. I would never use it as a supplementary force-multiplier that many do with a chopper. The last thing I want is an uncontrolled knife flailing about on my wrist if I should ever lose grip on it while chopping. Also, some lanyards add a personal touch, as lanyard making is a "thing".

4) Agreed, round handles suck.

5) Choils and/or guards serve a purpose on combat/survival knives for sure. However, there are many light-duty mundane knife tasks where a choil adds no functional advantage. I don't mind the lack of choils/guards on small fixed blades.
 
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You draw some very arbitrary lines of what you perceive as useful or not.

So the only response can be: Why would YOU even own a knife? Any application you can state I can give you a non-knife alternative. Food prep? Call a delivery service instead. Etc.

The answer that you have not considered for some reason: Because people enjoy such things.
 
I have to admit, I have at least one fixed blade that applies to #5. I make sure I'm extra aware of what I'm doing when using that one. If I were to stab something that didn't give I'd have a really bad day.
 
LostCause said:
I'm not really that into knives, I just use my stuff, I often lurked on here in the past and I mostly looked about steels.

If you check some videos or reviews on knives you find interesting you can notice few things:

1. Sharp spine?
I get it that you can scrap ferro rod with it, but I also know every ferro rod comes with scraper. Also, why don't they just use a lighter? Ferro rod comes from factory just like the lighter does. If you really want to flex then make friction fire...
I never wished my knives were uncoated with sharp spine...

2. Scandi grind?
It's not really slicey if blade has any kind of thickness to it and edge suffers damage more easily, plus you have to remove a lot of material to take the damage out once it happens.

3. Lanyard hole?
I never put string on any of my knives and I can't see point of it for anything except larger fixed blades you can chop with.

4. Really round handle?
I'm not talking about oval like Ka-Bar has, it has some indexing, I'm talking about more round shape. It'll twist and rotate in your hand.

5. No either choil or guard?
How am I supposed to know where edge starts? What if I ever need or wish to stab something?


I'm just new and kind-of a "knife noob" so excuse me if some of these questions is off point.
Click to expand...
I reject your reality and substitute my own.

Sharp spines are there for those nice sparks with a ferro rod, but I get that a lot of people aren't ever going to use them. That and scraping. If they do have a sharp spine, it's always nice if they add some gimping for people who want to move up the knife a bit.

Scandi grind is like a power assist for wood working, but will also need sharpening more often. Some love it and others hate it. I have knives of pretty much every grind available and they all have their merits. Sometimes I want it, sometimes I don't.

Given that there are people who take lanyard arts and crafts to the level of art on this forum, it's not a surprise that a lot of people like their lanyards. I want them on some knives and not on others. It comes down to use. I was talking to a warehouse worker in my shop the other day, when we showed each other our knives, because cutters and knives are a thing for that kind of work. His was on a lanyard, which for him made a lot of sense where he works when he doesn't want to mess around too much when he needs to access a knife in a pocket that's secured by a pocket clip and he might be wearing gloves at the time.

Round handles are just much better ergonomics, especially for those of us with larger hands. I refused to buy an Esee 4 until they came out with the round HM handles. It also means less shock through your hand when you're chop, chop, chopping.

Guards are important for fighting knives, but less important for the less stabby amongst us. I love a good choil where I have the option to move up the knife for better point control. It's why Jasper Voxnaes is one of my favourite knife designers. He gets me.
 
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hey op!
knife handles
with a round cross section
goes way back to the time
when prehistoric man first used whatever natural material resources
which.were easily available
like tree branches,
and animal anthlers.as part of
tool/weapons such as spears, axes or clubs.
naturally formed round handles stuck on with us and became a traditional form to pattern after.
prevalent once man had tools to cut, form and shape things,
his handcrafting skills
began to improve considerably.
with devices such as the lathe
which enabled materials
to be shaped cylindrically
with a smooth and even surface.
it is a mass production method that is simple enough to operate and is still an efficient method to
manufacture with
a cost effective way to uniformly cut things to shape.
so production of round knife handles came about by way of technological default.
as for grip control,
contouring and chekering came
about to improve sliding and rolling of hand held objects to some extend.
 
Bastler said:
Uh, no, probably not. Using a knife to start a fire makes as much sense to me as using a hammer to stir the soup.
Click to expand...

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a bowl of soup.

(I've known Bics to fail, for any of a few reasons...to include cold, inclement weather, damage, etc. during winter backpacking trips in the White Mtns and Sierras.)

My fire steels usually took some years to rust. Having more than one option is always a good idea.

Anyway, stick with what works for you. There's plenty of room for more than one answer.
 
Bic lighters, multiples if at all possible are a fire starting plan that works - just keep them worm ... mostly easy but sometimes not so much.

I have no problem with bushcraft - for those who like it. Not to make light in a condescending sort of way but enjoying a skill level at those skills competes with parking the camper or checking in at the front desk of a motel - to each their own.
 
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