Knife Thickness and Ratio - what is Your Ratio

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Gabaski

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Jul 22, 2010
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What is a good thickness for know let say .

2inches blade 4.5 inches handle .
3inches blade 4.5 inches handle .
4inches blade 4.5 inches handle .
5inches blade 4.5 inches handle .
6inches blade 4.5 inches handle .
7inches blade 4.5 inches handle .

basically , i am try9ing to find out what is a good thickness for knife .

eg. 2"B ( blade ) 4.5"H ( Handle ) 3mm T ( Thickness )
3.25" B : 4.25 H : 6mm T
what would be a good size .

ADD :

like some bring up different Knife have different ratio for different use .
so maybe we can add what type of Knife we see or make .

so it would be like .

3" B : 4.25" H : 5mm T : brush or combat or jungle or kitchen or ect ect
 
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There's not going to be ONE definitive answer for a question like this. I have always noticed that old time knives were much thinner than current knives. also European knives tent to be much thinner that the norm in the USA. I have a antique carving knife that has an 8" blade that is only about 1/16" thick. I also have a new made Argentine Gaucho knife with a 6" blade that is only 3/32" thick. Most custom makers are going to make a similar knife nearly trice as thick as the examples I have mentioned.
 
so your Ratio is like

8"B : 1/16" T

true , i agree that different knife and making will have different ratio , but i am trying to find out what is the most common or most prefer ratio for knife .
 
Gabaski said:
so your Ratio is like

8"B : 1/16" T
Click to expand...

No, I don't have a ratio. That was an antique knife that I was using as an example. I'm not quite an antique yet.
Different knives will require different detentions. If I was making an 8" chefs knife I mite use 3/32" stock. If I was making an 8" combat knife, I'd probably make it close to 1/4" thick.
 
I think the answer above is a good one. It really depends on what you're going to use the knife for, what type of cutting you will be doing, and the type of grind/edge it has. If it is going to be severely beaten then thicker may be better. It seems that some of the smaller Busse knives have been a bit thinner lately. I've heard at least one high end maker state that he believes, for the most part, today's knives are too thick and that for normal usage the extra thickness may get in the way of more efficient cutting and slicing. Big honking thick knives are fun and do have a place but they might not be the best for filleting fish on a regular basis. A high quality relatively thin blade made with good steel, a good heat treat, and a good grind can do a lot for the average user. But then again, if you are a maker you may also want to cater to what is popular. I've bought some pretty massive knives just cause they look neat and are fun to play with.
 
The Key factor of this survey is to understand . the relationship with the on going style and trend of knife thickness . and there are all very good point that you have bring up .

what i am trying to do is to find the middle path so i can create my own collection of knife with the thickness . that is most fit . the total thin blade is out . like 1/32" which i personally feel is too thin for any a brush craft knife or any outdoor knife unless maybe just cutting insect worm or small fishes .

then again . that the point trying to find out more , all ratio will be welcome there is no good or bad just a simple . feedback study
 
สวัสดีครับ!

I feel 1/16" at the spine is perfect for a 10" fillet.

For a 10" chef, I like a 1/8" spine

IMHO, intended use is the single most important factor in determining blade geometry
 
For knives that are not choppers nor fighters, I prefer thickness to be in the range of 3/32" to 1/8" thick.
 
i seen some very nice jungle knife here , about 4-5mm with ratio of like 4"B : 4.5" H : 4mm T : jungle
 
i have made blades 6x4 long/tall and only 1/16 thick and have also made 3 inch blades that were 3/4 inch tall and .250 thick
but i not your normal maker
alot depends on what your cutting and how bold you want the grinds
 
With all due respect...

The question is so vague, it's pointless.

What kind of knives do you intend to make? Hunters, skinners, fighters, choppers, filet knives, bushcraft, ornamental wall-hangers, razors, pen-knives, butter knives, oyster knives, letter openers or what? Each style will have a different ratio and even then, it will depend on who you ask.

Styles and trends mean absolutely nothing. Design your knife around how you want it to perform, and what you want to cut with it.
 
Then also an important factor will be what kind of grind the blade will have.

Two knives with identical shapes, one with a flat grind and the other with a sabre grind will be totally different.

It is a bit like asking what car is the best. You might end up pulling your caravan up a mountain in a Ferrari
 
Everyone else who replied apparantly feels our Thai friend is due more repect.
 
I think you misunderstood the tone of my response. That's unfortunate, but it happens all the time. If you'd like to discuss the matter further, feel free to email me. No need to clutter up Gabaski's thread with misunderstandings. :)
 
:)
This is simple thread . and i agree everyone would have different ratio . that why i ask .

What your Ratio .

is more like a study of the topic and knife ratio .

or a Study of what you prefer .

Hunters, skinners, fighters, choppers, filet knives, bushcraft, ornamental wall-hangers, razors, pen-knives, butter knives, oyster knives, letter openers

each have their Ratio Range . what is yours ?
 
From neck knives to choppers I like 3/32" best and have them in all size ranges (and most handles in the 4 1/2" range).
 
Flat grind all the way to the spine with a distal taper and whatever the spine thickness works out to be at any point is what it is.
It just ain't as simple as a ratio. Yes if you are just stock removing a knife shaped object then buzzing a quick hollow grind onto the lower two thirds the ratio question might be relevant.

-Page
 
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