Make an all-use EDC slipjoint

[TurnipGreens]

Howdy y'all!

I have been researching blade shapes in the context of finding the smallest number of blades to have on a slipjoint to do all (reasonable) everyday/common tasks reasonably well. However, much of this information is contradictory, so I wanted to ask and see what y'all's personal takes and experience are. I'm not wholly new to knives, in that I have EDC'd knives of various sorts (usually with clip-point, drop-point, and/or spey blades), but I'm no expert, especially for those blade styles I have never utilized. All blades have uses, sometimes multiple, but sometimes two blades can more or less perform the same jobs, or two blades with other uses can also combine to do the job of another blade, thereby making the other blade nonessential. That's what I'm getting at.

By everyday/common tasks, I mean such for your average joe (opening letters/boxes, cutting tape/rope, eating/slicing food, opening clamshell/plastic packages, etc), whittler/amateur carve, hunter (skinning/gutting game of various sizes, etc), fisherman (filleting, deboning, etc), gardener, camper, and animal husbandman. Some of this is kind of hypothetical, as I'm not a big hunter, fisher, camper, or whittler/carver, and nor do I work with plants and animals full time. However, I still want to see responses for those tasks.

Keep in mind that this for a hypothetical slipjoint. Any knife-related task which would require a knife longer than four inches, heavier than a smallish pocket knife (like chopping), or a non-utilitarian knife (such as for self defense) should be disregarded. Moreover, any blade style that wouldn't work in a slipjoint for other reasons (like any double-sided blade or a trailing point) should likewise be excluded. Further, this should be limited to blades; there are a lot of non-blade everyday uses that have tools that fit nicely on a multitool, but these aren't what I'm asking about. Lastly, a note about blade quantity: it needs to be few enough blades to fit on a slipjoint feasibly (so ten or so at maximum), but I do prefer at least 2-3 blades; that said, if you think there is one blade style that does it all or that you'd need 24 different blades to do so, please note that; however, keep in mind that I mean do the task reasonably well, and not just that technically any blade could probably be forced to most tasks at least poorly.

The blades I most have in mind (for y'all to point out the redundant ones) are as follows, but if you think another style is necessary or would make others on the list redundant, please say so.

My considerations:
Clip-point
Drop-point
Spear-point
Straight-back
Spey
Sheepsfoot
Lambsfoot
Wharncliffe
Coping
Pen

Thanks in advance!

 

[BJE]

You are putting entirely too much thought into this, nearly every blade ever made can do all those things as at the end of the day it’s just a sharp edge. You can fillet with a sheepsfoot, though it’s not ideal, just as you can whittle with a Bowie.

Those are extreme examples, for a typical pocket knife you are going to have 2-4in of sharp steel to use, if you like multibladed knives that’s great, carry what makes you happy, but realistically, anything more than a single spear point or clip point blade of say 3” is just because you can.

Any SAK will do just about everything you need a pocket knife to do and do it well. As would a sodbuster, opinel, buck 110, ect.
Most daily knife tasks except kitchen duty, can be done with an Olfa knife or a victorinox classic.
There is no need for 10+ blades, even when I carry a stockman with three blades, I only ever use one blade at a time and it’s usually the sheeps foot because it’s easy to pinch open, however, if I weren’t so lazy, the clip or Spey would do the same job just as easily.

Pick a knife to carry because it calls to you, no need to worry about maximizing efficiency via blade design unless that’s your thing.

If I were forced to pick a combo that provided maximum utility in a pocket knife I would want a sheepsfoot/lambfoot/wharncliff/coping (something with a straight edge), and another longer blade with a bit of belly like a spear, drop, or clip point. That would cover every use I have for a pocketknife and never leaving wanting for more, two blades carry well, definitely better than one with ten or more.

 

[Spillproof]

A stockman with a spey.
Done.

Clip-point, sheepsfoot, and a spey are what you need.

 

[Macchina]

A Stockman covers just about everything, but a spear or clip point pocket knife do everything just fine.
With a Stockman or a 2-blade knife with a sheepsfoot, I find the short sheepsfoot to be extremely handy, especially for cutting details (I do this a lot for my girls as they love crafts).

 

[Shorttime]

I'm a fan of anything in the space between modified wharncliffe, and Nessmuk. As long as the point is below the centerline of the blade, with a gradual curve on the blade, it's fine for everyday tasks.

The Kershaw Bel Air and CJRB Pyrite-Alt Wharncliffe are two currently popular examples of what I'm talking about.

 

[Arathol]

Scout / Camper / Utility knives have had the same blades and configurations for over 100 years for good reason......

 

[catspa]

Stockman guy here, especially jumbo stockmans like the old Schrade 858 or Buck 307.

I modify the sheepsfoot blade on my EDC stockmans by grinding the front half into a reverse-S or almost small hawkbill shape. That’s the blade I use the most on the job, it shines at stripping Romex jacket and reaming PVC conduit, among other things. It also is very good at cutting plastic clamshell packaging.

On some EDC stockmans, since I haven’t castrated any livestock for a long time, I grind the spey long and pointy for use as an awl or “poking things” tool. I like to make a divot for precisely starting a screw tip or drill bit, or marking a cut line on wood trim. A blade tip can scribe a narrower line than a pencil.

I know you didn’t ask about regrinds, but they’re what I do. Sorry.

Parker

 

[BP_]

One of these should do it. Both have served me well in a variety of life situations, and I never felt I “needed” an additional blade.

 

[Arathol]

Somebody had to say it soooo........

 

[Skywalker31]

Make an all-use EDC slipjoint

Well, since you posted this in General and not the Traditional forum, I'd prefer one blade that can be opened one-handed. Ideally that will allow for a more ergonomic handle, too.

On blade shape I generally agree with Shorttime -

As long as the point is below the centerline of the blade, with a gradual curve on the blade, it's fine for everyday tasks.

Modern steel and the option for a pocket clip are nice, too.

Put all that together and this is the slipjoint I actually end up carrying the most:

Second-most carried slipjoint has the same blade shape, interestingly enough:

Yeah, probably not the intent of the question. But I use modern design slipjoints a lot more than traditional patterns.

 

[Danke42]

I can't wait for someone to invent this.

Fingers crossed!

 

[eveled]

I really appreciate the functionality of a LoomFixer. A large sheepsfoot is ideal for opening packages and detail work while the smaller but still large pen blade is well suited for other tasks.

I usually carry a larger knife which is usually a clip point. Either a Buck 110 or fixed blade. But if I have a LoomFixer in my pocket I find myself never reaching for the larger knife on my belt.

With all that said, I went for at least a ten year stretch were a Buck 110 was my only knife that got used. From boxes to deer to trout to onions and peppers. Literally everything.



Specialty knives are a joy to own and use. Skinning knives, fillet knives, pairing knives all come to mind. They perform their specific task really well and make life easier.

 

[Henry Beige]

You are putting entirely too much thought into this, nearly every blade ever made can do all those things as at the end of the day it’s just a sharp edge. You can fillet with a sheepsfoot, though it’s not ideal, just as you can whittle with a Bowie.

Those are extreme examples, for a typical pocket knife you are going to have 2-4in of sharp steel to use, if you like multibladed knives that’s great, carry what makes you happy, but realistically, anything more than a single spear point or clip point blade of say 3” is just because you can.

Any SAK will do just about everything you need a pocket knife to do and do it well. As would a sodbuster, opinel, buck 110, ect.
Most daily knife tasks except kitchen duty, can be done with an Olfa knife or a victorinox classic.
There is no need for 10+ blades, even when I carry a stockman with three blades, I only ever use one blade at a time and it’s usually the sheeps foot because it’s easy to pinch open, however, if I weren’t so lazy, the clip or Spey would do the same job just as easily.

Pick a knife to carry because it calls to you, no need to worry about maximizing efficiency via blade design unless that’s your thing.

If I were forced to pick a combo that provided maximum utility in a pocket knife I would want a sheepsfoot/lambfoot/wharncliff/coping (something with a straight edge), and another longer blade with a bit of belly like a spear, drop, or clip point. That would cover every use I have for a pocketknife and never leaving wanting for more, two blades carry well, definitely better than one with ten or more.

Like the Hawbaker, aka Improved Muskrat.

 

[BJE]

Like the Hawbaker, aka Improved Muskrat.

I have always wanted one, looks so practical and slim, yet it’s not a common pattern for some reason.

 

[brianv]

A two bladed knife with a clip point blade with a lock on the clip point and a sheep foot blade with neither blade being any longer that three inches would pretty much take care of all my cutting needs.

 

[Tsujigiri]

You only really need one blade IMO. Traditionals with multiple blades are a carry over from a time when people only had one of any given item, like a pocket knife, and they wore that one item down to nothing. Having multiple blades meant you still had something usable if you snapped a blade or sharpened one down to a nub. Variety of blade shapes offers some utility for different tasks, but today it's more of a novelty and a nod to history.

Otherwise, if multiple blades were so functional, wouldn't you see more modern knives like that? Knife collectors don't turn to traditionals because of the additional utility they offer, they get pulled in because it's fun to learn the different patterns and their intended uses.

 

[catspa]

What I’m hearing from that is that you believe that the spectrum of knife uses for most people has shrunk to what one blade can handle. I believe that could be true, for most people.

In my adult life, I’ve never broken a blade off a stockman. I have, however, used different blades for different tasks almost daily.

I don’t think I’m caught up in the novelty of traditionals (looks around guiltily at well over a dozen stockmans within 10ft of me right now). They’re not really novel. I think I’m leaning toward the utility aspect, although I could be a knife knut weirdo.

But for some, there’s still enough knife tasks that two blades or more can come in handy. Yesterday I was under my truck greasing the ujoints and carrier bearing, and used my knife to scrape grime off the zerks. Later on I was in the greenhouse slicing a cucumber snack. I could have used the same blade for both tasks. I guess I could have dragged a small screwdriver under the truck, and I could have a dedicated garden knife, but my point is, I didn’t have to. The stockman that’s always in my pocket served both tasks without getting grease in my mouth.

Parker

 

[BJE]

What I’m hearing from that is that you believe that the spectrum of knife uses for most people has shrunk to what one blade can handle. I believe that could be true, for most people.

In my adult life, I’ve never broken a blade off a stockman. I have, however, used different blades for different tasks almost daily.

I don’t think I’m caught up in the novelty of traditionals (looks around guiltily at well over a dozen stockmans within 10ft of me right now). They’re not really novel. I think I’m leaning toward the utility aspect, although I could be a knife knut weirdo.

But for some, there’s still enough knife tasks that two blades or more can come in handy. Yesterday I was under my truck greasing the ujoints and carrier bearing, and used my knife to scrape grime off the zerks. Later on I was in the greenhouse slicing a cucumber snack. I could have used the same blade for both tasks. I guess I could have dragged a small screwdriver under the truck, and I could have a dedicated garden knife, but my point is, I didn’t have to. The stockman that’s always in my pocket served both tasks without getting grease in my mouth.

Parker

Thankfully you didn’t get cucumber on your zirks!

 

[catspa]

Probably what lubes the driveshafts of electric cars. I wonder how many cucumbers you’d have to boil down to make a tube of grease?

Parker

 

[Spillproof]

You only really need one blade IMO. Traditionals with multiple blades are a carry over from a time when people only had one of any given item, like a pocket knife, and they wore that one item down to nothing. Having multiple blades meant you still had something usable if you snapped a blade or sharpened one down to a nub. Variety of blade shapes offers some utility for different tasks, but today it's more of a novelty and a nod to history.

Otherwise, if multiple blades were so functional, wouldn't you see more modern knives like that? Knife collectors don't turn to traditionals because of the additional utility they offer, they get pulled in because it's fun to learn the different patterns and their intended uses.

As a representative of the somewhat old days I respectfully disagree. Multiple blade shapes were as useful then as they are now, and having 3-in-1 is/was more practical than carrying three different blades. It's always amusing when people explain the Before Times to me. I was there man!