Most versatile blade profile poll

Most VERSATILE blade profile

  • Clip

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Spear

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Drop

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Spey

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Wharnecliffe

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Sheepsfoot

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Coping

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Hawkbill (Pruner)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .
Clip point for me. Very versatile blade shape. Spear and Drop point are also very good, but I like the point on the clip a little better.

Also a spear point is a type of drop point right?, so is that splitting the vote a bit.
 
I'd have to go with clip. You get a sharp tip, some belly, a straight section of the edge, pretty much everything you need. A drop/spearpoint, though, can have those same attributes so really it's a choice between a strong tip or a fine tip, each of which as its advantages depending on what you use your knives for.
 
I voted Drop-Point, but was appalled there was no Corn Blade option..:D voting with my feet...

Drop-Point has decent tip, enough cutting edge, slices well and, above all, it rides low in the frame making a better carry in my opinion. I've never really seen the draw of a knife you can pinch open if it has a nick & a spring. Opinels or friction folders don't need nicks really as they have no spring tension, thus you can pinch them.
 
Clip
I really like to have a fine tip on my knife. Plus, when done right, I think it looks far better than any other blade.

You better be careful with polls like these. You're liable to have a mutiny on your hands. :eek:
Those lambs foot and one arm razor guys are a rowdy bunch. :D
 
bleh said:
Definitely clip. A bit of straight edge, a bit of belly, and a nice pointy tip.

Spears have belly and straight, but lack a very nice pointy tip for piercing. Wharn/sheep/lamb have a straight edge and nice point for draw cuts and the like, but they lack any belly which is required for cutting on certain surfaces (think dinner plate).
Click to expand...

This is why I like the wharncliffe trapper pattern so much!

100_2727_zpsff05610c.jpg


The wharncliffe is my favorite blade pattern, but a clip is more versatile. When you have both, it's a win-win for me.

A nice spear/wharncliffe combo comes in close second to this combo.

But if I have to have only one blade (and only one knife) it has to be a clip. Perhaps like this:

100_2576_zpsf281a119.jpg


Ed J
 
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Love me a nice clip blade for all around, carry everywhere, do everything, cut it all, show it to everyone, stare at it, sharpen with ease, etc etc etc.
 
The clip blade is the most versatile blade if I could only have one. :thumbup:
I think I had that nightmare once. :)
 
I voted clip point. I love the way the look, and for most chores they just seem to get it done.

But this is one of those easy questions that is difficult to answer.

I think for all round general carry. The clip is a great option. But when you start to drill down (pun not originally intended, but it works) others begin to show their strong points.

The wharnies seem well suited to rope work and other tough jobs. Spears and drops work well for drilling. Trailing points seem to make good slicers.

I think Kephart illustrated the versatility of the straight bladed spear point with great success.

I also feel it worth mentioning. Since most of these are straight blades. The elliptical blade has a fairly good general purpose shape that does a lot of things well too. A lot of blades try to mimic the Grohmann ellipse, but most are just straight blades.

I really love my Buck Woodsman, but the Grohmann #3 brings a lot to the table as far as versatility.
 
Not my favorite aesthetically, by any means. But, I would have to say a clip is the most versatile.
 
FLymon said:
We are voting on the VERSATILITY of the selected profiles. Not your favorite necessarily.
Click to expand...

As several have pointed out, the clip has belly, straight, and point. It may not be the best at any one task, but there are very few tasks which cannot be accomplished with a clip blade.

My favorite? probably not.
Most versatile? Yes, IMO.
 
My current favorite is the spear point followed closely by the drop point. Both have enough of a sharp point to do any piercing that I need to do. I also like the the fact that the broader tip means I can use the blade as a kind of spatula for things like spreading cream cheese on a bagel or mustard on a ham sandwich. The sharper point of a clip means that the blade is fairly narrow out by the tip and not good for this kind of use.

I like wharnecliffes, sheepfoots and coping blades for secondary blades but not as a main blade for a couple of reasons. First these straight edge blades have no belly when you want one. Secondly, the straight edge has very often curved back at the tip on most vintage folders where the knife has been sharpened. If you are sharpening a coping blade with a dull tip, you have to remove the same about of edge from the entire blade as is required to bring the tip back to the desired degree of sharpness. Therefore I only use a straight edge blade for those tasks where you want a keen straight cut all the way to the tip.

I find it interesting that so far there is no love for the spey blade.
 
In my experience the drop point, or a very shallow clip is the most favored, however, a screwdriver tip has always been the most needed and used. I used to never carry, with any great frequency, a knife that had a screw driver tip. However, after having and using my TL-29, it dawned on me how much time I actually saved by not having to go to the tool box every time I needed a screwdriver tip for something.

So, in my opinion, the most versatile blade really isn't even a "blade" at all.

Second vote for the Spey blade as it can mimic a knife and a pry and a screwdriver if needed.
 
A well designed spear point is my most versatile blade. I think a nice deep swedge makes a difference in the thinness of the tip and it's utility.
 
The spear gets my vote for most versatile profile. The clip point is by far my favorite, though. Since I have no need or desire to drill holes or make a PB&J sandwich with my pocket knife, I would choose a clip over a spear or drop point for it's superior piercing ability and aesthetics most of the time.
 
I chose clip point blade as the most versatile, but the spear point on my SAK knives has never failed at any task I've asked of them.
 
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