Okay, It's Time. What's The Deal With Re-Curves?

G

Gene

Joined
Oct 2, 1998
Messages
1,781
I have seen this fad really come into it's own over the last year or so and most folks now want re-curved blades. I guess I'm "old school" and have to ask why? I can answer my own question to an extent and say they probably do look "sexy", (not to me), and that's FINE. I have also heard the arguments that they cut better because one can "rock" the blade while cutting but I can do that with a knife that has generous "belly". I have tried using re-curves and for the life of me cannot find a valid reason why they are better than a good flat, hollow ground or Wharncliffe blade, (come on now, PLEASE don't give me the "They hook into flesh in a defensive situation better" explanation :)). I'm NOT trying to start a flame war here, I'm really trying to figure out what all the popularity is about. I CAN tell you one thing and that is they are MUCH harder to sharpen. Please spare me the "emotional" reasons. I'm looking for actual "real use" advantages. Please post replies if you USE them, not because you LIKE them and they look "cool". Thanks.
 
I find myself using the recurve on the tip of my Spyderco Cricket. I cut boxes for about 1hr or so out of my 8hr shift. I find the tip best for grabbing the boxes and cutting, rather than having to stick 1/2" of tip in to get the same effect. I pull-cut to cut box tops off.

More effective is the Harpy for rope and such. I want to buy a harpy for myself, after trying my friends for a weekend. It prevents(to a greater degree) the article being cut from coming off the tip and making you grab it again.
 
I love the look of a recurve and do find that they cut better because of the added length of the cutting edge.
 
They do look cool: that talonite folder is ample evidence of that!
But they cut differently and have their place. I like a blade with a belly for some tasks, but not others. Ya, it's a trend. There will be others, no doubt.
 
When used with a draw cut or back-and-forth slicing action a pronounced recurve cuts well with reduced blade drag. For example I have a long, slim, carving knife with a modest recurce bulge towards the tip. It is great for slicing delicate turkey breast without any shredding of the meat. The cutting is done in sort of a compression mode by the bulge with minimum blade drag. It slices better than a straight edge and smoother than a serrated edge.

In a shorter blade the recurve is usually just used in a draw cut. This slices extra deep and easy. I usually avoid the recurve because they are a pain to sharpen and you cannot press the edge flat onto a cutting board surface for full edge chopping and dicing action.
 
Originally posted by Jeff Clark
When used with a draw cut or back-and-forth slicing action a pronounced recurve cuts well with reduced blade drag. For example I have a long, slim, carving knife with a modest recurce bulge towards the tip. It is great for slicing delicate turkey breast without any shredding of the meat. The cutting is done in sort of a compression mode by the bulge with minimum blade drag. It slices better than a straight edge and smoother than a serrated edge.

In a shorter blade the recurve is usually just used in a draw cut. This slices extra deep and easy. I usually avoid the recurve because they are a pain to sharpen and you cannot press the edge flat onto a cutting board surface for full edge chopping and dicing action.
Click to expand...

Gene - Jeff pretty much hit the nail right on the head. As you know, I am a big fan of recurves and they do work, slices better than a non-recurved edge.

To sharpen recurves, I pull out my trusty Spyderco 204 and have at it. Setting the 204 up like I am going to sharpen serrations - contacting the edges of the hones. This captures the full length of the cutting edge, even in the curves. I also have a Hewlett Jewelstik 3 sided diamond sharpening rod. This also works very well, especially for the bigger blades such as my Becker Machax, Brute, and Patrol Machete. With the amount and varied types of sharpening equipment available on the market, there isn't an edge style or blade shape that cannot be sharpened.
 
Kinda off topic, but not really. Find a pic of a Yatagan. It is a Turkish (I believe) sword. With swords you either have a slicer like a saber, or a sticker like a Rapier, right? A Yatagan is a sword with a recurve in it. Recurves hack stuff with great effect (liek a kukri) yet the yatagan has the point in line with the middle of the blade, and so is a great stabber. Cool design.
 
Recurves Rock!!! They're like having 1 big serration.
 
I don't necessarily favor recurved over non-recurved. But, recurved do have some advantages (and, of course, some disadvantages).

To see the advantages, all you need to do is buy some hard poly rope, find a recurved and non-recurved blade that are otherwise somewhat similar (same blade length and thickness), sharpen those knives up to the exact same edge thickness, and then try to cut the rope. Gene, in this case, a recurve isn't just a small advantage over non-recurved. All other things being equal, the recurved blade will outcut the non-recurved quite handily.

Aside from slicing, where the recurve can act like a pseudo-serration, in some types of zipper cuts, the recurve can act like a pseudo-hawkbill blade, guiding the material into the edge itself.

I do not believe having extra edge length has anything to do with the recurved blade's performance. The last little bit of the edge where the curve comes back down again is often not used anyway, negating any extra edge length. The slicing and zipper cut advantages are, IMO, due to the geometry of the curve, nothing more. In fact, I could use only a small part of my recurved Axis's blade, and it will still blow away my non-recurved endura's blade in slicing hard poly rope, even if I use the full length of the endura.

Some recurve disadvantages: More difficult to sharpen, and can be irritating to use with cuts where you want the entire edge to go through evenly (e.g., many food prep jobs).

Joe
 
I love them for 2 reasons. . .

1. They are sexy !

2. They are cool !

3. The recurved belly presents more edge to the material being cut, and in slicing forces the material into the edge. It is a better slicer/slasher and in a big knife can make for excellent chopping geometry.

OK. . .I can't count. . . :D
 
Every blade style has a place.
The recurve has more cutting length, and a sweet spot for slicing. If made properly the recurve works well.
 
I just ground the serrations off of my 812s and replaced them with a recurve. This knife is sharpened exactly the same way as my 812hs. So I have a recurved and a non-recurved version of the same knife (the only difference is the steel, which shouldn't drastically affect cutting ability). Testing on cardboard and rope, the recurved blade cuts better. It cuts quicker and deeper, with less effort. Blade geometry will influence cutting performance, and if you try using different blade styles on the same task, you'll find that some work better than others. A hawkbill cuts rope really well, but could never cut a sandwich; a cleaver chops garlic really well, but I wouldn't want to skin a deer with one, etc. Recurves work really well for a lot of things. If you don't have one to test for yourself, you have an excuse to buy another knife!

For details about my turning an 812s into an 812R, go here: http://192.41.25.213/ultbb/Forum1/HTML/001874.html
 
My notion of why the recurve makes gross, slicing cuts better is the notion of positive forward rake. In plain words, the edge is tilted down in relation to the handle, increasing wrist stability. The same benefit can be had in a straight edged blade that is canted downward at the edge. Repeating what others have written, the curved edge is also longer.

Though I like recurved edges a lot, for pure utility, I have come to prefer straight edges. The advantages of the recurve come mostly into light during really hard, less controlled cutting, of the type one might do with a bigger hunting knife or self defense knife. For smaller blades and lighter cutting, the advantage of the recurve can be offset by more careful control of the angle of attack - not a problem for small, light cutting tasks - and the straight edge will push cut, and cut against a flat surface better.

I don't find the recurve hard to sharpen at all, but then I rarely use big flat stones to sharpen with, more usually a rod sharpener or a dowel with abrasive paper wrapped around it.
 
Well I like the extra cutting area, the way in which they cut when used properly is better and they have loads of belly! Bellys gona getcha! Oh and they look cool as well!:cool:
 
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