- Joined
- Mar 1, 2008
- Messages
- 4,560
While I am the first to admit that carrying a single bladed slip joint is well, a pleasure. The main draw and advantage to traditionals in my opinion is the versatility of more then one blade. If executed correctly it can be thin and pocket friendly or you can find examples of knives designed for work with plump handles and more resilient materials if you wish. Traditional knives give you variety and an opportunity to find that one all around knife or that perfect knife for each task you tackle. Today I am interested in hearing about that all-a-rounder!
I go back and forth and for most of my edc needs, a single bladed wharncliffe knife is usually all I need. Some days though I come across tasks that take a cutting tool with a more robust tip to accomplish, removing old caulking from backsplashes, tubs or cabinets comes to mind. The other day I knew ahead of time what I was in for on a job and carried along my Hay'n Helper with its stout sheepsfoot blade to help me remove a bunch of splash from a tub. It worked great and the tip is still intact. This situation has got me thinking about the what ifs.
What if all I had on me that day was my viper? Not knowing what I am up against a lot when I show up to a job, this is a genuine possibility. Try as I might, personally, it is hard for me to stick to a 2 knife carry. I think the Hay'n helper is going to find a new resting place in my toolbag because it is a great workhorse and solves most of my issues. Still I cant help but think about one knife that can tackle everything.
No matter the frame, what size you prefer or handle material. The one thing every knife has in common is a blade and for this little thread, I want to focus on the combination of two blades. It also does not matter if its a jack or pen setup. I am interested in what you feel is a very good combo and why? If you could have any two blades made to be used in a knife, what would they be? For example, you may use your knife every day to spread jam on toast for breakfast or prep that fresh salad. Maybe through experimenting you like a little thicker spear point for this. You also find yourself cutting up boxes and cleaning fingernails but prefer more control in a shorter blade for such work. Well you get the point
I have been making my own observations this week and have switched back to my Eureka moose because of its blade combination. While comparing some attributes I noticed some extreme similarities with the clip blade and my wharncliffed viper. Look at the points being overlaid...
Kind of a :stupid: moment. That nice tip is almost identical from clip to wharnie and in retrospect the wharncliffe is simply put a clip turned upside down. The needle point is very useful but not always desired and the clip gives it some protection without losing this feature. While that's a great feature to share the clip blade fails miserably in a slipjoint as a piercer compared to the wharncliffe. By flipping the clip and creating the wharncliffe the tip drops well below the center point in the blades geometry. By getting the belly out of the way it creates a blade that excels at piercing and loses little in slicing tasks. The sheepsfoot blade profile really showcases what a straight edge knife should be in my opinion. You lose the big concern of tip breakage from the wharncliffe but retain all the usefulness of the straight edge. The tip still has no belly in its way and pierces packages and cardboard just as well.
For now I find the clip and sheepsfoot to be a dynamic duo. From use I know they can tackle 100% of my tasks. Still debating on what that perfect length and blade thickness should be. Interested in hearing what is working for others
I go back and forth and for most of my edc needs, a single bladed wharncliffe knife is usually all I need. Some days though I come across tasks that take a cutting tool with a more robust tip to accomplish, removing old caulking from backsplashes, tubs or cabinets comes to mind. The other day I knew ahead of time what I was in for on a job and carried along my Hay'n Helper with its stout sheepsfoot blade to help me remove a bunch of splash from a tub. It worked great and the tip is still intact. This situation has got me thinking about the what ifs.
What if all I had on me that day was my viper? Not knowing what I am up against a lot when I show up to a job, this is a genuine possibility. Try as I might, personally, it is hard for me to stick to a 2 knife carry. I think the Hay'n helper is going to find a new resting place in my toolbag because it is a great workhorse and solves most of my issues. Still I cant help but think about one knife that can tackle everything.
No matter the frame, what size you prefer or handle material. The one thing every knife has in common is a blade and for this little thread, I want to focus on the combination of two blades. It also does not matter if its a jack or pen setup. I am interested in what you feel is a very good combo and why? If you could have any two blades made to be used in a knife, what would they be? For example, you may use your knife every day to spread jam on toast for breakfast or prep that fresh salad. Maybe through experimenting you like a little thicker spear point for this. You also find yourself cutting up boxes and cleaning fingernails but prefer more control in a shorter blade for such work. Well you get the point
I have been making my own observations this week and have switched back to my Eureka moose because of its blade combination. While comparing some attributes I noticed some extreme similarities with the clip blade and my wharncliffed viper. Look at the points being overlaid...
Kind of a :stupid: moment. That nice tip is almost identical from clip to wharnie and in retrospect the wharncliffe is simply put a clip turned upside down. The needle point is very useful but not always desired and the clip gives it some protection without losing this feature. While that's a great feature to share the clip blade fails miserably in a slipjoint as a piercer compared to the wharncliffe. By flipping the clip and creating the wharncliffe the tip drops well below the center point in the blades geometry. By getting the belly out of the way it creates a blade that excels at piercing and loses little in slicing tasks. The sheepsfoot blade profile really showcases what a straight edge knife should be in my opinion. You lose the big concern of tip breakage from the wharncliffe but retain all the usefulness of the straight edge. The tip still has no belly in its way and pierces packages and cardboard just as well.
For now I find the clip and sheepsfoot to be a dynamic duo. From use I know they can tackle 100% of my tasks. Still debating on what that perfect length and blade thickness should be. Interested in hearing what is working for others
The pen handles most everything else.
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I understand the pen blade concern. Just lastnight I was trying to justify to myself the #66 Moose...If I buy that one that should cover all the base and then I'm done
