Persian style blades - useful for EDC?

[bikerector]

I've been carrying my kizer nomad which has a slight upsweep and really enjoy it. I find that it stabs exceptionally well and slices up bags of food nicely and doesn't get hung up at all, though that's probably more to do with blade length than shape but I didn't care for a dragonfly because it seems like I always missed the far side of the bag with it. The trailing point does add a lot of slicing edge into the blade length. It has a lot of cutting potential in the 1/3 of the blade closest to the tip where many other designs I think favor cutting at the heel.

As far as tactical use an edge out reverse grip should allow it to be an exceptional piercer as the tip follows the arc of the swing. I'm not a knife fighter and don't pretend to be an expert so that's purely in my own theory. It does appear that many of the more pronounced trailing point blades do have a curved butt of the handle that is very comfortable for reverse grip with the thumb on the curve.

Edit: per knifeart.com (Not a paying dealer, first thing I found on google with the info I was looking for.)
"- The Trailing Point

The trailing point format has a point that's as high or higher than the blade spine, and a big long curving belly. The belly is the objective of this format, and it's used for jobs where slicing is the most important function. It is very popular on skinning knives, where lots of belly comes in handy for slicing. The point is high and out of the way, it may function slightly as a piercer, but on some trailing point knives the point is nonfunctional."
http://www.knifeart.com/bladgeomfaqb.html

 

[Danke42]

I carried my Ayoob for a season and it was an excellent every day blade.

 

[Goosey]

I don't like them too much for EDC tasks, I prefer a much lower point. With a very upswept blade it's a bit awkward to use the tip on flat surfaces, etc. They look cool though.

 

[SALTY]

While getting functionality out of the tip may be better served by other shapes, the Persian styple blades are great for food tasks - a common EDC task for many, certainly myself. Would other blade shapes span a greater spectrum of uses? Probably, but the Persians are cool and certainly have their place. I dig my Talwars.

 

[palonej]

So cool!!!
Joe

 

[Lapedog]

I agree the wharncliffy sheepy shape is one of the most useful. Stong tip in line with your hand. It is kind of like Santoku shape. I actually like the american tanto for edc though so what do I know. I find the point on the tanto where the two edges meet or the yokote great for slicing paper laying ontop of a table. Like one sheet of paper sitting on a cardboard box.

The persian profile is great for slicing and SD. Especially for edge out reverse grip. With the hook of the spine you can plunge downward and then sweep upwards after each stab down. Persian blade shapes are best with an extremely sharp edge for the very reason that tips amplify pounds per square inch. It is harder to initiate a cut with an edge which is what does most the work in these blades.

I prefer the sort of scimitar or dao blade shape like on the cqc8 or Hinderer skinner profile. It gets the benefit of the curved edge of the persian shape with a stronger tip which is also more in line.

Try an experiment blow up a balloon and lay the edge of the blade on the balloon. Now push down a tiny bit and the balloon won't pop even with a very sharp edge. Now try the same thing with the tip, the balloon will pop with almost no force.

 

[A.L.]

I used to have spyderco persian but I noticed I didn't like the curve as the tip was pain in the butt to use. I like blades with the tip much lower, such as spear blade.

 

[Lord_Balkan]

Yes, I'd be more apt to buy the Benchmade than the Microtech. Looks slicey.

I have that BM 860, the blade is actually VERY slicey. I can see it being very good for filleting and skinning. It works well enough for food prep and all that as well. I just wish there were more Persian style folders to chose from. I love the BM 860 but honestly it is too heavy. The beefiness is great for self defense and other tactical applications but thats not really me. I would love that exact blade in a slimmer, more EDC friendly handle. The BM 860 is thinner than my ZT 452CF, BM 710, and BM 810. It is honestly about the same thickness as my Small Sebenza 21 and is actually thinner behind the edge than it.

 

[Jraptor]

Zero Tolerance makes a great Persian, designed by Sincovich, right around $200. It is a thing of beauty with a great look without being too flat (no upsweep) nor too upswept (so upswept its useless). Check it out. I just bought one.

 

[xraso]

 

[DocJD]

The upswept , Persian type blade can be very useful . Many hunting / skinning knives have that basic shape . Very slicey .

Great for emergency / survival / SD also .

One of my EDC pair is the XL Talwar . A very formidable folder !

Actually , my other EDC , the Espada is also kinda that type , too .

 

[sharp_edge]

They sure look interesting but I dont feel their utility is great. Even for chefs knives, I definitely prefer those with less belly. For SD, if you agree hawkbill/karambit is good choices, persian style cannot be because the blade profile is the opposite.

 

[BenchCo Spydermade]

Persian blades are insane slicers. Not such great box cutters. Pair one with a wharncliffe and all edc needs are met. XL talwar is my favorite by a longshot.

 

[ferider]

Cann't resist adding to this zombie thread, as I love Persians

I don't cut many boxes, but when I do, I use a Wharncliffe.

I cook though. And my Persians are the most useful knives in the kitchen. Big belly for slicing, tip for handling meat, etc. The tip also helps during slicing to start a cut (say, tomatoes). My favorite kitchen knife is the Spyderco Hundred Pacer - not only Persian but has additional "finger buffer" when cutting on a board. My Spyderco K2 is used in the kitchen, too. Of course thin blades help.

Not all Persians are the same. My Szabo is a dud in the kitchen; then again, its shape has other applications as mentioned above.

Roland.

 

[spyderg]

For me, a persian style blade works nicely for edc if it’s small. Spyderco Rhino is a great example whereas the Spyderco K2 was the opposite. It’s overall size too large for edc aside, the long blade with upswept tip kept catching on things I didn’t intend on cutting. I ended up modifying the blade so I could use it, it’s my fall yard cleanup knife. Other yard work too.
The Rhino’s negative blade angle combined with a short easy to control blade makes for a good small edc. I don’t know if a similar blade angle would have helped the much larger K2 become better suited for edc?