Purpose/Benefit of clip point?

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Puppadore

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Jan 18, 2020
Messages
97
Hello,

what is the purpose and benefit of clip point blades, other than the looks?

why do bowie knives have clip point? In my limited knife sense, it would make a good gut stabber.. because the knife’s point angles upwards. Not sure if it serves any otyer purpose.
 
Well that's a really broad question. In a nutshell, the sharpened bowie clip point aided not only in piercing but also the back cut. It basically was the "jab" to the primary edge's "cross". A missed chopped could be corrected with a fast snap back cut throwing your opponent off guard or getting in a sneaky strike.

Modern unsharpened clip points off a fine tip for detail work. It's one of my favorite blade shapes.
 
Yes, I think the main advantage is stabbing possibility. Maybe that’s why they look so wicked, it’s like black & yellow stripes colors - attractive and dangerous :)
 
Steely_Gunz Steely_Gunz nailed it. The original clip points were sharpened to aid in the back cut. I love the utility aspect, they have a fine point for piercing, great for detail work, and they're plenty strong for anything you need to do with a knife. Plus they just look cool.
 
clip point?
a clip "point" kinda describes a type of
tip/point created by the curve clipped
out on the back of a blade.
bill bagwell said it so well
as to its purpose;
the catch phrase is "leading point"
with a back cut/slash, listen...
 
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Mostly 1X42” belts in different grits running over a 4” diameter contact wheel using a large dipping water pail to keep everything cool.
 
What I get from a clip point is a sharp point to start the cut. In hide, for ear marking or castration I find I can go longer between sharpenings if I have a sharp point like the clip point to start the cut.
 
I saw David at the Blade Show. He is still doing Titanium Marlinspikes. Check his website. You can pick blades, colors, and accessories. I can move the pointy blade to my Marlinspike handle. I didn't want to point the eagle wing blade. It is a collector's item.View attachment 1310175
 
I am very happy to see everyone referring to this blade as a "clip point" and not a "bowie blade".
 
Puppadore said:
Hello,

what is the purpose and benefit of clip point blades, other than the looks?

why do bowie knives have clip point? In my limited knife sense, it would make a good gut stabber.. because the knife’s point angles upwards. Not sure if it serves any otyer purpose.
Click to expand...

A clip point is the ultimate combination blade. It's good at a lot of things.
Has enough of a point to pierce.
Has enough belly to skin.
Has a fair amount of straight area for making straight cuts.
That's why they are found on working man's knives like the stockman and trapper patterns.

"Bowie knives" typically have some sort of clip point because, according to tradition, Jim Bowie's famous knife had large clip point blade.
 
I like the Stellite 6-B as found in the Boye Dendritic Cobalt blades because this material is also used to coat the edges of bulldozer blades for wear resistance. I haven’t tried the Salt, but as I understand it, the blade is noted more for corrosion resistance than edge holding.
 
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