Purpose of a Rounded Profile

Willky1

Willky1

Joined
Jul 10, 2014
Messages
15
Hey Friends,

Kyle here. Long time moocher of knowledge, but I'm pretty sure this is my first post.

We recently sold our house, so my wife and I decided we should take a little bit of the money and spend it on whatever we want. I've been wanting to get a quality blade for camping and outdoor activities, but am having trouble making a decision between all the great options.

Currently I am wondering if there is a functional purpose (other than looks or comfort) to the more rounded profiles on some of the "bushcraft" blades. The best example of this that comes to mind right now is the BHK Bushcrafter. I have no experience with this knife or anything with this type of profile. Most fixed blades I've used are skinners my father and I used to process deer when I was growing up. These have a belly and I can see a bit of that being used in the design of these more rounded blades, so maybe that's part of it.

I know there is a ton of knowledge and experience here, so I thought I'd ask. Sorry if this is a blatant repost and the question has already been answered. I searched and couldn't find a very clear answer.

Thanks!
 
My guess would be for more versatility in use without being designed for any one specific task.
 
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Ok joking aside. I can see the point on this blade is spearlike. It looks like your small gardening shovel. Looks comfortable to stab some wood and twist to make a round hole for something or just dig with it lol. If the spine was just straight to meet the point the knife would look more stabby and have less material on the blade. It would affect its balance and strength. This way knife can be thicker at the spine to provide strength and, because of its height, taper down to the edge more gradualy to better performance. Now i step aside for real experts to chime in.
 
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Sergeua got it, the tip being near the centerline of the knife is for drilling. From the best I can tell, bushcraft could be called woodcraft if you were only allowed 1 or minimal tools (I hear many carry hatchets and/or smaller knives to go with a bushcraft). IMO, a bushcraft knife is roughly a many-purpose fixed blade that blends a lot of different things together but does few things well, except that it should work wood well.

There's a lot of personal preference on what makes a good bushcraft/many-purpose knife. Some like thinner knives that cut better but some seem to like them closer to a survival style knife that focuses more on durability and I guess gives you the option to dig but can't say I've ever thought of digging with a knife outside of a forum conversation.
 
Very cool. Thanks for the insight. I had not thought of the benefits of the point being inline with the centerline to make drilling easier. Seems logical though.

Also excited to see how it performs with mustard and mayo...haha.
 
My old Ontario SK5 Blackbird had a similar blade shape and grind. Probably the best all-around woods knife I've ever owned.

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Firstly welcome to the forums.

And looks like they have answered your question ... and the knives the showed as examples are some of the best for that purpose ... LT Wright some of the best bushcrafting outdoor knives Ive used ... the Ontario Blackbird a classic example too ... great for drilling for bow drills fure making ... and for woodcraft building shelters notching wood to lash together ... and great for all around use food prep included.

Hope you find the knife you love and jump in and share ... theres a huge wealth of knowledge on here with the good folks years of experience.
 
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Sergeua said:
I'm down with the real and just squeeze
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Hellmann's isn't to bad and the squeeze bottle is nice but I'd almost have to be starving before I'll consider tuna with mayo or a BLT without Miracle Whip. It drives my wife nuts when I ask her to buy MW. She hates the stuff.
 
d762nato said:
Emre that looks somewhat Kephartish to me
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Agreed. I've always thought of Kepharts as having a saber grind and a slim, rounded handle. The SK-5 is full flat ground and the handle is gigantic with substantial guards. But the overall vibe is pretty similar.
 
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