push/draw cut

[Revierler]

Can someone explainme the differences between draw cut and push cut?
When to use which?
Which blade for which type of cut?

My experiences so far: bellied blades (e.g. MT Amphibian) for drawing the knife, rather straight blades (eg. Wharncliffes or the MT LCC) for pushing. Is this the right assumption? What are recurves good for besides the looks?

I know this may have been talked about a hundred plus 2 times, but maybe someone can give me a short answer.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Actually, recurves are fine for draw cuts, because as you draw them through the material, they present an ever more acute angle to it. But I don't generally think of it as a matter of blade shape. It's more the edge: a toothy edge will draw well, like a micro-saw pulling through the material, while a more polished edge will push through with less friction.

 

[m_calingo]

Push cuts can be best described in the act of shaving with a razor; you push the razor edge against the stubble to perform the cut.