Question about a swedge

D

Dirk D

Joined
Sep 3, 2017
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173
Yesterday I purchased a new one, but we will come to this at another place.
Just one question occured. This blade, like a few others of mine, has a swedge on one side of the blade, usually on the side with the pull. On the other side it is plain, no swedge at all.
Does anybody know, why this is made this way? Is there a reasonable purpose or is it just decoration?
Thx for your statements!
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I have a Garronais from Au Sabot with the same thing. My guess is that it is just a cosmetic feature, but I don’t really know.
 
I have several vintage barlows with the same feature. I'm guessing it was a cheaper to produce with a single swedge.
 
Assymetric swedges/false edges were common in the 19th century on both folders and fixed knives.
I have no clue why.

Regards
Mikael
 
afishhunter said:
I heard swedges had/have something to do with eliminating or lessening blade rub on multi-blade knives.
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Yes. Aside from being decorative and making the blade "more pointy", swedges were used to give a bit more room for the next blade over so as to prevent blade rub. So a lot of times you only need a swedge on one side.

Here's a nice thread which discusses "everything you ever wanted to know about swedges...and more."
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/a-brief-study-on-swedges.503503/
 
rockman0 said:
I have several vintage barlows with the same feature. I'm guessing it was a cheaper to produce with a single swedge.
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Maybe, but it is an additional step in producing to put a swedge on the blade. If you intend to keep production cheap, I guess, you would do it without any swedge.

Blake the Blade said:
I imagined it was about comfort in the pocket...fewer Square edges.
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This could be, if you will form a swedge in a way, that slightly runs out towards the handle (named a drawn swedge, as I learned now ;)). But in most of my blades with a single swedge there is a kind of a step, where the swedge ends ( as seen above)

afishhunter said:
I heard swedges had/have something to do with eliminating or lessening blade rub on multi-blade knives.
Click to expand...

But this (and the most others in this way) have the swedge on the outside, not towards the second blade, if there is one.


It seems, that it is just a decorational thing. But it would be more decorative, if both sides of the blades would look the same way (just for my taste)
 
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knarfeng said:
Yes. Aside from being decorative and making the blade "more pointy", swedges were used to give a bit more room for the next blade over so as to prevent blade rub. So a lot of times you only need a swedge on one side.

Here's a nice thread which discusses "everything you ever wanted to know about swedges...and more."
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/a-brief-study-on-swedges.503503/
Click to expand...
Thanks for this very informative link, but sadly my question about a one- sided swedge is not answered there, even more, when it´s on a single bladed knife :(
 
There's another reason to swedge only one side. To make a nice noticeable swedge, you have to remove a certain depth of material. Depending on the thickness of the blade, if you swedge both sides you may end up with a very thin edge resembling a false edge on the exposed edge of the blade. That wouldn't be very pocket friendly. Not saying that's why your blade is like that, that is a reason to only swedge one side.
 
Since it's only on the mark side or presentation side of the knife, it might be just for decoration. Frank mentioned the other explanation.
 
knarfeng said:
There's another reason to swedge only one side. To make a nice noticeable swedge, you have to remove a certain depth of material. Depending on the thickness of the blade, if you swedge both sides you may end up with a very thin edge resembling a false edge on the exposed edge of the blade. That wouldn't be very pocket friendly. Not saying that's why your blade is like that, that is a reason to only swedge one side.
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That is very convincing. Even more, when the blade is not so thick, so a double -sided swedge will create a nearly sharp edge on the back. Using a only one- sided swedge will give you the best of both worlds: a nice look and a secure back of the blade
 
Since it shows up on an older regional pattern from France, perhaps the only functional purpose for a one sided swedge might be for some common application: smearing lard or butter or something like that?
 
JTB_5 said:
Since it shows up on an older regional pattern from France, perhaps the only functional purpose for a one sided swedge might be for some common application: smearing lard or butter or something like that?
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This might also be a solution, but maybe in somehow the opposite way than you intended: I owned a Basque Yatagan, a knife similar to a Laguiole, but bigger and more sturdy. This has also a swedge on just one side. Because his origin is a farmers backround, it was mentioned, that the 'unswedged' side of the spine was intended to scrape things like wood or so. But it has a drawn one side swegde on nearly half of the length of the spine
 
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Just a thought about the swedge on the single blade knife. Possibly that blade was used on more than one pattern, some with more than one blade.
Not knowing which knife it was to be used on they just sweged all the blades .
 
oldtymer said:
Just a thought about the swedge on the single blade knife. Possibly that blade was used on more than one pattern, some with more than one blade.
Not knowing which knife it was to be used on they just sweged all the blades .
Click to expand...
Not on this knife because it's the only one made in this style by Klaas, but might be a good explanation in general
 
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