Right Angle or Rounded

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brownshoe

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What is your opinion on the spines or top of blades? Should they be rounded or at a right angle?

I have two Boye Basics that have a distinct rounded spine, along with an old Puma General. I also have a Boye Companion and a Weaver custom small belt knife that have a slight rounded surface. You can bearly see it, but your thumb knows. I like both the asthetics and the feel of a rounded spine. It's more comfortable on your thumb if you move it forward to put pressure on the blade, such as in whittling.

I noticed an old pearl handled slipjoint the spine is also slightly rounded. However, it appears that most modern manufacturers keep their knife spines at right angles, just like the bar it was cut from. Sometimes the edge is actually a bit sharp, not enough to cut, but not comfortable either. I also have two forged custom blades that also are at right angles. Why? Is it asthetics or lack of attention to this type of detail? For example, the Spyderco Shabiria would benefit from a slightly rounded spine, for when you choke up on the knife for detail work. I also thing it would improve the looks.

What do you think?
 
Personally, I like a rounded knife, both as you said for thumb sliding up for more control, or my other place I like them is kitchen knives, as I like to put a hand on the back of the blade when I'm slicing veggies and such.

I think that on a lot of production blades, it is because exactly as you said, they're just cut or stamped, and while bevels are then ground in, would add an extra step(or 8? I don't know the manufacturing processes well enough) to also grind the spine to round it out.

On the forged blades, not as sure. One thing is that to round it out, at least if you forge it, would move rest of steel around, and I don't think it's very easy either. They could go and do it on a grinder, but I know a lot of forged makers prefer to avoid the grinder as much as possible, if not completely.

Anyways, I prefer a rounded spine too. I htink it's a matter of choice both for forged makers and production knives. Whether or not we agree with the choice is another thing.
 
I am no knifemaker, but I believe that it wouldn't take much to take the bite out of a right angle edge on a spine. Maybe a few minutes during finishing with a relatively coarse belt?

I think the forged blades were done that way on purpose, they are custom in that they are unique, but I had no input into the design.

You'd think that some high priced manufacturers would add this detail to discriminate themselves. Is a sebenza, WH lancet, MT halo at right angles?
 
The sharp spines make a better scraper or sparker, but are very inferior in terms of grip versatility and durability is also reduced. They are however cheaper to make because most knives are cookie cutter produced and left with sharp edges, so rounding them is simply one more step.

-Cliff
 
I agree, I like rounded. I "customize" my own edc's and have a few on rotation that I have rounded.

All you have to do is use a bunch of elbow grease and some sandpaper and you can do it yourself.:D
 
I round the edges of some spines. Sometimes just a little bit of smoothing of the spine's edge, sometimes a considerable rounding or bevelling.
I do it casually, when I get around to it.

I guess that having the spine edges rounded during manufacture would add to the cost of a knife, so it's up to the buyer to do it. And that's fair enough.
 
Just for the heck of it I rounded the spine on my Gerber Yari (and polished it to a mirror-finish), and it looks and feels great.
 
Personally, I like something in between the two choices offered here. Much depends on the over-all design of the knife on the aesthetic effect, but I often like a flat spine with rounded (radiused) edges.
 
I looked through my knives, and it appears that all of my older knives (e.g. pre WWII) have rounded spines, or a flat spine with rounded edges. These are common production knives. If this little bit of extra touch is both practical and asthetically pleasing, the next question that comes to mind is why don't manufacturers like CRKT, Benchmade and Spyderco do it? Too profit minded for the extra work, or is it more of a modern asthetic to have crisp angles?
 
Rounded for sure. It just feels better to me and far and away looks more finished and purty :D Dare I say it in Brownshoes thread...(?) My Sebenza classic has such a perfectly rounded spine. I was really glad to see the nice beautifully finished spine on my Buck Mayo when it arrived too. Sharp edges where they shouldn't be are one of my pet peeves on knives.
 
Rounded for sure, or at least with the corners knocked down some. The spine doesn't have to be Sebenza spine rounded, but palm pressure friendly.
 
I think that Sal said his Japanese makers find the sharp angles to be a sign of quality. My Native is American, but I think the top is flat so you can get the most out of those deep thumb ridges.

This is another problem that can be solved by sandpaper and a mousepad. :D Or by not buying from makers and companies that aren't making what you want. Nah, it's a job for the mousepad!
 
I am working on a big Bowie now, and rounded the rear of the spine for 2 reasons. As you know, this makes it more comfortable to the hand when choking up. The other reason was for aesthetics. The rear area of the blade (in front of the guard) just looked too wide. But at the same time, I didn't want to make the blade any narrower, or it would have thrown off other lines. So, I rounded the spine. This creates the illusion that the blade is narrower than it is, but at the same time preserved the lines in relation to the handle.
 
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