Spear Point & Wharncliffe.... Your thoughts.

338375

338375

Joined
Nov 4, 2006
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Traditional knives like most things in life, have changed. I'm use to seeing Clip point blades, Pen blades, and Sheepsfoot blades...
Obviously on some knives like the Stockman pattern, all three in one.

Over the last year or so, I have really taken a liking to the GEC lineup, and I'm certainly not the only one who has become shall we say, Addicted.
What's not to like ? Many choices as far as bone, wood and synthetics. Many different patterns, and they make a very high quality product. All of this for what I personally consider a fair price...

Here is where I have trouble. I'll use my personal favorite pattern, the Mini Lockback 72...
My first 72 is a Burnt Orange knife with a clip point blade. I was very fortunate to win this knife from a fellow member some time back.
I was hooked on them as soon as I took it out of the tube. I recently added 2 more 72's with a Clip point blade. One in Antique Green and the other in Cocobolo.

There are other 72's available that have different colors of bone, as well as other kinds of wood. The killer for me is, they only offer them in Spear Point, and Wharncliffe blades at this time.
I'm 52 years old, and kinda set in my ways, so change doesn't come easy. I just can't force myself to buy another 72 with either of these blade choices.

I can't see using those patterns for everyday use. I look at them more as a "Boutique" blade style, on knives that only have one blade...
I really like a knife with only one Clip Point blade, but I equally like a nice Jack, or Case Mini Trapper. I have never felt I needed more than two blades on a knife. Nothing wrong with them obviously, as the Stockman is a very popular pattern, it's just a personal choice...

So... Do you like a knife with a Spear Point, or Wharncliffe blade as the only blade the knife has ? Or are you like I am, and just can't get enthused about them ?
If you disagree with me, and really like them, share your thoughts on why you do. Perhaps someone that likes them will be able to explain to me why, and maybe even change the way I look at these blade styles.
I personally think these two blade styles are more a fad, and will eventually get to a point where there are very few knives offering them. The old basic Clip Point and Pen blades have been around for many years, and work great.
Maybe I am wrong in my thinking. It wouldn't be the first time :D
 
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My most carried knife is a Queen Dan Burke Barlow with a Spear main and Wharncliffe secondary. I don't dislike pen blades, but I find coping, sheepsfoot, or wharnie secondaries much more useful. My second most carried knife is a GEC 85 with a spear/coping combo.
 
Isn't a pen blade a small version of a spearpoint?
I like warncliffe blades, but there are some tasks they are not well suited to performing. They are also not my favorite for the same reason I don't care for clips, the tips are too delicate. I like a nice spearpoint or a drop point in my traditional knives, but the various shapes have their places.
 
A wharncliffe has some limitations, or one, namely the lack of belly. A spear point is a good utility blade just like a clip. May not have quite the point, depends on both the clip and the spear design. But if you tried a spear point, I think you'd like it just fine.
 
In traditional knives, single-bladed knife patterns are not my first choice, though I do own and carry a few. In a single-blade knife I prefer a clip blade. However, a spear or drop point are reasonable alternatives. I don't mind a Wharncliffe blade as a primary but I like something with some belly as a secondary, such as a pen blade.

My cutting needs are pretty mundane so I could probably get by just fine with a single-blade Wharnie. But if given a choice in the matter, I'd not choose it as my only blade.
 
For me, I like all three blade styles FOR use AND appearance. I am going to the G.E.C factory
on Monday and most likely buy a two bladed knife as most of there knives have more than
one blade. I am undecided as far as to which model it will be.
The majority of my knives are single blade as I rarely ever require a second blade and I
use a knife many times throughout the day.
I LIKE diversity of blade styles in my collection. If I HAD to choose ONLY one blade style.
that I would carry it would the clip point ( with a little reluctance ).
I guess I would equate knives to cars and trucks, they all have there intended use, I find
all the blade styles useful.
 
I think a lot of it has to do with what your primary use of the knife is. For general-purpose use I think it's just up to the individual. However if someone has a particular task they perform frequently with the blade, they may prefer the Wharncliffe or Sheepfoot, especially if they do fine detail cutting tasks such as cutting leather or trimming things.

I personally prefer the Spearpoint for general-purpose use. I also do like the Sheepfoot blade and Wharncliffe. To me they have an advantage as far as ease of Sharpening because of the perfectly straight edge. A belly on a blade, for me at least, has always been a bit trickier to sharpen due to it's belly. I also like a coping blade is a secondary for the same reason.

The Sheepfoot blade and Wharncliffe have actually been around for about a century or more. The spearpoint is also one of the very early blade shapes dating back to the 1800s along with the spearpoint and Clip point. None of these is really a new design to my knowledge.

As far as my own preference I like either single bladed or two bladed jackknives. The spearpoint is my favorite main blade and the coping blade is my favorite secondary blade. My pocketknives are used for general-purpose duty, they are not for any particular specialty such as wittling or leather work.
 
I tend to lean more towards Wharnies or Sheepfoot blades for the stronger points mentioned by arizonaranchman.
 
For me the wharncliffe is a beautiful blade but not the best for daily use. Spear points I love though, probably my favorite blade shape I've decided. It's got a little belly, a tip that is stout and just an overall versatile shape. I've been carrying a single spear blade GEC #15 and it has done everything I could ask of a daily carry knife.
 
MarkPinTx said:
A wharncliffe has some limitations, or one, namely the lack of belly. A spear point is a good utility blade just like a clip. May not have quite the point, depends on both the clip and the spear design. But if you tried a spear point, I think you'd like it just fine.
Click to expand...

Wharncliffe, no belly and no tip. So it's spear points for me.

Function-wise, I find a clip point and spear point equally useful, but I definitely prefer the aesthetics of good spear.
 
I agree that certain blade shapes may have their advantages, or at least strong point, for certain tasks. Maybe if I actually still used a knife daily, as much as I use to, I would grow to appreciate these designs. I know the designs in general have been around for years, but it seems they really started being produced in larger numbers, in the last few years...

I've noticed in the case of the Spear point design, there is a wide range of designs. Some being more pronounced, and others being very subtle.
I think it is the blades that have a very pronounced shape that I can't warm up to. The Wharncliffe is a reasonably straight forward design.
My favorite blade design for just about everything is the Drop Point. Much like the Spear Point, the Drop Point has a very wide range of designs...
Some are so minimal, it is hard to see it actually is a Drop Point, while others make their Drop Point blades very radical.

I have to admit to something I did a few years back. This won't be a big surprise to most here, but after reading about the Sheepsfoot blade design on here, I actually tried one :D The knife was a 34OT Stockman. One day I happened to have a few boxes that needed opened, so I thought it was a good chance to try out the blade. It worked, and it worked very well. After I got done with the boxes, I actually looked around for more stuff to use the blade on, because it was fun...

I had actually thought before I started this thread, that I really need to buy one and find out for myself. We all have different preferences, but I thought it would be good to hear input from others who have actually used these blade styles.
Worst case scenario, I get one and don't care for it, I can always sell it. At least I will have given it a fair personal evaluation.
 
I find that the Wharncliffe or sheepsfoot blade is the most frequently used blade on my EDC knife.

I don't cut food. I no longer skin critters.
I do open packages of all kinds, especially clamshell packages. For starting a cut in the middle of a surface, which is often necessary to open a package, a Wharncliffe or sheepsfoot can't be beat.

That being said, I don't often carry single blade knives. The primary reason I carry traditional patterns is so that I can have multiple blade shapes to match to the task at hand. So, having a Wharncliffe as the only blade would not be a turnoff in and of itself. The turnoff for me would be only having one blade.
 
OP, I'm with you on the wide range of spearpoints, and generally, the wider they are, the less useful they are to me for an EDC blade. The only single blade spear I've ever carried for EDC is this Queen linerlock, and you can see it is pretty narrow and still has a very good point.

IMG_0610.jpg~original


The typical spearpoint is wider with a more aprupt belly and point, making it harder to get into places and more of a specialty blade.

Another useful spearblade is the one on my newly acquired Vic Electrician, for the same reasons as cited above. To make it even more useful, it also has the short sheepfoot blade for draw and precision cuts, plus all the other tools. As you can see in this comparison shot, the point is slender and the blade actually narrower than the clip on the Boy's Knife, making its carry less bulky.

15v91SAK_zps076baeeb.jpg~original


As far as the Wharncliffe, I don't really like a straight-edged blade for my primary. The modified Wharncliffe (zulu spear) would make for a good single blade carry knife, with its long slender point and slight belly, but I've never tried one yet. It's on the list.
 
My favorite knife is a two-blade that includes a wharnie. Personally I have no use for a spey, and I find that I use the wharnie all the time. I'm an artist/photographer, and am always cutting paper, the wharnie is perfect for that.
IMG_7943_zps7648c750.jpg
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roseskunk said:
My favorite knife is a two-blade that includes a wharnie. Personally I have no use for a spey, and I find that I use the wharnie all the time. I'm an artist/photographer, and am always cutting paper, the wharnie is perfect for that.
IMG_7943_zps7648c750.jpg
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Click to expand...
That is very nice. I need to add a Moose to my collection. Looks like a great user knife. Very nice blade combination.:thumbup: What color is that bone?
 
I cant really add much to what has been said already. I too prefer a clip most of the time as my main blade. I had my reserves about the wharncliffe and finaly just bought one and made myself only carry it. While not the best choice for some tasks it will get you by. Food prep is the best example. When it comes to peeling an apple, any blade can be worked well. When cutting a steak or chicken I prefer a little belly to make it easier but the wharnie will get it done and only the very tip touches the plate. Some will argue it.leaves you with a sharper blade when your done. Best I can tell you is to get one and try it out. Azman might be kind enough to tempt you with a pic of his GEC 79 single spring :). With a bigger spear blade and a coping secndary it may be a great knife for you to experience these two blades, see which one you, if either, you like. He also has a eureka jack from GEC with the same blades that might work better for you. These are the only two readily available knives I can think of with spear and coping blades. Let us know what you find out :thumbup:
 
knarfeng said:
SNIP

That being said, I don't often carry single blade knives. The primary reason I carry traditional patterns is so that I can have multiple blade shapes to match to the task at hand. So, having a Wharncliffe as the only blade would not be a turnoff in and of itself. The turnoff for me would be only having one blade.
Click to expand...

That certainly sums it up for me. A sharp four inch stockman takes care of my work and personal needs due to the shapes and sizes of blades.

When I did a brief stint in an office job I carried different small lockbacks like Kershaw Whiskey Gap, a Gerber Silver Knight, and a Buck Prince. When I got back in the field as a contractor, those knives were replaced with my favorite, a 4"stockman. I like that pattern specifically because if its blade shapes and sizes and I actually use all the blades.

Robert
 
rockgolfer said:
I cant really add much to what has been said already. I too prefer a clip most of the time as my main blade. I had my reserves about the wharncliffe and finaly just bought one and made myself only carry it. While not the best choice for some tasks it will get you by. Food prep is the best example. When it comes to peeling an apple, any blade can be worked well. When cutting a steak or chicken I prefer a little belly to make it easier but the wharnie will get it done and only the very tip touches the plate. Some will argue it.leaves you with a sharper blade when your done. Best I can tell you is to get one and try it out. Azman might be kind enough to tempt you with a pic of his GEC 79 single spring :). With a bigger spear blade and a coping secndary it may be a great knife for you to experience these two blades, see which one you, if either, you like. He also has a eureka jack from GEC with the same blades that might work better for you. These are the only two readily available knives I can think of with spear and coping blades. Let us know what you find out :thumbup:
Click to expand...

That would be this #92 he refers to. And to be honest if I had to chose ONE traditional pocket knife for the rest of my life it would be difficult to beat this one. It's 3 5/8" closed and a full sized, sturdy knife. IMHO this is a great blade combination. The coping for precision work and the spear for general purpose. I LOVE this knife. This is one of my four (of the 8 GECs I own) absolute favorites.
 
This is the number #79 rockgolfer refers to... It has a single heavy back spring with coping and spearpoint combo. This spearpoint is the wider/broader style obviously. The blood red bone scales on this Knife are gorgeous. This one is 3.75 inches closed. Being a single spring knife it is very slim in the pocket.


 
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