The point of it all

dawsonbob

dawsonbob

Joined
Feb 18, 2009
Messages
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My curiosity’s running wild: just how much do you actually stab?

I got to thinking about it — and addressed it a little on another thread — and the question is, how much do you actually use a knife for stabbing, as opposed to cutting?

I would have to say that when I go out in the boonies, I actually only use the tip (point) to stab into something about 2 percent of the time, whereas I use the blade to cut the other 98 percent of the time. Now, I’m not saying there shouldn’t be some kind of a point somewhere for starting fire drill socket holes or what ever, but just how often do you use a real point on your fixed blade?
 
pitdog said:
Good point:D.......hardly ever !
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Just a little background on the reason I'm asking the question. One of the knives I designed is flat (but sharpened) at the front. Someone said "but it doesn't have a point." That got me to thinking, and prompted the thread.
 
The Graham Razel has a square front to the blade, but the bottom of that front edge can pierce, say if you need to start a slice on a soft tomato. You can do without a classic point, but piercing is useful even if outright stabbing is not.
 
I have often thought that maybe one of the Razel design knives might be more useful !
 
In the woods, hardly ever. In town, most of the usage is with the tip. Think plastic wrap, blister packs, and such.

As for bellies, hardly ever outside the kitchen.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
The Graham Razel has a square front to the blade, but the bottom of that front edge can pierce, say if you need to start a slice on a soft tomato. You can do without a classic point, but piercing is useful even if outright stabbing is not.
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Yes this is what I do with the tip most of the time when I do use it. Outright stabbing I don't do very much.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
The Graham Razel has a square front to the blade, but the bottom of that front edge can pierce, say if you need to start a slice on a soft tomato. You can do without a classic point, but piercing is useful even if outright stabbing is not.
Click to expand...

I'm familiar with the Graham Razel, Esav, and the knife I'm talking about (the Ugly Stick: see http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=744806 page 3) has almost the same kind of thing going on. There's a point, but it's just not conventional.
 
In the woods I MAY stab to pry some bark off of a try, but nothing major. However, if I am using it around the house, the tip is the most used part of the blade, usually.

Total usage? Less then 5%.
 
Shotgun said:
In the woods, hardly ever. In town, most of the usage is with the tip. Think plastic wrap, blister packs, and such.

As for bellies, hardly ever outside the kitchen.
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The knife I'm talking about would be virtually useless in town: it's meant only for the woods.:D

A tactical knife may need a stabbing point, but a woods knife . . . not so much.
 
dawsonbob said:
The knife I'm talking about would be virtually useless in town: it's meant only for the woods.:D

A tactical knife may need a stabbing point, but a woods knife . . . not so much.
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Just saw your link. Yeah I agree, on a big chopper you don't need a point. I was thinking a small 2-5 inch blade.
 
When hiking, i only stab at tomatoes before i commence cutting. There are certain types of wood-work where i need the small tip, for carving holes or whittling, such as making a 4-pronged spear (see the Improvised Frog Gig thread). Not stabbing, but i still need the point. I dont think i could have gotten in with the 90 degree point of the ugly stick.
 
Shotgun said:
Just saw your link. Yeah I agree, on a big chopper you don't need a point. I was thinking a small 2-5 inch blade.
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That's a good point, Shotgun, and I should have mentioned that the knife in question has an 8 inch blade.

Thanks for pointing that out.:D
 
PropThePolecat said:
When hiking, i only stab at tomatoes before i commence cutting. There are certain types of wood-work where i need the small tip, for carving holes or whittling, such as making a 4-pronged spear (see the Improvised Frog Gig thread). Not stabbing, but i still need the point. I dont think i could have gotten in with the 90 degree point of the ugly stick.
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Well, remember that the question is how much do you actually stab vs cut. The Ugly Stick will have a small companion knife with it for those finer tasks.
 
After this week at work...I could think of several people that should be stabbed:eek:...oops, did I just say that:D

I really can't think of too many scenarios where stabbing is needed in the outdoors other removing sentries on a covert operation or dropping out of a tree on an unsuspecting piggy in a Hollywood hunting situation.

ROCK6
 
Often enough ! Various jobs for the point so I would never give it up .
 
I also agree I do not use the point very much

Here are 3 about the same size--one without a point at all.

Picture013.jpg
 
There are really only two occasions when I need to stab with a knife.

(1) When slaughtering a sheep (the wool makes it a PITA to cut their throats from the outside in). Much easier to stab into the throat & cut it from the inside to the outside :thumbup:

(2) When I need a tree or log to hold a knife for a photo :D

LitenBror1.jpg




Kind regards
Mick
 
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