The Thick and Thin of It

T

TomX

Joined
Jul 22, 2019
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3
As I approach my 50 year mark on this planet, I have been around blades for quite some time. And I have seen various discussions over thick vs thin blades, but recently I had come across a disgruntled individual who was beyond adamant against thick blades (and knife owners in general)...
Well, I in my years, I have broken or damaged my share of knives due to the lack of the proper tool for the job at the given point in time; from a snapped Leatherman blade, broken serrations on a Spyderco, a snapped tip on a Gerber Mk II, an so on. The only knives that have not failed me physically have been some hefty blades like my ESEE 5, which I have put through some paces as well as seen others do insane things with; it's just not my idea of an EDC blade.
Long story short, based on a snippet from a couple posts (below), should I spend any time providing detailed benefits of the thicker combat/survival blades? I have no doubt that the thinner blades, and styles, have their benefits and each person has their preference; however, this person seems in dire need of constructive feedback... Either way, the commentary was good for a laugh. The knife in question was a custom USMC at about 0.25"...
Opinions, anyone?

Thick is so stupid.

It's dull & it's heavier with no added benefit to combat. Give me a break of something other than a lump of iron.

This is not relativistic ART... There is a hard standard as to what works. That's why the .223 was selected as the standard instead of the 30-6....but that's because of weight & rpm, not penetration. Your reasoning is that a 1oz slug can penetrate just as well as a 5.56 nato. Give me a ****ing break. You're a tacti-cool "tool" for greedy charlatans & you stupefy others. Knives & Bullets both have physics. PSI matters.

Do you even test & critically measure the difference of performance between knives? Cuz I have & I'm tired of knife culture. Tacti-fool.

…cut a fat knife through butter makes total sense. Moron. Again, all you have is dismissal, either by initially equating our pov's to something artistic or late

TURN YOUR ATTENTION & FINALIZE YOUR PURCHASING. Knife culture should end just like women's shoe culture.

Thinner knives cut better. That's why razors are thin. Have fun with your thick knife plugged where the sun don't shine.
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I would suggest a Swiss Army Knife (Victorinox). There are many, many versions with various sizes and tools. I've carried a Tinker in my pocket for 30+ years. I've been a collector, customizer, repairer, maker for over 65 years; the SAK is my EDC even though I've got lots of other heavier/thicker/fancier/more expensive knives.
Rich
 
I dont like thick blades cuz for me they dont cut as well. But plenty of folks have been buying up overbuilt folders and loving them. You wont slice the onion as well, but if prying is more important for you, go for it I say.
 
Rich S said:
I would suggest a Swiss Army Knife (Victorinox). There are many, many versions with various sizes and tools. I've carried a Tinker in my pocket for 30+ years. I've been a collector, customizer, repairer, maker for over 65 years; the SAK is my EDC even though I've got lots of other heavier/thicker/fancier/more expensive knives.
Rich
Click to expand...

That is going to drive me crazy now... I had a small SAK that I seem to have lost, and I loved that thing; I wonder if it was one of my TSA victims. But my current EDC has been a Gerber Dime piggy-backing a KA-BAR BK14. Never-the-less, I think I will have to get another small SAK to keep in my pocket again. Thanks!
 
BenchCo Spydermade said:
I dont like thick blades cuz for me they dont cut as well. But plenty of folks have been buying up overbuilt folders and loving them. You wont slice the onion as well, but if prying is more important for you, go for it I say.
Click to expand...

I can literally shave with me ESEE 5, but it's too hefty for the everyday or light hiking trips. And I have used it to create some air vents and drain wholes in steel barrels, so it's great to have a brute. I also have a beautiful EK Bowie, which is thinner; however, I have not been able to get a great edge on it. Regardless, I do need to find a thinner blade for my overseas travel... cutting bread and fruit has not been easy with my BK14.
 
I have no use of an overly thick blade myself.
Anyway, you can always have a SAK, Opinel, or a traditional slip joint as a secondary (or primary?) cutting tool.
 
Yeah, I must agree with the basic point that thick blades do not cut or slice well... so pointing out that thick blades are kind of antithetical is a valid point....

being rude about it is not cool
 
Thick and dull aren’t the same. That’s a distinction a lot of people fail to make even on this forum.

The ESEE mentioned is thick in the spine which effects the cutting ability sure but not as much as the thick edge that you get from the factory. That’s why it’s “dull.” Thin the edge and it’ll be “sharp” like any other knife. Until you get to the wedging action of the stock thickness but that in and of itself only matters if you’re cutting something that doesn’t part easily. If you don’t cut things like large squashes you’ll be fine. If it’s wood you’re cutting then the thickness may be beneficial. On the flip side, my mora is 3/32 inch thick with a 22 degree inclusive edge and I cannot stand cutting vegetables with it because the scandi grind wedges WAY more than a thin edged kukri. Edge geometry is a little more complicated than “thick bad”, “thin good.”

I think there’s some cognitive dissonance in what a knife like the ESEE is and what a knife like an opinel is. They’re clearly not the same because they’re not designed for the same jobs. The ESEE is a knife in how a knife is defined but it really functions more like a hatchet that can also puncture. If you can’t make that mental leap then thick knives are dumb.

The best plan IMO is both a thin pocket knife and a thick fixed blade rather than one or the other. As far as “battle” is concerned. Get a multi tool. ;)

Could you PM me where this conversation took place? Sounds like a fun. :D
 
I like 'em a little thick. Gives you some room for operational improvisation.
 
I have a good variety of thin to thick, and a lot of in between.
I've never put much stock in having someone else's approval when it comes to personal possessions.
 
Barman1 said:
I've got hundreds of all shapes and sizes.
Love every one of them and most of the time I have no regrets whatever I have in my pocket.
Internet commandos and their uninformed rhetoric have no bearing on my choices.
Click to expand...

I think this sums it up nicely. There are certain things that there will always be two camps on, and generally there is absolutely no convincing either side to reconsider their stance. Buy what you like, and if you're that concerned with the things other people like, you should really reevaluate your life.
 
I like knives in both think or thick, depending on the use.

I would like a pocket knife to be thin but not too thin. Sebenza has a nice thickness to it but slices nice.

I have a deba that is nearly half an inch at the spine and is freaking sharp and a good slicer. Would wedge on hard veggies but I have other knives for that job.

My suji is very thin and very fast at cutting soft stuff but would struggle to get into hard veggies like a 5 lb radish.
 
I have owned many knives, fixed and folders, in primarily upper price categories, and I've come to prefer a 3/32" spine for my generally casual cutting uses, although 1/8" is much more commonly found.
However, I am also aware that the BTE measurement is of primal importance in slicing...particularly if the object being cut does NOT have a great thickness. And, with that in mind, I am one who also prefers a high hollow grind...as that adds to the ease...when cutting a thicker piece.
To each his own...we all have our preferences in our blades.
 
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TomX said:
Opinions, anyone?
Click to expand...
I don't know anything about battle knives other than mostlty you don't want to go to a battle with just a knife.
If I did I would want a knife thick enough that there was no way it was going to break no matter what I did to it . . . e.g., pry my way out of a vehicle after being hit with an IED. That said I have bowed an inexpensive CARBON Opinel #12 blade way way over TRYING TO SNAP IT OFF and couldn't do it without first cutting a slot half way through the blade with an abrasive cut off wheel and even then it took four vigorous goes at it before it snapped off. My point is that is a pretty thin blade for how long it is so maybe he is somewhat right on. I don't know.

Thin cuts better he says . . .
I was carrying and using my HAP-40 Delica Wharncliff that I modded the heck out of and it turned out to be 1.3mm at the spine . . .
. . . does it cut better ? ? ?
BOY HOWDY ! ! !

goes without saying it is no kind off battle blade and is delicate (hey . . . it's a Delica, an extra Delica if you will). I'm pleased with it though.
 
As long as you enjoy the knife and it meets your needs, who cares what anyone else thinks. The thin/thick(especially thick) choices can be taken to extremes, but in general both offer the user something the other doesn't. It is all about compromise and finding the best fit for the individual.
 
I generally agree with the thin knives philosophy, but was recently carrying an Emerson. I don’t carry it often, but it sometimes makes the rotation. It came in handy when I had to pry open a glass door that got locked and prevented us from getting to the regular door lock. I don’t think some of my regular carry blades could have done it and come out unscathed. It opened my eyes a bit to the sometime usefulness of a thicker blade. In life everything is a trade off.
 
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