The ultimate working blade design

Those BHK wharnies look awesome! If I hadn't just dropped a boatload of money on rent, I'd be heading to their site to order one.
 
Here are a couple of my favorites I`ve done. I like them for utility work.

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I've never used a wharncliffe but think it's a good design theoretically. Just see my designs in your forum. ;)

What led me to think a wharny would be good is there was a thread in another forum of an ultralight hiker who used one. He said it was great for all of his needs and then I thought about myself. I rarely use the point of my knives and I really am just 'okay' at sharpening so I thought a wharny would be more user friendly in that regard. I can sharpen the heck out of an axe or hatchet, but not a knife. :o
 
I'm not saying this is the be all end all blade shape. I'm looking at it as a pure working knife for the everyday utility tasks we use knives for. The one thing about this blade shape is the cutting power you get because of downward leverage. My long time job which I still work part time at is a retail clerk in a major food chain. I work grocery, third shift stocking. I've used a box cutter for over 32 years cutting more cardboard then most of you will ever see in a lifetime. Not only a box cutter but I've tested knives, different makers, manufactuers, blade shapes, edge geometries and grind geometries on cardboard, plastic, plastic strapping and shrink wrap. On thing about cardboard is that it comes in different densities. The toughest boxes are the ones that hold liquid detergent. I normally make several hundred slices in cardboard every nite. The best edge holding steels I've tested are D2 and CPM154. Both hold an edge very well. But, the most important aspect of cutting ability is the edge geometry. It has to be just so or the edge will bind in cardboard. If the geometry is right on the money, the knife will still slice even when the edge feels dull to the touch.
This may or may not be the best choice for outdoor use but I think it would work quite well for most duties. I still prefer a blade with belly for game prep, especially skinning and gutting but for butchering, this shape could do well.
The shape I'm referring to is a more tapered/pointy shape like the BHK wharnie TStetz posted.
Scott
 
I get the blade shape thing. I recently saw a show on the travel channel where they went to Japan. Although it wasn't a wharncliffe, it had the straight edge of it and the chef disected a chicken like it was nothing. Let me see if I can find a pic of what I'm talking about. Here:
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It was close to this but not quite. It was a straight triangle with the handle jutting out along the straight spine.

As an aside, have you tried S30V? That's my go to knife right now for the types of uses you describe in the form of the Ritter grip. I was wondering how that compared to 154CM.
 
shotgun, yes, I've used an S30V Buck 110. Did very well mainly because of the thin hollow grind Buck uses. I also used the Gerber Freeman folder S30V and it sucked because of poor edge/grind geometry, too thick at the edge. Even after I convexed it, it just didn't cut very well.
Scott
 
A paring knife with a wider blade would be perfect for boxcutting. I prefer thin blade thickness, like 1mm would be perfect.
 
I love wharnies, but just don't think their sexy enough to draw alot of appeal.
I've given up looking for knives that can do a little bit of everything in favor of those that can do 95% very well for what I use them for, and the wharnie design fits that description. It for sure wouldn't be the best field dressing or skinning knife, but I could make it work in a pinch.
 
This is the one I made for work. 6 1/2" overall with a 2 3/4" blade.
Scott


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I think this design makes a lot of sense for a work knife, How often do we use the point of a knife. I seldom do, maybe for drilling and other stuff that I probably shouldn't be doing with the pointy tip.:)
 
I like that one Scott. I've been carrying my Bark River OMF knife everyday for 3 years. I wish Barkie would make another run of them.

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It may not look like it in the pic but it has a very fine point that is very capable of drilling just as well as a spearpoint if not better because of the fact you have better control.
I used this knife for 3 nites straight and it was damn near as sharp as before I used it. Less then 5 minutes with 2 diamond sharpeners and it was shaving sharp again. CPM 154 is an amazing steel. Edge holding is better then any steel I've ever used. If Crucible folds, I hope someone else picks up manufacturing the CPM steels.
I think this design works better then the typical blade shapes with a curve up to the point. I may be wrong but how often do you really use the "belly" of the cutting edge? I mainly use it for skinning.
What uses do you guys use that part of the blade for?
Scott
 
Regarding cutting ability...

Mike Janich does a GREAT demo using what he calls "Porkman" where he takes a dowel rod simulating a human arm bone, wraps it in multiple layers of pork simulating tissue, then puts denim over it. He then takes knives and does regular and reinforced ballistic cuts on Porkman to demonstrate the capabilities and limitations of various blade designs.

The Wharncliffe always cuts the deepest due to the straightness of the blade design.
 
I do use the tip for drilling enough - mostly hearths for bow drill. The ability to put the but of the knife in your palm and apply pressure to the point while keeping it balanced is something I really value in a bushy knife.
 
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