Thick or Thin?

For outdoor work, like cleaning brush, a good mix of tools is usually best. Saw, axe, machete, mower.

For camping and hiking, "thin is in". Like a razor-sharp Opinel or small fixed blade.
 
Thinthick.gif

That Marbles Woodcraft on the right looks like an axe eh?
:D
 
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If you started out using thin blades you immediately notice the compromises that you have to make when you try and cut with a thick blade. There are times when a thick blade chops well, but that ain't the same as cutting. I spent years trying to get thick blades to work like thin ones. In general I had to do a high flat grind or hollow grind to get a thick blade to do a subtle cutting task like sharpening a pencil.
 
Both, for different uses and reasons. I haven't yet *not* been able to cut something with a thick blade, but have several times accidentally snapped a thin one. (Sorry for the grammar...) So if it's only one, I'll lean towards thicker, but would much rather have a representative sample of both. And hope I don't fall into a river, I'll sink to the bottom.... :D
 
*****
thicker<-----------------3/16"----------------->thinner
From 6" blade up **** from a 5" blade down​

I have a 5/16" thick 8" long blade that chops like crazy but you aren't going to be swinging it all day. My old Blackjack 'Panga' was a great blade to have in the tackle box for cutting your way in the back way to those secluded fishing holes.
 
I think everyone has snaped the tip off a knife but its still usable it should be really tough to break a blade in mid section. I will make a video of the next one I break, I have two on the bench that came out of the HT bent and I am trying to decide to redo the HT and straighten or just break and start over. If it dont cut it isnt a knife. I made 1 knife with a pry bar on the butt end of the knife. I did not like it and felt that I was opening myself to critisism and/or liability if someone bent or broke it, so I have never made another. I also wanted it to hold a lanyand and tried to style it a bit with also may have made me believe it would not be strong enough.

Question, if you have a blade with just the right thickness for cutting say for EDC and camping... is a prybar at the butt usefull or is it really too small to do much other than opening paint cans??


Sorry I dont have a pic to upload but I did make a video that shows the butt of the knife.

http://s141.photobucket.com/albums/r65/pcrknives/?action=view&current=HPIM2527.flv
 
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