Wharncliffes?

Just got a yuna with a wharncliff style blade. Love it. The tip probably wouldnt stand up to much prying, but then thats not what a folder is for. The profile to me is extremely useful in edc chores.
 
Probably the easiest blade to sharped freehand, and great for slicing stuff. They're similar to box cutters in usefulness (which is to say, they make great EDC tools.)
 
Great for trimming things, esp with a straight-edge. Preferred by many self defense Gurus (eg: Michael Janich, Gabe Suarez...) for both slashing and stabbing. Easy to sharpen.
 
I dislike how they cut but I like how they look.

Also, I find they are better for detail work and making shallow cuts at the tip, the tip seems easier to control, I think that's because the tip is in line with the rest of the blade as opposed to sweeping up at the end.

my little brother griefs me about wharncliffe blades because he sees the blade as being a useless design, particularly when cutting things resting on a flat surface. he's not really a knife guy though so... meh. take his opinion with a grain of salt.
 
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My thoughts are that some people like ugly things. Seeing a spyderco with a wharncliffe blade is fitting to the millionth degree.
 
GMAHN said:
My thoughts are that some people like ugly things. Seeing a spyderco with a wharncliffe blade is fitting to the millionth degree.
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I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder...or the hand of the holder.
How about a Kershaw Wharncliffe?
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TheGoldenWalrus said:
what do you mean by "dislike how they cut"?
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I don't find that they are smooth slicers. for me they tend to get hung up in the more delicate cutting mediums like paper, regardless of how sharp they are. they perform a push cut as admirably as any other blade shape but applying a draw cut doesn't seem to be its forte. that's just what I've found though, your experiences may differ
 
I love wharncliff and sheepfoot blades. The only chores I don't like them for are skinning and game prepping. Here are a few I use quite often, some factory produced and some customs:

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Wharncliffes are one of my favorite, if not my favorite blade style. I especially like modified wharncliffes. Wharncliffes are among one the most utilitarian blade styles. Don't confuse the Wharncliffe being based off the Stanley knife, haha. Its the other way around. There is also a reason Michael Janich uses them as self defense blades. If I remember his writings correctly, it is the blade shape that is easiest to make full edge contact. I never like to think of a knife as a weapon, though I understand there are those that need to.
In the newest Tactical Knives there was a very interesting article on a Surgeon who has recently been making CQC blades based off the #11 scalpel. His blades were reviewed by Michael as well. Anyway, I find they cut stuff just fine, pull cutting and push cutting. The tip does see alot of use, and that is where Wharncliffes will just cut right down into material.
 
I have bought a few Wharncliffes over the past year or so.

I find them to work very well for opening packages and envelopes.
 
I'm personally not a fan, mainly for aesthetic reasons. However, the design is quite utilitarian and very easy to sharpen. It's just not for me.
 
I have a Case Swayback Jack in Chestnut Bone and CV,it's one of my personal favorite EDCs.
 
A great utility blade design perfect for pull cuts, one of my favorite blade styles. In a saber or hammer grip it puts that tip at a perfect angle in relation to your hand and wrist for comfort in long usage. Like others have mentioned it is a good SD shape again with that pointy tip properly oriented with a more normal wrist angle. The tip is definitely more fragile than other blade shapes, just requires a little more care..
 
I really like the design. I don't find it more useful than classic designs though, as it doesn't have a belly.
I guess its main drawback is when cutting on flat surfaces and if you need to pierce, but that's it.
The upside is that you have an extremely controllable edge.
 
It is a blade shape...and perhaps the most used blade shapes considering that most box cutters fit the description.

If you have used a box cutter you probably know a few things this blade shape is good for. It is a fairly standard blade shape for carving and whittling also.

Love it, hate it, whatever...it is a blade shape. Personally, I find it very useful and use one daily.
 
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