What blade profile do you prefer for your TRADITIONAL KNIFE main blade and why?

G

greg c

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Oct 9, 1998
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The recent threads about a certain popular wharncliffe bladed knife have got me thinking…

I have always intellectually preferred a clip point or drop point over a wharnie or a spear due to the fact that I get a main blade with a point and a belly and that’s a good compromise for my all around uses.

I see that some folks prefer a wharnie and I’m sure some prefer a spear as well..and maybe somewhere some weirdo even likes a sheepsfoot! :eek:

So I'm wondering, what are the reasons why you've chosen the particular blade you use? Is there a need that you have in which your blade style does better than any other?
 
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I have always liked spear and clip or drop point (GEC 73) blades, but recently i've been working in the shipping department of my shop and have started to realize a sheepsfoot works better for a lot of what I do. Honestly, I like the look and proportion of most spearpoint knives. But I have a weak spot for cut swedges on clip blades.

I also dont really get the point of a spear shaped pen blade, I would much rather have the secondary blade be a coping blade or sheepsfoot. I find the nostalgia for the spey blade to be a bit odd. What works for me might not work for another though...
 
Each different pattern is purpose driven by design.
Spear points, spear. Warnies, draw cut with a point. Sheepsfoot is a taller blade draw cut with little or no point. Drop Point has belly for separating hide and flesh. etc and this goes for culinary knives as well

In a nut shell, that's why most of your traditional pocket knives have two or more different blades.

I mainly open boxes of supplies and product at my shop and I have three of everything or more around here. LOL The one blade style that I will say truly sucks for opening boxes and pretty much everything else except stabbing or slicing people is a Dagger style blade.
I want a FFG for a box cutter.
 
I prefer the look of the spearpoint but for practical uses the clip blade is best for me.

Coping is my favorite and most practical secondary blade.
 
Clip blade. Here's an example of one of my favorites (actually, it's THE FAVORITE of all of mine ;)):

This blade has one of the best piercing tips of any of my knives, and it's also thin. Great slicer. :thumbup:


David
 
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For most things I do a clip point tends to be blade of choice. I do plan on putting a wharnclif in the rotation though. I have never owned one so it will be a trial basis.

Chris
 
drop point or clip point.
i also like the sheepfoot and wharncliffe, but not much of fan of the spears and speys.
 
I modified the title so that folks are immediately aware that this is in Traditional when this pops up in the "latest threads" list. Keeps out the pocket clip crowd.
 
I like the Spear point for a main blade. Coping is my fav as a secondary.

The Sheepfoot is actually one I've grown to really like and this would be my second favorite choice as a main blade.
 
I prefer a clip point over most others. Particularly if it's on a two blade jack. To me, and my uses, a clip main and pen secondary is a great combination of blades. Like the barlow, peanut, Case pen, and Buck 309 companion. If I'm going to have only a single blade, I want that blade to be a clip.

My reason is I feel the clip is a versatile design, giving some piercing capability, as well as some belly to the blade. I like a blade to have a fine point somewhere in line with the center line of the knife. Particularly on a knife for fish and small game.

Carl.
 
My favorite is a clip point followed by a Warncliff. these are what floats my boat. I never really got into the spear point though I have one or two. for a secondary I am not too particular which is strange as that is the blade I use 90% of the time. Steven
 
Modified wharncliff, similar to my Tribal Spear. Not a full on wharncliff. I carry my Charlow every day, but I've been getting some carry time out of my Tribal Spear and Oeser Zulu.
 
To me, it depends if the knife has one blade or two.
In a single bladed knife, I'm partial to a clip/drop.
In a two bladed knife, I like the combination of a curved blade with a straight one; that means, a main sheepsfoot with a pen secondary, or a clip main with a wharncliffe secondary. A couple months ago, I would have been partial to the second combo, but after I got my N.E. Whaler, I'm not that sure :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
This is why I purchased a tribal spear. I figured this blade shape might be "the one"....

silenthunterstudios said:
Modified wharncliff, similar to my Tribal Spear. Not a full on wharncliff. I carry my Charlow every day, but I've been getting some carry time out of my Tribal Spear and Oeser Zulu.
Click to expand...
 
I like sheepsfoot a lot, and clip points are alright too. Most of my accumulation consists of knives with clip master blades, so I had to like 'em. :o
 
Aesthetic wise, I like spearpoints, but the mundane, clip point is ideal for most things I use my folder for. Still if I need to sharpen a lot in the field, a wharncliffe is much appreciated.
 
Clip. Handles a number of my cutting needs. I also like a straight edged knife blade in the same package, preferably a sheepsfoot. To get both of those that means I have to go with a Stockman type pattern, which coincidentally is my most favored carry choice. If someone could figure out how to put a full length clip and full length sheepsfoot into a medium jack pattern, without the sheepsfoot having to sit so proud, I'd be a buyer.
 
Clip hands down. It makes you want to carry a clip only traditional because that's all you use...
 
I prefer clip point as a main blade for most of my tasks. Followed by the drop point, then spear. In a knife that's going to get dirty work, I like a sheepsfoot, modified wharncliffe, droppoint blade in that order.

Not asked but I like a modified pen/wharncliffe secondary is a good compromise for any main blade imo. Alternatively, a straight edged secondary when paired with the clip/drop/spear like a smaller wharncliffe or coping blade. On a work knife, I'm fine with a pen blade as the secondary. My avatar, my Ken Erickson jack, has a clip main and modified pen/wharncliffe secondary.
 
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