What materials can't a "tough" folder cut?

singularity35

singularity35

Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
10,844
The most common argument agains "tough" folders are that they can't cut as well as thin folders. I'm sure that's true, but on the other hand, for the guys that prefer the cutting power of thin folders, what materials do you routinely come across that a "tough" folder like say a ZT 300 or a strider can't handle?
 
singularity35 said:
The most common argument agains "tough" folders are that they can't cut as well as thin folders. I'm sure that's true, but on the other hand, for the guys that prefer the cutting power of thin folders, what materials do you routinely come across that a "tough" folder like say a ZT 300 or a strider can't handle?
Click to expand...

It isn't that they cannot cut some material that a thin blade can cut, it is they do not cut it as easily.
 
jackman2 said:
Granite, steel, iron, marble ...

I come across these all the time.
Click to expand...

Can a thin folder cut these? I was asking in the context of what a thin folder can cut.

knarfeng said:
It isn't that they cannot cut some material that a thin blade can cut, it is they do not cut it as easily.
Click to expand...

True, but the point is "tough" knives can still cut materials. Maybe not as well as thin folders but good enough to function as a reasonably competent knife.

all hood allen said:
to-may-toes.haha.
its hard to get a thin slice. :)

a hard use knife has a thicker blade for the most part.
Click to expand...

I guess, it's impossible for you to eat thick sliced tomatoes. hahaha. :p

We're not talking about sashimi here. :p


I am saying that a tough folder may not be able to cut as well as thin folders but that they can cut well enough to still be a proper tool for most cutting tasks.
 
Was someone really saying that a "hard use" folder is incapable of cutting some things that a thin slicer can? Not just not as well, but not at all? Honestly if anyone was really professing that, they are too stupid to be worth arguing with...;)
 
Not really a breakthrough, its been proven a better or thinner blade geometry will cut better. Not many buy a 0300 for its cutting ability ;)
 
knifenut1013 said:
Not really a breakthrough, its been proven a better or thinner blade geometry will cut better. Not many buy a 0300 for its cutting ability ;)
Click to expand...

Totally agree with you on that. But the question posed is the aspect of the situation that is usually ignored by the "thin folder only" guys. That even if a tough knife can't cut as well, they still cut well enough for maybe 90 percent of all cutting
tasks.

What I'm asking here is, What cutting tasks that thin folders can handle, that tough, thicker bladed folders can't do well enough? Let's take slicing a tomato. A thick bladed folder for sure can't slice as thin, but I'm sure that a thick bladed folder can slice that particular tomato well enough to be eaten in a bacon, letttuce, and tomato sandwich.

For sure there are tasks that require a knife optimized for cutting but what about the vast majority of cutting tasks?
 
Last edited:
singularity35 said:
Totally agree with you on that. But the question posed is the aspect of the situation that is usually ignored by the "thin folder only" guys. That even if a tough knife can't cut as well, they still cut well enough for maybe 90 percent of all cutting tasks.
Click to expand...

Closer to 99% of what most people would use a folding knife for IMO. :)

The only reasons I carry the lighter, thinner knives sometimes is because they are lighter and thinner so they are easier to carry. ;)
 
I carry a razor sharp SnG with a flat grind and I have no problem cutting anything. My knife sees everything from light duty letter opening to heavy cutting with thick ply cardboard, all types of plastic strapping, and even some wood carving.

The SnG is probably my all time favorite now.

sng2.jpg


User pic: same knife

usersng.jpg
 
Last edited:
My chinook 3 can actually cut cardboard as well as my military. I don't know if the chinook is considered tough.
 
Ankerson said:
Closer to 99% of what most people would use a folding knife for IMO. :)

The only reasons I carry the lighter, thinner knives sometimes is because they are lighter and thinner so they are easier to carry. ;)
Click to expand...

Totally agree. Also, the ZT 0300 is one mean knife. Capiche? :D

My ZT 0300 came shaving sharp, and I keep it that way. Oh, did I mention that it inspires confidence? :thumbup:
 
singularity35 said:
Totally agree with you on that. But the question posed is the aspect of the situation that is usually ignored by the "thin folder only" guys. That even if a tough knife can't cut as well, they still cut well enough for maybe 90 percent of all cutting
tasks.

What I'm asking here is, What cutting tasks that thin folders can handle, that tough, thicker bladed folders can't do well enough? Let's take slicing a tomato. A thick bladed folder for sure can't slice as thin, but I'm sure that a thick bladed folder can slice that particular tomato well enough to be eaten in a bacon, letttuce, and tomato sandwich.

For sure there are tasks that require a knife optimized for cutting but what about the vast majority of cutting tasks?
Click to expand...

Well, like has been said countless times, knives are ALL about tradeoffs. For many people, having a ridiculous slicer is more important to them than having something beefy that can take a beating. I know I've posted quite a few times something like "I just wish the blade was thinner". Because I really love a thin blade.

How about I offer up a counter question, for you thick blade only guys, what tasks can your thicker blade really do that my thin blade can't?

Thin blades can take much more of a beating than many people like to admit, and thick knives can cut better than the other group of people like to admit. But they both make marginal enough differences to somehow affect somebody's purchase.

I find overall knife design to be much more important than a mm of blade thickness, especially a nice, comfy handle, that you won't slip off.
 
Cardboard, cheese, meat, foam. Anything that has the entire blade past the cutting edge go through. The thicker the blade stock, and more abrupt the grind the more troubles it tends to give. I love my a100 but my old BSA slipjoint sure cuts through the thick stuff easier.

If you can cut the stuff with a sharp axe head then it doesn't need a thin blade, like zip ties, tape, threads, all that crap.
 
EricV said:
Cardboard, cheese, meat, foam. Anything that has the entire blade past the cutting edge go through. The thicker the blade stock, and more abrupt the grind the more troubles it tends to give. I love my a100 but my old BSA slipjoint sure cuts through the thick stuff easier.

If you can cut the stuff with a sharp axe head then it doesn't need a thin blade, like zip ties, tape, threads, all that crap.
Click to expand...

Are you saying that a thick blade like can't cut those at all? :D

I am not talking about easier i'm talking about good enough. Let's take a situation.If your on a lifeboat lost at sea, alone with a pig that you were able to get from the fridge and you need to cut meat to be able to eat it and you don't happen to have a thin folder available, would you go hungry just because all you had was say a Recon 1 or a ZT 300?
 
An apple for lunch.

Though to be perfectly frank, it CAN cut the apple, but it typically requires a different approach, say cutting around the apple rather than a straight cut through.

So I would say that a thick blade has a hard time cutting through thick mediums that drags on the blade. Styrofoam being a good example. A block of cheese is another.

Now as far as what thick blades do that thin blades can't, I would say batoning through a tree branch for firewood is one good example. And maybe cutting through wires would be another.

It's also a personal choice really. A thick blade with a high inclusive angle won't be as sharp as a thin blade with a low inclusive angle, but it retains a usable edge longer without as rapid an edge deterioration as you would get with a thin blade/angle. I'd also expect less frequent occurrence of chipping and edge rolling.

It seems obvious that a "hard use" folder would make a natural choice for a camping knife, or someone working in construction or woodcraft.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top