Why have a RICASSO?

[Ken H>]

You really want a fairly wide ricasso to allow plenty of room to even up the plunge lines - just keep moving plunge back until they do line up {g}

 

[stezann]

Maybe it is a design feature intended to strenghten the sword/dagger area where the majority of blows get "guided" to a stop by the guard branches+blade.
A blow stopped by the mid blade can rely on a dampening effect, but a blow very close to the guard needs more strenght.

 

[Storm W]

With swords and daggers the fingers were often wrapped around the guard .The ricasso permitted this [ where the fingers gripped the blade] without danger of cutting the fingers .

I miss Mete.

 

[Hengelo_77]

On Finish puukko's ricasso's appeared when they started being made by factories and they needed a place to stamp a logo.
It may have an old historic reason that got a different use over time

 

[John mc c]

I see mete regularly when looking up old threads
In a way he's still around

 

[tkroenlein]

Maybe the ricasso exists because it is impractical to run the sharpened edge all the way up to the handle or guard on every kind of knife.