why not thicker blades?

X

xDogsoldierx

Joined
Apr 18, 2009
Messages
86
I'm a huge fan of rat knives and k-bars but it would seem to me that if they made them thicker they would be much tougher,better....I'd love to have a rat-7 thats 1/4 thick....why don't they make them?
 
REAL Rat knives (RC not Swamp right) makes a .25" RC-5 which is a beast. Thinner knives cut better, and are tougher than they need to be to do what a knife that size is supposed to do. There shouldn't be much side pressure on a blade really.
 
I'd say it's because thick blades don't cut well.

I made this knife from .22" CPM D2. It has a full flat grind to a relatively thin edge bevel (.015" and 30-degrees inclusive). The edge is very sharp. Despite all of that, you pretty much have to baton the knife to get it though an onion or potato.

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Seriously, how many people break their RAT Cutlery knives? (Even if you do manage, they're covered by warranty.)
 
it would seem to me that if they made them thicker they would be much tougher,better....
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Why? Were you a Marine in WWII and have you KABAR fail you?
 
Phillip Dobson said:
I'd say it's because thick blades don't cut well.

I made this knife from .22" CPM D2. It has a full flat grind to a relatively thin edge bevel (.015" and 30-degrees inclusive). The edge is very sharp. Despite all of that, you pretty much have to baton the knife to get it though an onion or potato.

3754760697_0770dac1b3_o.jpg


Seriously, how many people break their RAT Cutlery knives? (Even if you do manage, they're covered by warranty.)
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So...am I the only one to think"Why is there no hole in that spyderco :confused: " at first glance.
A fine looking knife btw.
 
Different thicknesses for different tasks. Thinner blades make for great slicers, whereas thicker blades are more for chopping and batoning. The Ka-Bar is more of a fixed blade utility knife, which is why the blade isn't quite as thick.
 
65535 said:
REAL Rat knives (Swamp Rat not RC) makes a .25" Camp Tramp which is a beast. Thinner knives cut better, and are tougher than they need to be to do what a knife that size is supposed to do. There shouldn't be much side pressure on a blade really.
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You made a few typos, so I fixed it for you:D:p:thumbup:
 
I think the thicker knives, .25" and up, make for great choppers but don't do well for other chores that involve slicing. Though I have an OKC RD-4, 4.5" X .25" blade, that I have been using in my kitchen with good results.
 
Thick blades don't cut well, since the blade must displace more material as it progresses in the cut. Thus more energy is lost due to having to push more material out of the way, which means you have to apply mych more force to make the same cut. Generally speaking, the thinner you can make a knife without it becoming either brittle or whippy, the better.
 
As several here have mentioned, thicker blades take more effort to cut and slice than thinner blades. It's a trade-off between brute strength and cutting ability. And, imo, the primary purpose of a knife is to cut. While the need may someday arise, I haven't yet been in a situtation where I had to use a knife as a crowbar or chopped down a tree with it (that's why god made hatchets).

I like a good strong blade -- most of the Bark Rivers are a good compromise -- but not a brute for 99% of the tasks I use. And, for food prep, the thinner blades, like those Green River makes, are the best slicers.
 
1/4? Why not 1/2? Go big or go home.

Thick is only good if you are going to use the weight. (or pry I guess)

Thick can also be good if it is ground very thin, as it will then cut well, and have a nice thick comfortable spine to rest your thumb on.

(Do some carving with a blade made out of 1/16 stock.... Im sure you guys know the feeling)
 
my rat-7 will split wood pretty good and I like that rc-5 but its not long enough to split thicker wood...I think a 7 inch blade is a good length for all around survival...it just seems to me it would be perfect if it was a lil thicker for the added weight for chopping,splitting,less likly to break.I have broke a k-bar next generation but thats 440A ss.
 
Use a machete if you need to split big pieces of wood. They may be thin, but I've batonned my Cold Steel and Condor machetes through entire logs before to see if I could (sorry, I forgot to bring my camera with me when I did it, but it was this past winter). Did just fine. :thumbup:

Or just baton it part way in to start the split then carve a wooden wedge and use it to finish. I can split big pieces of wood with a Swiss Army Knife that way. :p
 
My victorinox can do everything:p

okay okay, all but 3 things -split wood, baton, and chop. Everything else it does well.
 
fat blades are good for chopping/batoning. Knives are better used as cutters, thus., are generally thinner. It is also cheaper to manufacture.
 
Sparljo said:
(Do some carving with a blade made out of 1/16 stock.... Im sure you guys know the feeling)
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If you look at a Whittler pattern slipjoint, you'll see that the smaller blades are very thin for detail work. I have a Case Seahorse Whittler, and the main (thick) blade is great for rough work, but the small thin blades are much better for details.

Scalpel blades have to be thin, because of the minute cutting they are used for. I'd really rather not have a surgeon batoning a 1/4" scalpel through one of my organs. :D

thx - cpr
 
IMHO, the only reason to make a blade thick and heavy is if the maker is using inferior steel. Good steel, properly heat treated, can be used quite thin and still make a good blade. :thumbup:
 
Aren't the competition cutting knives typically ~1/4" thick? They seem to slice fine on the drinking straws and paper towel tubes.
 
me2 said:
Aren't the competition cutting knives typically ~1/4" thick? They seem to slice fine on the drinking straws and paper towel tubes.
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Yes they are for the most part and yes they do it all very well. :D :thumbup:
 
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