Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades blade preference survey

OK, so now lets look at blade preferences and why.

So lets think on:
Blade length, width and thickness for different uses such as filet, field dress, camp, skin, cape, edc, butcher, etc.

Blade primary bevel grind such as convex, flat, concave (hollow) and % of blade width included in the primary bevel.

Steel type and hardness and why (and maybe some bad experiences here).

Transition from handle to blade. Like applied guard, no guard, integral guard, finger notch, etc.

Blade profile such as spear, clip, drop, etc and jimping on the spine or not.


That ought to get you thinking.

When this is done, we probably will see the need for custom knives for almost everyone in this ever changing world of cheap processed throw aways (which do serve a purpose).
Thanks
Tim

My preference is for a small/medium drop point. Roughly 3" blade, +/- 1/4", no guard, jimping on the spine. Maybe one finger notch at the most.
I've got knives with S30V, ATS-34, and D2, not counting factory knives. All have been serviceable, but I tend to favor S30V. My one and only D2 blade is a Dozier Yukon Pro, the edge tends to roll over on it. My Son in Law has the same knife and it has been great.

Oh boy MRK you are making me put on my thinking cap here. I need some time

General field dressing and skinning work.

Blade length 3-4 inches. Width 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Flat gind. I have come to prefer VG-10 steel hardened to 61RC because it sharpens very easily and does not roll the edge. Slight drop point. This makes for a formidable working knife. It stays sharp for a very long time and will still readily take an edge even after abuse. I have reset the edge after it was chipped on a 6 1/2 inch VG-10 blade in just a few minutes time on a diamond stone. Softer VG-10 sucks.

For boning out deer I have a couple of German made stainless blades 6 inches long out of something close on 420. Sharpens easily, stays sharp well enough. I have a boning knife out of CPM 154 that is nice as well. Flat grind .

For slicing work while butchering you will not beat Japanese slicers, with one exception, I use a specially designed D2 7 inch blade which is very thick and deeply hollow ground for slicing/removing chops from the silver skin of the backstraps. That is a purpose designed knife for that task and is by far the best I have found for the job. This steel is somewhere close to 60 RC.

I use both the boning knives and a conventional fish filet knife for separating the muscle groups. I sacrificed a Japanese 6 inch slicer and had the blad reshaped to the profile of a boning knife and it has worked superbly on several deer this fall. The VG-10 steel is superior for that work as well.

I clean my cut meat fastidiously and I am very particular that it look as nice as the work that I put into it. Pretty meat on the table is always appreciated. I make very nice steaks out of the parts that are tender enough to work well. If I grew up runing it all through a cuber and processed it with that in mind, I could accept a lot less than what I produce. I shoot deer specifically for my table and I have plenty of deer to choose from so this is very much a buying premium groceries proposition for me. This attitude going into the Bambi killing is also in large part responsible for my choices in processing tools.

I like a 3-1/2" drop point about an 1/8" thick and a hair under an inch wide at widest point. I like the tip to have just enough meat so I don't feel like it's gonna snap easily. I prefer a fairly easy to sharpen stainless. Grind would preferably be full flat or hollow. I prefer some kind of small guard, either integral or added, or a good finger groove that locks my hand in. I like a small sharpening choil. I don't like jimping but it's not a deal breaker by any means.

I could do everything but bone with this. For that, I like a actual boning knife

Blade length, width and thickness for different uses such as filet, field dress, camp, skin, cape, edc, butcher, etc.

I could get by with three knives. A belt knife of from 3 1/2 to 4 inches of length, 1/8' thickness, no wider than 1". on a
blade used to field dress. A 4'' Skinning blade either similar to a Randall Alaskan skinner or at least one with a roach belly shape.
A 6" regular boning knife.

Blade primary bevel grind such as convex, flat, concave (hollow) and % of blade width included in the primary bevel.

Convex grind on the belt knife and hollow grind on the other two. The convex should be similar to the original Colclessor Kephart with the
middle being wider than the spine. The hollow ground blades should be about 3/4" of the width.

Steel type and hardness and why (and maybe some bad experiences here)

The belt knife could be made of any one of a number of quality steels but if I had to pick one it would be 01 and hardened to about 58-59
to make it easier to sharpen and hold a pretty good edge. The other two can be 57's and of carbon steel like 1095 because that is what I
have and it works well..

Transition from handle to blade. Like applied guard, no guard, integral guard, finger notch, etc.

The belt knife can have a added guard or an integral finger notch. The other two should have a mild notch or bump on the handle.

Blade profile such as spear, clip, drop, etc and jimping on the spine or not.

Jimping, no more than four on the spine, is okay on the belt knife and skinner. None on the boning knife. Belt knife profile can be spear
point or drop point (the truth is several point types work well I like those two the best).

I have a need for a wide variety of blade shapes and sizes. There is no 'one size fits all' in my book.

Sam
" for different uses such as filet, field dress, camp, skin, cape, edc, butcher, etc."

You are one of the guys who really should extrapolate on the many needs and how best filled.
Of course you would not have to detail each in the extensive inventories on hand or we
would have to learn how to handle printing out books in a thread.

Added topic:
Some here have purchased a custom from me (and others) that they spec'd out and I did my best to match.
Did your vision and the actual knife match up well??????

So far I have been impressed with the responses to these highly controversial topics.

I have yet to make the perfect knife for me, but I keep on trying.
Tim

Tim As far as grind,I prefer a hollow grind for a field knife. Nothing wrong with a flat grind as long as its ground thin to start with.Over time the edge is only going to thick-in up.A 3-3-1/2" blade length is what I prefer.Not over a 1/8" thick. Blade not wider than 1". I'm not a jimping fan, pain in the AZZ cleaning it out with a tooth brush.I like easy to clean knives.No lanyard on my personal knives ya need a Q-tip for cleaning blood and fat out another pain.Edge angle 15-17 degree.Great steel can take a thin edge!! Steels well there is a TON of good steel out today.It comes down to personal preference. I'm a huge fan of Carpenters CTS-B75P Its a powder version of Latrobe's BG42 .Great edge retention Rust resistant and fairly easy to sharpen.NOW My ultimate Fav. is CPM-M4 Rock-welled at 65C.As a tool steel it needs to be oiled up or it will rust.BUT it has Impressive edge retention!!!! I like both a finger guard and Groove. As you know the weakest part of a knife is the point. I leave the point about 10thou. thicker than the edge! Some guys are tough on there knives.I like a small coil,for looks and staying away from the ricosso area when sharpening. Troutfisher pretty much described my knives. JMO. Great thread Tim

All I need is a 3-4 inch blade,thin as practica,l with a guard that isn't so big as to hinder any hold. I want the blade to have a good enough belly for skinning,but be narrow enough to rim around a deer's anus to cut out the intestine.

To me,grind matters more than steel,but I like mine as thin as possible for that steel. It doesn't have to be thick enough to batton through nails or bone. Idiots abuse good knives and good knife makers try to make idiot proof knives.

Flat grind with belly for skinning, s30v stainless, thin blades cut better, light knives carry better.

I agree with knifeman on the jimping and lanyard holes. I don't need or want them for the same reasons he gave.(Although a neat lanyard makes a nice looking package)

It has to be stainless. Period. I have no fondness for patina, blades that rust if rain is a state away, or require more vigilance than I care to give while hunting.

Flat ground preferred, but hollow is fine too. 1/8 inch thick is right there and hardened under 60. I like my edge pro but I don't like it so well that I need to spend my time trying to sharpen those rock hard steels. If I don't keep those really sharp and loose the edge, well, good luck.

For steel, I'm really getting attached to VG-10. But, CPM 154 are S30V are on my favorite hunting knives.

Like most everyone else, 3 1/2 to 4 inches of blade with some belly is my skinner of choice. Mannlicher is right, for the other hunting tasks, I like a variety of shapes and sizes. I can make do with one knife, but for the same reasons, my gun safes are full of different guns for different purposes. Ditto on knives.

My downfall is the knife handle. I tend to be practical, but when it comes to handles, damn, I just like pretty woods with lots of character. The prettier the better. Then they sit in the cabinet, don't get used, and all the reasons above don't mean a thing. When I'm ready to go hunt, I just grab a easy to find bright orange G10 with a stout blade and go hunt. hahaha---And when I forget my fixed blade, my ole trusty Remington pocket folder with delrin handles works just fine.

For an everyday big game hunting knife 3 to 4 inch blade is great. Flat Grind is fine as is hollow. 1 to 1-1/4 belly is great. no guard. Steel is the big thing to me not just the type but proper heat treat of it. I love S90V for a hunter, it holds and edge! I also don't mind M4, CPM 10V, S110V, or M390. I like S30V as must knife makes have it figured out. But its not my first pick for sure.

For a skinner 4 to 4-1/2 inch blade fat and round profile. Most of the time I am skinning game I am tired. I like a nice round tip sharpened to the apex of the blade. This way I can work fast and not really worry about poking a hole in the hide. no guard S30V works perfect for this application. ATS 34 is a good sub also.

Bird and Trout 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 inch blade is great. Probably right at 4" is my favorite. Flat Grind 3/4 to 1 inch belly is great. Here I like S30V or 154CM. I wouldn't say no to one in S90V or M4.

Utility For camp chores and the like. 4-1/2 to 6 inch is great I like the belly fat 1-1/2 is pretty ideal can go larger. No guard. M4 all day everyday.

I don't really need a bigger knife I have a hatchet or ax with me most of the time.

I agree with this. One of my favorite knives growing up was a "Solingen" knife that my Dad picked up from one of his National Guard buddies before I was born, probably late 50's early 60's. ......the brand was York Cutlery, but the same knife was imported under different names.....I cleaned a pile of trout and redfish with that knife. It had good carbon steel and a stag handle but more importantly the blade was thin. Thanks to the internet and Ebay I was able to pick one up just like it in new condition several years ago and it remains a favorite. I used it on a deer last Saturday. It would not be able to stand up to a clown trying to hammer it through a piece of stove wood but it guts, cuts, and skins like crazy.

I wonder if traditional designs like that made of one of today's alphabet steels would sell. Buck already offers some of their old standbys in s30v.

three from Tim. Different style blades, two different steels, but they all excel at processing dead animals. I don't need anything bigger.

I like a Carbon steel Mora a lot. For $12, I can do anything with it that I can do with my Dozier YPS.

MCH
"Utility For camp chores and the like. 4-1/2 to 6 inch is great I like the belly fat 1-1/2 is pretty ideal can go larger. No guard. M4 all day everyday.

When I did the small batch of blades in M4, I made one for Mannlicher which is the top knife in his pic above.
I made a second similar and larger blade that has a 5 " cutting edge and a 1 3/8" belly.
I have not put scales on it yet, but could part with it it.......
It would certainly make a nice skinner/camp knife.


It has been an interesting read hearing what each has had to say as to their personal preferences.

I think you just described my favorite (and still in use) knife. The first fixed blade I ever bought, probably around 1975. Few years ago I sent it out to MRK to put on a new stag handle, and brass finger guard. Soligen steel sharpens up razor sharp, and feels great in the hand. The deer, turkeys, pheasants and ducks I've gutted/cleaned/butchered with it would fill a semi.