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Posted: 7/13/2006 4:33:36 AM EDT
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I have been tryin to pick up what terms apply to what shapes of blades. I'm on a slow learning curve so I did some searching hoping to find a glossasy of terms with some illustrations. I did... so I figured I'd share with the other folks who might be as slow as me on learning the lingo. Shape Blades can have essentially unlimited shapes, though there are a limited number of traditional blade shapes, most of which have evolved over hundreds or thousands of years of service to meet the needs of the specific user. Although a source of many debates, conversations, arguments, and conflicts there is no perfect blade shape which fits every user, need, and circumstance. The best blade shape is the one which fits your personal needs and ideals. Clip Point  This is a classic blade shape and tends to be very common among all Manufacturers. This blade style has a portion of the spine ?clipped? off. This results in a blade shape with a full belly for cutting and a fairly pointed tip for thrusting and awl type work. Often the reverse or back side of the blade is sharpened to create a partially double edged blade. Modified Clip  A recent design development that has proved popular on high-tech, one-hand opener knives. Exact shapes vary. Drop Point  This is a classic blade shape and tends to be very common among all Manufacturers. This blade style has a spine which tapers toward the belly of the blade. This blade style is suitable for all types of slicing and cutting work. Sheepsfoot  Similar to the Wharncliffe blade style with the spine abruptly tapering to the tip. Typically used as a work blade with limited tactical applications, this blade style is well suited for precision slicing and working with the point in delicate cuts. Spear Point  This is a classic blade shape derived from thrusting weapons developed over tens of thousands of years. Generally, this blade style has both edges tapering from the hilt to a point centered in the blade long axis. Typical of daggers, dirks, poniards and other thrusting blade styles, these blades generally have no ?belly? and ?spine? since both edges are similar in shape and edging. In some instances a false edge may be used on the spine to preserve the single edge design necessary to comply with local and federal laws. Pen This is a smaller version of the larger "spear point" blade. Spear points are more popular in Europe, while in America, the clip blade is the preferred option. Pen blades are usually on pocket knives as a handy, all purpose blade. It was originally developed to trim quill pens, and that name has stuck through the years. Tanto Point  Typical of Japanese style blades and swords, this blade style uses a sharp angle at the end of the blade to create a strong stabbing edge. This blade style is very common in tactical knives, though it is also very useful for common cutting chores as it allows the blade to be firmly pressed into the work without the user?s knuckles coming into contact with the work surface. Spey  As the name indicates, this blade was originally developed to neuter farm animals. Rather blunt point avoids poking through a surface by accident, and the overall blade configuration makes the spey function well suited for skinning and sweeping knife strokes. Coping  A narrow blade with a sharp, angular point, almost like a miniature sheepsfoot blade, designed to be used for cutting in tight spots or curved patterns, much as you would with a coping saw, only without the teeth. Upswept A variation of the clip point with the actual point placed above the line of the spine. Commonly found in cutlasses, sabers, and other similar single edged long blades, this blade style is less favored for pocket and sheath knives due to its cumbersome design. Wharncliffe A blade style which utilizes a straight edge with a tapering spine. This creates an incredibly strong point as well as a blade cross section which is less subject to lateral flexing. Hawksbill This blade style uses a concave edge with a downward curve providing a tip which can be inserted deeply into the work surface. Commonly referred to a ?carpet knives?, these blades are useful for a variety of chores as well as combat purposes.     Source A normal (1) blade has a curving edge, and flat back. A dull back lets the wielder use fingers to concentrate force; it also makes the knife heavier and stronger for its size. The curve concentrates force on a small point, making cutting easier. Therefore, the knife can chop as well as pick and slice. A curved, trailing-point (2) knife has a back edge that curves upward. This lets a lightweight knife have a larger curve on its edge. Such a knife is better for slicing than a normal knife. A Double edged or spey (3) blade has two edges. The idea is to make a blade that cuts in either direction, with a strong sharp point. This shape is primarily used for fighting knives (daggers, bayonets) because it can cut in both directions, has a sharp point, and is strong. A clip point (4) blade is like a normal blade with the tip "clipped" to make the tip thinner and sharper. The back edge of the clip can have a false edge that can be sharpened to make a second edge. The sharp tip makes the blade exceptional as a pick, or for cutting in tight places. If the false edge is sharpened it increases the knife's effectiveness in fighting. The Bowie has a clipped blade that is strong and good for fighting. A sheepsfoot (5) knife has a straight edge, and a curved dull back. It gives the most control, because the dull back edge is made to be held by fingers. Sheepsfoot knives are good for whittling, including sheep's hooves. A tanto style (6) knife is thick. It is superficially similar to the points on most Japanese long and short swords (katana and wakizashi), although is a bit of a misnomer as the traditional Japanese tanto (dagger) does not share this point style. The edge is straight. The point is actually a second edge on the end of the blade, swept back from the point at 80-60 degrees.  BLADE GRINDS Types of grind: a)axe b)saber c)flat d)hollow e)chisel 1.) HOLLOW GRIND The most common grind, found on the majority of custom and production pieces. Hollow ground blades have a thin edge that continues upwards, and is the grind is produced on both sides of the blade. Since the cutting edge is relatively thin, there is very little drag when cutting. Examples of knives with hollow ground blades: Spyderco Howard Viele C42 and Kershaw Ti-ATS-34. 2.) FLAT GRIND Flat grinds are characterized by the tapering of the blade from the spine down to the cutting edge. This style of grind is also referred to as a "V" grind, since the cross section of this grind resembles that letter. The chisel grind, a popular style for tactical blades, is a variation of the flat grind. On a chisel round blade, it is ground on one side, and on the other it is not. These blades are easier to sharpen, because you sharpen one side only. Example of a knife with a chisel ground blade would be the Benchmade 970 Ernest Emerson CQC7. Examples of knives with a flat grind are the Benchmade Mel Pardue 850 and Spyderco's C36 Military model. 3.) CONCAVE GRIND Similar to the flat grind in that the blade tapers from the spine to the cutting edge, except the taper lines are arcs instead of straight lines. 4.) CONVEX GRIND Similar to the flat grind in that the blade tapers from the spine to the cutting edge, except the taper lines are arcs extending outward instead of inward as in the concave grind above or straight lines. If you picture a pumpkin seed, you will get a good idea of what the cross sectional view of this grind is like. Noted custom knife maker Bill Moran is credited for bringing the convex grind into the focus of knife making. 5.) Chisel The chisel grind is ground on only one side of the blade. It’s easy to produce and easy to sharpen. It is often ground at around 30 degrees which contributes to a thin and sharp edge. 6.) Sabre The sabre grind has flat edge bevels that typically begin about the middle part of the blade and runs flatly to the edge. The edge is often left thick and thickens quickly past the edge. This is a great grind for chopping and other hard uses. 7.) Scandinavian Single-Bevel the Scandinavian single-bevel grind looks similar to a sabre grind. The difference between the two grinds is that the Scandinavian single-bevel grind has no secondary edge bevels. This grind has an extremely thin and incredibly sharp edge. GENERAL TERMS Back - The back of the blade is the opposite side of the belly, for single edged pocket or bowie knives this would be the unsharpened side. The back can contain lashing grommets, jimping, it's own edge or false edge, and serrations. Belly - The belly is the curving part of the blade edge. Bellies enhance slicing and may be plain or serrated. One note, the point of the knife becomes less sharp the larger the belly is. When choosing a knife you should decide whether penetration or slicing is the most important, and keep the design of this part of the knife in mind. Bevel - The bevel is the sloping area(s) that fall from the spine towards the edge and false edge of the blade. Blade Spine - This is the thickest part of a blade. On a single-edge, flat-ground bowie knife, the blade spine would be at the back of the blade. For double-edged blades, the blade spine would be found right down the middle. Choil - The choil is an unsharpened section of the blade. If a guard is present, the choil will be in front of the guard on the blade itself. The choil is often used as a way to choke up on the blade for close-in work. The index finger is placed in the choil, and this close proximity to the edge allows for greater control. In addition, the choil is just in front of where the blade itself becomes part of the handle, an area often prone to breakage due to the blade-handle juncture. The choil leaves this area at full thickness and thus stronger. Edge - This is the sharpened side of the blade. Blades will have a single or double edge (or dagger style) depending on the design. False Edge - Widely used on military and combat fighting knives, a false edge blade is an additional bevel on the back of the blade enhancing the blade's point. This edge can be sharpened or not. The false edge can also be used for heavier cutting that might be damaging to the cutting edge. Mark Side - This is another pocket knife term and is the side of the blade with the nail mark. Nail Mark/Nail Nick - On a pocket knife blade the nail mark is a groove cut into the blade so that it can be opened using your fingernail. Most Case pocket knives use this method of opening the blade. Point - The tip of the blade. Serrated Edge - Serrations are a set of "teeth" or notches on the back or front of the blade to aid in cutting. Swedge - A swedge is a bevel on the back of the blades. |
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