Knife Blades Types
There are many types of knife blades, each with their own advantages and disadvantages for different tasks. Here is a brief overview of some common knife blade types and what they are best suited for.
Drop-point : This is a versatile blade type that has a curved edge and a slightly sloped spine; good compromise between strength and utility. Good for hunting, camping and general purpose cutting.
Sheepsfoot / Wharncliffe; These blade types that have a straight edge and spine that curves down to meet at the tip, no-nonsense utility knife, cutting, slicing, whittling & ideal to cut rope.
Lambsfoot : popular with farmers, amongst its many uses is the trimming of lambs’ hooves!
Clip-point : This is a blade type that has a curved edge and a spine that curves down to form a sharp tip good piercing, also for more delicate and precision work
Straight Back : This is a blade type that has a straight edge and a straight spine. sturdy, ideal for shaving, cutting and chopping
Tanto Blade : This is a blade type that has a straight edge and an angled tip. strong, handy for stabbing , push cuts and piercing
Gut Hook : This is a blade type that has a notch or hook on the spine near the tip. Good for skinning and field dressing wild game
Trailing-Point : This is a blade type that has a long, curved edge and a spine that curves upward at the tip. Good for filleting, slicing, skinning and camp food prepping.
Hawksbill; This is a blade type that has a concave edge and a hooked tip. Good for cutting rope, carpet, materials that require a pulling cut motion.
Serrated Edge: This is a blade type that has sharpened grooves and ridges along the edge. Good for cutting rope, leather tough fibrous material & in the kitchen Bread!
Scalloped Edge: This is a blade type that has hollow dimples along the edge. Very handy for cutting sticky or wet materials – tomatoes, fish or cheese etc…
The fixed blades are robust, reliable and easy to maintain; they need to be when used on tough camping / woodsman tasks. Ready to hand, in a survival situation.
*Be aware, in the UK, a fixed blade that is longer than 3inches/7.62cm is illegal for carry in a public place , this includes locking folding knives….
