blade thickness
- Thread starter dmackey
- Start date
MVPeterson
Well-Known Member
I like to use 5/32 on drop point hunters.
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
I like 5/32 as well, but 1/8" is fine. I make my 4in drop point hunters from 1/8" and a I do a full flat grind with convex edge. I find 1/8" is fine up to 4-1/2 inches total blade length to handle, then it will get flexible. Beyond 4-1/2 inches I would definitely go up to 5/32.
BonhamBlades
Well-Known Member
personally love 5/32 for drop points
LRB
Well-Known Member
There is no right or wrong answer, but a blade of that size would likely be for skinning or other semi-delicate/precision cutting, rather than for chopping. You could use from 3/32" to 1/4" stock. Much would depend on your grind. Given a choice, I would go with a flat grind using 3/32" to 1/8" max, just to keep it light and to slice well.
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
^^^ that is the key, there. How do you plan to use the knife? A knife with a 3-1/2 inch edge is not a camp chopper. The height of the blade matters, too. 1/8 or 5/32 at the spine doesn't give the whole picture. Is the blade 1 inch or 1-1/2 inches tall? Geometry is everything. I err on the side of cutting ability. I make it perfectly clear that my knives are slicers.
A knife that is 1/8 at the spine, but with a bevel that only comes halfway up the blade is going to have a less acute angle than a thicker blade with a full height flat grind. So, using the same steel thickness, you can make a knife that is a fantastic slicer (and a bit more delicate) or you can make a knife that cuts well enough, but is a bit stronger if you plan to pry with it. Or you can go the survival / bushcraft route and grind the edge 3/8 inch up the blade and make a sharpened pry bar.
Geometry is everything. Design a tool with a task in mind. A tool that is good at a lot of things is usually not great at any one thing. But that's the great thing about making your own- you get to decide what it is you want as an end result.
A knife that is 1/8 at the spine, but with a bevel that only comes halfway up the blade is going to have a less acute angle than a thicker blade with a full height flat grind. So, using the same steel thickness, you can make a knife that is a fantastic slicer (and a bit more delicate) or you can make a knife that cuts well enough, but is a bit stronger if you plan to pry with it. Or you can go the survival / bushcraft route and grind the edge 3/8 inch up the blade and make a sharpened pry bar.
Geometry is everything. Design a tool with a task in mind. A tool that is good at a lot of things is usually not great at any one thing. But that's the great thing about making your own- you get to decide what it is you want as an end result.