Blade Thickness

[DancesWithKnives]

Setting aside large knives designed for chopping, I've lately started to think that many fixed blade outdoor knives have blades that are almost twice as thick as they need to be. George Washington Sears early on advocated a relatively thin and flexible blade for best cutting performance. Although I don't regularly carry a Nessmuk, I'm beginning to like the philosophy.

I recently bought a couple hand-made Jeff Morgan knives in 1095 steel, one in a light utility Bowie and the other a Green River pattern. Although they cut well, I keep thinking that I could cut even better (and carry less weight) with much thinner blades.

How do you all feel about the thickness of the fixed blade knives you've been carrying/using/seeing in stores?

DWK

[swamp]

DWK, most of my fixed blade knives are from Chris Reeve. This particular knife has a blade thickness of .220 inches... seems about right for the application.. I am considering informally auctioning off a few knives as a promotional here on these forums.

http://www.chrisreeve.com/pacific.htm

[DancesWithKnives]

For heavy-duty, hard-use knives like the CRs, that thickness seems fine.

I'm sure that an auction of such excellent knives would be met with enthusiasm!

Thanks,

DWK

[MOGC]

I like them thin, for a classic "deer knife" I can't see the use for a blade over about .150" in a 4" length. Shorter blades need to be thinner yet, like .135" for a 3 1/2" fixed blade. Standard "pocket knives" seldom would be over .100" and usually considerably less than that. I use my knives to cut and slice, not pry and chip at things so they don't need to be thick and heavy.

[DancesWithKnives]

Yes, if I were getting a traditional Nessie, I'd look at something no thicker than 0.10. I have not had many problems breaking knife blades so I think that thickness in good steel would be adequate for a "deer" and food prep knife.

I have some choppers and hard-use knives that are thicker than 0.25 but I don't consider them substitutes for the smaller, thinner blades.

When I was at Knife Expo a few weeks ago, one maker had a survival knife with a half-inch spine. It was designed to eliminate the need for a hatchet and certainly looked like a chopping demon. However, I'll bet it weighed at least 32-40 oz. with its sheath. For that weight, I could carry my Lee Reeves double-bitted hatchet and a Nessmuk-style knife. 'Course G.W. Sears figured that out about 130 years ago.:D

DWK

[Ol` Joe]

I`ve wondered a time or two about some blades.

Thinner "cuts" better IMO, and seems to get a bit sharper. A thicker blade belongs on a cleaver not a slicer, again my opinion. I have no trouble gutting and skinning deer with a blade ~ 0.10" / 0.125" or even small pocket knife. A 3/16" blade is nice for splitting the brisket or breaking the pelvis but heavier then neeeded for 99% of other hunting/kitchen related tasks.

[MOGC]

And of course the grind has much to do with cutting ability.