Wharncliffe vs. Quasi-Sheepsfoot (Utility, Not Tactics)

Blues

Blues

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Up front, let me say that I have many traditional knives, (wharncliffe trapper by way of example), which incorporate the wharncliffe blade, and I have an appreciation for it.

But this thread is meant to pose the following question:

Outside of the fact that you just like the profile...for utility purposes, if you didn't need to put the entire edge of your blade on the material to be cut, why would you choose this blade pattern...

wharncliffe.jpg

...over any of the following examples?:



zt 0456.jpg sheepsfoot.jpg insingo.jpg

To my way of thinking, any of the last three are much more useful for EDC or any utility task but those requiring the full edge to be laid on the material.

So, unless you want a $400 box cutter, just prefer the blade pattern, or find it useful for self defense, why would you choose the straight edge wharncliffe?

(There is no right or wrong answer, just your well considered opinion is sufficient.)
 
I will not. I actually rather hate the straight edges. I prefer swoopy edges, with no excess, mind you (no recurves, akh, akh). Even in the kitchen : I like long, straight blades but with a tad of belly. On small EDC knives, belly is paramount to this day.
 
Hi Blues,

The two knives I carry that would fit those profile are the Kershaw Leek (Wharnie) and the Benchmade 555-1 Mini Grip (Sheep-enstein).

The belly on the Grip is superb, and the tip stays out of the way pretty much until I bring it to bear where I want it. I can do some close up slicing with the thumb on the ramp, or even slide my finger on the spine for some X-acto stuff. But mostly it's the amount of belly and the aesthetic of the blade that appeals to me.

The Leek makes an awesome box cutter as you mentioned, as well as letter opener. The tip is like a needle if you need one, and I sometimes do. The straight profile works just fine for cutting up the apple as well, as you don't need any belly to just slice the straight edge through. I also like the aesthetic of this piece.

If you tossed them both out on the table and told me I could only have one of them, I would not consider the straight profiled piece for one second. for utility purposes it is a no-brainer to me to choose one of the modified sheepsfoot examples.

But this is B.F. dot C. man, and here we say "BOTH" with reckless abandon. So I have both.
 
I prefer the Hinderer or CRK blade shapes of the pictured knives. You can do anything but pierce tough material with them.
 
There are two Hinderers in the photos above, so folks might want to specify if it's not obvious which they are "pointing" at.
 
I like the power at the tip.
I cut open a lot of packages and boxes. The straight edge also works better for me.
Some belly is okay but not too much.

Exception is I'm going back to fishing and curved is good. I assume the same for dressing game.
 
Blues said:
So, unless you want a $400 box cutter, just prefer the blade pattern, or find it useful for self defense, why would you choose the straight edge wharncliffe?
Click to expand...

I agree with you Blues, I prefer the modified blades with at least a little bit of belly. The only true Wharncliffe or Sheepsfoot blades I have are secondary blades on some traditional knives, and they're only used for opening boxes, or small detailed cuts where I only use the tip. Otherwise the straightest blade I own is the ProTech Malibu pictured here.

dY2k89H.jpg


I can certainly understand people liking the pattern, I have a few Tantos that have straight edges. I can use the secondary point almost like a wharncliff blade, but I can also approximate a belly with the secondary edge. In the end I find that those are too many compromises for utility, but I still enjoy the aesthetics of the pattern, and that's my main reason for owning them. That's kind of how I view true wharncliffe blades like the first XM-18 you have pictured. It looks cool, but it's less useful.
 
For most things, I prefer some belly. But one thing I use a knife for regularly is cutting small diameter rubber hose <.5". My QSP Penguin works better for cutting hose than anything I've got, other than my ZT 0350, with a recurve.
 
As you know I prefer the top, Blues, for many applications. More power at the tip for stabbing and slicing. Like a super-sized box-cutter. Now, I don't much believe in knives for SD, so don't get me wrong, but many times around the house, I need to stab and then slice. Like breaking down boxes, cutting dry-wall, under the car stabbing into a hose and then cutting it, etc. It's not useful for everything; for example, cutting up an apple is easier with some belly.
 
ferider said:
As you know I prefer the top, Blues, for many applications. More power at the tip for stabbing and slicing. Like a super-sized box-cutter. Now, I don't much believe in knives for SD, so don't get me wrong, but many times around the house, I need to stab and then slice. Like breaking down boxes, cutting dry-wall, under the car stabbing into a hose and then cutting it, etc. It's not useful for everything; for example, cutting up an apple is easier with some belly.
Click to expand...

I'm keeping my eye on the exchange, Roland. You never know. :p
 
ferider said:
As you know I prefer the top, Blues, for many applications. More power at the tip for stabbing and slicing. Like a super-sized box-cutter. Now, I don't much believe in knives for SD, so don't get me wrong, but many times around the house, I need to stab and then slice. Like breaking down boxes, cutting dry-wall, under the car stabbing into a hose and then cutting it, etc. It's not useful for everything; for example, cutting up an apple is easier with some belly.
Click to expand...

What Roland said.

A knife like that is very useful. It is just not useful for everything.

Easily solved by carrying another knife. A SAK would compliment it, or another one handed knife, if you require belly.
 
Billy The Hungry said:
What Roland said.

A knife like that is very useful. It is just not useful for everything.

Easily solved by carrying another knife. A SAK would compliment it, or another one handed knife, if you require belly.
Click to expand...

That's when a stockman, cattle knife, or wharncliffe trapper comes in handy. You don't even need a second knife.
 
The pointy tip has been covered. I'm also in the camp that believes folding knives are a dubious choice for self defense. That doesn't mean it isn't useful for a bunch of other stuff.

The right Wharncliffe profile offers a wonderfully pointy tip for piercing into things, digging out a sliver, or getting a very precise and/or close cut on something small. It can also be useful for popping a stitch but that and a few other activities can be better realized with an appropriately shaped hawkbill. For the type of knives I usually carry though, good hawkbill-type options are few and far between.

I also find myself cutting with the tip more on true sheepsfoot, lambsfoot, and other flat-bladed knives. I also use the center of the blade but I use it a little differently than I do knives with belly. Now that I'm writing this, it's a little hard to explain. It just works differently and sometimes that is what I want. Dedicated cutting projects aside, I don't remember the last time I had an EDC cutting task where having belly or not was a big deal.
 
view


I like a big straight blade like the one on a LoomFixer I find it really compliments whatever big knife I’m carrying on my belt.
 
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Well, having had to carry a gun daily for most of my adult life, a knife was not close to my first choice for a defensive weapon.

Actually, I prefer an impact weapon or (gasp) even pepper spray before I'd use a knife but for exceptional circumstances.
(And I've been on the wrong end of a knife in a defensive situation, but not in one that ended up being life threatening in scope.)

If I can get my hands on a "fatty" or other Hinderer in the exchange, maybe I'll give it a fair trial and see what it's like carrying one on a regular basis for a while. I'd need to be won over to the side of thinking of it as a primary as opposed to a secondary, (accessory), blade. In traditional multi-blades you have that option. In modern one handed folders, it's primary or you carry something else.
 
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