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The Blade: SURVEY RESULTS

January 29, 2016

KnifeNews Ultimate Folder Survey Results Part 8: The Blade
Brought to you by BladeHQ

Part 1: Lock Preferences on Folding Knives
Part 2: Favorite Knife Handle Materials
Part 3: Lanyard or No Lanyard?
Part 4: Price?
Part 5: Tip Up or Tip Down Carry?
Part 6: Choil or No Choil?
Part 7: Preferred Opening Mechanisms

For part 8 of our Ultimate Folder Survey series, we turn the attention to the hardest-working part of the knife: the blade.

Blade Length
Blade length is important – not only for legal reasons, but because it determines the overall size of the knife in-hand and in-pocket. Overall, survey respondents chose blades that fit comfortably in both. Not too short and not too long – most people indicated a preference for blades with a length between 3” and 4”.

Blade Length

Blade Shape
It goes without saying that there is no single perfect blade shape – different blades perform some cutting tasks better than others. You wouldn’t want to use the needle-like point of a wharncliffe to open a can, but it would be perfect for removing a splinter. Even among blades that appear similar there can be great variation based on how thick or thin they are ground. Nonetheless, legendary knife maker Bob Loveless’ drop point blade is most knife people’s first choice garnering 44% of the votes, followed by the more recently popularized tanto blade at 17%.

Blade Shape

Blade Grind
There are lots of ways to grind a blade to a sharp edge, and even more ways to get confused about how they all differ. Spyderco provides a helpful guide on their website outlining many of the different grind types for any lingering questions. KnifeNews readers seem to be pretty clear-headed about what they prefer, though; full-flat grinds were the clear favorite with 45% followed by hollow grinds with 28%.

Blade Grind

Edge Type
Finally, the question of serrated vs. plain edge: do knife people prefer the ease of sharpening a plain edge or the cutting performance that a serrated edge provides? Overwhelmingly, the answer is plain edges, with combination edges coming in second with 15% of the votes.

Edge Type on Pocket Knife

Knife featured in image: Viper Knives Vox Odino

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