Yojimbo point

[TheRaven]

If you used a yojimbo in self defense, it doesn't look like it would stab that well, especially through heavy clothing, leather, etc.??

Something like a military just looks much more pointy.

I guess I'm asking, how good of a stabber is the yojimbo??

Keep in mind, I'm not looking to buy a knife so I can run out and stab people; it's only a hypothetical question.

[gingerninja]

The yojimbo would be an awesome stabbed. It's designed specifically for stabbing and cutting people.

[Evil D]

I'm sure the man himself will chime in on this, but the magic is in the shape of the spine coming away from the point. As you stab into something, the spine pushes the edge along and creates a cutting action. This happens with all knife blades, but with the Yojimbo in particular the triangle shape and steep slope of the spine mean you're going to make a very wide opening with minimal depth, meaning that if you can't get full penetration you're at least going to get a good 1-2 inch wide open wound that's gonna bleed like crazy.

[RobDigi]

I'm sure the man himself will chime in on this, but the magic is in the shape of the spine coming away from the point. As you stab into something, the spine pushes the edge along and creates a cutting action. This happens with all knife blades, but with the Yojimbo in particular the triangle shape and steep slope of the spine mean you're going to make a very wide opening with minimal depth, meaning that if you can't get full penetration you're at least going to get a good 1-2 inch wide open wound that's gonna bleed like crazy.

Excellent description...
You feel exactly what Evil D is saying when you hold a Yojimbo in your hand.

[ZrowsN1s]

Best piercing point of any of my knives. You can bury it to the hilt easily through a new role of paper towels with very little resistance.

[holeshot]

Best piercing point of any of my knives. You can bury it to the hilt easily through a new role of paper towels with very little resistance.

I'm curious, was that a roll of Costco paper towel or Brawny paper towel? :p

[Donut]

I usually don't think you should be stabbing for self defense. If a lawyer asks you why you stabbed someone, what is your answer? (I was afraid for my life and did anything I could do.)

What is your goal of stabbing? Hitting a major organ?

With Mike's test of cutting power, I've seen it done a couple of times, you don't need to stab with the Yojimbo to cut through jeans and about 1.5" thick of pork to cut to the bone.

Here is one of the MBC guys doing a cutting demonstration, Yojimbo starts about 1:45.
https://youtu.be/yc-It4_3WsI

[ZrowsN1s]

Best piercing point of any of my knives. You can bury it to the hilt easily through a new role of paper towels with very little resistance.

I'm curious, was that a roll of Costco paper towel or Brawny paper towel? :p

Bounty, from costco :D

[TheRaven]

I'm sure the man himself will chime in on this, but the magic is in the shape of the spine coming away from the point. As you stab into something, the spine pushes the edge along and creates a cutting action. This happens with all knife blades, but with the Yojimbo in particular the triangle shape and steep slope of the spine mean you're going to make a very wide opening with minimal depth, meaning that if you can't get full penetration you're at least going to get a good 1-2 inch wide open wound that's gonna bleed like crazy.

That's very interesting. I seem to be having a difficult time wrapping my brain around why this blade would make a good stabber (I believe it was designed as both a slasher and stabber??); it looks like a great slasher though (hence my obvious and theoretical question about stabbing with said knife).

Thanks Evil D

[bearfacedkiller]

I am no SD expert and I am sure Janich will chime in but here is my take on it.

Really stabby knives like daggers are great if you are an assassin and need to slip a knife between a couple ribs from behind which is exactly what they were designed for but other than that any knife with a sharp point is gonna stab just fine unless you have strength issues and a broader blade will make a bigger wound than a stabbier blade. The Yojimbo works best in a Philippino grip which would seem to put your thumb in the way of a full depth stab but I don't see why it would be hard to switch to a hammer grip and then bury the knife all the way to your fist. I have a factory second Yojimbo and I wanted to test the tip strength and I had no problems getting full penetration all the way to the handle stabbing at some crazy 1/2" thick cardboard Gaylord boxes. The tip held up fine too.

[dogrunner]

MJ has explained this multiple times over the years and he probably will again, cuz he's that kind of guy :)
My recollection is that, although it is a capable stabber (any knife with a point can stab), the design is intended to enhance cutting in a slashing mode. It has nothing to do with enhancing "stabbing" penetration per se. The wharncliffe initiates a cut in a slashing motion at the tip, and because there is no belly, the tip continues to penetrate deeper into the cut as the trailing edge continues in the slashing motion. So it is intended to make a deep cut in a lateral motion as opposed to a straight forward (or downward) stab.

[ThePeacent]

A nice slash will take most enthusiasm out of a possible attacker, for sure. Hands, arms, face...



Wharnies and (specially) Spyderco hakwbills are nasty slashers. Reverse S blades can presume of cutting power too



I talk from experience




that tip bites deep into meaty targets, for sure :o (graphic)

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[dogrunner]

You gotta be more careful, TP :)

[ZrowsN1s]

that tip bites deep into meaty targets, for sure :o (graphic)

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:eek: you know they sell chainmail gloves right?

[Donut]

that tip bites deep into meaty targets, for sure :o (graphic)

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:eek: you know they sell chainmail gloves right?

They actually make cut resistant gloves.

I don't know much about them, though.

[Larry_Mott]

I am no knife self defence "fan" either. With that said i read somewhere that a slash across the forehead of an attacker will lead to pretty massive bleeding and loss of vision at the same time it is not deadly, simply because facial/head wounds tend to bleed a lot. (look at MMA/boxing matches) and not cause permanent/lethal damage.

[defenestrate]

Most cuts around the head will bleed pretty heavily and between the psychological effect of having a head wound and bleeding enough to interfere with vision, this is probably reasonable.

[mad german]

Something like a military just looks much more pointy.

Until the tip breaks. Then it's not so pointy anymore!

[ZrowsN1s]

I am no knife self defence "fan" either. With that said i read somewhere that a slash across the forehead of an attacker will lead to pretty massive bleeding and loss of vision at the same time it is not deadly, simply because facial/head wounds tend to bleed a lot. (look at MMA/boxing matches) and not cause permanent/lethal damage.

When you are cornered, the ideal self defense scenario is you pull out your Yojimbo/Matriarch/Millitary/Sazbo/Spyderhawk/ect. and THEY run away. :D

[Michael Janich]

Hey, TheRaven:

The Yo 2 and other Wharncliffes penetrate very well when used to thrust (I prefer that word to "stab"). There have been a number of medical studies to quantify the amount of force necessary for a knife to penetrate human skin. Thy determined that the primary determining factor in the force required was the acuteness of the blade's point. Very pointy knives penetrated with the least force, while broad blades and those that required the cutting edge to do the penetration (like trailing point skinning knives) required significantly more force.

A few years ago, I did a test using a ballistic pendulum (a big, swinging arm that ensured a consistent thrusting force), a foam mannequin torso, and a variety of different styles of blades. The idea was to use the same thrusting force and a "clean" spot on the torso to determine the depth of penetration of different blade styles. All the blades stuck and stayed in the mannequin, except for the Wharncliffe, which at first appeared to have "bounced" off. Closer examination, verified by coating the blade with dry erase marker, revealed that it was actually penetrating all the way to the handle and then bouncing back.

I've also done hundreds of tests and demonstrations with my "pork man" target. Thrusts with Wharncliffes are almost effortless, while other blade styles that present the edge first don't penetrate nearly as readily.

With all that said, my MBC system focuses primarily on cutting key muscles, tendons, and nerves to quickly and efficiently disable an attacker. Thrusts are used, but much less frequently than cuts.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

Mike