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Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:20 am
by bearfacedkiller
I have been saying for years that a knife should be no thicker than it needs to be for its intended purpose. The problem is that pocket knives are multipurpose tools and we all use them differently.

I do not like too much flex though.

I have had knives that are too thin and I have damaged thin knives. I have also broken many utility blades. There is too thin for certain tasks.

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:26 am
by Pancake
Wartstein wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:18 am

But in my personal view and experience 2mm stock for small folders and especially 3mm for large folders OFFER already the perfect "balance" and "middle ground" and are absolurely strong and stiff enough...

Again: Who has ever broken a 3mm Endura blade? Or felt that the blade itself (not the whole knife) was not stiff enough but "flexy" (honest question)
...
I am really looking for for your opinion on something that I sent your way....it is only 3 mm thick and ground quite think.

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:41 am
by Wartstein
Pancake wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:26 am
Wartstein wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:18 am

But in my personal view and experience 2mm stock for small folders and especially 3mm for large folders OFFER already the perfect "balance" and "middle ground" and are absolurely strong and stiff enough...

Again: Who has ever broken a 3mm Endura blade? Or felt that the blade itself (not the whole knife) was not stiff enough but "flexy" (honest question)
...
I am really looking for for your opinion on something that I sent your way....it is only 3 mm thick and ground quite think.
You did indeed?! :)

Very much looking forward to it, my friend!

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:44 am
by BornIn1500
I wonder if anyone who wants a super thin and hard blade has tried the Sandrin TCK 2.0? It's basically a tungsten carbide razor blade in a slip joint. Blade thickness is said to be 0.9 mm. Be prepared to sharpen 71 HRC though. :D

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:07 am
by curlyhairedboy
As someone who has broken plenty of exacto and box cutter blades, there's definitely such a thing as too thin.

I'd say a big reason why people aren't satisfied with only box cutters is the fact that the blades are a consumable - from dulling, sure, but also from breakage.

If someone is paying for a proper knife, they expect the blade to have greater longevity than a box cutter blade.

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:08 am
by Notsurewhy
I understand why others might need a thicker folder, I just don't see why almost every knife with a 3in+ blade has to be so thick. Pretty sure that the centofante is the only thing Spyderco makes over 3 inches that's under 3mm. And that's 2mm, so you can't tell me they could do a few folders in that range in 2.5mm.

I realize they make what sells, but I think the success of the frn chap shows there is an under served segment of the market that likes a thinner, slicier edc.

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:21 am
by Wartstein
Notsurewhy wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:08 am
I understand why others might need a thicker folder, I just don't see why almost every knife with a 3in+ blade has to be so thick. Pretty sure that the centofante is the only thing Spyderco makes over 3 inches that's under 3mm. And that's 2mm, so you can't tell me they could do a few folders in that range in 2.5mm.

I realize they make what sells, but I think the success of the frn chap shows there is an under served segment of the market that likes a thinner, slicier edc.
Maybe you´d like to vote for such a knife in this poll I started quite some time ago (first link below) ? Though Sal said there would be no plans for a longer 2mm folder at the moment, it can´t hurt to advocate for one either... :)

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=82492&start=40

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=85342&p=1377379#p1377379

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:28 am
by bearfacedkiller
The Police4 is 4.5 inches and has 3mm of distally tapered sliceyness.

The Centofante3 is 2mm but it has a low hollow grind and is somewhat rigid. I find the Delica with its 2.5mm stock to be both thinner and more flexible overall.

All that said, I would buy more 2mm thick blades.

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:35 am
by tonijedi
Last week when I was scratching and cutting the felt stickers off from the chairs and table feet I had to switch from the Dragonfly to a fixed blade for the table stickers because the Dragonfly bent to a scary point when I tried to pry /peel the bigger stickers.

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:55 am
by Pancake
Generaly, thinner cut better. Thinner geometry, thinner stock, lower angle gives you less resistance and you could go as low angle as you don't find any chips in blade.
Looking back in history, frontiersman and pioneers were using basically thin kitchen knives with sheaths.... because they were cutting and slicing kinda soft materials.
Nowadays, if someone want to use his knife as a prybar, thin Delica is not going to suit him well. But I think anything over like 3 mm is really not needed in pocket knife. Fixed blade.....sure, thicker could be useful, but anything over 4 mm is overkill.

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:08 am
by Wartstein
tonijedi wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:35 am
Last week when I was scratching and cutting the felt stickers off from the chairs and table feet I had to switch from the Dragonfly to a fixed blade for the table stickers because the Dragonfly bent to a scary point when I tried to pry /peel the bigger stickers.

But I figure: It was not the DFly BLADE that bent? In other words: A "full tang DFly fixed blade" would have done ok?

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:43 am
by koenigsegg
I agree 100% the para 3 blade stock is stupid thick and that's why I have owned 3 and currently own 0 Pm3. I really like the thinner stock on my UKPK and delica. Police blade stock seems the best of any large folder I have

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:49 am
by Wartstein
koenigsegg wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:43 am
I agree 100% the para 3 blade stock is stupid thick and that's why I have owned 3 and currently own 0 Pm3. I really like the thinner stock on my UKPK and delica. Police blade stock seems the best of any large folder I have

+1

And the Police has the same 3.00 mm stock as the Endura, Endela, Stretch.... strong, but still slicey (and around 20 % thinner than the much smaller Para 3)

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 12:10 pm
by tonijedi
Wartstein wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:08 am
tonijedi wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:35 am
Last week when I was scratching and cutting the felt stickers off from the chairs and table feet I had to switch from the Dragonfly to a fixed blade for the table stickers because the Dragonfly bent to a scary point when I tried to pry /peel the bigger stickers.

But I figure: It was not the DFly BLADE that bent? In other words: A "full tang DFly fixed blade" would have done ok?
It bent, quite lot. Scary lot in fact :eek:

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 1:19 pm
by JMM
Yes.

Long ago, in "The Dark Times" -- before I was introduced to the wonderful world of Spydie's, I had a SOG SlimJim XL, in theory it seemed like a good idea, super slim, should carry in the back pocket well. First day of carrying it, the third time I used it I think, but the first time I put any meaningful force into it, yeah... let's just say it's not a knife that without a glove, one should put any significant force into. Sold it that day to a coworker for 50% of what I paid for it.

The End.

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:03 pm
by 013
JMM wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 1:19 pm
Yes.

Long ago, in "The Dark Times" -- before I was introduced to the wonderful world of Spydie's, I had a SOG SlimJim XL, in theory it seemed like a good idea, super slim, should carry in the back pocket well. First day of carrying it, the third time I used it I think, but the first time I put any meaningful force into it, yeah... let's just say it's not a knife that without a glove, one should put any significant force into. Sold it that day to a coworker for 50% of what I paid for it.

The End.
I thought we were talkin' thin blades, not thin handles?

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:57 pm
by SG89
Are y'all calling my 6mm thick Bark River Bravo Squad Leader fat? 😂

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:02 pm
by GarageBoy
tonijedi wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 12:10 pm
Wartstein wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:08 am
tonijedi wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:35 am
Last week when I was scratching and cutting the felt stickers off from the chairs and table feet I had to switch from the Dragonfly to a fixed blade for the table stickers because the Dragonfly bent to a scary point when I tried to pry /peel the bigger stickers.

But I figure: It was not the DFly BLADE that bent? In other words: A "full tang DFly fixed blade" would have done ok?
It bent, quite lot. Scary lot in fact :eek:
How were you cutting? Did the pivot bend?

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:16 pm
by tonijedi
GarageBoy wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:02 pm
tonijedi wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 12:10 pm
Wartstein wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:08 am
tonijedi wrote:
Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:35 am
Last week when I was scratching and cutting the felt stickers off from the chairs and table feet I had to switch from the Dragonfly to a fixed blade for the table stickers because the Dragonfly bent to a scary point when I tried to pry /peel the bigger stickers.

But I figure: It was not the DFly BLADE that bent? In other words: A "full tang DFly fixed blade" would have done ok?
It bent, quite lot. Scary lot in fact :eek:
How were you cutting? Did the pivot bend?
Removing the stickers could be done with cutting, scrapping and prying. Prying was the best because it didn't leave residues on the wood. The pivot started to bend and I grabbed the blade itself.

Re: Knife too thin

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:04 pm
by Evil D
I use my knives for different tasks, I wouldn't want all of them to be thick or thin. I tend to favor knives that are around 2-3mm stock thickness and in full flat grind, I think that's a good middle ground especially if the blade is ground thin at the edge. I think thickness behind the edge is sometimes more important than blade stock thickness, especially depending on what you're cutting. I had a Military ground down to .010 behind the edge and the difference in slicing is significant but the spine thickness is still the same. Of course, that same knife would slice some materials even better if it were thinned out to 2mm. The type of steel and it's hardness also matter, some steel/hardness/knife model combos I wouldn't want ground very thin.