Why are most Golden blades on the thicker side?

[Catamount123]

As a fan of :spyder: s with thinner blades (3mm and less), I am curious why most blades made in Golden are on the thicker side (3.2mm and up)? The only exceptions I could find in the catalog are the Autonomy (2.9mm), Janisong (3mm), and the UKPK (2.5mm).

[MFlovejp]

Perhaps because the trend in the US is somewhat in the theme that “all knives are survival knives” and must be able to be stabbed through a truck hood and used to baton firewood, etc. Knife afi’s seem a little obsessed with the idea of ultimate strength at the moment, but tastes do cycle.

[skeeg11]

US standards I suppose. 1/8" = 3.2mm.

[Evil D]

Probably has as much to do with what thickness steel is available in as anything else.

[Matus]

US paint cans are harder to pry open :p

[Catamount123]

US standards I suppose. 1/8" = 3.2mm.

That makes some sense. It would be interesting to get the official word from Spyderco, assuming it’s not proprietary info. On a knife like the Lil’ Native, for instance, it would seem to make sense to go < 3mm.

[Matus]

Nah, Spyderco is ordering enough steel to get it precision ground to whatever dimension they need.

[James Y]

Do other manufacturers of US-made knives (that also sometimes use S30V in their custom shop), like Buck and their 110, have blades the same thickness at the spine as, say, a Military or PM2?

I have CRKs in S30V and S35VN, none of which are as thick at the spine as the Military or PM2.

I imagine it’s mostly to do with the individual knife design, and whatever blade thickness has been determined will work best for it.

Jim

[abbazaba]

I think the OVERBUILT trend is starting to fade, making way for thinner stock. I'm still hoping for some "skinny" versions of Golden classics (namely a PM2 Skinny Backlock There seem to be enough threads about skinny versions of various models to confirm the market is there for them. The best thing that Hinderer did to the XM18 was releasing a Skinny version, making it a better knife in every sense IMO.

[JRinFL]

Perhaps because the trend in the US is somewhat in the theme that “all knives are survival knives” and must be able to be stabbed through a truck hood and used to baton firewood, etc. Knife afi’s seem a little obsessed with the idea of ultimate strength at the moment, but tastes do cycle.

^ This is pretty much it. The broader market wants thicker blades. It probably helps keep complaints about broken blades down a bit as well.

[JakeXman]

I wonder if the widespread use of the compression lock in Golden has anything to do with the thickness of the stock. It seems to me that the blade thickness is a bit more important on a compression lock than a lockback for instance simply due to the way the lock engages with the tang. Maybe the number of compression lock models makes ordering one thickness of steel more cost effective?

Exceptions like the Ikuchi come to mind, but that’s from Taiwan.

[James Y]

I wonder if the widespread use of the compression lock in Golden has anything to do with the thickness of the stock. It seems to me that the blade thickness is a bit more important on a compression lock than a lockback for instance simply due to the way the lock engages with the tang. Maybe the number of compression lock models makes ordering one thickness of steel more cost effective?

Exceptions like the Ikuchi come to mind, but that’s from Taiwan.

That’s a great point. Same with the Millie’s liner lock. The blade stock thickness provides more surface for contact area, and wear over time.

Jim

[JohnDoe99]

I think the OVERBUILT trend is starting to fade, making way for thinner stock. I'm still hoping for some "skinny" versions of Golden classics (namely a PM2 Skinny Backlock There seem to be enough threads about skinny versions of various models to confirm the market is there for them. The best thing that Hinderer did to the XM18 was releasing a Skinny version, making it a better knife in every sense IMO.

It depends on where you want the strength. I always prefer strong blade tangs/pivots like those of the Military, Paramilitary, Manix, and the Native. When I carried the Endura, I always felt like the blade was going to snap off. Of course it wasn't but I was experiencing tang anxiety. The blade profiles on all the American knives feels right.

Bring back the big knives. The Szabo, the G10 police, Ulize, the original Calypso. No more downsizing.

[Abyss_Fish]

That's why I mostly stick with Taichungs, so slicey... There's definitely something to be said for the strength and rigidity of Golden models though, I love the Native 5 for that exact reason. But it's really more about overall build and design.

There's also not all that big of a gap, only about a +.005" difference in average bte measurement between my Taichungs and my Natives. It's only noticeable when trying to make your way through heavy plastic or something, the blade shapes make more of a difference. If we were talking about kitchen knives I'd be more upset about .005", but in this case, meh.

[Evil D]

I wonder if the widespread use of the compression lock in Golden has anything to do with the thickness of the stock. It seems to me that the blade thickness is a bit more important on a compression lock than a lockback for instance simply due to the way the lock engages with the tang. Maybe the number of compression lock models makes ordering one thickness of steel more cost effective?

Exceptions like the Ikuchi come to mind, but that’s from Taiwan.

I think locks in general have benefited from thicker blade stock, whether it's from a wider lock face to wear along in a compression lock or liner lock, or just more steel contact as with a back lock. The compression lock can definitely be ran with thinner blade stock though, the Ouroboros has one and is only 2.5mm so it seems possible to have a 2.5mm Para 2 or whatever.

[Igi964]

Not only they are thick blades, they are also thick BTE and edge angles are 20°per side or worse. I tried PM2, Manix and Military in more examples and all where like that. K390 Endura came 13° per side and sliced like nothing from Golden I had. As much as I like the designs and S110V steel. I stoped buying from Golden factory

[Worm]

I agree with most comments. In my experience:

Manix 2, Para 3, Native 5, Native Chief:
Real solid build quality, but not very good slicers due to thick blade stock and BTE thickness.
These perform well for heavy cutting when you apply almost your whole body weight on the knife.
Or when you don't have to slice through material and just cut on the surface of an object.

Delica, Endela, PacSalt:
Better or easier slicing through material, but less solid build quality with less solid blade lock up (especially lateral blade movement).
I guess newer models like the Stretch 2 will have better blade lock up due to larger pivot area.

Taichung Models I like the most because of thin blade stock & BTE:
GB2, Chaparral, Sage series

I wish thick blade stock from Golden blades would be ground thinner BTE.
If chipping occurs you can always sharpen the knives and it will get thicker BTE with time.

Regarding Compression Lock:
The Watu has only 2,5 mm blade stock and I think a much thinner BTE compared to Golden models (currently on my wish list over the PM2).

[MFlovejp]

One Golden model that has exactly the right blade thickness for me is the Military. The taper on that design is so well done that it has an appreciable section of fairly thin blade toward the tip. The Manix is just a little thicker than my current taste, but still a wonderful knife once I thinned the edge out a bit. The Native 5 is a stout little thing and I love the ergonomics, it's a bit more heavily built than I generally need but it has its place as well. I moved my Para 3 LW along because, well, because it wasn't a Military haha. Edge was a little too thick for my taste but the fidget factor was excellent. The Chief is similar to the military in that the longer edge gives you a nice thin section and a thicker proximal section for cutting thicker and tougher materials. Sounds like I just need to stick to the longer-bladed models, which is just fine with me haha.

[bearfacedkiller]

The distal tapers definitely help.

The 3.7mm stock is good on the Military and adequate on the Para2 but on the Para3 it is a bit of a head scratcher.

[VooDooChild]

The bladestock is thick, but between the flat grind, distal taper, and swedge on the back, the native 5 isnt as thick as the specs suggest. It slices very well.