Why are most Golden blades on the thicker side?

[curlyhairedboy]

I'd say it's part of market expectations.

[ThrottleCable]

I like a thicker blade on my pocket knife, because it's the tool I always have, and I might have to use it for something other than slicing. Lifting the jammed tab on a furnace filter cover so I can get my finger under it to pull it open, deburring a piece of plastic that was scuffed, scraping gunk from something that should not have gunk, splitting a gasket from the surface it's stuck to. In the kitchen, most of my knives are very thin, because I know what the use cases are, what will be cut, and against what board. In my pocket, the knife could be used for lots of things, many of them NOT cutting. To me the trade off of thicker blade stock is worth it, it costs little in cutting ability, and gains strength, especially at the tip.

The edge angle doesn't bother me much, as I generally set the edge angle to my preference on most of my knives at the first sharpening anyway.

None of these are tactical concerns, just practical.

Currently I carry my CRU-WEAR Native 5 most of the time around town and home, and my Tatanka when afield.

[Wartstein]

I like a thicker blade on my pocket knife, because it's the tool I always have, and I might have to use it for something other than slicing. Lifting the jammed tab on a furnace filter cover so I can get my finger under it to pull it open, deburring a piece of plastic that was scuffed, scraping gunk from something that should not have gunk, splitting a gasket from the surface it's stuck to. In the kitchen, most of my knives are very thin, because I know what the use cases are, what will be cut, and against what board. In my pocket, the knife could be used for lots of things, many of them NOT cutting. To me the trade off of thicker blade stock is worth it, it costs little in cutting ability, and gains strength, especially at the tip.

The edge angle doesn't bother me much, as I generally set the edge angle to my preference on most of my knives at the first sharpening anyway.

None of these are tactical concerns, just practical.

Currently I carry my CRU-WEAR Native 5 most of the time around town and home, and my Tatanka when afield.

Not true for example in PM 2 and Para 3 at all.

Especially in the Para 3 the performance hindering very thick blade stock, that does not even have much distance to taper, and its combination with a rather fine tip always puzzled me.
I even started a thread on this topic once: viewtopic.php?t=87156

The 3mm bladestock of my long bladed ffg Endura has always been more than strong enough even when used for things that, quoting you, are "not cutting", while still having a sensible thinness for a cutting tool. And the tip of the Endura is a bit reenforced due to the "drop" towards the tip.

But even if there´d be really tasks where one would need the about 25 % thicker bladestock of a Para 3 or PM2: With the fine tips one could almost never make use of that (overly) thick stock without snapping the tip...

I guess my point is: IF a folder really has to have a thicker stock than 3mm, then go all the way and give it a robust tip too (like it is in the Shaman for example).

[shunsui]

They are thick so you can grind them down to your perfect size.

[James Y]

Not true for example in PM 2 and Para 3 at all.

Especially in the Para 3 the performance hindering very thick blade stock, that does not even have much distance to taper, and its combination with a rather fine tip always puzzled me.
I even started a thread on this topic once: viewtopic.php?t=87156

The 3mm bladestock of my long bladed ffg Endura has always been more than strong enough even when used for things that, quoting you, are "not cutting", while still having a sensible thinness for a cutting tool. And the tip of the Endura is a bit reenforced due to the "drop" towards the tip.

But even if there´d be really tasks where one would need the about 25 % thicker bladestock of a Para 3 or PM2: With the fine tips one could almost never make use of that (overly) thick stock without snapping the tip...

I guess my point is: IF a folder really has to have a thicker stock than 3mm, then go all the way and give it a robust tip too (like it is in the Shaman for example).

True. I have read some people saying that (for example) the Para 3’s tip is stronger than the PM 2’s or the Military’s, but it’s only an illusion, because the Para 3 is stubbier. The fine tip itself is just as delicate. The very tip on the Native 5 is also delicate, even though its blade is a leaf shape.

Jim