Big Belly Blades

[Evil D]

It's interesting that so many people think of a large knife belly as a skinner. Most of the people I know who skin lots of animals, especially furbearers, use something completely different with no belly at all. In fact, it's called a pelting knife.

Never heard of it

Seems like it would be easy to cut through the skin if you're not really careful.

[SaltyCaribbeanDfly]

they make the rockin' world go 'round.

No that’s fat bottomed girls make the rockin’ world go round…you’re thinking of “I like big bellies and I cannot lie”, wait it’s not bellies

[SaltyCaribbeanDfly]

Big bellies = food prep = spydiechef

[Brock O Lee]

In my world, they are only good for pictures on the interwebz.

I so wanted to like the Persion or K2 or Chinook...

[BornIn1500]

Never heard of it

Seems like it would be easy to cut through the skin if you're not really careful.

With furbearers like coyote, fox, and everything smaller, large sweeping cuts aren't needed. A pointy tip is needed for fine work around the head/face and for the starting cuts down the legs and around the tail/anus. They're skinned like a tube sock. Most of the rest of the skinning is done by a combination of pulling and only small cuts with the blade.

I guess when people here talk about skinning, they're likely thinking of big game like elk. But there's a whole different side of skinning that gets overlooked.

[Surfingringo]

I use them for saving money

No real use for one personally, except maybe for an Ayoob or models that somehow keep the tip low in relation to the handle. I suppose a Military kinda has a lot of belly but negative blade angle keeps the tip low. I guess I have more of a preference for low blade tips and less disliking of actual blade bellies.

Yes. I came here to say this exactly. I like a good bit of functional belly in a blade until it sweeps the tip up so high as to make it unusable. I do a LOT of my work with the tip. Mainly scoring type cuts on flat surfaces. I like a blade with a good balance between usable belly and a tip that’s low enough to make those types of cuts. The Stretch is a pretty good example of that compromise IMHO. I tried my best to design both of my knives to fit that criteria.

[Surfingringo]

Never heard of it

Seems like it would be easy to cut through the skin if you're not really careful.

With furbearers like coyote, fox, and everything smaller, large sweeping cuts aren't needed. A pointy tip is needed for fine work around the head/face and for the starting cuts down the legs and around the tail/anus. They're skinned like a tube sock. Most of the rest of the skinning is done by a combination of pulling and only small cuts with the blade.

I guess when people here talk about skinning, they're likely thinking of big game like elk. But there's a whole different side of skinning that gets overlooked.

This exactly. Everybody’s got their own technique but I grew up skinning everything from squirrel to whitetail with small (3” or less) blades with pointy tips. A big 5 or 6 inch blade with a huge belly would be super awkward for me…even on bigger game.

[R100]

I seem to be the opposite of most people here. I find little use for my wharnies and always gravitate to blades with some belly. I hate the point always being in the way when I go to cut something. The point of a Manix, Pac Salt, Endura, Delica are all right at the margin of being too low for me. The Military family is good, the Stretch family is better and the Gayle Bradley 1 and 2 are great.

I often need to use my EDC for food prep away from home. I often want to seperate 2 things without poking a hole in either. Even for small game where pointy and narrow is good I like some belly just before the tip. I just don't open that many packages. Big ol' belly for the win in my knife life.

Dan

[HolySteel]

I seem to be the opposite of most people here. I find little use for my wharnies and always gravitate to blades with some belly. I hate the point always being in the way when I go to cut something. The point of a Manix, Pac Salt, Endura, Delica are all right at the margin of being too low for me. The Military family is good, the Stretch family is better and the Gayle Bradley 1 and 2 are great.

I often need to use my EDC for food prep away from home. I often want to seperate 2 things without poking a hole in either. Even for small game where pointy and narrow is good I like some belly just before the tip. I just don't open that many packages. Big ol' belly for the win in my knife life.

Dan

I thought I had the same attitude about belly-less blades, but then I restored a small wharncliffe folder and found it was perfect for cutting cylindrical things like hard salami. So round works better for cutting flat, and flat works better for cutting round.

[mongo1958]

they make the rockin' world go 'round.

Truth!
You're a cool bug.

[Bolster]

Can anyone speak to the difference between continuously curved "big bellies" vs the abrupt upturn "big bellies"? For instance, the continuous Parata vs the abrupt Subvert...what's the purpose, or at what do they excel--these two different types of bellies?

On the Subvert, under what conditions, or on what types of material, do you need to "cut forward" rather than "cut down"? The Subvert's blade appears to be made to cut (not pierce) on a forward thrust. Which is interesting to me because most of my cutting is done on a downward motion not a forward motion. The front part of a Subvert's blade would almost function as a chisel!

I'm curious because I find "upswept tips" aka "high points" on blades difficult to control. But obviously they're working for somebody who knows something that I don't. The best I can gather from this thread so far, is that sometimes you want all edge no point (like the low-angle "scraping" examples that Yab gives), and this is where belly excels.

Perhaps my confusion with big bellies is that I work tips a lot. For example, the very modest belly (actually I'll just call it a 'curve' not a 'belly') and low tip on a Caly Jr makes it an ideal work knife for me, in part because the tip is so controllable and cuts are very precise. But--yeah, if I needed to remove texture, or cut down excess drywall mud around a patch (on a flat wall), I can see that a belly would be very useful. So perhaps bellies are well suited to low angle cuts (shouldn't call it scraping) on flat surfaces.

[Stuart Ackerman]

I think that some guy should use the Title as his knife making business name. Cause a big belly helps you make a straight grind when freehand grinding...You know, both hands on belly and against the wheel.

Big Belly Blades...

[JoviAl]

Can anyone speak to the difference between continuously curved "big bellies" vs the abrupt upturn "big bellies"? For instance, the continuous Parata vs the abrupt Subvert...what's the purpose, or at what do they excel--these two different types of bellies?

On the Subvert, under what conditions, or on what types of material, do you need to "cut forward" rather than "cut down"? The Subvert's blade appears to be made to cut (not pierce) on a forward thrust. Which is interesting to me because most of my cutting is done on a downward motion not a forward motion. The front part of a Subvert's blade would almost function as a chisel!

I'm curious because I find "upswept tips" aka "high points" on blades difficult to control. But obviously they're working for somebody who knows something that I don't. The best I can gather from this thread so far, is that sometimes you want all edge no point (like the low-angle "scraping" examples that Yab gives), and this is where belly excels.

Perhaps my confusion with big bellies is that I work tips a lot. For example, the very modest belly (actually I'll just call it a 'curve' not a 'belly') and low tip on a Caly Jr makes it an ideal work knife for me, in part because the tip is so controllable and cuts are very precise. But--yeah, if I needed to remove texture, or cut down excess drywall mud around a patch (on a flat wall), I can see that a belly would be very useful. So perhaps bellies are well suited to low angle cuts (shouldn't call it scraping) on flat surfaces.

Hi Bolster,
I find blades like that on the subvert are good for striking/hacking cuts on modestly tough free standing stuff, particularly when I’m pruning back plants. It sort of adds a bit of extra slicing penetration to my swing (I cut down a LOT of torch ginger at work). I don’t own anything quite as belly-heavy as the Parata as I don’t really do much in the way of cutting on surfaces of any sort, but I bet it would make one **** of a herb shredder in the kitchen. Interestingly, a Parata in Singapore is a delicious butter infused fried flatbread, usually with something like cheese and/or meat folded into the middle, then fried some more.

[Bolster]

Hi Bolster,
I find blades like that on the subvert are good for striking/hacking cuts on modestly tough free standing stuff, particularly when I’m pruning back plants. It sort of adds a bit of extra slicing penetration to my swing (I cut down a LOT of torch ginger at work)....

Aha! And likewise, many machetes have a similar blade profile! I have been enlightened.

(I suspect the Spyderco Parata was designed specifically for cutting cheese-filled Singaporean paratas, else why the name?)

[SaltyCaribbeanDfly]

I’m really liking this blade shape so far, just enough belly in the right spot…my first Stretch and the xl lw is awesome!!! I did mod the tip(1/8”) ever so slightly into a tiny sheepsfoot because that’s how I like ‘em and was apprehensive about taking anymore off as the blade/handle ratio is “off the charts”… if this ever becomes a SALT it’ll be #1…the ergos are genius in every grip

[Vamais]

I think that some guy should use the Title as his knife making business name. Cause a big belly helps you make a straight grind when freehand grinding...You know, both hands on belly and against the wheel.

Big Belly Blades...

Agreed.

[Traditional.Sharpening]

they make the rockin' world go 'round.

You beat me to it... well played.

[JoviAl]

(I suspect the Spyderco Parata was designed specifically for cutting cheese-filled Singaporean paratas, else why the name?)

Ah man, you’re probably right… maybe I should get a Parata to cut up delicious cheese Parata with Just when I thought I had all the Spyderco bases covered! There’s no chance any of the other countless Spyderco’s I own would be fit for this highly specific purpose

[aicolainen]

Never heard of it

Seems like it would be easy to cut through the skin if you're not really careful.

With furbearers like coyote, fox, and everything smaller, large sweeping cuts aren't needed. A pointy tip is needed for fine work around the head/face and for the starting cuts down the legs and around the tail/anus. They're skinned like a tube sock. Most of the rest of the skinning is done by a combination of pulling and only small cuts with the blade.

I guess when people here talk about skinning, they're likely thinking of big game like elk. But there's a whole different side of skinning that gets overlooked.

This!
I've never had a dedicated skinning knife. Small cuts when needed, mainly pulling. Up to and including moose.

Regarding bellies, I tend to prefer some belly. For the longest time my relation to dedicated knives was very task specific; hunting, fishing, carving/wood working, carpentry and food processing. All of which (IMO) benefit from various degrees of belly. Outside of those specific tasks a utility blade, scissors or scalpels would usually replace a dedicated knife.
When I got into folders (not that long ago) the term "wharncliffe" was new to me, and for someone used to always have some belly on my dedicated knives, it was kind of frustrating to see all these otherwise intriguing folders come with straight or almost straight edges.
My perspective has since opened.
While I still want some belly on my outdoor-, food prep- and carpentry (home renovation) knives, I've really come to appreciate dedicated wharncliffe knives for my EDC/day job. Sheepfoots and modified sheepsfoots have also found their place, e.g. they've totally replaced my old SAR setup.
My knife bro skills aren't advanced enough to always know what is the ideal amount of belly for a specific use, I just notice if there is too little or too much and sometimes that's enough to justify a new knife

[Evil D]

The big advantage of upswept bellies like the Subvert is that since the tip is at the spine of the blade and the spine doesn't slope down through the V of the blade grind, you can have a very stout blade tip for very hard use. To get the same with a lower blade tip you need to change the blade grind towards the tip of the blade like they did on the Shaman (yes the blade grind is actually thicker towards the tip). I think Spyderco does a good job hitting a middle ground with leaf shaped blades like the Shaman, giving you a bit stronger tip than you sometimes get with something like a Military but also keeping the tip relatively low and easier to use.