Edges w/o a sharpening notch

[BeTheExample731]

I'm not opposed to them, but lately I've been really enjoying the fact that most, if not all, of my Spyderco knives don't have a sharpening notch. Truly, this is an amazing way to keep cutting without something getting caught in the notch or the notch gets caught and stuck on something while cutting. I've noticed the old but gold custom knife makers do the same thing on their knives, like Todd Rexford for instance.

Some enthusiasts love sharpening notches and/or choils. I have plenty of knives with them also. They're certainly not bad. Years ago though, I used to wonder why they didn't have them. Now after using and experiencing a lot of different knives in use, you drastically notice the benefit. No hang ups, hence less danger to your hand, fingers, tendons, muscles, etc.

I don't always cut to the heal of the blade, but when I do, I make sure it's a Spyderco.

[8th_Note]

The Resilience is one of my favorite Spyderco designs. A 4.25" blade with a 4.25" sharpened edge. Absolutely magnificent. I wish we would see some sprints and exclusives of the Resilience.

[Evil D]

I absolutely hate them and see them as one of the worst knife design features of all time. I've avoided buying so many designs for this reason alone, and the only knives that get a pass are OTF's because they're kind of unavoidable.

[blueblur]

I think I remember David posting a while back, wondering why sharpening choil’s weren’t just a single serration. I’ve grown to dislike them, but if a model must have it, I think the single serration is a great way to implement it to help prevent snagging. Other than rare exceptions like the Siren, I always sharpen all the way back to the ricasso so it’s never been an issue to where I felt I needed one.

[vivi]

I'm not opposed to them.

I am. 1000%.

I have plenty of knives with them also. They're certainly not bad.

I'd disagree with you less if you told me the sky is purple and green

Seriously. I think sharpening notches are the worst trend in the last 125 years of knifemaking.

[Evil D]

I think I remember David posting a while back, wondering why sharpening choil’s weren’t just a single serration. I’ve grown to dislike them, but if a model must have it, I think the single serration is a great way to implement it to help prevent snagging. Other than rare exceptions like the Siren, I always sharpen all the way back to the ricasso so it’s never been an issue to where I felt I needed one.

I would change my opinion on these completely if this were a thing. I've only seen it on one knife and I think it's a CRKT multitool.

[Road Tripper]

Part of why I prefer Spyderco knives is the lack of a sharpening choil. I also like how an abrupt plunge grind (for example, Manix) helps guide material that, with a choil, might get caught.

[Scandi Grind]

I'm not opposed to them.

I am. 1000%.

I have plenty of knives with them also. They're certainly not bad.

I'd disagree with you less if you told me the sky is purple and green

Seriously. I think sharpening notches are the worst trend in the last 125 years of knifemaking.

I think for some people, it just doesn't end up getting in the way very often. That's how it is for me anyway, I have never had a sharpening choil catch on anything before, so I never really thought about a knife having one until I read someone who mentioned it, most likely here on this forum.

[vivi]

I don't know how you and others avoid that issue unless you're only using the front half of the blade or something.

[Scandi Grind]

Honestly, I'm not sure either, other than maybe unconsciously just avoiding the choil. It's something that has just never happened to me, so I never paid attention to how it didn't happen. It's not for lack of using most of the blade for certain tasks, but I probably use the last quarter of the blade less than the rest of it. If I start at the base of the blade, I am usually slicing away from the choil almost immediately in the cut, so maybe that is it. The Izula is a shoe in for this sort of problem I would think too. Short blade, lots of belly, but I've never noticed the choil while cutting things.

[JFR1]

I prefer a sharpening choil, just because the sharpener I use doesn't get all the way to the plunge and I hate leaving a part of the edge unsharpenable. I could just use a different sharpener but I'm pretty set in my ways I guess.

It doesn't bother me that Spydercos typically doesn't have a sharpening choil... I'll just add one when I need. With the Native 5 I've gotten pretty good at adding a functional sharpening choil that doesn't seem to catch with my use. I think the angle/depth plays a role. The choil I put on my UKPK will catch, but I did that one years ago and have no plans to modify it.

Picture of a Native 5 w/ sharpening choil added:

[Wandering_About]

I prefer no sharpening choil, but don't have a problem with knives that do have them. It's not often enough of an issue in cutting use to be a notable problem for me, personally, and I have the sharpening skills to sharpen right back to the plunge line too.

[vivi]

Honestly, I'm not sure either, other than maybe unconsciously just avoiding the choil. It's something that has just never happened to me, so I never paid attention to how it didn't happen. It's not for lack of using most of the blade for certain tasks, but I probably use the last quarter of the blade less than the rest of it. If I start at the base of the blade, I am usually slicing away from the choil almost immediately in the cut, so maybe that is it. The Izula is a shoe in for this sort of problem I would think too. Short blade, lots of belly, but I've never noticed the choil while cutting things.

Well that explains it. We view the blade the opposite way. I view the tip side as the end and the part by the handle as the start. Except for cutting the tape on boxes or slicing open an envelope I just about always initiate cuts with the heel / start of the blade. Whittling wood, breaking down cardboard etc.

[Cletus]

I can't stand a choil. They snag constantly most times I cut something. None of my carry knives have them.

[Scandi Grind]

Well that explains it. We view the blade the opposite way. I view the tip side as the end and the part by the handle as the start. Except for cutting the tape on boxes or slicing open an envelope I just about always initiate cuts with the heel / start of the blade. Whittling wood, breaking down cardboard etc.

I'm not sure we view it all that differently, it just so happens that my most frequent cutting tasks don't need what I should have termed the first quarter of the blade, rather than the last quarter. For cardboard and woodcarving it would be normal for me to start at the heel, but I have noticed that the heel of my knife is always the least dulled section of the blade when I resharpen, so I assume in my day to day it must be getting used the least.

Picture of a Native 5 w/ sharpening choil added:

IMG_0904.jpg

Hey, that looks like a pretty well executed choil if you wanted one! How'd you do it?

[Wallach]

I prefer no sharpening choil, but don't have a problem with knives that do have them. It's not often enough of an issue in cutting use to be a notable problem for me, personally, and I have the sharpening skills to sharpen right back to the plunge line too.

Yeah, this is where I'm at. The only thing that really bugs me is when a knife has a sharpening choil that is just executed badly. Like you'll occasionally see some knife where the choil is tiny and doesn't even make it past the plunge grind. Just pointless.

[Wartstein]

I am completely in the "no sharpening notch" camp.

A sharpening notch does not give one more sharpened edge - but just a more or less giant "chip" on the heel of the blade where otherwise perhaps a short more or less unsharpened edge section would be - the latter does not snag, still let´s a cut get initiated smoothly and still can at the least be made somewhat / crudly sharp with for example a small metal file if the particular sharpening gear can´t achieve that.

I prefer a sharpening choil, just because the sharpener I use doesn't get all the way to the plunge and I hate leaving a part of the edge unsharpenable.
...

No offense, I do respect that you like a sharpening notchl!

Technically/semantically it might not be correct what I am about to say, but in a way by adding a sharpening notch you ultimately and permanently make "a part of the edge unsharpenable" - cause now there is a big and deep chip in the edge.
While if there was "just" a short, unsharpened section in the edge instead of the notch you still could do something about it and turn it into something more useful than a "chip" when it comes to actual cutting.

Just my 2c of course.

[Wartstein]

In any case I think Spyderco does it right by NOT adding sharpening notches to (almost all) of their knives and any knife company imo should do the same.

Why?

- Obviously it is pretty easy to ADD a notch diy if one wants one, but NOT to remove one without tons of work and making the blade less tall and thicker behind the edge.

- And I think most people who are that deeply into knives and sharpening that they actually ARE worried with a short, unsharpened section on the heel of the blade also are capable of adding a simple notch if they really want one (most folks who can´t do that simple task probably don´t care for such details anyway imo).

[Wartstein]

... pretty good at adding a functional sharpening choil that doesn't seem to catch with my use. I think the angle/depth plays a role....

IMG_0904.jpg

Have to give you credits for that (kind of) notch!

I still would much prefer just an perhaps "dull", flat edge section instead, but this notch looks really subtle and "unsnaggy" indeed!

[Doc Dan]

I can't stand the so-called sharpening notch. They are really a snagging notch. They are completely unnecessary and I have no issues at all sharpening all the way back on the blade to the ricasso. I can't see why it would be a problem for anybody.