Before beginning to design a knife, one should carefully consider its intended function. Even an exquisite blade with intricate features may fall flat if it fails to fulfill its primary task effectively. Discover the best info about kris blade butterfly knife.
Once a shape has been chosen, the next step is transferring it onto the blade stock. This can be accomplished using Engineers Blue, a marker pen, or even just a pencil.
Table of Contents
Shape
A knife’s shape determines its appearance, how well it stands up under pressure, and its cutting ability. Furthermore, its shape may impact its usage and application – for instance, a serrated edge may prove superior when cutting soft foods or cakes than one without serrations.
One key consideration for knife design is how well it resists rolling and chipping of its edges, with rolling being controlled mainly by geometry, while chipping is often more of a steel issue. Thicker or more obtuse geometry tends to be less susceptible to rolling; however, this may compromise cutting ability or edge retention; steels with high combinations of toughness and hardness can better withstand thin edges necessary for good cutting abilities and edge retention.
Balance in knife design is of equal importance. A well-balanced blade should feel natural in your hand and be easy to navigate – this comes from its weight being evenly distributed between its blade and handle and can help avoid damage or failure due to being out of balance. Smiths uses careful calculations of the center of gravity design techniques in their handle design process so as to achieve an optimal balance for their customers’ knives.
Material
Selecting the ideal material for your knife depends on several considerations, including cost and function. While stainless steel is generally considered an appropriate material, many custom knife makers use other metals, such as titanium and molybdenum, to create high-performance pieces.
The hardness of a knife blade is of critical importance in its ability to resist deformation under stress. A metal’s hardness depends on both its elemental compounds and the manufacturing and alloying processes; alloying affects which carbides form during metal formation, while manufacturing determines their distribution within it.
Several factors, including toughness, determine the hardness of knives. Toughness measures the resistance to cracking or chipping under impact; its standardization varies according to factors like carbon content in steel and the composition of carbides in its carbides matrix.
The handle of a knife is an integral element of its design, protecting users’ hands from coming in contact with its sharp edge and helping balance its weight. Knife handles come in many different shapes and materials; many feature texturing for improved grip. More exotic handles used for ceremonial or art knives may feature stone, mammoth bone, walrus tooth, or even ossia (walrus penis bone), to name but a few; these attachments typically use epoxy glue and pins.
Finish
A blade finish should complement its intended function for both aesthetics and functionality. Coatings have an enormously positive effect on performance; for instance, adding one to non-stainless steel like CPM M4 could make it resistant to rusting (provided users take care in adequately oiling and maintaining it).
Bead blasting is a technique for producing an even, matte surface by blasting abrasive materials against metal at high pressure, creating an even matte surface with less reflection and glare. Unfortunately, however, bead blasting causes micro-abrasions on metals, which make them vulnerable to corrosion; steel could rust even faster in damp conditions when left blasted after being bead-shot!
Kurouchi is a rustic, dark finish designed to give a knife its signature “rustic look.” Historically applied to forged steel knives to protect raw steel from corrosion during forge heat melting of iron and steel into one, it is now often used to stainless blades to enhance their appearance and even dyed to deepen their hue. Tsuchime is another similar finish applied to hammered steel that mimics the blackened finish created during forging by punching through metal during forging; both styles add visual appeal and may help increase durability by reducing friction between food particles and the blade.
Weight
Based on its intended use, weight should be carefully considered when purchasing a knife. Heavy blades like cleavers have an advantage when cutting through rigid materials; however, being too heavy of a knife may make handling it difficult and require excessive force, which causes strain over prolonged periods.
Lighter knives tend to be more portable and more accessible to store in tight spaces or pockets, plus they often cost less.
Knife mechanisms also play a part in their weight. A traditional lockback uses three hooks on the blade’s tang and one on the rocker bar to secure its position; excessive stress on these hooks could shear them off and render your knife useless. Some manufacturers have created mechanisms designed to limit this strain, such as Cold Steel’s Tri-Ad Lock, which incorporates pins in front of the rocker bar as well as angled hooks that distribute pressure evenly; this results in lightweight mechanisms less likely to break or shear.
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