OTF Strength?

[1OldTreeClimber]

All this talk of slashing and stabbing living creatures is starting to give me a kind of p.t.s.d. If anybody here has ever had to stab somebody,it's not something you want to talk about/hear about/think about/or even remember to be perfectly honest.,I'm old now so if I think there's a need,I'll pack a gun.I like mechanical things so I have switchblades.,but they're for cutting sandwiches and such.Whew,sorry about the rant,I gotta get a shot of bourbon.

[Killgar]

A few thoughts in regards to dedicated stabbing weapons and sharpness. I see four distinct issues-

1. There are items designed exclusively for stabbing that do not have sharpened edges, and cannot be sharpened. Many original "stilettos" did not have dagger or bayonet type blades, but instead had what are basically elongated pyramid shaped "blades", with three or four sides. Basically flat-sided spikes. Many trench warfare weapons made during WW1, both in the field and in factories, were nothing more than unsharpened spikes. Soldiers learned that such weapons were very effective at penetrating the thick winter coats and layers of clothes worn by the enemy.

2. Some items designed exclusively for stabbing, with dagger or bayonet grinds, do not sharpen well due to their narrow blades and the narrowness and steepness of the grinds. It might be possible to sharpen them to a degree, but not to a degree that I think that it would makes much difference.

3. Some items with dagger or bayonet grinds can be made very sharp due to to the width of the blades, thinness of the blades, and width of the grinds.

4. Some items designed exclusively for stabbing can be sharpened, but they don't come sharp because the makers simply don't bother to put truly sharp edges on them.


Of course "sharp" is a subjective term and open to opinion. What one person considers "sharp", another might not.


As far as folding stilettos, I've owned 11 Frank Beltrame stilettos (11"), all dagger and bayonet blades, and none of them came sharp enough to cut my finger if I dragged it across the edge. Although I'm confident that with a bit of work I could give them an edge sharp enough to cut myself.

In contrast, I've owned 14 Cold Steel Ti-Lite 6's, and several of them were hair-shaving sharp out of the box. The ones that weren't only required a few strokes on a hone to make them shaving sharp.

And I also own a Fox Bellum dagger (more of a stiletto I'd say), and in it's original condition it cannot be made sharp due to reasons I described above (thick, narrow blade. Steep, narrow grinds). The blade would require a total re-grind to thin it out and allow the edges to be made sharp.

[jw517]

Sharp is subjective! I didn’t know what sharp was when I was a youngster. I worked a few years as a cattle boner in two different packing companies. It was piece work. I got paid for how many cuts I could bone per hour. After doing that I knew what a sharp knife was.

[RoyS]

Hi 1OldTreeClimber,

Well said mate.. And I for one don't mind listing to the occasional rant. Sometimes it's good to get something off your check and where better than with friends.

Cheerio,
Roy

[1OldTreeClimber]

Hi 1OldTreeClimber,

Well said mate.. And I for one don't mind listing to the occasional rant. Sometimes it's good to get something off your check and where better than with friends.

Cheerio,
Roy

Thanks Roy,and my apologies to everyone.

[1967redrider]

I just picked up a Heretic Hydra, supposed to arrive tomorrow. The guy in this video does some opening penetration tests at the 7:50 mark.



I got hooked on this OTF because of the design and functionality. I also have a Microtech UTX-85, a Krate KRT-OTF and several Taiwanese junkers. Fidgeting with the thumb-slide OTFs after a minute or two, they really work my thumb. Hoping the Hydra doesn't do that.

[Madmarco]

Those look really cool, John.
I've not seen that type of firing before and I like it.
It looks like it would be very comfortable in-hand too.
Great score, bud!