Blade in style. Tanto knives are the military legacy of the samurai. Types of combat knives of the GRU special forces

Judging by past selections, people like exotic knives with tanto-shaped blades.

Well, if so, let's talk about this in more detail.

In fact, traditional Japanese knives and short swords usually look like this.

On Ali, I found a couple of shops selling traditional Japanese swords and knives.

Delivery in both stores is quite expensive, there is a feeling that they ship from Japan - $40 for EMS. But if you take more than one item or cooperate with someone, then it is quite tolerable. Some expensive items have free shipping.

Although knives and swords in these stores are not cheap, I advise you to at least go and see, there are a lot of beautiful specimens.

Well, it’s not in vain that I showed a blade with a profile at the beginning of the collection - the traditional “Japanese tanto”. The fact is that the “American tanto” profile is now popular in the world, more reminiscent of chisels than ordinary knives. Things got to the point that the fashion reached Japan and they began to make blades with an “American tanto” profile in the traditional Japanese style.

A friend of mine gave me a review of his tanto-style knife, bought on Ali, and then took out the original, which was inspired by the Chinese. It's called Kanetsune Seki KAGE KB.

Pictured below is the original.

The knives differ significantly in size, but are very similar in style: a kind of deliberately rough rustic tool. A forged blade, a handle made from a shovel handle and all that ...

Knife with Ali closer.

The total length of the knife is 300 mm. Blade length 158 mm, butt thickness 5 mm. Convergence 0.8-0.9 mm.

At first, the knife seemed to me completely useless, a clean shelf, but in reality this is not entirely true. The products are slowly cutting, wood planing.

It costs $30.66 there, which is about 6 bucks cheaper than in other places.

While there are discounts in the store, let's see what else is interesting.

For example, at a fabulously low price, you can grab such a handsome man.

Total length 24 cm, blade length: 9.8 cm, blade thickness: 4.5 mm

The blade is made from excellent steel 9Cr18MoV. Hardness 59 HRC.

Imported sandalwood handle.

The knife costs only $17.78. With these settings, it's really cool! 37% discount valid for two more days

Well, one more option. Much more expensive, but very nice.

Overall length: 228 mm, blade length 98 mm, blade thickness 4 mm.

Blade steel: VG10 forged Damascus steel, 108 layers

Hardness: 58-60 HRC (vacuum hardened).

Ebony handle and scabbard

After such beauties, I want to show a practical working knife.

Overall length 210 mm, blade length 98 mm, blade thickness 5 mm. According to the manufacturer, the knife is forged by hand and hardened to a hardness of 64 HRC.

Now another beautiful knife in the spirit of minimalism.

It looks very cool, I advise you to look at the pictures on the store page.

Overall length 235 mm, blade length 98 mm.

Blade made of steel D2 hardness 58-60 HRC.

Ebony wood handle.

A lot of militaristic knives have a tanto-shaped blade.

For example, this one.

Knife total length 235 mm, blade length 100 mm, blade thickness 5 mm

Made from D2 steel with a hardness of 58HRC. ABC plastic sheath. Kraton handle.

Now let's talk about folding knives

Extremely powerful folding LDT BF2RCT reminiscent of the products of an Italian company.

We rarely think about the things that we hold in our hands every day: a toothbrush, a comb, a knife - we are used to them and do not pay attention. But if you look into the past of the objects around us, you can make a lot of amazing discoveries. Some of the objects accompany man throughout his history, and yet the most ancient of our man-made satellites is the KNIFE.

It was the knife that became the first tool used by man. And today it does not matter whether it was a shell with a sharp edge or a broken piece of stone - a BLADE appeared. This happened before the advent of fire and the domestication of the dog, before man spoke and drew the first drawing with charcoal. The making of the knife marked the beginning of the first tools. Since that time it KNIFE - the main human tool and helper.

It is amazing, but, having finally taken shape in the Stone Age, the knife has not undergone fundamental changes since then. A point, a blade, a handle... And no matter how eras and technologies, materials and tastes change, the basis remains the same. Having appeared so long ago, the knife is not going to retire. There is no other such multifunctional tool in our everyday life: to cut food and expose a wire, sharpen a pencil, cut a flower ... up to the protection of life. And all this we are talking about an elementary knife, and not about a universal mechanical workshop like a Swiss officer's folding set!

Today, the polished steel of a blade fascinates us as much as it did at the dawn of civilization, and the functional possession of it can turn into a passion for gathering. Love for melee weapons is inexplicable, but far from bloodlust or viciousness. Rather, it is a tribute to history, a worship of what faithfully served a person from the moment he realized himself as a Human. This desire should have been imprinted in the genes, and it was imprinted.

We live in a country with a long and tragic history. The fact of its existence is that for almost three generations the state fought against the right of its citizens to own weapons. The very idea of ​​owning cold steel or firearms was introduced into the minds of our compatriots as incompatible with the image of a law-abiding citizen. The desire to express artistic inclinations in the refined lines of a steel blade could lead to barbed wire, where a completely different aesthetics dominated.

As a result, the strong traditions of weapons business in Russia were almost lost. Now the situation is being restored, but, in addition to manufacturing traditions, there must also be traditions of consumption and taste, which are impossible without knowledge. In order to replenish this cultural baggage a little, this article was written.

When forming the publication, difficulties arose not so much in the selection as in the exclusion of material. The world of knives is immense, and it is impossible to describe everything, because where descriptions begin, the problem of systematization and classification arises, and where the question of classification arises, a new problem immediately arises: after all, a rational principle must be put at the basis of any system. On the other hand, the variety of types of knives is incalculable. An attempt to squeeze them into some kind of, always artificially erected, boundaries cannot but give rise to errors.

Sometimes such “violence” serves certain purposes, for example, the purposes of a criminological examination to determine whether a given knife belongs to a cold weapon in accordance with the Criminal Code. But when such a classification begins to be applied everywhere, it loses its meaning, and does not become universal.

Nevertheless, it is in criminological expertise that the origins of the most common classification attempts are found. The established approach consists in highlighting sections with approximately the following content:

— national knives and daggers;
— combat knives and daggers (often this group also includes bayonets, as well as specialized throwing knives);
- Hunter knives;
- survival knives
- folding knives;
- utility knives (culinary, garden, highly specialized).

In fact, such sorting is convenient for a forensic edged weapons expert or a specialist store manager, but it is not a classification in the strictly scientific sense of the word. Moreover, it will not clarify anything for a person who wants to pick up a universal blade or knife for some specific purpose.

So how are knife blades divided?
Firstly, along the side profile of the blade.
Secondly, according to the shape of the cross section of the blade.

After reading this material, you can easily determine the type of blade of any knife, as well as find out which type is more suitable for what purposes. let's consider main types of blade side profile:

finca- this type of blade has a straight butt and is able to pierce with a point.

Clip-point or Bowie- named after the Texas national hero James Bowie. It was developed in the 19th century for combat knives and has a beveled butt in the form duck nose, but it can also be straight. As a rule, there is also a sharpening on the butt. A blade of this shape is equally good for cutting and for pricking, due to the location of the tip on the axis of application of force upon impact.

Tanto- the shape of the blade was born in fascinating world Japanese edged weapons, according to some sources, and according to others, appeared quite recently in an American knife manufacturing company. A blade of this form has an extreme stability of the point due to the fact that the massiveness of the blade is preserved up to the very point. Most often used for combat knives, but sometimes comes across on other types. You can argue for a very long time about the convenience of this blade shape for various cuts.

Scramasax- most often this shape of the blade is professional knives and folding multifunctional. Due to this shape of the blade, the knife becomes safer in terms of piercing and allows for a precise, controlled cut.

Spear point- most often this form of the blade can be found on ancient daggers, and today on combat knives. This shape of the blade is very well suited for thrusting. Usually has a double-sided sharpening, which is on combat tactical knives allows for a large number of movements without turning the hand and without rotating the handle (for example, in the dark, do not think about which side the blade is on).

trailing point- usually found on national knives. A blade of this shape is best suited for cutting non-hard materials.

drop-point- a blade of this shape has a lower butt line and is equally good for both cutting and stabbing. Usually the butt without sharpening. It was created as a tool, not a weapon, and is more often used for hunting knives, which are excellent helpers in the field.

In addition to the fact that all short bladed weapons are divided into two large groups— KNIVES and DAGGERS — the longitudinal pattern of the blades appears in the following varieties:
- straight;
- curved up;
- curved down;
- with several bends, up to wavy.

Both knives and daggers can have any of these shapes, but, unfortunately, not everyone clearly understands the difference between them. And it is very simple: no other differences play a role, except for one:

The dagger is always double-edged, that is, both the upper and lower sides of the blade are sharpened.

On the contrary, the knife is always sharpened only on one side, in extreme cases, it can have sharpening of the front upper third of the blade, thereby acquiring some of the properties of a dagger.

And whatever form the blade has, its classification as a knife or dagger is determined only by the agreed principle.

But, along with "unambiguous" items, there is a category of products that is, as it were, outside such a bipolar classification - this blades with the so-called one and a half sharpening. From the tip to about the middle of their blade is purely dagger, and then the sharpening of the upper edge turns into the usual back (butt) of the knife, smooth or with a fashionable notch, up to sawtooth teeth.

This is a versatile, very practical type of blade that combines the advantages of both families, but traditionally such specimens are still referred to as knives. As you remember, the "pedigree" sign of the famous Bowie knife is precisely the sharpening of the front upper (concave) third of the blade, which made it possible to cut in reverse in battle.

Straight Blades are the easiest to manufacture and the most versatile in operation. The tradition of using straight blades is international, but in the countries of the Afro-Asian region there is a clear tendency to curve, bent up or down weapons, while Europe has always loved straight knives and daggers. A straight weapon is most suitable for stabbing, and even chain mail was pierced with a thin and strong blade.

The Asian tradition gravitates towards everything intricate, ingenious, and the strength of this passion leaves its mark on the weapon business. Blades curved up, it is good to cut and stab with an upward movement, and bent down - chop with a broach and pierce down. These forms are illustrated by the Moroccan dagger, the Arab knife and the Nepalese kukri.

Putting both principles together straight and curved up), we get a convenient thing that works equally easily in various modes. Such knives and daggers with a double deflection, which have become very popular these days, look defiantly exotic.

Recently, a similar style has begun to spread among combat knives, including those suitable for survival in difficult conditions. The concave middle part of the blade is well suited for cutting thin elastic branches and reeds, and the end, heavy, acts like an axe. An agricultural sickle works on a similar principle, collecting flexible ears into a bundle. True, sometimes it is absolutely incomprehensible what the developers were guided by, giving their offspring a completely inexplicable form. For example, here combat knife of the Chilean special forces:

It is difficult to suspect the inventors and users of this strange product of incompetence, but what else, besides cutting branches and cutting necks and limbs (you should forget about injections), can be done with it - a mystery.

And finally, we cannot pass by the notorious Malayan kris, since they traditionally have a very rare shape - wavy or, as it is also called, "flaming". Of course, such a refinement is of little use as a universal tool. It is either a combat or ceremonial weapon.

Kris blades were made of layered, plywood-like, welded Damascus, but they did not possess any special qualities inherent in classic damask steel, apart from intoxicating beauty. Separate layers sometimes consisted of porous iron, so that, being impregnated, according to local custom, with a strong poison, such a blade remained deadly for its entire long life. As for external forms, it is difficult to call them otherwise than infernal.

On this, the review of the longitudinal forms of the blades can be considered exhausted, since any fantasy will definitely fall into one or another group.

As for various types blade cross section, here the picture is somewhat different - there are much more of them than three or five, and they by no means fit into logical sections. Nevertheless, we will try to somehow classify these wilds, based on some fundamental geometric characteristics.

Perhaps we should start with the undeniable assertion that every cutting or piercing tool is a wedge and only a wedge. The physical essence of the process of separation of one object by another is to reduce the contact area, because in this case, in accordance with the laws of nature, the pressure force increases in inverse proportion to this area itself. The sharper your knife is sharpened, the more pressure its cutting edge exerts and, therefore, the easier and cleaner it pushes the object that comes across.

Mentioned above obsidian stone knives have an edge of atomic, that is, the minimum possible thickness. Therefore, a light touch is enough to apply a cut. The same thing happens during the notorious experiments with damask steel and a silk scarf, since real damask steel has a phenomenal ability to accept sharpening.

The cross section of the blade of most daggers differs in only one thing: symmetry(occasionally there are daggers with a "shift" of form).

In the light of the above, knives are no different from daggers. Here are some of the most characteristic and popular types of knife cross-sections, unchanged for centuries, because there is nothing new to come up with. As you can see, these are all variations of an ordinary wedge. We can make it side surfaces concave, convex, cut through them with any number of fullers of the most diverse shapes and widths, change the sharpening angle - but the essence remains the same.

Blades with convex edges are noticeably stronger, but also heavier. Concave forms are light and elegant, but they lack solidity and reliability. The presence of fullers allows you to find compromise solutions, lightening the thick blade and giving it additional rigidity. The most common type of back is straight, flat, but occasionally there are knives with a rounded back, and the Japanese prefer to decorate it with a “house”. The strange fashion of throwing a decorative saw through the butt increases the likelihood of injury without adding anything to convenience.

stilettos, designed to inflict deadly injections (once directly through the armor or tiny gaps in their joints), most often take the form of awls, narrow, thin and predatory. Requirements for maximum axial rigidity gradually pushed flat blades in favor of square and triangular ones. In addition to stilettos, classic piercing rapiers had such a section.

Strictly speaking, the type of section affects only the strength and mass of the blade (and, of course, beauty), without interfering at all with the actual cutting and piercing processes, since only the cutting edge and the tip are responsible for the latter. Whatever thicknesses of metal hang from above, they inevitably converge to a ghostly thin line of the blade.

The angle of convergence of the faces is always sharp, and the sharper the better, but up to certain limits. A kind of "razor" sharpening, so named after the cross-sectional shape of straight razor blades, is incomparable in sharpness, but any other objects, except for hair and skin, will immediately destroy the delicate edge.

Reverse case - legendary japanese swords(and all their other melee weapons) had a convex section. This allowed the brave samurai to cut dashingly at their pleasure, and the inhuman patience of the polishers provided the notorious sharpness that makes the classic blade a truly scythe of death.

Here it is necessary to stop and consider in detail the process of separating obstacles with blades various shapes . The concave section of the razor easily penetrates into the thickness, but it is not destined to completely divide it, because as it deepens, more and more new areas of the blade come into contact with the material, which seems to “suck in” the knife, squeezing it in a suffocating embrace. The further the blade plunges, the more rapidly the resistance force grows, and the dependence here is by no means linear, but almost geometric.

Surely many of you have experienced similar sensations when you tried to cut a slice of cheese or a piece of frozen meat with such a knife. Difficulties arise even during the extraction of the blade back - as if something is holding it. Therefore, this form finds application almost exclusively among the now rare straight razors.

The most common wedge with flat edges. From the standpoint of the foregoing, it has average characteristics. Although the resistance of the object increases as such a knife deepens, the relationship here is linear. Steel pushes the unyielding thickness to the right and left not so intensively, and the main losses are due to friction.

But the most remarkable is the third type of shape - slightly convex. Entering an obstacle, such a blade touches the walls of the cut only with a small section of the side faces directly adjacent to the edge. The rest is already moving in the void, and there can be no talk of any friction. An elementary experience will clearly demonstrate what has been said - try to split a block of wood (preferably raw) with an ordinary ax, and then with a cleaver. The first will certainly get stuck in the middle of the path, and the second will fly through, and even with a margin of speed.

In the same way, it flies through a thick (in hand) pole good katana, leaving behind an oblique polished cut. This is not even negotiable - if you need to not only cut the surface, but break the object in half, you need to get

a piece of iron with a convex section. By the way, this is the shape of the classic blades of the legendary Persian sabers - without any dol, "eyeliners" and other excesses.

Wanting to deal with the problem of reducing weight and maintaining rigidity, edged weapon manufacturers have long found a compromise solution in which the razor concavity is combined with the flat or convex wedge-shaped shape of the blade itself. Although the blade is not so strong in this case, it is light, but it cuts well, since the obstacle separates small plot edges in the form of an ordinary wedge, then the steel recedes from the walls of the cut, without interfering with going deeper.

A thin rib at a break in the shape slides over the incision with minimal resistance, as if “splitting” it. Even a convex section is recommended to be completed by sharpening with the formation of such a rib - then your dagger or sword will gain absolutely fabulous agility in work. Blades of almost all checkers, both Don and Caucasian, have a similar (with various variations) pattern.

The weapon tradition of India and adjacent regions is very interesting in this sense. There, as a rule, the main thickness of the blade is chosen to a fair depth, following a concave shape, but this is not a smooth surface, but an extremely developed relief in the form of ornaments, an ingenious system of valleys, or entire genre scenes from life, hunting, war, etc.

In fact, only a narrow strip of the cutting edge is left for work, and all other space is given to the artist. Sometimes even the blade itself is decorated with a gold notch, and it is not entirely clear how to hone it in this case? It is probably unnecessary to repeat that once such products were made from real Indian damask steel with all the inherent set of extraordinary qualities.

In addition, we never meet blades in the West (with the exception of broadswords) with a protruding longitudinal stiffener on both sides. Frankly, I have little idea how it is possible to practically make something like this - perhaps by cutting off extra layers of precious metal from a thick workpiece? We see similar daggers today on the stalls of merchants and in the belts of the swarthy local population.

Of course, the rigidity of the ribbed blade is maximum, significantly surpassing all other designs in this sense, but such a weapon is simply not able to plunge deeper into the body than to the middle. Accordingly, you will not be able to cut sausages or cut off the enemy’s hand, at least qualitatively.

In modern armies, the problem of strength is solved simply - by increasing the thickness. To prevent weapons from becoming abnormally heavy, such blades always have deep, milled or stamped valleys of very large dimensions. I have had occasion to hold in my hands similar products with a strip thickness at the handle up to 8 mm. These are not quite knives, but universal tools for rough power work.

For example, they can be used as a wedge, lever, hammer. Being driven into a crevice of a rock or into a tree, they will serve as an absolutely reliable step or crossbar, on which you can safely lean with all your weight without the risk of breaking. A good illustration will be two samples - a US naval aviation knife and a Canadian-style army knife (USSR).

US Naval Aviation Knife (top) and Canadian-style Army Knife (USSR).

/Alex Varlamic

You can buy knives in our online store

Knife- the oldest of the man-made human tools that played essential role actually in the development of man as a species. It has gone through a long history, during which it has changed only aesthetically - many craftsmen have made and are making blades of amazing beauty ... well, it has become sharper than the stone and metal tools of primitive people.

It is not surprising that various kinds of blades remain companions of many real and fictional heroes, whose "exploits" we learn from books, movies and other media sources. Italian multimedia designer Federico Mauro created several graphic series showing household items cult characters(here, for example:,), including all kinds of knives and blades of many famous media heroes:

01. Ghostface (Ghostface) - the character of the film series "Scream"

02. Chevalier Charles-Henri Sanson de Lonval (Charles-Henri Sanson) - hereditary executioner from the Sanson dynasty

03. Frank Dodd - deputy sheriff of Castle Rock, character in Stephen King's book "The Dead Zone" and the film of the same name

04. Eastern Promises - a feature film directed by David Cronenberg

05. Sweeney Todd is a character in a series of short stories, musicals and films.

06. Joker (Joker) - a character in comics and films about Batman.

07. John "Ace" Merrill (Ace Merrill) - the character of several works of Stephen King ("Stay with me", "Necessary things" and others)

08. Secret agent MacGyver (MacGyver) - the main character of the American television series of the same name

09. Riddick (Riddick) - the character of a series of feature and animated films

10. Jack Burton (Jack Burton) - the character of the movie "Big Trouble in Little China"

11. Knight Slasher's knife - the character of the movie "Cobra" (Cobra)

12. Jason Voorhees - character from the Friday the 13th film series

13. Bilbo Baggins - a character in a series of works by J. R. R. Tolkien

14. Beatrix Kiddo (Beatrix Kiddo) - a character from the series of films "Kill Bill"

15. Goemon Ishikawa XIII is a character from the Lupin III manga comic series

16. The sword of the characters of the film series " star Wars» (Star Wars)

17. The weapon of the main character of the film "Ultraviolet" (Ultraviolet)

18. Weapons of the characters from the Machete movie series

19. Computer game and the movie "Prince of Persia" (Prince of Persia)

20. Computer game and TV series "Game of Thrones" (Game of Thrones)

21. Uruk-hai (Uruk-Hai) - a character in the series of novels and films "Lord of the Rings"

22. He-Man (He Man) - the main character of several animated series and the feature film "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe"

23. "The Legend of Zelda" - a video game series and an animated series

24. Excalibur - the legendary sword of King Arthur

25. "300 Spartans" (300) - a feature film based on the comic book of the same name

26. D "Artagnan - a character in the cycle of works by Alexandre Dumas

27. "Highlander" (Highlander) - a cycle of feature films

28. Zorro (Zorro) - the character of a series of comics, cartoons and feature films

29. "War of the Gods: Immortals" (Immortals) - a feature film based on ancient Greek myths

30. Jack Sparrow is the protagonist of the Pirates of the Caribbean feature film series.

31. Blade (Blade) - the main character of the film and comic book series of the same name

32. William Wallace - the legendary Scottish knight and military leader, the protagonist of the feature film "Braveheart"

33. Final Fantasy VII - computer game

34. Conan (Conan) - the main character of a series of comics and feature films of the same name

35. Jack Torrance is the protagonist of Stephen King's novel The Shining and films of the same name.

36. Blood Red (Profondo Rosso) - a feature film directed by Dario Argento

37. "Old Boy" (Old Boy) - a feature film directed by Park Chang-wook, the second part of the "trilogy of revenge"

38. Captain Hook (Hook) - the character of the book "Peter Pan", as well as a series of feature and animated films

39. "Children of the Corn" - a story by Stephen King, which became the basis for a series of feature films

40. The Grim Reaper

41. "V for Vendetta" (V for Vendetta) - a feature film based on the comic book of the same name

42. "Elektra" (Elektra) - a feature film based on the comic book of the same name

43. "The Expendables" - a series of feature films

44. "Crocodile" Dundee (Crocodile Dundee) - the protagonist of a series of feature films of the same name

45. Norman Bates (Norman Bates) - the character of the thriller Alfred Hitchcock "Psycho" and its sequels

46. ​​Gordon Ramsay - British chef, known as the first Scot to be awarded three Michelin stars; culinary TV show host

47. Michael Myers (Michael Myers) - the character of the series of feature films "Halloween"

48. "Predator" (Predator) - a series of feature films

49. John Rambo (John Rambo) - the character of a series of feature films of the same name

50. Gustavo "Gus" Fring (Gus Fring) - the character of the television series Breaking Bad (Breaking Bad)

Knife, cutting tool with a short straight blade and handle, survived all the epochs of the formation of Civilization and still remains an indispensable device, without which in other situations "as if without hands." How to choose a knife and what its working properties depend on will be discussed in this article.

The author does not claim to be the ultimate truth and does not set himself the task of telling about all the possible intricacies of the device and methods of using knives. Nevertheless, you will learn from this article about the different shapes and types of knives, their purpose, sharpening products and other important nuances.

Before you start choosing a knife, you should get acquainted with it. design features. Let's learn about the main types of blades (blades) of knives.

What are the types of knives, and what each of them is intended for, the video below will tell:

The main types of blades

In the genus of knives there is a special family that has a double-edged blade. These are daggers. Their tip is on the axis of symmetry. In any case, these are weapons and they have no other purpose. There are only five types of other types of blades with one cutting edge.

1. normal blade- a straight line of the butt from the heel to the tip. It has another definition - "Scandinavian", and knives of this kind are usually called "Finnish". The blades have excellent penetrating abilities, its tip (sting) is thick enough not to break when hitting wood, bone, sheet iron. Some others are considered an example of this product.
2. drop point- the butt line has a slight decrease, due to which the tip is below the level of the back of the handle, approximately on the axis of the shank. The penetrating ability of this type of blade is even higher, since the point of application of force (the sting) is in line with it. However, the angle of convergence of the tip is less than that of the Finca. Therefore, its strength is less. These include, for example, .
3. clip point- the decrease in the butt towards the tip begins from half the length or even after its first third. The knife has a shape close to an awl, it has excellent penetrating properties, but the strength of the tip is low compared to a fin (ex., from Kizlyar).
4. Bowie- almost the same as the clip point, but the tip is slightly upturned. Without losing its penetrating properties, the knife has become more deadly, because with stabbing blows it tends to go up, expanding the wound channel. The upturned point is some obstacle to penetration into objects harder than living flesh (ex.,).
5. Tanto. The invention of the American company Cold Steel. Its feature is the second straight cutting edge, beveled at an angle of 45 0, because of which the knife looks like a worker - a shoemaker or for cutting linoleum. In terms of penetrating properties, the tanto is significantly inferior to the finca, but the roughness of the point allows the blade to pierce the most stubborn materials. The advantage of the design is that the cutting edges can be sharpened at different angles and get universal tool. An example of such a knife can be considered,.

We will talk about what types of cutting edges are on knives below.

Geometry of the cutting edge of the knife

Cutting edges and slopes

• The cutting edge (RK) can begin to rise to the point immediately from the heel of the blade, in which case it looks like an awl and is used mainly for cutting fish and separating fillets.
• However, the design is more common when the straight line RK begins to rise to the point after the second third of the length. The steeper slope, at about 45°, with a well-defined rounding, makes the knife suitable for skinning. Specialized skinners may have a convex cutting edge, rounded from the heel to the tip almost along the radius.

Descents are a change in the thickness of the blade from the butt to the cutting edge. By and large, there are only two types of them: wedge-shaped and concave.

• Wedge-shaped can begin from the butt or from the middle of the holome.
• The latter have a larger convergence angle, so these knives are more convenient for chopping.

Concave slopes make it easier to cut on the first pass, they are convenient for notching. Cutting thick pieces with such knives is not very convenient.

Additional elements of the blade

• If notches in the form of a saw are made on the blade, then this is a serrator, which can be used to saw or roughly cut dense materials.
• On clip point blades, there is an additional cutting edge on the butt, then sharpening the knife is called one and a half.
• The most interesting additional element of the blade is the choil - a hole or recess on the heel of the blade. When using it, the knife can be taken close to the center of gravity and perform delicate work with it.

How to choose a knife according to the characteristics of the handle, we will describe below.

handles

They are made of two dies riveted to the shank or mounted on it. The latter can be collapsible (fasteners on the shank with a nut or wedge) or planted tightly, for which glue or a rivet is used.

• The main difference between the knife, which is considered a melee weapon, is the stop (guard, bolster) between the handle and the fifth of the blade, which does not allow the hand to move onto the cutting edge during a stabbing blow.
• The handles are made of wood, birch bark, elastron (rubber plastic), textolite and other materials, including horns or tusks of mammoths, walruses, if these are national knives.

Now let's find out what steel to choose for a knife.

The video below will tell you about the types of locks and openings for folding knives:

Steel

The vast majority of knives are made of stainless steel. The most commonly used are 65X13 and AUS-8.

• 65X13- a domestic brand used in the manufacture of surgical instruments. The letter "X" denotes the presence of chromium in the alloy. Good cutting properties and ease of manual sharpening are noted. With prolonged use in the field, it may fade (ex. knife, from Kizlyar, from Nozhemir).
• AUS-8- steel, classified as Japanese, used for the manufacture of samurai swords. It has good corrosion resistance. Tough, thanks to which the cutting edge does not crumble upon impact. High aggressiveness of the cut, sharpening is moderate, but easily corrected with manual abrasive whetstones. Such steel, for example, in knives, from Kizlyar,.

You will learn about the types of knives and the names of popular products in each category below.

Examples of "correct" products

Now that you have a general idea about the design of the knife, you can start choosing it. So, let's talk about the types of knives (folding, cutting, hunting, throwing, combat), and how to choose them correctly.

hunting

There are many opinions on how to choose a good hunting knife. On the hunt, you may need to finish off (pick up) a wounded animal, skin and skin the carcass.

The first thing to remember when hunting is that we are not barbarians and it would be nice to keep up appearances. Therefore, serrated and other elements that can cause additional suffering to the animal are unacceptable on a hunting knife. For the same reason, the length of the blade of a hunting knife cannot be less than 14 cm.

• Daggers have the best penetrating properties (eg,), so they are more “humane”. However, skinning and butchering the carcass with them is not very convenient.
• The handle of the knife must be made of a material with good frictional properties and must be equipped with a guard.

An example of a good hunting knife can be "" Kizlyar. Blade type "Bowie" with a well-defined rounding of the cutting edge has a length of 160 mm. The thickness of the butt is 4.7 mm. The slopes are concave, the handle is made of elastron, mounted, assembly on the thread. The guard is metal, with a well-developed lower ledge.

Having dealt with knives for hunting, we will learn how to choose a product for tourism purposes.

Tourist

This knife has many uses. It should be convenient for them to carry out work on the arrangement of a bivouac in the forest.

• The first requirement for him is to be strong so that, if necessary, he can play the role of a lever or replace an ax.
• The length is not too important, but it is better if the blade is at least ten centimeters. Thick butt, wedge-shaped descents, a handle with well-defined finger rests.
• It is better if the assembly of the handle is non-separable, since a variety of work is necessarily accompanied by vibration, which weakens the threaded fasteners.
• Solid wood stock handles are the worst choice, as they can fall apart if hit hard or dropped on rocks.
• It's nice to have a set of additional devices - a serrator, a choil, an additional cutting edge.

A good example of tourist knives are the Burbot (Vityaz), Field Tactician (Master K) and Strix (Kizlyar) models.

• "" - a clip point blade 125 mm long with an additional RK (one and a half sharpening). The thickness of the butt is 3.8 mm. The handle is elastron, attached, with a percussion spike on the pommel.
• "Burbot" - a normal blade blade 115 mm long, butt thickness 3.5 mm. The cutting edge with a wide rounding, this knife is convenient to skin. On the butt there is a notch for the stop of the finger, and on the lower edge of the heel there is a deep choil. The handle is elastron, with a shock spike on the pommel.
• "Field Tactician" - clip point blade 143 mm long. There is an additional RK, a recess-emphasis for a finger on the butt and a choil. The thickness of the butt is 4 mm. Drops are straight. The handle is elastron, mounted, fixed with a hollow rivet. There is a percussion spike on the pommel.

We will tell you below about how and what kind of cutting folding and awkward knives to choose.

Chopping

For the most part, these are household knives that should cut well and keep sharpening, and the ability to do anything else is not necessary for them. In camping equipment, an ax is complemented.

• The slopes are straight or concave, the sharpening is wedge-shaped.
• The handle can be made from a solid workpiece and mounted on a shank; it does not require well-defined finger stops.

A good option for a carving knife - the Rybak model - is offered by Kizlyar PP LLC. A wide blade with a concave butt line and a point pulled up, 155 mm long. The thickness of the butt is 2.5 mm, the cutting edge with a well-defined rounding, there is a choil on the lower edge of the heel and a hollow-stop for the toe on the butt. The descents are concave, the handle is made of wooden dies riveted to the handle. There is a percussion protrusion of the shank on the pommel.

When choosing a knife, do not give in to emotions. The elegance of lines, brutality and other "chips" in field conditions don't matter. The knife should be sharp, durable, fit well in the hand and easy to carry.

This video will show you how to choose a knife:

Such a style of knives as tanto is known to us from Japan, it is also called a short sword. The blade length of such a knife can vary from 30 to 50 cm. As a rule, sharpening is used one-sided, and sometimes two.
By tradition, there is a jamon on the metal, the handle is removable, and it also has a removable guard.

Materials and tools that the author used to make the knife:

List of materials:
- sheet steel with a high carbon content (it is this that can be hardened);
- wood for the handle;
- brass rods, rivets (or other material for making pins);
- epoxy glue.

List of tools:
- ;
- a good set of sandpaper;
- paper, pencil, scissors, drawing accessories (for making a template);
- ;
- glue;
- grindstone;
- different grit sandpaper;
- heat source (for quenching) and oil;
- drill with drills;
- clamps;
- wood impregnation oil.

Knife making process:

Step one. Draw a profile and cut out
First of all, you will need to show all your creativity. It is necessary to make a template for the future knife, this is done first on paper. If desired, you can download from the Internet already ready template and change it to your liking.

Instead of paper, it is better to use thick cardboard, when you cut out the template, you can hold the future knife in your hands and make sure that it is comfortable.

But there are some nuances here, a thin blade cuts well, but it does not withstand loads well if you chop with a knife. So you will need to find some middle ground.

Let's start sanding. This work will be done quickly and professionally. But not everyone has such a device, in extreme cases, you will need a grinder with a grinding disc. We clamp the workpiece with a clamp and proceed to grinding.
Some craftsmen form excellent bevels using ordinary files. But all this is laborious and requires experience.

Step four. Metal grinding
Now let's start grinding the metal, here you would again need a tape grinding machine. If not, everything will have to be done manually. We first use coarse sandpaper to level the planes, clean off rust and remove other defects. Then we gradually take the sandpaper finer and finer, and so on until the knife shines like a mirror.
Many craftsmen recommend moistening sandpaper in water, so it is cleared of chips.

Step six. Metal hardening
If you used special steel for making a knife, which has a high amount of carbon in its composition, it can be hardened. For this case, you will need an oven and a permanent magnet. If you do not know the grade of steel used, then a permanent magnet will help determine the degree of heating for hardening. If a magnet is brought to the heated steel, and it will not be attracted, then the metal is heated to the desired temperature.

As soon as the steel warms up, it is time to extinguish it. To do this, you will need oil, mono motor or vegetable. In oil, the metal does not cool as quickly as in water, so the risk of deformation of the workpiece is reduced. The author immerses the workpiece for 15 seconds, while being careful, as the oil ignites and emits a strong odor. After hardening, handle the workpiece carefully as the metal will be very brittle.

In the end, you need to leave the metal, this will make it elastic and the knife will not fly apart. If you drop it or throw it into a tree. Vacation can be done in a conventional household oven. We heat it to a temperature of 200-215 degrees Celsius and put the workpiece for an hour and a half. After that, turn off the oven and let it cool down with the knife closed.

Step seven. Knife cleaning and polishing
After hardening, there will be scale and traces of burnt oil on the knife. It all needs to be cleaned up. We take fine sandpaper, WD40 or plain water and proceed to cleaning. Gradually move to the smallest paper and in the end, if desired, polish the metal.

Finally, you have to drill holes in the wood for the pins, exactly in the same places as in the metal.